Leon focused intently on the road ahead, his eyes akin to a hawk's, sharp and observant. Though not accustomed to frequent combat, his heightened senses proved invaluable in quests of this nature. Guarding duties, while often uneventful, required vigilance for potential ambushes. Typically, traveling across cities was a peaceful affair.
Assuming this journey to be no different, Leon hoped for an uneventful job without any unforeseen complications. However, that hope was swiftly dashed.
Diana brought the carriage to a stop. "Tsk. Bandits, huh?"
Their path was obstructed by a gang of ten men, all armed with blades and swords. Their lecherous and wicked smiles conveyed ill intentions.
The apparent leader of the bandits, a robust figure with a scar slashing across his face, advanced with a malicious grin etched on his features. His voice carried a coarse, threatening tone as he addressed Leon and Diana.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" he sneered. "A couple of fancy travelers, it seems. You two look like you're carrying more than just luggage."
"We're merely on our way back to the City of Rusuan. Step aside, and there won't be trouble."
The bandit leader chuckled, his cohorts joining in. "A journey back, you say? That doesn't mean much out here, young lady. Now, how about you hand over anything of value, and maybe we'll let you go with your limbs intact."
"You must be joking," Diana retorted, a hint of disdain in her voice. "Do you think we'd surrender to a pack of highwaymen?"
The bandit leader's grin widened. "You've got spirit, I'll give you that. But we've got the numbers, and you're in our territory now. You've got two choices: part with your valuables or part with your limbs. What'll it be?"
"Unfortunately for you, you've encountered the wrong person." Diana descended from the carriage and unsheathed her sword.
Leon attempted to do the same, only to find that his sword was chipped on the edges. It could still be use for shaving woods, but it was useless in battle.
"Heh. What could a young adventurer like him and a woman like you do against us? Can't you see what surrounds you, young lady? It's evident that you don't stand a chance."
"Don't make assumptions before the battle has begun. Would you like to discover whether I truly stand a chance?" Diana declared, brandishing her sword and directing it towards the bandits.
"Ha ha, you're quite the amusing knight. Now that I've had the pleasure of staring at your face for a while, I've come to notice that you are a beautiful woman. I suppose not only valuable items will be mine tonight," the bandit leader remarked, revealing his yellowed teeth as he licked them.
Diana regarded the scoundrel with a mixture of scorn and disgust.
"Well, what are you waiting for, boys? Let's apprehend her!"
The bandits charged at her, weapons at the ready, while the leader observed with the same sinister grin on his face. As they closed in, swords swung at her, but the knight skillfully evaded the attacks by bending backward until her hands met the ground, executing a flawless handspring. In a swift motion, she delivered kicks to two of the approaching bandits, sending them flying a considerable distance before they sprawled on the ground.
Another bandit, sword thrusting forward, met resistance as Diana skillfully deflected the attack with her own blade. Following the parry, she incapacitated the assailant with a powerful fist. Considering her hands were encased in metal armor, the impact must have been significant.
Two more bandits advanced simultaneously, swords raised to strike. With grace and ease, Diana sidestepped their sword swings and skillfully targeted their ankles, causing them to stumble. Seizing the opportunity, she used her fists to render the men unconscious.
The remaining bandits, witnessing her formidable combat skills, halted their aggressive advances. Diana rose after incapacitating the men, exhibiting a display of movements that left Leon in awe. Her actions, numbering ten or fifteen in total, were executed with minimal movement, yet possessed a grace that almost resembled a dance rather than a battle.
"Never thought I would see another Dancing Sword Style practitioner in Hartz, but I suppose the world is truly smaller than we thought," the bandit leader remarked as he unsheathed his sword. The blade featured intricate designs, displaying a crimson crescent moon motif, with the entirety of the weapon bathed in crimson, including the hilt.
"That sword..." Leon murmured. Although he couldn't possibly recognize the sword, having never seen it before, an odd sense of familiarity washed over him. Why was that?
"Master, that's the sword of Galahad."
Galahad. A figure from the hundred-year war, the one who betrayed humanity to join the demon race.
"I assume you don't know this, Master, considering your lack of interest in history. But do you recall when I mentioned that some malevolent individual accused Jeanne of fraudulence? That culprit was none other than Galahad."
Leon remained oblivious to such historical details, driven by a deliberate choice to prioritize his time working for Seres rather than delving into the annals of history. The lives of figures from the past held no significant bearing on his present existence. While he possessed a superficial understanding of the hundred-year war, he had no inclination to explore its intricacies.
"Is that truly Galahad's sword?"
"There's no room for doubt. I've witnessed that crescent moon-designed blade in his possession before. Despite my demise centuries ago, my memory remains intact."
Eve, a demon lord from the past, met her end during the Second Demon-Human War, which transpired three hundred years ago. Her recollections extended to the events of the hundred-year war, possibly even participating as one of its leaders and enduring until the Second Demon-Human War. Given the timeline, her age likely surpassed—
"You're quite impolite, Master. I can sense your contemplation regarding my age. Please desist from such thoughts."
Sorry," Leon apologized. He hadn't realized that Eve could hear his thoughts. "Oh, then can I converse with you through my thoughts since that's the case?"
"That's actually how it's supposed to be. I don't know why you're talking to me out loud when you can just converse with me through your thoughts."
This revelation was news to him. From now on, he would communicate with Eve in his mind to avoid appearing insane to others.
"Hey, Eve. If that sword is really Galahad's, how much could I sell it for?"
Eve sighed, "Well, it could potentially fetch up to a million gold coins, but... I don't think, at this point, you'd be able to obtain that sword, Master. That man is not a typical bandit, as he appears."
That observation held true. Even Leon could discern that the man was no ordinary bandit.
"Why don't you use your Eye of Truth, Master?"
"Eye of Truth?"
"It's a skill you unlock at level two, along with me. You didn't know that?"
"I didn't."
That revelation surprised him as well.
"Tell me, Master. Have you ever looked at your own status?"
"Status?"
Eve fell silent for a moment. If Leon could see her right now, she must have been shaking her head in exasperation. After a few quiet seconds, Eve spoke, "Your ignorance is killing me, Master. Say 'status' out loud so that you can view it."
Leon followed her instruction. "Status."
Suddenly, a hologram materialized out of thin air, displaying information.
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Name: Leon
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Title: Host of the Demon Lord of Lust (lvl. 2)
Strength: 15
Resistance: 20
Stamina: 500
Agility: 20
Magic: 100
Magic Resistance: 100
Skills:
-Eye of Truth (lvl. 1)
-Dark Magic (lvl. 1)
-Complex Magic (lvl. 1)
——————————
"What's this?" Leon questioned as he examined the hologram.
Eve responded with the same exasperated voice, "It's your status, Master. Your attributes, skills, and other pertinent information are all right there."
Leon squinted at the hologram, trying to comprehend the details presented. "So, what do all these numbers and skills mean?"
Eve sighed, "Let me break it down for you, since you seem incapable of figuring it out on your own. Your strength, resistance, stamina, agility, magic, and magic resistance are your basic attributes. They determine your physical and magical capabilities. As for your skills, you have the Eye of Truth, Dark Magic, and Complex Magic, each at level one. And, by the way, the title 'Host of the Demon Lord of Lust (lvl. 2)' means you are hosting me, a demon lord. You really need to pay more attention, Master."
Leon scratched his head, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "I didn't even know I had all this information available."
Eve huffed, "Well, now you do. Don't embarrass me by displaying such ignorance again."
Leon inquired, "How do I utilize this 'Eye of Truth,' and what exactly does it do?"
Eve, with a hint of lingering exasperation, explained, "To use the Eye of Truth, focus on an object or person and mentally command 'Analyze.' The skill will then provide you with information about the target. It's a handy tool for assessing your surroundings or understanding the strengths and weaknesses of enemies."
Leon nodded, absorbing the information. "Got it. So, let me try it." He gazed at a nearby tree and commanded in his mind, "Analyze."
The holographic information about the tree materialized in front of him.
——————————
Object: Tree
Type: Oak
Age: Approximately 50 years
Height: 20 feet
Health: Robust
——————————
"Oh?" said Leon, intrigued.
"Honestly, I don't know why you don't know this, especially when you already used this skill on the rabbit woman."
"Say what?" asked Leon. He didn't remember using it on anyone.
"Don't act clueless with me, Master. I mean, how could you discern that the woman you met earlier was a rabbit woman when she was using a changing appearance artifact?"
That revelation surprised him. So, to others, the woman earlier wasn't a rabbit woman, just a normal one. That explained why no one was astonished to find her there. Still, an artifact that could alter one's appearance? That was indeed a valuable tool.
"Now that you know this, try using it on the bandit."
Leon focused on the bandit and mentally commanded 'analyze.' When he saw the bandit's status, his eyes widened in shock and horror.