Prologue:
-Lyrius' POV-
"Ahhhhh."
I heard a sudden piercing scream that jolted me from my reverie. It was followed by a desperate cry for help, unmistakably from a woman. Without a second thought, I bolted into motion and sprinted toward the heart-wrenching sound, determined to offer assistance to whoever was in distress. My eyes widened in anger and disgust as I saw 3 males strangling a girl.
As I witnessed the unfolding situation, my instincts kicked in, and I swiftly unsheathed my sword from its scabbard at my waist., I charged toward the group, who remained oblivious to my presence. The first man, clutching the girl's hands, plummeted to the ground as I took action. His head flew away from the body.
I saw as the remaining males registered the events unfolding before them. Their widened eyes reflected a mix of surprise and realization, but before they could respond, I swiftly closed the distance between us. I didn't have to look back at their sliced bodies to know their faith. Sheathing my sword back into its scabbard, I looked down at the girl lying beneath me and sighed in relief as I saw that she wasn't harmed.
I kneeled to her level and touched her cheek, I cringed as she flinched.
"Easy there, you are safe now... What is your name?"
I inquired, attempting to soften my tone. She gazed at me with wide, teary eyes before rushing into my arms, sobbing uncontrollably. As someone unaccustomed to witnessing such vulnerability, I could do nothing but gently stroke her back, offering what comfort I could.
It took 7 minutes and 25 seconds for her to calm down, I took note.
"My name is Elina Thanks for saving me..."
Her shoulders shook as she released heavy sobs, causing her green pupil to glisten under her teary eyes. I offered a gentle smile and extended a hand to help her to her feet. With concern in my voice, I decided to start asking her some questions.
"Why were you here alone? It's dangerous to be alone in such a place alone."
I observed her tiredly rubbing her eyes with the sleeves of her jacket, so I offered her my scarf. She accepted it with a thankful nod and used it to gently wipe her eyes. With a slow voice, she replied.
"I-I came t-to collect some wild vegetables..."
As she gave a brief response, I decided not to press for further information. After escorting the girl safely back to her home, I bid her goodbye and then took a stroll around the town.
'Now, where is the guild?'
After aimlessly wandering through the streets, my eyes scanned the town for any sign of the guild. It wasn't until I had spent a good hour and a half in search that I finally glimpsed what appeared to be the guild building, rising up amid the hustle and bustle of the town.. I raised an eyebrow as I found several swords placed on my neck.
"Halt... Who are you why did you kill the citizens of our town?"
As I let out a heavy sigh, I shifted my gaze towards the wielders of the swords, only to be met by the imposing sight of four heavily armored figures standing in a protective formation around me.
"Look, I didn't have any choice... The three of them were assaulting a girl, it was either kill them or whatever the second option is."
As they lowered their swords, my explanation seemed to have had the desired effect. A fleeting moment of doubt crossed my mind as I wondered if it had been too easy. Nevertheless, I saw it as a stroke of luck and decided not to question it.
"Those three you killed were local thieves of the town, they weren't of any good... we were thinking of what to do with them when we found them dead and after scanning the energy around them, it led to you."
I heard a new voice and turned to see a middle-aged man stepping out of the main door of the guild. I listened to his explanation with a disinterested look on my face, nodding slightly as he finished. 'Makes sense,' I muttered, shrugging my shoulders.
"Look, I am not here for any trouble, I am just a wandering guy looking for an adventurer's license... If I can't get it here, just tell me and I'll walk away... I might also forgive you for pointing the swords at me."
The last part, I kept it to myself. The gentleman flashed a warm smile in my direction before erupting into a hearty, booming laugh. He then made a sweeping gesture toward the group of four armed men and began to speak, "The four of you, please permit—"
"Lyrius Winterbourne."
"-yeah, kindly allow Mr. Wintersbourne to follow me inside the guild... Thank you for your help."
As he said that, the four guards bowed to the man and walked away from us. Shrugging my shoulders, I followed the man into the guild and he led me to the front desk.
"Please let Mr. Wintersbourne to register into the guild."
Nothing much was said or discussed after that as I was allowed to fill out the form for the registration silently.
"Thanks for the help, old man."
"You can call me Ethan, and think nothing of it young man... It was only fair for me to allow you to register after you got rid of my town's pests."
I exchanged a few words with the man and walked out of the guild.
I eyed my E-Ranked Card with a frown. 'E-Ranked... such an ugly rank.' I had to change this, and fast. But for now, I have to look for a place to spend the night.
-in the guild-
"Why did you allow the man to escape even after he killed the three men, sir."
He couldn't comprehend why Ethan had permitted such a dangerous individual to move about the town without facing any consequences.
"Did you see the condition of the men he killed? One of them had his head severed from his body, which is already a feat on its own... But the other two, their condition are what made me decide not to confront the young man. They were cut into multiple pieces, and each slice appeared to be perfect, no wasted slice."
Ethan said, earning a frown from the man. Sighing, he decided to explain himself.
"The three of them were all B-Rank Adventurers before their license was revoked because of their misconduct... You saw the crime scene, there were no signs of battle, which means the young man had one-handedly killed the three of them without a fight. Now, would you be able to claim such a feat?"
"But... the three criminals were probably too busy trying to assault the girl that they didn't notice the man."
"I definitely wouldn't want to make an enemy out of someone who can effortlessly cut a person into multiple pieces with such flawless and precise strikes... Do you?"
This helped shut the man down.
While the two men engaged in their conversation, Lyrius had managed to secure a cozy room on the opposite side of town. Currently, he was indulging in a delicious, steaming hot dinner within the comfort of his accommodations.
'I need to find a library and start training on my magic.'