Cairon could feel someone tapping his body. The rough hand made him think of his father's hand; it had been warm, but only before that incident.
"Master Cairon, it's morning."
But the voice was very deep, and the man felt a chill run through his body, his eyes opening unconsciously. Instead of sunlight streaming through the window to warm his eyes, there was an old man standing there with a satisfied expression.
"Impressive, you woke up on the first try."
"Yes, you'll get used to it."
"The leader sent a message. He wants you to go on an urgent mission and told me to ask you if you'd accept the request."
Cairon could see a mirror behind the old man's shoulder. In the mirror, there was a man with dark black hair and a light beard on his pale face, looking somewhat shocked when he saw himself.
"Master Cairon?"
He turned toward the source of the voice, only to find the old man staring at him strangely.
"Oh, yes, I'll do it," Cairon regained his composure and answered quickly.
"Yes, I'll inform the leader and bring you your usual breakfast." The old man slowly turned and left the room.
Cairon stood up and looked at the mirror. Even though he had seen this body many times, he couldn't help but admire it every time.
Tall frame, prominent muscles, and a strong face. Even in his previous modern world, obtaining such a body was difficult.
Last night, Cairon had decided to leave his past behind and move forward with his new life, setting a clear goal for himself.
Moments later, the old servant entered the room with confident, quiet steps, holding a luxurious plate of food in his left hand, and in his right, fine cloth napkins and a carefully folded letter.
"Your usual meal, hot milk with honey, bread, roasted lamb, and fruit salad," the old man smiled as he set the plate on the table, placing the letter and napkins on the opposite side.
Cairon threw some roasted meat into his mouth, took the letter, and removed the red wax sealed with the Remiel family crest.
Mission: A filthy race has infiltrated the hunting grounds near the city of Krol in the western region. Exterminate the intruders and protect the city...
"Is this a joke?" Cairon's face gradually changed to anger. He raised his hand to strike the table, but then noticed the servant staring at him strangely.
"Is everything alright?"
"Is that the whole mission?" Cairon asked with difficulty.
"I don't know the details of the mission, but yes, that's all of it. The leader told me to tell you that you can take any squad you want," the old man smiled lightly.
Cairon took a deep breath and spoke, "What forces are available right now?"
"The Guardians, the Dark Hands, and the Wardens," the servant quickly replied.
Cairon smiled when he heard the names of the available forces. The forces in the Remiel family were divided into six types, and three of them were currently available. The Wardens were the second strongest squad in the family, after the special forces of the clan leader. Of course, not everyone knew about this classification.
"Tell the Wardens to prepare, we leave in half an hour." Since he had the freedom to choose, of course, he would choose the Wardens as they were the strongest.
The old man bowed and left quietly, but Cairon didn't notice that the man had been watching him with strange glasses.
Cairon moved towards the wardrobe at the corner of the room. All the leaders had their own palaces and servants, but Cairon was content with this small place as it was his father's hometown.
He opened the wardrobe, revealing a full black armor with various decorations. He slowly took off his clothes. Anyone could tell that his appearance was stunning. However, he wasn't paying attention to his appearance as much as he was to his left hand.
On the back of his hand, the number "10" appeared in black. At first, he thought it was from his original time, but after trying to recall, he realized it was something from the man's memory that didn't have this symbol.
He tried many times to get rid of it, but to no avail. Thinking about it too much would hurt more than help, so he decided to set the matter aside for now and hide his hand under a glove.
He began slowly putting on his armor, piece by piece, as if preparing for the battle mentally as much as physically. The sound of the metal clashing as it was fastened disturbed his heart. It was the first time he would fight in his life. Even on Earth, there had only been a few minor scuffles, but now, he had to gamble with his life.
And he knew very well that the idea of refusing the mission was out of the question. Miragen wouldn't let him rest any longer.
After a few minutes, once he finished preparing, he heard a light knock on the door. "Master Cairon, the Wardens are ready in the courtyard."
He glanced at the door for a moment before answering, "I'll come down immediately."
He left the room and walked slowly through the wide corridors of the palace. Each step seemed to measure the distance between him and the upcoming confrontation.
In the palace's front courtyard, the Wardens could hear Cairon's footsteps as he descended the stairs step by step. Though he hadn't appeared in a while, the respect for a knight was unwavering among everyone. Who wouldn't dream of becoming a knight in this world?
"He's finally coming."
"An assignment with a knight, I haven't done that in a while."
"Is he stronger than 'Hyunikel,' I wonder?"
"Hmm, has he finally shown himself?"
Cain could hear some whispers from the arena, but they weren't clear to him.
When he arrived at the arena, he saw the guardians lined up in an orderly fashion.
With their black armor, they stood firm, their eyes prominent and sharp, with half of their faces covered by black cloaks.
There were 23 guardians in total, the elite of the elite from the family. Even two knights would find it difficult to kill them all. None of them were young or inexperienced.
Cain approached the leader of the guardians, who was particularly notable, a tall man with a massive frame and calm eyes.
Cain recognized him quickly; he was one of the candidates to become a knight.
"Is everyone ready?" Cain asked in a quiet yet firm voice, thinking he should not raise his voice.
"Yes, we are ready to depart at any moment," the leader of the guardians, Barbon, spoke calmly.
Cain nodded and then looked toward the horizon again. The sun had risen slightly in the sky. "Barbon, I'm relying on you."
Barbon nodded without responding.
Cain moved between the guardians, who made way for him, with Barbon following quietly behind, and the guardians trailing in soft steps.
They descended slightly, as the palace was on the highest ground, and beneath it was the training area surrounded by a stone wall about 700 meters long, and another wall surrounding the central city of "Karbel" with a diameter of more than a mile and a half.
The group, led by Cain, passed through the soldiers' training area. Everyone could feel dozens of eyes focused on them, and everyone who passed by bowed, or rather, bowed to Sir Cain.
Cain felt like a hero from one of those fairy tales.
[Author's Note: He has no idea what awaits him, poor guy.]
Cain felt a bit of embarrassment inside, but it didn't show. His white face was concealed by his helmet, yet he nodded at some people despite that.
In front of a wall about ten meters high, several horses stood, with some luggage strapped to their backs since they had to travel for three days to reach their destination. This was quicker than placing them in a cart.
Cain mounted a horse with red eyes and a black helmet on its head.
Click.
Click.
Click.
The gates slowly opened, and the group led by Cain moved forward. Everyone could see various buildings of different sizes.
As the guardians approached the city gate, the massive surrounding buildings stood out in grandeur, varying from small to large, with the only commonality being that they were all made of stone.
People lined the streets, their eyes filled with wonder and admiration, gazing at the passing group. Some women exchanged whispers, their hair dancing with the breeze, while children ran among the adults, waving their hands excitedly. "Look! Look! It's a real knight!" The words echoed like a proud and awe-filled chorus among the crowd.
When Cain saw them from atop his horse, he realized that he was the center of attention.
As they passed, he sensed the mixed energy in the air, hope and anxiety intertwined, as though they were blending like the colors of the spectrum. Every whisper, every look screamed their desire for safety.
The group continued their march until they reached the second gate, but compared to the first, this wall was larger, about 15 meters high, and several tall watchtowers were placed along its length.
The gate slowly opened. The sound of its opening blended with the echo of Cain's speeding heartbeat.
This was the first time he had left the walls since his arrival in this world, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as his breath froze in his chest.
Before him stretched a winding plain, bathed in vibrant green. Sunlight danced upon the grass.
The horse moved quickly, and the breeze gently brushed Cain's face. The cool, refreshing air seemed to lift the dust of the past days from his heart.
Without realizing it, he removed his black helmet. He felt the air sliding over his pale skin, restoring the life that had been absent.
He slowly raised his head to the sky. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling as though the entire universe was embracing him. It was that feeling he thought he had lost, that sense of belonging to something greater than the city walls.
His black hair fluttered in the wind. He opened his arms slowly, as if waiting for a long-awaited embrace.
A small smile appeared on his face, a smile full of passion and hope. It was that smile you get once in a lifetime when you feel the taste of liberation from some kind of restraint.
The group continued their journey in peace, despite the appearance of some large birds that Cain had never seen before through his eyes, yet the guardians paid no attention to them.
The bird was called the "Swirled Bird." It was large, covered in feathers with a beak resembling a swan and a long tail divided into two at the tip.
Cain's memory was quite helpful at this moment.
Of course, I will make the dialogues varied and reflect the themes I've discussed, like old stories, past events, and memories of women:
---
Dusk approached.
The sun slowly descended toward the dark horizon.
The group decided to camp in the expansive plains beneath the sky adorned with the first stars.
The guardians lit fires that consumed the wood, crackling rhythmically, filling the air.
They split into three groups and set their helmets aside.
They took out pieces of meat to roast on the fire, which danced like free spirits in the night.
The guardians sat on the grass, leaning back, speaking with lively, boisterous voices, their laughter scattering in the cold breeze.
Cain placed his sword on his chest and sat alone, leaning against a cold tree while watching the sky filled with sparkling stars scattered like little jewels on the dark fabric of the night.
He wanted to engage in conversation but didn't know how to do so, and if he went and stayed silent, the situation would be more awkward.
At times, he found solace in his solitude, an escape from the noise and surface-level conversations, away from dull jokes and conflicting opinions, and most importantly, away from the never-ending problems. Here, beneath the sky that wasn't governed by human laws, he felt a rare freedom.
Despite belonging to a modern world full of technology and noise, he cherished those simple moments that brought his soul a fleeting peace. A soft, quiet voice echoed in his mind: "How are those fools now? Have they forgotten about me, I wonder?"
His memory brought back images of his friends and their laughing faces. He wanted to cry; he felt a weight on his chest, but he suppressed it quickly.
While his eyes watched the stars move, he drifted into an unconscious slumber, not knowing when it came. Suddenly, strange sounds awoke him.
He opened his eyes to find a pair of glowing red eyes before him, larger than anything he had ever seen, staring at him with a chilling intensity. The massive creature slowly opened its mouth, revealing sharp fangs glinting under the pale moonlight. At that moment, Cain felt a strange heaviness in his limbs, as though they had frozen in place.
Before Cain could comprehend what was happening, a silver arrow shot forth at lightning speed, striking the creature's head with deadly precision, causing the giant to fall silently in front of him.
Cain snapped out of his shock at the sound of something large crashing to the ground, a sharp, unsettling noise that cut through the cold silence and caused a tremor that almost knocked him down.
He slowly opened his eyes to find himself in the midst of a nightmarish scene; the sky, despite the bright moonlight, looked like an ominous curtain foretelling something to come.
Around him, the corpses of the massive creatures lay in grotesque positions, their limbs torn apart, some still twitching in their last random movements, and thick streams of blood mixed with the smell of decay and fear, burning Cain's nose and choking his breath.
"Mark... It's my turn now!" came the voice of a guardian, full of confidence.
He stepped forward confidently toward three of the creatures, which let out a deep growl that echoed in the air like the reach of nightmares. His long sword gleamed, its metallic surface reflecting the moon's glow fiercely, as though hungry for blood.
The creatures charged all at once, their savage eyes flashing with hunger and madness, their teeth stained with foamy saliva.
The guardian remained motionless.
Only at the last moment did his feet move quickly, accelerating as the creatures drew near. At the last moment, he decapitated the first creature. Blood sprayed like a black fountain, splashing his face and clothes with thick, warm droplets.
The guardian skillfully jumped over the second beast and drove his sword deep into its back. The creature's scream was like the sound of a man boiling from hell. It made Cain shiver involuntarily. The beast thrashed wildly, trying to break free, and the gaping wound widened with each violent movement until the creature collapsed in a pool of blood and destruction.
The last one sensed the danger and tried to flee. Swiftly, the guardian drew a bow from his back and shot an arrow that pierced the beast's head.
[Author's Note: No chapter tomorrow.]