3rd Person POV
Garreth roared, slamming his gauntleted fist into the ground. The earth around him shifted violently, the snow scattering as massive chunks of rock and stone erupted upward. They swirled around him, forming jagged plates of armor that encased his entire body. His form grew, towering higher with each passing second until he stood as a monstrous titan.
Lucas took a deep breath, his mind flashed back to the countless battles he'd fought; the demon hordes and the Demon Lord himself. This wasn't new, but that didn't make it any less exhausting. He watched as Garreth raised a massive stone fist, the air itself seeming to groan under its weight. With a deafening crash, it came down toward Lucas.
In a blur of movement, Lucas leaped into the air, evading the strike. The force of the impact shattered the ground below, sending shards of rock flying in every direction.
Wind Magic: Gale barrier.
Lucas then cast a spell to protect everyone from the rocks and shrapnel that were flying in every direction, shielding the townsfolk and ensuring that none of the debris could harm anyone. Once he landed, he braced himself and launched himself into the air with a burst of speed. In a single, fluid motion, he clenched his fist, aiming straight for the center of Garreth's rocky chest.
The strike connected with the center of Garreth's massive stone chest, unleashing a thunderous impact that seemed to shake the heavens themselves. The titan's form disintegrated instantly, the rock shell shattering into countless fragments that blasted outward in a storm of debris.
Lucas watched as Garreth's shattered form was flung into the distance, crashing through the trees with the force of a falling star before leaving a crater on the ground once he stopped.
Lucas then propelled himself forward, landing near the downed man. Before Garreth could recover, glowing chains materialized, binding his limbs and pinning him to the ground.
"Why?" Lucas asked, "A man of your caliber, someone who fought in the war, why would you stoop to something like this?"
Garreth gasped for breath, his chest heaving under the weight of his injuries. Lucas sighed as he knelt beside Garreth, placing a hand over the man's chest. A soft, golden light emanated from his palm, weaving through Garreth's battered body, mending broken bones and easing his breathing.
"Why heal me? You planning to make some kind of righteous speech?" Garreth glared at him.
"I want answers." Lucas demanded.
"You want to know why I'm doing this, huh? Fine...I fought in the war because I had to. If the demons won, the world would burn, and I'd go with it. Survival, plain and simple. But fighting for some noble cause? Staying on the straight and narrow? That was never part of my plan...You think I didn't try to do things right?
"I did. I worked honest jobs, lived paycheck to paycheck, and barely scraped by. Meanwhile, I watched my so-called friends raking in cash from drugs, smuggling, and every dirty trick in the book. They lived like kings. And nothing ever happened to them. No punishment. No consequences. Do you think I didn't envy that? Doing the right thing doesn't pay. Doing this does. And don't pretend you don't know it. You've lived in the same world. You've seen how it works. If you're not getting ahead, you're getting left behind."
"And that's enough for you? Terrorizing innocent people just for the money?"
"Tch, I don't know who you are, but you're naive. You think the world's fair? That doing the right thing get you ahead? It doesn't. I tried living straight. Tried working honest jobs. All it got me was empty pockets and envy. So save it, you can't change my mind, so don't bother. Now, either finish me off or drag me to whatever passes for justice in this town. I've got nothing else to say."
Lucas stood in silence for a moment before grabbing the chains and dragged Garreth back toward the town. By the time they reached the town square, the gathered townsfolk watched with wide eyes as Lucas approached the mayor.
"Call someone from the capital," Lucas said, dropping the chained man, "These men need to be taken to prison."
The mayor nodded quickly, already sending messengers to arrange the escort. Lucas cast one last glance at Garreth before turning to walk away, leaving the defeated bandit leader to face the consequences of his actions.
*****
It didn't take long for the knights to arrive. Their armor gleamed in the sunlight as they got off their horses and marched into the town square. The leader, an elf with silver hair and green eyes, recognized me immediately as we locked eyes the moment we saw each other. Riley Palmer, Magic Knight Captain of the Northern Peak Kingdom.
I put a finger on my lips to signal her to be quiet and she understood as she halted her subordinates and announced her presence.
"Captain Riley Palmer on duty!" she declared.
"Mayor, do you think you can handle this? I want to relay matters of their leader to this Captain in private." I requested.
"Of course, young man." the Mayor nodded.
*****
"What brings you out here? And why aren't you in the capital, Lucas?" She asked.
"I could say the same thing, what are you doing out here, Captain? Weren't you supposed to be a commander?"
"Bah, I have always liked traveling, if I had taken that position, I would have been forced to stay in the Capital and I just happened to be the one nearby. And you?"
"Tired of the capital, to be honest." I shrugged, "Besides, a guy as good-looking like me gets offered a lot of marriage proposals."
"Even if you're the least famous of the 10, you are the sole support mage among the heroes and the strongest support mage in the world, that kind of title does earn you some hindrances like that."
"You forgot my title of also being the best looking."
"Are you trying to flirt with me? Aren't you married?"
"Please, don't get too ahead of yourself, I've seen better...would you like to join us for dinner?"
"Who's cooking?"
"Harper. Don't worry, Mona and I've managed to teach her."
"How was it?"
"Stressful, but it paid off."
"...Fine, I'll just write the report and let my lieutenant handle this."
*****
I got home and briefed everyone about what happened and the invaders should be being led by the earlier group of knights to the nearest prison. Mona, who had been glancing over at me with a concerned look, made her way over and immediately checked on how I was doing. She eyed me with a soft frown but was relieved to see that I was spotless.
Riley watched our exchange with interest, but I could tell she was trying not to pry into our personal dynamic. Instead, she made small talk with Harper.
It was when Lisa entered the room to see who had arrived that things took an unexpected turn. She stepped in quietly, black hair tied neatly in a braid, her eyes wide with curiosity. Riley's gaze immediately flicked to her, and I saw the subtle surprise in her expression.
She tilted her head, her gaze scanning Lisa with confusion before she blinked.
"Wait... is that your daughter?" she asked.
"What?"
"You and Harper...you already have a child?"
"No, no. She's not our daughter. Lisa...she's someone we're helping out."
"But she looks so...well, you look like her father."
"I have white hair and I have a light brown skin tone, how do we look alike?"
"Maybe a hero's gene is different, you never know."
"...is she perhaps a daughter of you and one of your exes?"
"No."
"Is she your other wife?" Lisa asked.
"She wishes. But no. We just used to travel together."
*****
*6 years ago*
It had been 2 grueling years of training, two years of endless lectures, and drills to prepare me for this very moment. And now, I was finally stepping out, not just as a summoned hero, but as the leader of a team. The thought alone was exhausting. Leadership wasn't something I had signed up for, but apparently, being a hero meant it wasn't optional.
My team was already waiting for me as I approached the camp. 3 people, complete strangers to me, each one with their own skill set, their own expectations.
First, there was Terrence Lance. A tall blond guy clad in silver and gold armor that practically shone even in the dim light. He used to be a Magic Knight Captain, but now he was here, reassigned to my team. Next was Riley Palmer. She stood with her arms crossed, her green eyes darting around like she was analyzing everything. An elf and lieutenant of Terrence's team, who is now also assigned to me. Finally, there was Evan Hall, a short red-headed healer. Compared to the other two, he seemed more relaxed. His soft features and easy smile made him feel approachable, a contrast to the tension in the air.
"Lucas Silver, I guess we'll be working together."
"Terrence Lance, I'll be the tank." Terrence said and put his hand out, which I shook.
"I'm Riley Palmer, I use the spear and will be the vanguard." Riley chimed in.
"And I'm the healer and support mage, Evan Hall." Evan said as we shook hands.
"I'll be the offensive mage. Nice to meet you all...um, I'm not good at this leader thing, so I'll let Terrence take over most of the time since he's the most experienced."
"Smart." Terrence smirked, "But we'll be travelling for at least the next 2 years together, you got plenty of time to learn."