Well to make these notes a little more fun, I am including a fun (fictional)fact:
Kuda's popularity with women became so great by the time he became Level 5, at least one woman from every major familia had a crush on him. Out of jealousy, one thousand male adventurers formed a coalition to crush him. A Level 5 led the coalition. The experience boosted Kuda by over 500 points in status.
Chapter 13
The Werewolf King
Meanwhile, as his familia fought their enemies, Kuda, along with Nim, Phina, an amazon named Sabrina, and a human fighter named Eddie were the only five Zeus Familia members left in Noda Village. It was a simple plan Kyra had devised, because it didn't need to be complex. Divide and conquer was the plan. They would divide in six groups of five, with each group being led by a first tier fighter, as well as the one who had discovered the targeted village in the first place, a healer, and two others. It was lucky there were only six targets or else their numbers would not have divided so cleanly.
So, Alystar, Kyra, Barron, Lezanna, and Celesta had left for their respective assignments, leaving behind Kuda's group to guard Noda Village. However, unlike the rest of their companions, they had not encountered any bandits or even a wild goblin. Before, Kyra had guessed that the enemy may choose to skip Noda Village in their raid because she had killed the goblins that they had sent before they could really cause much damage. So far, it appeared she was correct. Neither a bandit nor a goblin had come anywhere near the village as of yet. Things were mostly quiet.
"My gods, this is so boring…" Nim complained.
"Why did they have to pick us to stay here to guard the village?" Phina wondered aloud.
"I bet everybody else is out there being badasses while we're stuck here doing nothing but sitting around."
"It's like we're the side characters in a heroic tale whose only purpose is to make the main protagonists look good."
"Right?"
'They're so noisy,' Kuda thought as he sat just outside the village entrance. It was just him and the girls guarding the front. In the unlikely case that the enemy came to attack from the opposite way, Eddie and Sabrina were in there ready to shoot off a signal flare in case. So far it was quiet, which wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the repeated complaints of the two teenage girls with him. He wondered if it had been this bad for his mentors and seniors when he and his friends were at that age. It was probably worse, if he was being honest. He remembered their vice captain, from before their fall from power, and how angry he'd get whenever he and the others would run off on their own and get into trouble, and how just as angry he'd get at their captain for being amused by whatever situation they found themselves in.
He missed that.
Kuda looked forward. The village's entrance faced the direction of Orario. His first tier eyesight allowed him to see the figure of the walls of the city, as well as the perpetually long line of visitors, merchants, and aspiring adventurers at the city's entrance. It was the same as it always was. Seeing the shadow of his former home, he remembered old memories. Practicing his swordsmanship daily, exploring the Dungeon, beating up the thugs dumb enough to cause trouble around them. You know, normal stuff for a twelve year old.
He thought about the Loki and Frey's Familias. Specifically, he thought about Finn and Ottar. Were they struggling to keep their younger and newer members under control like he was with Nim and Phina.
'They almost certainly are,' Kuda thought, musing at the idea. When he first met the two captains of the now strongest familias, they were talented fledglings with egos and cockiness to match. Constantly, they and their familias challenge the Zeus and Hera factions only to be crushed by them again and again. Repeatedly, they were beaten, and repeatedly, they rose up, undeterred by the seemingly unbridgeable gap between their opponents and themselves.
It might seem odd coming from someone who was usurped by them, but Kuda respected those two a great deal. So, he silently sympathized with them if they too had troublesome members. From what he had heard over the years, they could use it.
"Quite a lax mood for those claiming to protect us," Sapphire said as she approached them. Kuda looked at her, wondering why she was here. The villagers were ordered to stay indoors until the threat passed. Although, since nothing had happened yet, he imagined more people would soon come out due to impatience. The nurse/doctor's apprentice was not dressed in the previous day's nurse attire. Instead, she was wearing a sleeveless blue top and white pants made of flexible fabric that clung flatteringly onto her legs. Strapped to her waist was a sheathed sword. Her attire was good for mobility and easy movements. In other words, it was her battle attire.
"What are you doing, Sapphire-san?" Kuda asked.
"I want to help," she said determinedly. Nim and Phina looked at her with confused looks. Understandable, since they were the only ones who hadn't figured out who Sapphire really was. The other Zeus remnants had either immediately recognized the woman as one of the Rakian Army's few Level 4s, or had realized it after noting the way she walked and moved with control and precision. Of course, those were only things that experienced fighters like them would notice. Nim and Phina lacked that kind of experience, so to them, Sapphire was only the helpful and pretty nurse that assisted Dr. Oleson.
"That's unnecessary," Kuda said, looking stern.
"I might not be as strong as you Orario monsters, but I'm pretty capable too, you know?"
"Um, sorry, nurse Sapphire," Nim said. "But how can you help? You look ready for a fight, but that doesn't mean you should fight."
"Oh, I know, you probably came to give medical assistance, right," Phina beamed excitedly. "I could use the help. My healing magic is less effective at healing wounds and more effective at restoring stamina."
"No, I'm really here to fight," Sapphire insisted.
"Sapphire here is a Level 4 of Rakia," Kuda explained.
"What?!" The girls gasped, shocked at the revelation.
"I assumed you all knew," Sapphire said.
"Everyone but these two failed to realize who you are," Kuda explained. "They weren't there during that last battle we had with Rakia, plus they aren't that sharp."
"Hey!" The two girls said, offended. A second later, a question came to them.
"How does a soldier of Rakia, especially a Level 4, end up in an out of the way village in the midst of non-Rakian territory?" Nim asked. "We never participated in fighting Rakia, but we hear stories."
Phina nodded. "That's right. So why are you here as a nurse?"
"Well… to make a long story short, I faked my death," Sapphire confessed.
"That's impossible," both girls said, immediately rejecting the woman's answer.
"The falna bestowed to you by your god connects you to him," Nim explained.
"That allows him to know whether or not you are alive," Phina added. "You can't fake a death to your own deity."
"True, but opportunities arose that-"
"Hey," Kuda called, interrupting the girls. He was on his feet and stared out into the seemingly empty distance as if seeing something. "As interesting as this is, we don't have time to discuss it. Everyone has begun to engage in battle."
"How can you-" Sapphire asked before stopping herself. "Oh. You can see it."
It was known that those who were blessed with the falna had superior senses to those who weren't blessed, so it was natural that top class adventurers had super strong senses. Although, 'natural' probably wasn't the word Sapphire would use. She, as a Level 4, could also see and hear quite far but when she focused her sights on the nearest town, she could only see figures indistinguishable from each other. But it was certainly clear from their movements that a fight was happening.
"Dang it," Nim complained, looking in the same direction as Kuda. "I can't see a thing!"
"Neither can I," Phina groaned. "But I bet our guys are kicking butt."
"That, I know for sure."
"It appears that Kyra's theory was correct," Kuda said, turning to Sapphire. He gave the soldier turned nurse a neutral look. "You don't need to be here, Sapphire-san."
"You think I'll hold you back?" Sapphire questioned, a feeling of insult in her chest. It wasn't as though she held strong feelings for her former position as aRakia commander, but she was one of the few who achieved Level 4 over there. She didn't like the feeling of being dismissed for not living up to someone else's standards. "I acknowledge that you and your familia are way better than I am in a fight. I probably would lose even to your Level 4s if it came to that, but I'm still a Level 4 myself. I can and will do my part."
"You've done your part, Noda's Hero-san."
Despite not usually being the dramatic sort, Sapphire gasped in shock. "You knew?"
"Who else could it be? Unless there's some other powerful fighters hiding over here, you don't need to be a genius to figure out who's capable of protecting this village like that. Look, Sapphire-San, I'm not trying to insult you. I'm just saying you left Rakia for a reason. You hid your past from everyone and now you are living amongst them and helping them by studying medicine. I respect that and would like to enable you to continue that. Even now, just you being here is suspicious. If people see you fight and find out you were with Rakia, it won't end well for you."
Sapphire was dumbfounded for a moment. She didn't expect someone like a Zeus Familia captain to consider her position like that. It made her feel warm inside. "You know, I just discovered Monica and the mayor have known who I am for quite some time now."
"Did they?" Kuda said. "I'm not too surprised that the mayor knew, but I am kind of stunned that Monica knew. She never gave the impression otherwise."
"I know, right? When I first came to Noda Village, only Oleson-sensei knew about me, and I wanted to keep it that way, but it turns out that the mayor had suspected me from the beginning and made the doctor tell him about me, but he never did anything else after that. He let me be in this village he founded. He didn't tell Monica about me, not initially, at least, but she was also suspicious of me. According to her, a beautiful and sophisticated young woman leaving the city to study medicine at a dull, out of the way little village only happened when they were trying to get away from something, or got too old, and since the latter wasn't the case, it had to be the former. She was worried that the 'something' could be dangerous and since my position puts me perpetually around the villagers, she worried I might be putting their safety in jeopardy. Especially the children's safety."
Kuda knew she was referring to Bell, whom Monica was attached to. He wondered if the old man knew about Sapphire. He probably did. If he didn't fully know Sapphire's identity, he at least must've sensed her high status. If for nothing else, the old lecher probably kept an eye on her for her beauty.
"So, Monica pestered her grandfather to tell her what he likely knew about me. He held his ground for a while, but Monica is quite tenacious. Plus, she cooks his meals. She broke him by threatening to only make him bland crap like porridge, oatmeal, and meatless dishes. A month of that crap was enough to break him, so he told her about me." She paused for a moment, as if remembering certain things. "You know, when I defected from the army, I was always worried if people-non-Rakians-ever found out about me. The army certainly burned its share of bridges in the past. Most of that was before my time, like the burning of the elven forests." She glanced guiltily at the elven Phina. "But the long lifespan elves certainly haven't forgotten, nor should they."
"Uh, you don't need to feel sorry for me about that," Phina assured her. "I'm 16. That all happened before I was even born. Besides, I was raised by a human couple. Long story."
"I see, but the point is, Rakia isn't very popular with outsiders, and as a Rakia commander, I knew I would receive the full brunt of that hate if it ever came out who I was. So, can you imagine how happy I felt when I learned that Monica and the mayor had known about me almost since the beginning and still treated me like a member of the village, like family, in spite of my past? It was like a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders and now I'm finally free."
She stopped and cleared her throat as if suppressing a sob.
"I've never really used my power for anyone other than myself or Rakia, but I want to fight for this village if it becomes necessary. No matter what happens afterwards, I will do my part." She finished by showing off a determined, resolved expression that showed she meant those words.
"Alright," Kuda sighed, turning to face outside the village. "I understand. I won't say anything else. You're free to do whatever you want."
"Yeah, welcome aboard," Nim said, patting Sapphire's arm enthusiastically. 'Although, you probably won't be needed.'
"Yes, welcome aboard, newbie," Phina said, patting her other shoulder. 'Although, I doubt you'll get much action.'
The reason they thought that was not out of arrogance or a lack of faith in Sapphire's abilities. They were only Level 2s, they didn't have the right to doubt a Level 4. There were two main reasons they thought those things. The first was because Kyra had deduced that the enemy would be less inclined to attack due to the fact that she had stopped their initial assault yesterday morning. They weren't the types to doubt Kyra's guesses. The second reason was because of the man they followed. The man they adored. The man they had complete faith in. The man who stood in front of the little village gallantly like a true hero who seemed nigh invincible.
As long as he was there, an army of bandits and monsters couldn't get past them.
As the two girls were thinking that, Kuda's body jerked as he looked out in a specific direction, as if he saw something. "I have to go."
"Huh?" The three of them said, surprised.
"I will be back as soon as possible," he said as he crouched down in a a running stance, then leaped forward into the direction he was staring at, creating a powerful gust of air the blew the three ladies' hair away as the instinctively covered their eyes to protect them from dirt and debris flying at them. In a second, he was out of sight, leaving the three girls completely dumbfounded.
"The heck?" Sapphire asked, stupefied.
"Ah, why's he gotta go and do that," Nim complained like a child.
"He was our secret weapon!" Phina whined. With him gone, there were just three Level 4s and two Level 2s, hardly a weak force by most standards, but definitely worse than the other teams now. If an enemy did attack now, things would be a lot less certain now that Kuda was gone.
Alystar Frenras grew up in the frigid, snow covered lands that his wolven tribe claimed as theirs. It was a whole continent away, but a stroke of fate brought some of the elite members of Zeus Familia over there when he was about ten years old. After a series of events, Alystar was recruited into the familia and became an adventurer. At record speed, he rose through the ranks and earned several titles. His first was The White Wolf on account of his signature magic, Blizzard Howl, which essentially allowed him to produce a blizzard from his body. His current second name was the Werewolf King, or Beast King. He was a Level Six, and he carried the aura of a king when he fought that inspired everyone, especially beast humans, which might explain why his party were all beast demihumans.
"Alystar-san, you only knocked down a few of them and even they are already getting back up. Don't you think you held back far too much?" Adam asked Alystar. The powerful werewolf was surrounded by snow that swirled around him at a constant swirling motion. The effects of his spell made it very frigid around him. Despite that his four companions stayed close to him. "If you had simply unleashed everything you had, then this would all be over this instant."
"That'd be pretty boring, don't you think?" He replied. "Besides, had I done that, this place would be as white as my homeland. We're in the middle of the fall here, so it will take a while for it all to melt."
"That seems like an inconsequential reason compared to punishing these bandits. If it's really a problem, then we could have Kuda-san melt the snow with his magic."
"Don't you want to knock a few heads yourself? Weren't you the one who saw what they did over here?"
Adam's eyes widened. He had been the one to see that Seymour was attacked and was the one who reported it to the others. He saw the atrocious attack on the quiet little town and was enraged by it. Of course, he didn't show it openly. Adam was rarely emotional. Still, that only meant he was in control, not that he didn't want to take out his frustrations on those who caused it. Alystar knew this and thought to let him have some release.
"It's frustrating to be so easily read by you, Alystar-san," Adam said, half smiling. He unsheathed the sword on his waist and got into a charging stance similar to a cat about to pounce. "But thanks, Mr. Cool!"
He lunged at the enemy approaching them and attacked like a battle hardened alley cat. He was followed by a wiry framed werewolf and hulking cowman. The three animal people charged like the very monsters they once regularly fought over a decade ago. Despite the number difference, they were decimating the bandits with ease. Unsurprising, In the Age of Gods, it was quality over quantity.
"This will likely end quickly," Alystar said, indifference in his tone as his allies mowed down the enemy like war gods."Kinda disappointing, honestly."
"You won't fight, Alystar-san?" A chienthrope woman named Becca asked him. She was a healer, so she stood back to best fulfill her duty. Although, seeing her friends were tanking, dodging, or just one-shotting their foes, she doubted that they'd need her. More likely, it was the bandits that'd need healing when everything was over.
"I'll fight when they release whatever is in that huge crate they're lugging around," he said, looking up at the hill where the enemy rear stood beside a huge crate that contained something dangerous inside. "From the smell of it, it's a monster from the deep floors of the Dungeon."
Becca nodded. She had a sharp nose herself and determined the same thing as Alystar. "How could they get something like that out here?"
"Who knows? Maybe there's an alternate entrance to the Dungeon that even the old folks don't know about?"
"That's a serious thing for you to suggest so nonchalantly, Aystar-san."
"Is there any other other explanation?" He asked. Becca had a good nose, too, so she could also tell that the thing in the crate was a monster from the deep floors. (Is it odd that the scent made her feel nostalgic?) For the past thousand years, there was only the entrance under; the one under Babel that adventurers used as an entrance. Of course, there was also the undersea entrance that allowed aquatic types to exit the Dungeon, but they had sealed it off after the Leviathan was killed by them. If someone was to smuggle a deep floor monster out of Orario, they would have to first drag it up the dozens of floors of the Dungeon, get it past the Babel entrance, and get it out of the city without anybody finding out. It was impossible. "Not that it matters. Whatever the case, we can just ask the jerks who lugged the thing over here."
He looked up at the ones at the very rear. They stood like commanders observing the battle, but looked more like terrified and frustrated children as their hundred-something men were taken down by just three guys. The one who appeared like the one in charge looked particularly hateful. It was the look of a man who had thought he had won but was foiled by an unexpected and unbeatable obstacle. It was the face of a petty man.
"Why is the Werewolf King here?!" He shouted. "Why is Zeus Familia getting in our way?!"
"I think I've seen that guy before?" Alystar said indifferently.
"Judging by the fact he knows your face and second name," Becca said. "He must've been around since before our fall from power."
"Seems like he isn't pleased to see us. Can't say I blame him, considering what Zard and Alfia did."
Becca grimaced. Hearing what their missing comrade had done two years at their former home always brought up complicated feelings in her chest.
"Release the monster! Now!" The leader shouted. His remaining men in the rear, at least one of whom had to be a tamer, scrambled to the large crate. They used their falna granted strength to break open the wooden door. For a moment, nothing came out or made any kind of sound, but then a pair of glowing green eyes shone from within the crate and a green dragon head poked out from inside. The monster slid out like a snake.
It was a Serpent Dragon. A Deep Floor boss monster typically found just before floor 50. It had the head of a dragon and the body of a snake. It could not fly but it had the ability to leap a hundred feet into the air, then dive down, usually breathing out fire, and wiping out an army's worth of people. It was truly one of the worst sort of monsters for a small town like Seymour to have to deal with.
The creature burst out of the crate and rose to look 50 feet tall. There was a black collar enclosed around its thick neck. A slave collar meant to control monsters, Alystar realized. However, the ones he knew of should have been ineffective on a monster like a Serpent Dragon. The collar at best should only aggravate it and make it kill the one trying to control it. He detected a dullness in the creature's motions and cloudiness in its eyes.
'That magic used to control monsters from afar must be making it dull and more submissive,' he surmised. He took a moment to observe the enormous monster as his comrades readied themselves for a fight. The panicked sounds of Seymour's citizens could be heard from behind, but Alystar ignored that. His focus was on the Serpent Dragon. Ordinarily, that kind of monster would have already started rampaging the moment it saw people. Any monster would. But this one was acting docile and obediently waited for its controller's orders. It was pitiful. 'I'm not Kuda. I don't think about pointless things like what if a monster was an incarnation of an ordinary person from a past life or crap like that. But still, I will do you a favor… and give you release through death, monster.'
What Alystar did next could technically be called a leap. But all who were watching would swear that he actually flew into the air. Propelled by his magic, he was actually flying at the Serpent Dragon. The feat earned the awe of all who saw it. Even in the age of the gods, flying itself was a rare ability that few saw, especially out of Orario. But the amazing thing was what happened next. In a flash of white, Alystar decapitated the Serpent Dragon. The headless dragon's body, as if unable to fully process its demise, stood frozen for several moments before falling forward and its severed head fell solemnly several meters away from it's body. Both the head and body turned to ashes before ever hitting the ground, creating a snowfall of ash that was both melancholy and beautiful.
Alystar, cloaked in powdery snow, landed gracefully on his feet, his weapon resheathed in its sheath. He stood solemn, like a king on the battlefield. The bandits, and the citizens who had seen the spectacle, froze in shock, awe, and terror at the sight of their trump card being slain as if it were nothing but a garden snake. They couldn't move, or even think in the presence of the man who slayed the monster. They knew, at that moment, that they were in the presence of the true beast king.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I hope Alystar lives up to any expectations you have of him. You might've noticed I hinted towards a certain plot point from the SOnovels. Also, in case any of you were wondering, none of the monsters used by the bandits are Xenos. They were the usual mindless monsters captured and sold by Ikelos Familia. Although, eventually, the Xenos probably will make an appearance in the story at some point.
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