Mara
From the marking on my arm, a wave of black ink flowed down it. Covering my arm in darkness. The darkness flooded over the death curse, retracting into my arm, having completely erased the curse.
What?
The look on the chief's and princess’s faces conveyed the same thought.
What?
I looked at the tattoo on my arm differently. Not even the hero could erase curses so easily. Well, except for that one time… but he had the help of a magical tool. But, with just my body, and in an instant. Just what was the [Whacker] class?
“Calvin… what did you just do?” The princess had her hand on the hilt of her sword; it seems she was starting to suspect me of being a demon again.
I threw my hands up. “I really don’t know. I think it's the effect of a class skill? My status window asked if I wanted to purify the curse; I honestly expected my hands to just glow or something and for it to be gone.”
“You really… Hah… I'll just chalk every weird thing you do to your class from now on!”
That’s probably best, Princess.
The person who was taking the situation the worst was the chief, however, or I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. That is until she shot towards me, cupping my hands in hers. “Lord Calvin, you have done the elven kingdom a great service.”
Lord? Where’d the sudden demeanor change come from?
“You randomly came to us, summoned meat in our time of need, didn’t get mad at me for giving you a stick, and cleansed our forest of a curse.” She kneeled, holding just one of my hands now; her head was down, so she was looking at my feet.
“I swear, on the honor of the elven species. If you ever need a favor, ever. We will immediately run to you. No matter what.”
Ugh, this feels weird. But… good. Now I, looking at the princess, who was as astonished as me, corrected my thoughts. We have a powerful ally. I lifted her up, or tried to by tugging on her hand, with her getting up by herself. “I’ll take you up on that, but don't call me lord, and I’ll promise the same thing: if you’re ever in trouble, the princess and I will run to you.”
She smiled. “Okay but… bring her with you if that happens.”
I looked at her blankly. “Right.”
After cleansing we returned to the elven village; a banquet was held. But the monsters hadn’t come back to the forest yet, so I was still… delegated to meat fountain duties.
“Hic… hic… Why am I still doing this? I solved all their problems, damn heartless elves.” A buff elven woman walked into my tent and picked up a hoglin, and I gave her a smile; no problems here. Happiest meat fountain ever here. Please don’t hurt me…
She walked out, hugging three hoglins tightly, squeezing them with her biceps.
I want to go back to the village…
“Why are you crying?” The princess suddenly walked in, hopping onto a wooden table that was left in the tent. I was sitting with my legs crossed on the ground, summoning hoglins in front of me.
“You said you wanted company last time, right? So, what do you want to talk about?”
Princess! I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth.
I was going to ask her something to set up some lighthearted banter, but a nagging thought wanted to escape, and it didn’t hurt to ask. “Princess, how’d you get so strong? I mean, I've read about nobles before, and they seemed like lazy bums who only knew how to write their names on paper. No offense. In my opinion people like you are more akin to ‘noble.’”
She stayed silent for a bit, unsheathing her original steel sword and placing it on her lap. “When I was a small child, I think I was seven. My brothers dropped me in a pit of goblins.”
Taking a deep breath, she continued. “They were much older than me, both of them, thirteen. After dropping me, they left. Of course, I should’ve died, but. In the midst of the fall I earned my class… [Conqueror]." Her jaw clenched.
I’ve never heard of it.
“You’ve probably never heard of it, that’s because its a unique class. Since you shared yours with me. I felt obliged to share mine. Everything I kill, I gain its stats. But, it grows weaker the more of the same enemy I kill. I figured out after I slaughtered all the goblins.”
“The look on my brothers' faces as I walked to Father's throne room and told them what they did was… priceless. They were suspended from the kingdom for three years after that.”
That explains a lot, her strength, which only seemed to grow, and her cool-headed personality. It was so much different from me. Who just stumbled on power like a fumbling idiot. No, I’m trying hard… I deserve this, do I?
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Hah… hahahaha. Calvin, that serious look doesn’t suit you; I prefer your more stupidly… annoyingly confident one.”
That’s right. I’m useful to at least one person. I’ll stop thinking like that. Shaking my head free of those thoughts, I smiled.
We talked throughout the banquet, occasionally interrupted by the buxom elven woman retrieving more hoglins.
That morning started like the first morning: fell off the bed, brushed my teeth, got dressed, and walked out. On the patio, just like yesterday, was the princess. Diligently performing weapon maintenance. “Morning, Calvin. Will you look like that every morning?”
“I think so, Princess. Such is the fate of the talented.” I slicked my hair back all cool.
She didn’t say anything.
“Right, the chief doesn’t have anything for us to do, and honestly, we should leave right now but. Something doesn’t feel right? Do you feel the same?”
“I do, and I was actually about to figure out why. The masked man we captured. Apparently he’s being held at the forge’s holding cell.”
She got up, sheathing her sword. "Let's go then.”
I nodded.
Tiptoeing over the scary metal floor, which radiated heat onto my foot. We entered the maw of the forge. Descending to the fifth floor. And walking into the holding cell. There were a few elven prisoners; most of them were in for robbery, one for murder. All of them looked sickly, deprived of meat; their muscle mass was laughable.
At the very end was the masked man. Tears streamed from his eyes; his eyes were blindfolded, so he probably assumed we were elves. What did they do to the guy? Walking up, I remove the blindfold from him, but he just seems more scared.
“Ah, you… you dangled me over lava! You psychopath!”
“Did I? I don’t remember that?”
"Yeah, you did and… you.” He glared at the princess, which pissed me off.
“You just watched, princess my ass. I’m a member of the kingdom, aren’t I? Where's your noble grace?”
-Slap!
A red mark on his face burned, a handprint seared into his cheek. “Owie… what do you want?”
“One of your comrades cursed this forest, right?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Yeah? I told that to the elves already. What’s your point?”
“I got rid of it. And now we have a bad feeling… What’s wrong with you?”
His eyes opened widely, and his breathing grew uneven. “You did what? You… not her?”
“Yeah, me.”
He trembled. “That was an instant death curse… how are you alive? I’ve seen its effects with my own eyes; no matter the mana, healing, or dispelling you could’ve done would be enough. Are you a demon?”
Why does everyone jump to that?
“No, I’m human. A frustrated human who’s currently itching to dangle a frustrating huamn over lava again.”
"D-don't; you’re messed up, man…”
Hah… You poked the wrong bear, you idiots. The person who made that curse was the legendary Black Dawn member; you can’t roam the halls without hearing about them, the great, illustrious. ‘Mara.’”
Sounds dramatic. “Tell me about this Mara.”
Meanwhile, in a hidden base. A set of eight figures surrounded an oval-shaped table; the lightless windows cast shadows over each figure. Cracked, colored glass revealed the abyss outside. One figure stood in front of them, his arms crossed behind his back.
“I’ve heard a damning report… One of our members has been kidnapped by the elves.” He started walking around the table, grabbing at the chair of one of the members; they were irked. “Under your tutelage, Mara. Your subordinate!” He slammed his hand on the table before letting out a few deep breaths and puffing his collar.
“Sorry about that. You do realize we have a reputation, don’t you? One we need to maintain? And… you!” He pointed to another member, a bald middle-aged man, specializing in magic. “You sent one of your subordinates to kill the princess and that random guy, didn’t you? So… why the HELL are they alive?”
Mara stood up. “Sir, I can explain myse—"
“Sit the hell down.” Sitting on the largest seat at the end of the table, he let out an exasperated sigh. “Bunch of incompetent fools, you… mage-head. I’ll send you. Kill the elves and the princess and that random guy as well… or leave him; I could honestly care less about him. If you fail, I’ll kill you.”
The bald middle-aged man stood up, saluting the man. He left the base. Pushing open the large doors, he fell into the abyss.
“Phew… now the rest of you. Go see if the sweet princes need any more favors, because we need more money. Reviving ‘him’ isn’t cheap… dismissed.” After saying that, the remaining members all walked through the doors and into the abyss.
“And so that’s who Mara is; that’s really all I know!”
“Well, thank you.”
“So you’ll untie me and let me out.”
“No. Bye.”
I and the princess left the forge with a lot to think about. Apparently they would know the mark was gone, which probably meant they were sending someone here. Ah, damn it. I don’t want to fight again. On the other hand, the princess seemed to be itching for a fight.
“So… what are we going to do? Obviously I’ll follow you, but we could totally leave instead. This isn’t exactly ‘our’ fight to begin with. Personally, I want to stay.”
“Then it's unanimous.” She said.
We spent the day idly after that, half-expecting an immediate fight; we were on guard. But the day passed peacefully. The monsters started wandering back into the forest, so I was finally exempt from meat-fountain duties.
And I got to eat some elven barbeque. It was mouthwatering. Guess all those years of cooking meat couldn’t be for nothing.
We didn’t have to stay in the borrowed home anymore, as the elves managed to build us our own in just two days; it was on the outskirts of the housing area, a little closer than I’d like to the stairs out and in of here, but it was nice. One complaint: there was only one bedroom.
Those damn elves… they had a huge misunderstanding.
And what’s with that bashful look on her face… is this the same person who killed a swarm of goblins at age seven, embarrassed about a sleepover with a friend? Well, we were of the opposite sex, so a little awkwardness in our friendship’s a given. I just won’t be able to relate to some of her issues.
Matter of fact, isn’t this great? I was actually worried that’d make things awkward, but having a wholesome sleepover would be an effective way to show her I have no ulterior motives. “Um, Princess…"
Damn, so cute. Her averted gaze and the slight pink shade on her cheeks. Hm, I feel like I’m realizing something… just a moment.
-Boom!
Nope, I lost it.
The cave walls shook.
The princess unsheathed the sword she got from the elves; seeing as we had no time, she opened the window next to my bed and hopped out of it. I followed behind her, landing on my back.
Forgot I had no practical physical abilities again.
Getting up while holding my back, I look as all the elven women come out of their homes; it seems they were preparing as well. A few were wearing armor and wielding weapons. Their husbands kissed them goodbye and wished them good luck while waving handkerchiefs.
“Calvin, let's go first.”
Ugh… “Alright.”
We dashed ahead of the rest, ascending the spiral steps. I didn’t summon a horde of salamanders this time; instead, I held onto my stick tightly. Whatever was up here, it wouldn’t be an easy fight.