Chapter 12:

Hendrick, the merchant

The Legend Of Black Knight


Sitting on the ground, relaxing his body after the battle, Satoru faced his own hands, he still feared the Void, but over time he got used to the fact that he couldn't do much against it, in this fight, the strength was proved again of that mysterious “being”.

Orcs themselves were monsters feared by all races, however, even though Satoru felt he could fight several in a row if he gave it his all, it made him feel afraid of himself, but affirmed that he did have the strength to protect who he is. precious to him.

Learning to deal with this was not easy, having a higher priority helped, the real problem is that Satoru might even look older, but he didn't age and could change his physiognomy based on a uniquely human body, in this case, the of himself.

What worried him most was not being able to die, even when Satoru was supposedly "dead" his body returned after a few seconds, depending on the size of the wound, it took a maximum of one minute if the Void didn't decide to interfere by holding the regeneration process.

Sighing, it's been a while since he left, soon he would have to find Envy and Hilda in the old village. With his palms together, he prayed for the Orc's soul, it might seem like a pointless gesture at this point in the championship, but it made him feel better, a way to keep living in this world, even if he had to do things he didn't pleased.

Looking at where he had come down from, this time he climbed up and reached the drawer where the monster once inhabited, looking all over the place, his avid manga and novel reader spirit hoping to find some rare item thrown in the place, but reality one more Once it proved cruel, everything there was too normal, in the end, it was too much to hope that an isolated Orc possessed powerful weapons.

Wasting no more time, the young man jumped down again and began to make the path he already knew, heading towards the first place he knew in this world.

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Wearing a hood that covered almost her entire body, Hilda hid her face in a white mask with only room for her eyes. Envy in front of a grave made in her former home wore thicker clothes that fit her body as well as a patched scarf, her two daggers that she is so attached to were at the back of her waist.

The two turned when they heard someone coming, with a sword on his back, Satoru looked at the grave, in silence he approached and lowered his head, after that fateful night, Satoru and Hilda returned to the village and found Yurien's body, for that decided to bury him there.

"Big Brother."

"Yes?"

"You are late."

"Eh?"

Not quite understanding, Satoru looked at Envy, who had puffed out cheeks, the fact that he had left without saying goodbye had made her angry.

“Sorry about that, I think.” Awkwardly, Satoru puts his hands together and excused them.

"Hmph!" The girl turned angrily and walked away.

Satoru turned to Hilda, all disguised from head to toe, the problem with this trip is that Hilda is very necessary, that's why the disguise was necessary because at one time or another they will need to pass in a place full of humans.

"Has she already entered her teens?"

“Humans are strangers to me.” Hilda shrugged and walked away too. Not knowing what to do, the young man looked at the grave one last time.

"Yurien, I think she's growing up healthy, so don't worry, I won't let anything happen to her."

When he turned around he saw the two waiting for him, Envy was tapping her foot quickly on the ground, it seemed she was no longer taking so much anxiety, Satoru also couldn't say much, he would finally have an adventure in another world.

"Where do we go in big brother?"

The girl had eyes shining as she stared at Satoru, the quick mood change of mood made Satoru wonder if he was the person from a few moments ago.

"Okay, I get it you want to know, well actually, we're going to the sea!"

"Eeh! THE SEA! UHUUUU"

Seeing the girl skip ahead, Satoru looked confused, but his doubt was proved right away.

"Big brother, what is the sea?"

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【Emendus village】

With his most pompous clothes, a man with a large body guided the horses that pulled his cart full of items, covered by a tarpaulin so as not to leave certain items exposed to the sun.

Coming from a wealthy family that for generations created several famous merchants around the kingdom, it was common for the children of the family to start their businesses not being able to use their famous surname, which would do better after a year, would be the family's successor.

His goal was the village Emendus, the best way to get money, even if little compared to cities themselves, were growing villages, especially the villages further away from major trade routes, so the merchant Hendrick saw a chance to get it a future business that could pay him a lot in the long run.

So, even though he had an extra job, he wrote down all the types of stores they had in the village and then the products they needed, when he gathered everything from the list he would go to the village and sell them for prices much lower than most of the merchants, which made him popular, even if it irritated other merchants a little, that kind of rancor was normal in this business.

This would be his fourth time taking this route, with profits rising with each visit, the market was planning which would be the second growing village he could use to profit more, or maybe get more people to help him, in a more ambitious case buy a bigger cart and then doing business with two other new villages, so his dreams were flying higher and higher.

Smiling to himself like an idiot, the merchant did not even notice an arrow that was shot flying towards him, he only realized the risk to his life when it passed the side of his head.

Frightened, he pulled the reins hard and the horses shuddered to a stop at the same time, without having time to react, the merchant was surrounded by five masked bandits who were wielding various types of weapons.

"P-p-please take what you want, just let me go!" Stuttering in fear of death, the merchant descended and began to beg.

Even though he was unarmed and surrendered, his fate was more than obvious, it was very rare for a merchant who was robbed by bandits to get out alive, so when one of the bandits approached him with an iron club, the merchant just closed his eyes in fear waiting for its tragic end.

"EH! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU…"

Not understanding what was happening, Hendrick only knew that he was still alive and well, slowly opening his eyes, the scene he saw left him in shock, the same bandit who once held the iron club, was now passed out.

And with a greatsword in his fist, a young man in his twenties wore a black metal breastplate and possessed a ponytail. Whatever happened, something in his body told him he shouldn't mess with the person in front of him, so he decided to escape an easier way out, however, he was interrupted by the person himself spoke.

"Are you hurt?"

"…"

Still in shock, Hendrick didn't answer, but neither did he notice that there was someone on top of the cart, a young girl with brown hair looking at the fallen man.

"Don't worry big brother, he's fine.", said Envy smiling, when she spoke everyone looked in her direction, both thieves and the merchant.

“Envy, what did I say about showing off?" Satoru turned around, scolding the girl.

"Eeeeh! But Miss Hilda has already defeated two others!" Satoru didn't even try to argue, he just nodded and saw two people down at the feet of an all-covered figure.

Increasingly confused by the situation, Hendrick curled up on the wagon wheel and watched as things unfolded the last two thugs left were also no better than Hendrick, looking past each other, one thug holding a short sword, ran towards Satoru.

The young man in turn saw the short sword being brandished towards him, but he did not try to dodge, moving his greatsword, blocked the attack with ease, and using the blunt part of the blade hitting him in the stomach.

Being the last remaining thug and with only one knife, he threw the knife to the ground and surrendered. After catching all the passed-out bandits and tying them to a tree, Hendrick calmed down and started talking to Satoru.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Satoru worriedly.

Not understanding how someone could be so scary yet so easy to talk to, Hendrick was stunned.

“No, thanks for saving me if there's anything I can do to make up for it."

"Hey, uncle, are you heading towards the sea?" — Envy in awe of the goods suddenly seemed interested in the conversation.

"The sea? I'm sorry, but I won't pass even close, I'm going to a village now, if you want I can show you the way, however, if you want to hitch a ride to the port city you can go with me to Bellony."

Satoru looked at Hilda who nodded.

"If it's not too much of a bother, please let us go with you!" Satoru bowed respectfully.

"Haha, you're a funny person, Satoru, well let's get going then."

"Mr. Hendrick, what about what's still awake?" asked Satoru pointing to the remaining thug.

"Hmph, that's what he gets for choosing the bad guy lives."

"Hey hey! Wait, I can tell you who hired us at least let go of me please!"

Suddenly, Hendrick stopped and looked curiously at what the thug had just said.

"Satoru, if it's not asking too much, I could hold him."

"No problem."

Satoru did as asked, untying the bandit, but still holding him back so he wouldn't run away.

Hendrick with a puffed chest tried to walk in an imposing way but his figure didn't quite match that kind of thing.

"Let's start talking!" Hendrick slapped the bandit across the face, who was surprised not to feel pain.

"His name was Berutan, he said we could have what you had as long as we keep you, he was the one who told us where you were coming from."

"Do you know him, Mr. Hendrick?" — Seeing the surprised face of the merchant, Satoru was worried.

“N-no, fine, let's get going before it gets too late."

"Okay," Satoru agreed and passed out the bandit, he would be free, but unconscious for a while.

Not caring, all the guns of the bandits were in the cart, Hendrick didn't notice, but Envy was mounted in a single space that was free on the cart, before that, Satoru said something softly to her, which made her angry for the rest of the trip.

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【City of Bellony】

The second-largest city in the kingdom, now lit by red lights of flames that burned and caused terror in the people watching the scene, guards ran from one side to another carrying buckets and more buckets of water trying to contain the fire.

Meanwhile, sounds of running footsteps echoed through the streets furthest from the movement that was taking place at that time. Totaling 16 people, 5 were hooded, two wore bows and arrows, and the other 3 held daggers.

The remaining eleven people were not human beings, but dark elves, with darker skins and pointed ears, all had white hair, among them 3 were children, and the remaining 8 were women with little clothing remaining covering their bodies.

"Runaways stop immediately!" shouted one of the soldiers, who suddenly appeared in front with a sword.

"Elviron, clear the way!" shouted the dark elf who was creaking the group. Following orders, one of the hooded elves who wore a bow fitted an arrow to a bow and pulled the string back. On release, the arrow flew straight into the gap in the helmet the soldier wore to see.

Moving on they jumped over the soldier's dead body, their final objective not far away. They would have a short amount of time to pass at the city's east gate without getting caught thanks to the distraction they created.

Elviron, the same elf who shot the arrow, approached the leader, and without the others listening, he began to speak without losing the pace of the race.

"What's the plan, what are we going to look for after we leave?"

"I heard of a being who can help us, half a month ago I found a group of wild men who were freed by a black figure a little over a year ago, using the money I had left I managed to find where he's going to be, whatever what we need is to get to the woods."

"What, are you crazy? Are you going to bet our lives on the damn legend of the black devil?"

Even if it does, what guarantees it will help us? Annoyed Elviron, stopped running and grabbed the leader's cloak, his anger was understandable, but that was the despair point of most of the races that remained on this continent, the leader himself I wouldn't believe something as vague as a recent legend like that, but now there wasn't much left, child and slave women weren't in the best physical condition.

Trying to escape as much as possible on foot under these conditions would also be suicidal, so betting on the existence of that black devil was something valid, especially when so many fugitives swore they had seen him.

"If you don't want to come, then choose another path, but it's our best choice now!" Pulling Elviron's hand from holding him, the two elves began an argument mid-flight, leaving the rest of them confused or afraid of getting caught.

Elviron turned to them and then said:

"Are we going to risk our lives for a legend?" I don't know you, brothers and sisters, I, Elviron wouldn't bet my life on it, so follow me those who don't want to risk either.

A black elf holding the hand of one of the children turned to face everyone and chose to follow the elf alone going in the other direction, one of the black elves who used a dagger as a weapon, also went along, leaving the rest behind.

"We have no more time left, everyone follows me and tries not to get lost."

The leader said and continued leading the way, he did not like this whole situation, however, continuing to go after Elviron would not bring benefits to them.

The fleeing dark elves split into two groups with this whole situation unfolding, marking this fateful night.