Brendel looked at the natives in Trentheim with furrowed brows. Lives had no value here. There were black markets behind destitute places like this, and the price of getting a goat was equivalent to the price of getting a slave boy. In some cases, a slave girl was even lower than that of livestock. The settings in the game was now applied in the real world.

  Anyone who possessed enough power or authority would be able to trample on these citizens. Bandits raped and murdered people. Lords did the same deed. The only difference was where it was done; either it was done outside the city, or it was done within the city.

  Nobles could afford to pay these evil lords a little money to perform wicked deeds, and the latter even encouraged them to do so, simply because gold coins were much cuter than people who needed money.

  Brendel wondered if he should explain to Amandina in advance before she found out on her own.

  But Amandina thought that Brendel was displeased with her, and though she still felt frustrated over the mercenaries, she lowered her head and replied: “.…… I apologize, my lord! I should not have said that.”


  Brendel waved his hand: “Miss Amandina, you’re mistaken. I’m not holding it against you at all.”


  Amandina looked up, as if to confirm whether Brendel was telling the truth. She quickly lowered her head again and did not say anything else.

  “We still need to head south a little more to reach our land.” Brendel continued as he looked to the south.

  “Further south?” Amandina was completely stunned as she jerked her head back up: “If we leave Trentheim it would be wilderness—“


  “Have you heard of a Pioneer Knight?”


  “What—“


  She blurted the word in spite of herself. She knew the term well. Young nobles or knights who had no land to inherit, would receive the authority from the Holy Cathedral of Flames to develop new land for the kingdom. They would bring along a few of their squires and head to the wilderness and develop new cities.

  These stories sounded like children’s bedtime stories. She did not expect the legends to happen directly to her. She panicked for a moment. Even though it sounded like a great adventure, it was incredibly dangerous. No one in Aouine had tried to develop new lands for over a century, and for a moment she thought Brendel was a madman.

  But she quickly calmed down. When she compared the days in Bruglas where she was hounded for her father’s debt to Brendel’s journey, she saw a glimmer of hope.

  […… So what if it’s dangerous?]

  She took a long look at Brendel. A Pioneer Knight. The title sounded like the classic heroes from the past who were full of eager to progress. Even though it was dangerous, there was an air of romance about it. No matter how she looked at him, be it bravery, wits and morals, he fulfilled her ideal standards completely.

  He was even quite attractive when he dressed up as a noble.

  [It’s a pity. He already has someone else.]

  Amandina blinked rapidly as she found her heart beating a little faster, before she looked at Romaine beside her. After her actions of running in the dangerous battlefield twice, she was lectured by him for a long time and was currently kept in check.

  Romaine was looking at something with interest and called out to him: “Hey Brendel, look over there—“


  She seemed to have a magnetic pull to her; Brendel and the others looked over to where she pointed.

  There were many travelers on the street that were not natives—


  Because of Brendel’s action a month ago, the news of the Divine Artifact Resonance in Randner had circulated to various bars and inns in the kingdom. The bards were carrying this news further north, and adventurers who wanted to try their luck started appearing. Mercenaries, merchants and bounty hunters were other groups were like hyenas which had smelled the scent of blood, rushing and gathering around the region.

  Nobles who concerned themselves with Aouine’s brewing storm sent out their eyes and ears. Even the Association of Stars and Moon, as well as the Black Tower sent out their scouts. Within half a month, the population of Princess Gryhpine’s territory actually doubled. If Trentheim was not under the threat of Madara’s army, the cities’ lords would have been delighted at receiving more taxes.

  [The situation is becoming complicated.]

  Brendel’s eyes swept across them. It was clear that he did not fit in with these adventurers because of his attire, and the adventurers did not fit in with the local natives. This scene looked as though an artist deliberately painted the social differences.

  The majority of these outsiders did not want to get involved with the locals, and the same goes for the latter who wanted to do with these likely lawless lot.

  However, Romaine was pointing at something else. It was a small group of adventurers who were distributing food to the emaciated children. This sight made him feel there was an illusion where time was going backwards, as if he was in the game world, and these were the sympathetic gamers who were distributing food.

  He quickly shook his head to get rid of that illusion. There were still young adventurers who pursued their dreams instead of profit.

  [Four men and two women. All of them are indeed in their youths.]

  Brendel could not help but reflect on the reality between fantasy and the real world. Adventurers were not the exciting and romantic life mentioned in fairy tales, and in truth it was bloody and difficult. They had to enter areas fraught with dangers and perils, and it was common for them to meet with their deaths just like mercenaries. Their compensation was a pittance compared to the danger they were in, and most of them ended up as bones in unknown places, although there was no lack of people who became rich overnight.

  Because of this, the majority of the adventurers had to become practical and work for profit. Only the youths who acted upon ideal dreams did something illogical, and he was certain this group of adventurers had just started their journey.

  The other exceptions were them being the descendants of rich nobles or merchants.

  “What did you want us to look at?” He turned his head back to ask.

  He felt pangs of danger when he saw her pretty, dark brown eyes roll about as though she had thought of something creative.

  “What are you thinking about?” Brendel asked while being on his guard against her crazy antics.

  “Something like what they are doing.” Little Romaine replied as a matter-of-fact.

  “The food that we brought along isn’t enough, Romaine.” Amandina reminded Romaine as she understood her thoughts immediately: “Our men and horses are draining our supplies quickly. If we’re going to purchase food supplies here, we would have to deal with the local lord. Have you forgotten what happened just a while ago?”


  Amandina was referring to the incident when they passed by a low-ranking noble’s land. Brendel had gone with Scarlett to negotiate the price of procuring food supplies, but the noble became interested in Scarlett and sent out his personal guards to abduct her.

  The end results were thirty-odd iron-ranked guards were soundly beaten by the youth, then forced the noble to compensate for his transgressions. However, this event served as a warning. Even though the royal crown still retained its power, the nobles were already abusing their powers.

  Brendel gave a grateful glance to Amandina when she finished speaking. The previous lord they encountered was still fine, but this time they were going to face Baron Graudin. Even though he was insignificant in Aouine’s history, his father was Duke Randner. If he tried to blackmail Graudin or kill him outright, the duke would definitely send out his army out after his head.

  [In the past, Duke Rhun’s army is able to freely move through Duke Randner’s territory as they pleased. Perhaps the Princess’s faction established some form of deal with him. Someday I’ll deal with these parasites, but it will only be when my army is ready and I have enough speaking authority. Power, is still one of the most important rules in this world.]

  Romaine shook her head upon listening to Amandina, gave a mysterious smile and replied: “Do you all not discover it yet?”


  “About what?” Brendel said.

  “The method to do business—“


  “Huh?”


  Brendel took off his glove and brought his hand to her forehead, wondering if she was having a fever, while Romaine swatted his hand away in annoyance. The younger Wild Elf sister asked curiously:

  “Miss Romaine, my hometown has a saying. Poverty and merchants do not go along with each other. In such a poor place, is there really business to be done in such a poor place?”


  “Tia!” Felaern said as she glared at her.

  Tia was scared of her older sister’s wrath, so she stuck out her tongue and swallowed her remaining words.

  “You can’t really say that. My aunt said that if there are places with transactions to be done, then there would be merchants.” Romaine said.

  “I don’t disagree with your aunt,” Amandina looked at the uneven roads. It was highly unsuitable for horse carriages to even pass through the streets at its state. Having commerce in this area was still a long way off: “But this place seems to lack even the basic conditions for transactions……”


  “But are these adventurers not doing transactions right before our eyes?” The merchant girl looked at the young adventurers’ actions with great interest.

  Brendel’s head snapped back to Romaine with incredulous eyes. A bold idea was forming in his head as he realized what she was thinking about.

  volume 3 - 224

  – Beat them up

  TL: Linguist experts, I have a question. ‘My Lord’ is only capitalized when it used at the beginning of the sentence right? I.E, “My Lord, the king is here!” vs “The king is here, my lord!”.

  It was common to see population becoming denser the more prosperous a city was. Workers, monks, entertainers, and politicians worked in such a place to create commerce.

  However, it was different in remote regions like Trentheim and Yusen, as many of their residents were not staying in the city but in the wild. They were like scattered stars in the sky; farms were built near the edge of the forest while hunters stayed in huts on the hills.

  The Centaurs discovered a few houses and huts. A family was staying in one of them. Since the former was afraid the latter were spies, they brought them over to the youth.

  The Centaurian Warriors were imposing with their height and copper-like muscles. White and purple lines were painted over their faces and shoulders to form battle tattoos. They brought over the shivering man and his wife, as well as their children.

  These unknown people wore tattered clothes and had oily dark hair that was forming into clumps, looking more like refugees instead of spies.

  “They are not scouts but refugees,” Brendel remarked.

  “My Lord, we……” Panic dyed that man’s eyes. Deserters were usually beheaded if the nobles ever managed to catch them. It was no secret that roads sometimes had headless corpses, and the majority of them were deserters, while the minority was made up of bandits.

  “Who’re you!” A child managed to loosen himself from his mother’s pale hands and yelled at the youth and his men.

  Brendel looked at the skinny kid in amusement, while the terrified mother ran over to grab hold of her child and looked up with pleading eyes.

  “My Lord, the enemies are moving towards the stronghold.”


  The youth nodded and spoke to the refugees:

  “I’m the legitimate lord of this region, and regardless of whether you’re a deserter or my citizens, as long as you live in Trentheim, I will protect you. It’s enough to remember this point.”


  He pulled on the horse’s reins and prepared to leave, but that child refuted in a loud voice, surprising everyone: “Liar, you’re all villains!”


  “Hmm?” Brendel stopped and looked back puzzledly.

  “My father said that we wouldn’t be fighting a war if you’re not here.”


  “My Lord……” The child’s father pulled him over: “He…… He……”


  Brendel shook his head. Everyone’s eyes were on him, wondering what he wanted to do next. The youth dismounted and pulled out his sword, surprising them.

  The poor woman immediately screamed in fright. Brendel gently patted her emaciated, bony hand.

  “There’s no need to panic or worry,” he consoled her.

  The refugee and his wife looked at him anxiously, but the youth had moved onto the boy as he patted the latter’s head.

  “You’re a brave little man. Then let me ask you a question.”


  The boy glared at Brendel.

  “If someone wants to take away your parents, what will you do?”


  “I’ll beat them up if they dare!” The boy answered fiercely without any hesitation.

  “Well said,” Brendel praised him, “then brave little man, if someone wants to take away your parents and you away from me, even snatching away this kingdom, what do you think I will do?”


  The boy looked at him in confusion.

  “I will also beat them up.” Brendel had a faint smile as he got up on his horse again.

  He pointed his sword to a nearby location where Lord Palas’s army was fighting Trentheim’s. The final battle was close, and the political battle that took the entire kingdom by storm was about to end. Was he capable of change the kingdom’s fate?

  “You lot heard what I said?” He tilted his head slightly to his mercenaries, but his eyes remained on the enemies’ location.

  “Beat them up!” Came the reply.

  “Beat them up!”


  The Centaurs also joined in with fervent cries. This was what they pursued in life. A battle that granted glory. They would gladly participate in one even if they had shed their last drop of blood. Perhaps this civil war was meaningless to them, but they would forever respect the notion of guarding beliefs and protecting hope.

  Brendel gently urged his steed to move and the mixed army began to follow him. The Tree Elves held their bows before their chests and sang a battle song from the ancient past.

  It was a period when the humans and Elves fought a war to defeat the darkness and allow light to triumph, keeping the embers of hope alive. The grand eagle spreading their wings with bows raised high—


  It was a song in the distant past, describing the moment when all sentient races came together as one to resist the Dragon of Darkness, signing a sacred and solemn oath…… But a thousand years had passed, and did the continent still remember all of these historical moments?

  “How are you going to fight them?” Quinn asked.

  Both Brendel and Quinn had smirks on their faces.

  “You can go ahead and lead the combined forces to stall the progress of the enemy’s main forces. Lord Palas is going to send out the soldiers and knights from the Kruss region to poke at our left flank, so I’ll go ahead and smash them. I’m going to teach these nobles a lesson since they seem to be fond of looking down on people.”


  Quinn looked at the youth in shock.

  “You’re going alone?”


  “Alone?” Brendel laughed and shook his head.

  ============== Lord Palas’s POV ==============

  Lord Palas felt as though a sword was pointing at his back when he heard that the unknown army started to move towards the center of the battlefield. However, the scouts reported that there were only several hundred men in total, and he sighed with relief and he tapped his index finger on the smooth pommel of his sword:

  “Is there anything else from the scouts?”


  “No.”


  Lord Palas nodded in acknowledgment. The knights around him started to murmur in relief as well.

  “To think there are only several hundred men.”


  “Their leader must be a fool to lead these men into the heart of the battle.”


  Even though such proud soldiers would lose someday because of their overconfidence, no general would dislike such men. He was satisfied with the sudden increase of his subordinates’ morale, and the enemy seemed to turn into a joke in a heartbeat.

  A new messenger appeared before Lord Palas and spoke:

  “The sudden reinforcements suddenly stopped moving towards the battlefield! What are your orders, my Lord?”


  “Haha, they probably realized the scale of our army and are considering whether to join their allies safely or perhaps even run away.”


  “These cowards. If they rushed towards our men the very moment we discovered them, they might be able to cause some damage.”


  “Perhaps I should praise their skill for being capable of finding a good position in the fake forest. They are actually in a good position to charge straight to our left flank.”


  “Hmph, the scouts from the Kruss region are useless for not discovering them.”


  Lord Palas could not help but shake his head. The men under him were mocking their allies and were acting a little too conceited.

  He sighed and spoke to the messenger:

  “Get Lord Kruss to intercept this unknown army right away. He should be ashamed for letting the enemies get so close to us.”


  But Lord Palas still made use of Lord Kruss’s mistake to bolster his men’s morale.

  “Let us set off.” The old knight pulled down his helmet’s visor and stood up from the rock he was sitting on. An attendant brought over his mount. The knights around him had already equipped themselves and were ready to set off.

  A minor change in the battlefield did not alter Lord Palas’s decision. Even though he was cautious, he possessed the decisiveness of a general. He nodded to his attendant and the latter took the warhorn from his waist and blew it. The clear sound pierced through the forest and the creaks of metallic armor could be heard—


  Countless soldiers started moving towards the forest. Each wore a surcoat that had blue and red colors on it, armed with a shield, longsword, steel helmet, and iron knee-guards. The coordinated movements made a unified melody as twigs broke under their march.

  These men filled the gaps between the trees as more of them continued to pour in. The private armies of the nobles under Count Randner formed into several huge formations, as though they were whirlpools that sucked in even more water. Stray arrows shot onto the clustered men, causing a few to slumber for all eternity, but the armies were immediately replenished.

  The enemies seemed like they had infinite numbers which made the Trentheim’s natives feel helpless.

  Count Randner’s huge army pressed forward. Some of the resisting mercenaries could not help but lower down their bows as they felt the earth tremble before their feet when the enemies marched at the same time.

  Medissa could hear gulps around her when she rode on her mount. Her face was completely covered by her helmet except for her eyes. She pursed her lips as she wielded her lance, observing the sight before her silently.

  Behind her was Raban, Jana, and an army of nearly one thousand Subterrane Dwellers. These creatures were slightly hunched over because of the black hefty armor that had protruding spikes. They carried lances that were even longer and heavier than Medissa’s, appearing like monstrous beasts.

  However, they stood where they were without moving a muscle.

  Medissa did the same thing and merely watched Count Randner’s army move.

  Jana did not understand: “Are we not moving out?”


  “Count Randner’s men are not our targets. I never said that we’re going to against them. Our target has always been Madara’s army.” Medissa glanced at a certain distant hill.

  “But…… they can’t defend against them!” Jana’s voice had a little tremor to it as she watched the enemies moved closer to the battlefield.

  “Our lord has his own arrangement,” Medissa looked back with a faint smile, and her calm eyes had complete faith in them, “you’re too tense.”


  “But he didn’t bring a lot of men with him when he left for the Dark Forest.” Jana was puzzled.

  “That’s enough. I’m the commander of this army, and the first thing you need to do is obey my plans. Furthermore, if our lord says he’s capable of handling it, then I will believe in him. Our target is Madara.”


  “.…… I feel like I must have been crazy to follow you.” Jana muttered to herself.

  Medissa laughed as she overheard the mercenary’s words. “Thank you for accompanying me, Jana.”


  “You’re still a young girl after all,” Jana sighed as she recalled her younger sister who died under Graudin’s hands. She gripped her sword, only to notice that her hand was colder than the metal hilt.

  Suddenly a faint wolf’s howl interrupted their conversation, seemingly from a great distance away. A few seconds later, countless howls answered the first cry, only to get louder and clearer, almost as if these wolves were close to the humans.

  The earth started to rumble as though hundreds of creatures were running across the ground.

  Lord Palas pulled the reins to his horse, and the expression underneath his steel helmet changed slightly. The knights around him froze and turned their heads towards the source of the noise.

  Wolves, but they were not of the normal kind.

  The natives that resided in the Dark Forest—


  “The abominations from the Dark Forest!” The first group of people to panic was the Highlanders. They lived close to the Wilderness and knew about the legends within the Dark Forest.

  They could only think of one thing.

  “The Calamity of Wolves!”


  A sudden, panicked scream wormed into the old knight’s ears, and he paled in an instant.

  Quinn was sitting rigidly on his mount when he saw the wolves swarming around Brendel. It was like he was a wolf-shepherd.

  “Enough of a force, yes?” Brendel queried with a smile.

  Quinn did not reply and raised his longbow and gestured to the Tree Elves to move out. At that moment, it seemed like there was a limitless amount of flying horses that covered the sky.

  volume 2 - 127

  TL: This sponsored chapter is in the first draft stage (completely unchecked+unedited). I’ll edit it later. If you want to see a more refined chapter, come back 24 hours later.

  TL: Skip to chapter if you don’t want to see my ramblings.

  I recently installed ME:2 and replayed the game again. The game has really aged. Overwatch felt responsive while ME:2 felt clunky. The story was actually not that good when I looked at it from a 2nd time. Anyways, I had my fill of space RPG and I’ll be finishing my drawings.

  Brendel 1 Brendel 2

  WIP more refined color sketch. Left image is a test image which I won’t be finishing (although it’s probably nicer to look at because the features are lit up). I’m going to complete the right image in order to improve on the anatomy skills and rim lights. I’m spotting loads of mistakes that I need to correct from the reference.

  Reference