章 17: The Aftermath(2)

Life is a never-ending series of troublesome events, one following another in an unbroken sequence. It's a fluid journey with no pauses in between, except, of course, for the ultimate break known as death. The point is, if I want the next event to be a success, unlike this recent failure, I need to better prepare. As I once again found myself reclining in the clinic bed of the village Apothecary, unnecessarily swathed in bandages and ointments prescribed by my overly concerned grandfather, despite the absence of any real injuries, my thoughts drifted back to our conversation from last night before I dozed off to sleep.

Roughly 7 hours ago:

"Cult of Zeref, you say?" My grandfather questioned as I shared the information with him.

"Yes, grandfather. Apparently, he was an inquisitor sent here to gather some slaves for some tower, I believe... and, well, to get rid of you."

"Hohoho, then I must thank you for saving the villagers and my life."

"No, you shouldn't!" I retorted, my fist clenched on my knees, nails digging into my palms, drawing blood. Catching him off guard, he waited for me to elaborate: "Because of my reckless actions, I nearly got everyone killed! We wouldn't even be having this conversation if he didn't save my life!"

"And who is this 'he' you mentioned?" My grandfather softly inquired.

I sighed and replied, "I don't know. Perhaps some passerby. I didn't catch his name."

My grandfather impassively stared at me and spoke: "I see, that is most unfortunate. I was hoping to thank this benefactor who saved my child, much like how those poor ladies were looking forward to showing their gratitude to young Magna. Are you sure you don't want to tell them the truth?"

"Weren't you the one who wanted me to wear a disguise?" I replied.

"That I did, but I never expected such a tragedy to happen with me so unaware. Now that Bluebell has fallen, it'll be nigh impossible to keep this out of the eyes of the council. Especially because they'll be questioning me about who this Magna Swing is. An unregistered wizard will be suspected of working for an unregistered guild, which the council claims to be a dark guild, dangerous and nefarious. Because this Magna had a slip-up and said I commissioned him, I'll also get in a bit of trouble for being an accomplice to a dark guild."

"Sorry, grandfather," I replied while bowing my head.

"It was not your intention to cause this, just like it wasn't your intention to set that beast free. Although, in reality, that doesn't entirely excuse you for fault. There is a fine line between ignorance and simply not caring. Ignorance is not a sin, but doing nothing to amend your ignorance is. Educate yourself so that next time you don't make the same mistake."

"I will, grandfather," I accepted while keeping my head bowed, though the weight on my shoulders did feel to lighten.

"Well, I guess you were clever enough not to mention which guild you work for. Although the council might get annoyed, I have no qualms with playing dumb. I'm also positive those ladies wouldn't mind keeping Magna's existence a secret. They feel they owe him a great debt, after all."

Nervous sweat rolled down my cheeks. I don't think this is a good time to mention I told some bandits I was a Black Bull. Well, I got rid of them, so no one should find out, I'll take this secret to my grave.

"Oh yeah, grandfather?"

"Hmmm?" He questioned.

"That Adonis creep mentioned something about capturing me and sending me north to some 'Brain' fellow, do you know what that's about?"

"North? Brain? That name doesn't ring a bell. Do you know what it's for?"

"I think to brainwash me and indoctrinate me into their cult. Well, that's what I guess he meant anyway. Did you find anything in his study?"

"Study, what study?"

Confusion etched on my brow. "It's where I faced him, didn't you find a room at the end of the barracks with his experiments? There should be a bunch of tattered books and drawing circles. There's no way you missed the human-shaped hole in the wall leading off the cliff."

"Lad, you're confusing me. At the end of the barracks, there was a mere sorry excuse for a throne room, where the burnt ashes of some corpses lay in the corner and an upright headless body holding an axe stood in front of the makeshift throne."

What?! Was that room made of magic or something? Maybe Adonis had a fail-safe to make sure it disappeared if his life ended. Seeing how reverent that guy was, there's no way he would let his actions compromise the existence or whereabouts of the cult. Damn, I was hoping Gramps could examine the magic circle so we could find where they sent the slaves!

I raised my head to lock my eyes with Gamgee, who was waiting for an explanation. I sighed and huffed. "Looks like I made another stupid mistake. I should have left the guy alive for answers."

"That you should've, lad," he said and nodded his head. "Speaking about survivors, geez lad, I knew you were a soldier, but did you have to be so bloodthirsty?! I know those scum were deserving of their fate, but if the council catches you, things won't be so simple. Those blowhards use every single excuse they can to govern, monitor, or lock up anyone whom they even have the faintest suspicion of opposing them or posing a danger to their ideals. And murder is a pretty convenient excuse. I don't know how it was for you, but killing in Ishgar and Fiore is a pretty frowned-upon crime!"

That's how it was back in my world as well, Gramps, I thought, well before Germany blew the entire world order to pieces for a third time.

"Gramps, what are you going to do with this information? It's pretty clear you don't like the council, and if you report this, we're going to be looking at a pretty heavy Rune Knight presence for a while."

Gamgee's eyes seemed to light up a bit connivingly. "Hohoho, lad, those councilmen aren't the only ones who can lay their grubby hands on other people's lives. I'm friends with someone you could say is pretty high up on the ladder. Yajima owes me a favor and has his ways to discreetly inform the council of your findings without tracing them back to us."

"I see. Well, anyway, Gramps, I have something else to say."

"Hmm?" Gamgee questioned as he lightly and elegantly sipped on his mug filled with cacao from his rocking chair.

"I want to start a guild."

He comically spit his beverage out and turned to me. "You want to do what?!"

"Like I said, I want to start a guild."

"You're four!"

"So, is that a no?"

"Have you ever heard of a four-year-old guild master?!"

"No, but is it a crime?"

"If you're asking if there is a passage that specifically states whether four-year-old brats can start a guild, then no! At least not to my knowledge."

"So what's the problem then?"

"Some things are common sense. No way is the council going to approve that when you register. Are you looking to start a dark guild or something?"

"Of course not!" This main mission is already going to be nearly impossible to complete, so there's no way I'm to increase the difficulty by becoming a dark guild.

"Then what's your plan and what are you going to do about the registration fee?"

"Don't I have you for that?"

"Huh?"

"Didn't you say everything that's yours is also mine?"

"Shameless!"

"Tch. Then just think of it as my reward for getting rid of our 'bandit' problem old man."

"What reward? We agreed that this would be your way of making things up to the villagers for your noisy training!"

"Stingy geezer, I nearly died!"

"You looked pretty fine when I found you."

"That's cause I was saved by someone."

"Like you said before, but I never sensed someone nearby."

"He left!" Which is technically true.

"Sounds suspicious."

"Damn it! What's the actual problem?"

"Rex..", Gamgee began putting down his mug and clutching his forehead like he had a migraine. He huffed and asked: "Why do you even want to start a guild?"

Because my life is ticking away here and if I don't do something then I'm gonna die before you! These were my thoughts but externally I posed my body to respond to his question. "It sounds fun", was my reply.

His deadpan stare showed how unimpressed he was at my answer.

"I want to be famous." The same stare. "I wanna make money", no reply. "I-I wanna impress some women", he began to stand up like he was going to leave this room and this conversation.

"O-okay you got me!" He turned back to face me and sat down in his chair. "It's because..", I began "I realized how unsafe the village is. The rune knights are concentrated in rich areas so no one is around to protect folk like us. If I establish a guild and set it up near here not only can I bring in more money for the area but a capable military force to prevent tragedies like Bluebell."

My grandfather looked and me and softly smiled. Hehehe I got him hook line and sinker. And I lost the line when he responded "You're not the hero type Rex. Good try though."

"Oh come on!" I stated as he stood up again. "It's still a good reason!" I desperately complained.

"That it is Rex. But it's not the true one, or rather the main one!"

"F-fine, you're right. But I can't tell you! But believe me, I have a very good reason for it!"

"I don't doubt you do Rex. But I admit I'm starting to get a bit vexed at your insistence and tendencies to not tell me the truth or the full one!"

I lowered my head: "I'm sorry Grandpa, if I could tell you I would, but I'm unable to. You could treat it like a curse."

I could hear Gamgee sigh before he sat back down. "Listen, Rex....", he began "I admit I'm a bit surprised by your sudden desire to start a guild and just want to understand where is that coming from. I know you're not the type to keep secrets unless you're stuck at an impasse or you wouldn't have confessed your origins to me so quickly. I'm just surprised. I never doubted for a moment that the adventurous side of you would want to one day set out and leave Hobbiton just like me to see the wider world and achieve greater things. It's just that I thought you would be joining a guild when you started your wizarding journey not making one. I thought you would become a fairy. If you truly want to leave already I can write a letter to Makarov and he'll take you in with open arms. I don't think you truly grasp how large of a task it is to start a guild!"

"I know grandfather." I started. "I'm well aware of how hard it will be. From recruitment to taxes, merchandise, networking, conferences with other masters, and spreading your name to get job requests. Moreover, it'll be near impossible for people to put their trust in a four-year-old with zero achievements! It's just I got no choice, sorry I can't budge on this."

"Sigh, you are stubborn. Fine, I won't stop you if you truly want to do this. But make sure you don't half-ass things and quit midway. Anyone who joins your guild will be your family, and you can't let them down!"

I excitedly nodded at him but he wasn't done. "That being said! I still stand by the idea that it's utterly ridiculous for someone as young as you to start a guild. And don't think you can cheat and register using a disguise, all registered guilds will receive an inspector at the beginning to verify their credibility. And if you're a troublemaker like my old guild was you'll be getting quite a few summons and visits from the council. If you're exposed your guild will face defamation and in the worst case will be blacklisted or have its status revoked by the council."

I grimly nodded at his explanation.

"You are free to leave the village when you are 10 years of age and make your own decisions. How you get the council's approval is entirely up to you."

I nodded and thanked my grandfather who then decided to send me over to the village apothecary for the night.

End of Flashback:

As my mind returned to the presence it was about time I consulted the system on my rewards. "Light what is a partial completion ticket?"

DING! "Partial Completion Ticket: A ticket that can redeemed to increase a template's bond progress by a random amount in a certain range. Your rare ticket can increase any template from a range of 0 - 20%."

Sweet use it on Magna's template. DING! "Redeeming Partial Completion Ticket (Rare) x1. Congratulations you have gained 5%."

Huh? It looks like I've used up most of my Luck in that battle.

"What about the temporary bond ticket?"

DING! "Temporary Bond Ticket: A ticket that can be redeemed to allow the host to temporarily bond completely with a template for 10 minutes. Your ticket will allow you to randomly bond with a heroic template."

"What's your fixation on ten minutes?" I received no response. With the main issues now resolved, my thoughts turned to the plight of those poor women. Bluebell had been a place of severe trauma for them, and they were understandably reluctant to return. Gamgee and the Rosemary village chief took pity on them and decided to offer refuge, which was met with profound gratitude from many.

As for the broken and mentally unstable women, Gamgee reluctantly reached out to the Rune Knights, providing details about the bandits while omitting any mention of Magna and the cult. Surprisingly, the Rune Knights showed more compassion than their council leaders. It seemed reminiscent of the relationship between most Marines and the World Government in the world of One Piece. In any case, they promised to provide compensation and aid in rebuilding the village, assuring the women that they could return whenever they felt ready.

Additionally, the Rune Knights arranged for the transport of the traumatized women to a mental health facility in Fiore. This step aimed to help these women regain their emotional well-being, paving the way for a possible return to their normal lives. Perhaps, in time, they would be able to reunite with their husbands, fathers, and children who would be eagerly awaiting their return.

Annabelle was one of the ones who settled down in Hobbiton, and she came to my grandfather when I was asleep to inquire about Magna. I hope it's only for gratitude and Magna didn't unconsciously cuckold poor Trevor. It's going to be an adjustment to pretend like I don't know her, I can only check up on her well-being as a stranger, thankfully I still have some baby fat, so she won't be weirded by my presence but find it a bit cute. As for what I told the ladies about finding out what happened to their husbands and well all the village men and children who were taken away... I technically did that.

As for Magna's implicit suggestion that he would not only discover the truth but also rescue them, that idea would have to be cast aside. After narrowly escaping death at the hands of a single inquisitor, the thought of confronting a whole battalion of them was beyond daunting. It was best to entrust this mission to the more experienced and capable individuals, such as the Rune Knights.

As for me, my primary focus will be on leveling up as much as possible before setting off to the capital at the age of 10, with the hope of registering my guild. It seems that life is gradually taking a turn for the better, and I am eager to return to my peaceful and quiet existence.

I began to close my eyes and get some hard-earned rest I was awoken by a familiar sound.

DING! "Main Mission: 'Tower Defense!' Description: Now that just won't do! A real man should always fulfill their promises even when no one is looking. Go knock on the gates of the Tower of Heaven and save all the poor captured folks of Bluebell. Time Limit: 6 years Status: Required Failure: Castration Rewards: ???"

"...!!!!!!!!!!" The village resounded with my indignant and inhuman screech that seemed to defy the heavens.