บท 8: ...Of the End | Remnants Of Legends #5
"A permanent party huh? What made you think of that?" After a minute of tense silence, Ash spoke.
"You two are strong, very strong. Besides, we make a good team don't we?" Fayden replied.
"We had avoided forming a party with anyone because most other adventurers were too weak for our purposes. We only let Eleanor join because she insisted, her being a healer was a plus." Jaron gave a far more elaborate response.
"Admit it, she grew on you didn't she?" Fayden commented.
Jarons ears went a shade of pink as he replied, "Irrelevant."
"You didn't deny it." Fayden smirked in victory.
"..." He remained silent.
Eleanor chose that moment to act, whacking Fayden at the back of his head.
"What was that for?!" Fayden whined, but after seeing the glare on Eleanors face he relented, "Right, stupid question."
"We are not against it." Ash only now answered the main question.
"You are not against it. So do you accept it?" Questioned Jaron and Ashborn nodded.
"Yeah, I gotta agree. The time we spent with you guys was really good, I mean outside of the dungeon hehe..." Vonde laughed awkwardly, since for him and Ash, the dungeon dive wasn't really pleasant.
"So can we now be officially called a party?" Asked Fayden.
In response Ash put his fist forward, Vonde mimicked him and bumped his fist into Ash's, Looking at others, motioning them to do it too. Fayden eagerly put his fist on theirs, Jaron also doing the same.
Now only one left was Eleanor. She wryly smiled and after clenching her fist so everyone could see clearly, she bumped it into theirs.
Ash held his higher, making others to higher their hands too.
"Fayden, say something inspirational." He suddenly told Fayden who looked dumbfounded.
"Why me?" Fayden with his other hand pointed at himself.
"Come on don't ruin mood with stupid question. Just do it."
"Okay...
"Yeah I got nothing.."Fayden after a long time thinking couldn't proceed with speech.
"My father always believed that the job of adventurers is filled with good memories and wealth. With this belief he died in the dungeon unfortunately... While I hate to endanger my brother with such a burden, we don't have much of a choice. But now, on this day, right this minute, we are willingly making this decision. We are forming a party, to enrich our lives not just with some gold coins... but with happy memories enjoying each other's company in every dungeon dive as well. So let's mark this day as the day when the Legendary Party began its adventurers in this still unexplored world." Ash made a speech. At the mention of death everyone turned gloomy, especially Vonde, but in the end everyone cheered. This day was celebrated by the Legendary Party, with casual food and juice at the bar, because alcohol for them was still forbidden by Eleanor, much to Fayden's disappointment.
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The next day, the whole Kingdom of Sapin heard the news about the new S-Class adventurers. News reached the other 2 kingdoms as well, as the sudden appearance of the new strongest mages on the whole Dicathen couldn't be left unheard by the young King Glayder himself.
He insisted that those who protected their Kingdom shall receive great reward and reputation for their deeds. With this he invited all noble houses and hosted a party dedicated for S-Class adventurers only.
"Woah, aren't you happy? We are being invited by his majesty himself!" Eleanor exclaimed after reading a letter from Kaspian.
"Knowing how the nobles look down on us 'commoners,' we won't receive much respect from them anyway." Fayden wasn't fond of blood racists and his reasons are justified.
Like them, gems can be well hidden in normal civilians. They just used their talents well and became what they are today.
"I'm pretty sure most of the nobles will address us as commoners. I think of rejecting their invi-" Before Ash could finish his words Eleanor shut him.
"No! His Majesty invited us, so we are obligated to attend! Vonde and Jaron, tell those suicidal maniacs to stop this idiocy!" Eleanor cried out. She quite feared the Royal Family, as when it comes to greediness, they were number one for sure.
"I still have to agree, like what can they do to us?" Vonde questioned, Eleanor thought about it first then she realized.
The Royal Family already spread news about them and a lot of commoners support them—messing with them is a totally bad move from the Royals. Besides, adventurers truly know what it is to receive an S-Class title, especially those who are stuck at AA-Class and had an encounter with an S-Class beast. Currently, there is nobody on Dicathen who could match those 4 boys in strength.
"We are going!" Eleanor declared, and exited the room, leaving the boys behind. This meant that Eleanor finished discussion.
"Oi, aren't you the oldest of us? Speak up for us man." Fayden looked at Ash who shrugged and continued doing his things.
"Then let's go visit some markets. We can't just wear these at parties full of nobles." Jaron stood up and dragged Ash and Fayden with a mana-string.
"I think, I'm good with what I'm wear-" Vonde, who tried to escape from the shopping session, met with an intense stare from Ash.
"If I'm struggling, you will struggle with me!" Of course Ash didn't mean this literally, he didn't want his brother to struggle anyhow.
"Hehe." Vonde laughed and followed them shopping.
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"Welcome everyone. Today we gathered here, on this banquet to celebrate the appearance of 5 strongest mages on Dicathen as well as those who saved our country from the incoming threat of a rampaging S-Class mana beast HYDRA!" the King of Sapin, Blaine Glayder announced to the people present here at this royal banquet, while standing on stage in front of them.
"Let's welcome our heroes!" He then stepped aside to open up a path for adventurers.
With confident steps, Ash followed up with Fayden, Vonde, Jaron and then lastly followed up with Eleanor they came out on the stage. If a guest's eyes weren't on stage, they wouldn't even notice their presence at all. Those who had some experience in battles could only think:
'Truly S-Class adventurers...'
While Eleanor was smiling, the rest of the group didn't show any emotions, but deep down they all felt irritated by the words of the King. Lot of people died in the most horrible way to save your country and only those who defeated the boss got all the fame. Even then, the way he addressed them as Heroes, it was clear he was trying to win their hearts.
"Let's make a toast for our heroes and make their visit here comfortable. Please enjoy this banquet, It's for you after all."
No more speeches, no more praises, as if wanting to end everything here, the King motioned them to the stands filled with food. Ash and Fayden were holding themselves from loudly exiting this party after beating shit out of the king. Of course both Vonde and Jaron felt the same, but they didn't show it.
"Well then, let's have fun boys." beamed up Eleanor.
For you maybe, not for us. The S-Class adventurers thought collectively.
Of course, the Banquet still continued with some nobles talking to each other being not interested in adventurers or just thinking that it would be filthy. Some people dared to approach the group of 4 boys, who stayed in the corner drinking for themselves. Those few people were somewhat more...normal?
Of course a few pesky nobles still approached them and threw some light compliments.
Eleanor meanwhile did make some conversations with noble women, she, unlike the four, was able to make GOOD conversation with others. What could they expect from Eleanor? She was like a mother even for them.
"This is getting boring... no, it was boring from the beginning." Muttered Fayden.
"Mr. Adventurer, I'm challenging you to a duel." Fayden heard some young voice coming from his back.
Fayden turned back and saw a small blond-haired kid with green eyes, looking up to him.
He hasn't even awakened yet, heh. Fayden thought..
"And why are you inviting me to duel?" Fayden asked with a dangerous smile on his face.
"T-To see how much I have to improve to become strongest!" declared a little boy, surprising not only Fayden but other 3 too.
"What a surprise..." Few words escaped from their mouths.
"Then are you ready?"
"Y-Yes." The boy was determined to make a ruckus here just to learn how much he should improve. Of course, as this was a surprise for Fayden and he actually liked the determination from the blond-haired kid, he was going to fulfill the boy's wish as a gift.
Fayden quickly moved from the kid's sight and appeared behind the blond-haired boy. The boy reacted quickly and wanted to throw a jab behind, but just when he turned his head back Fayden flickered his forehead. He fell down on his ass with a red dot on forehead. He then looked up at Fayden who squatted near him.
"What's your name?" Fayden asked.
"Bairon..." mumbled the boy.
"I'll remember it." Fayden stood up straight and walked towards his group.
"Don't you want to hear my last name?" Bairon asked and Fayden replied without turning to him.
"I will recognize you, when I hear your name being next to the title of 'strongest mage on Dicathen.'" Fayden's words deeply revibratted in Bairon's ears.
"Kid, take this and put it on your forehead." Bairon looked at Ash who conjured an ice block and threw it toward him, he caught it and for a few seconds stared at it.
Meanwhile in the crowd, a certain white haired girl narrowed her eyes at the two adventurers.
When Fayden regrouped with the rest, the first thing he was met with was a whack to the head, courtesy of Eleanor.
"Owww, why?" He whined.
"You used too much force on the kid and injured him. He hasn't even awakened for god's sake!" She exclaimed.
Fayden grumbled something under his breath that sounded vaguely like 'violent woman.'
"What was that?" Eleanor asked, her voice suddenly turning frigid.
"Nothing ma'am!" Fayden immediately stiffened up and saluted.
"I think it's already time for us to leave. Even the kids are gazing at us weirdly, I'm sure noble parents told them a lot of noble shit." voiced Ash, everyone except Eleanor agreed. Ash himself glared back at that certain white haired girl, the girl widened her eyes and quickly looked in a different direction.
"If that's the case we might as well go, I'm sure they would continue even without us." Said Vonde.
"After all this is just a facade." noted Jaron confusing Eleanor.
'She is still too naive...' thought the boys after seeing Eleanor's confused expression.
"Let's go already..." heavily signed Eleanor, the group left the banquet without bothering others.
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5 years have passed since the Legendary Party of adventurers was formed. Five members, with 4 of them having an S-Class title, are of the strongest mages on the continent of Dicathen. News about them in the first month spread across the continent quickly, even news about incoming war hasn't spread so fast.
In addition to clearing numerous dungeons, even the dangerous S-Class ones, alone in a group of five, they did so without payments, only collecting the beast cores for themselves.
Their reputation grew so high, that even comparing country leaders to them was a total delusion. All three races respected this group of adventurers, and some even compared them to angels, protecting them from the evil of beast glades.
They were the reason why there was peace on the continent. They were the reason why there weren't other conflicts between races, they were the reason why people felt safe from mana beasts.
Considered as commoners by nobles, they were highly supported by normal civilians. Situation reached a level where even some nobles stood up against snorty ones to educate them. Serious insults about them and you are referred to as the trash of society. Thing is that... there weren't many such people.
At least not after witnessing what happened to the first guy who did.
In these five years, the five of them had grown by bounds.
Eleanor could now heal anything short of dismemberment.
Jaron had achieved such mastery on his mana strings that he gained the moniker Puppet Master.
Vonde, with his control over his unique blue lightning, was known as the Lightning Bearer.
Fayden, who could make any form of weapon or armor known to man out of nothing but the very elements, was hailed as the Blade King.
Finally Ash, the one person in the group with ice magic so powerful, it reached temperatures near 0 Kelvin, in other words Absolute Zero.
In these five years the once yellow core mages had reached the high silver core, with Fayden and Jaron already having cracks on it, while Ash could swear he saw some fractures (not really). Meanwhile Vonde had just made it into high silver, but if he was as old as his brother, he might have had time to reach white already.
Eleanor had become a sort of mother figure for all of them, the glue which held the party together.
She had introduced them to her sister, Alice, quite a while ago when they were still a young party.
And one couldn't help but notice the similarities in their personalities. Alice, who was a few years younger than Eleanor, had recently joined a party called the Twin Horns. And when Eleanor visited them with her party, they asked the boys for their autographs even though they were older than them.
Life of the Legendary Party of adventurers became ecstatic. The reason for creating the party was to have a great time in each other's companies, partly this was successful. Shame it only lasted for 5 years...
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The day it all ended was like any other, yet what would occur this day would break the legendary party of S class adventurers.
A black haired man walked up to the guild reception. This man had a peculiar appearance. His hair, which was of medium length, extended into locks that could be considered both messy and neat at the same time. And his eyes, a glowing silver, could have pierced through one's very soul.
As he reached the reception, a grim look on his face, the lady immediately brought up a poster for a quest exclusive to the party.
Giving her a nod of thanks, he quietly walked back towards a table where the rest of the group sat.
Two boys, brothers by the looks of it, sat on one side of the table. Both had black hair and grey eyes, the only thing differentiating between them was that the older of the two had unruly curled hair that often hung over his eyes. The younger of the two had slightly longer hair parted down the middle, preventing them from blocking his vision.
The third man on the table possessed silky black hair which he tied up in a ponytail. His eyes, hued in royal blue, seemed to be constantly analyzing everything around him.
The final member of the group, the only woman in it, emanated a motherly charm. Light auburn hair draped her head falling down to her neck, and her honey colored, almost golden eyes gazed kindly upon the four.
"So, what is it?" Jaron enquired as Fayden reached the table.
"The rumors are true, a S-Class dungeon has been spawning enhanced monsters, one could even assume them to be SS-Monsters." came Fayden's reply.
"Shit!" Ash exclaimed.
"Can we even handle it?" Vonde had doubts about this operation.
"Hey, come on, we are the Legendary Party, the first S class adventurers to ever be recorded. It's gonna be a piece of cake to clear this dungeon." Fayden tried to cheer up the group.
"Well, it's not like we can decline it anyways. As much as I hate the royalty, we can't exactly deny direct orders, we could be prosecuted for this, possibly even imprisoned." Jaron said, not realizing Fayden's intention.
"Well if push comes to shove, we can always abandon the quest midway and ask for reinforcements." Ash reasoned.
Jaron nodded at him, "That would be best."
"So, let's go then." Fayden announced as he got up.
On their way, they could hear the other adventurers mutter about the four of them.
"Is that the S class party? I've heard they are the strongest mages on the continent."
"I never thought that I'd ever get to see the Blade King with my own eyes."
"I'm more of a Lightning Bearer guy myself, but yeah."
"Oh my god! Is that the puppet master? Apparently he can even control people with his mana strings."
"Absolute Zero is just so hot, ironic I know, but you can't deny it."
And before the mumblings could get more....shall we say mature, Fayden interrupted.
"Yeah, yeah don't get too heated up with your uh, discussion people, we can hear you, you know?"
And suddenly multiple female, and even some male adventurers turned away from the party, trying to hide their flustered faces.
"This is why I hate being in the spotlight." grumbled Fayden as they kept walking.
"I, personally, like it." Ash commented.
"I don't see what the issue is, just ignore them." Jaron said with slight confusion.
"Um, can we go faster? It's a bit uncomfortable hearing them talk about me like that, it's not like I am that impressive." Vonde voiced his thoughts.
"See? At least someone understands!" Fayden pointed it out to Jaron.
"If you are ashamed, just say it directly." came Jarons reply.
"I never said I am ashamed, it's just a bit weird hearing others talk about us like that. If that had gone on, who knows what wild fantasies they could reveal. And I'd rather not be mentally scarred." Fayden defended himself.
"Alright let's not fight boys." Eleanor said, a smile on her face.
Yet the smile was anything but comforting, as chills ran down the two orphans' backs.
"Yes ma'am," both Fayden and Jaron spoke.
Ash and Vonde snickered in amusement.
"What was that?"
"Nothing ma'am!" they shouted in fear.
Why is she so damn scary?
It didn't take them long to reach the dungeon, since a carriage was already arranged for them.
This S-Class dungeon, called the Death's Wrath, was famous for the zombie-like mana beasts inside it.
They were called Draugr, and it was widely believed that these humanoid beings were once adventurers who had died in this dungeon.
Other than that, this dungeon housed a mana beast species named Reapers. They were typically goblin-like beasts, but without the green pigmentation. Their skin was the color of charcoal, and their claws were sickly green, coated in toxins.
These beasts were considered to be A-Class, their agility and poison capable enough to take down even the strongest of mages within minutes.
The group of five walked into the dungeon, with Fayden being in the front, Ash and Vonde on the sides, and Jaron behind them. Eleanor stayed in the center of the formation, being an emitter she didn't have any strong defensive or offensive spells. Hell, what she did have were the most basic of spells.
And as they began slaughtering the mana beasts on their way to the boss floor, neither of them had even the slightest idea what was to come.
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