บท 6: Rose, The Hero of Legend

Rose wasted no time getting straight to work in the maze. It was not an overly difficult feat for an adult, but to a five-year-old child it should have been next to impossible. After several trials and errors, she made it to the other side with twenty minutes to spare. As she exited the maze the crowd erupted in applause for her once more.

"Fantastic!" The Referee said to the crowd. "Having mastered both the trails of strength and intelligence I am convinced that young Rose is truly a once in millennia genius!"

Again, the crowd cheered, only stopped by the king who stood up from his throne. "My citizens, it is on this day that we welcome a new hero to our kingdom." The king said. "In times past a hero such as my niece Rose has always appeared before the kingdom faced a great crisis. Either it be through increased intelligence solving an unsolvable problem, or with strength and agility winning a war against an aggressive oppressor. So, we must be vigilant, we do not know what adversities we may face, but we can be sure they are coming. Due to this pressing matter, I ask my niece to please begin training immediately. To that end I am granting her special permission to attend school early, so that she can get a head start on tackling whatever challenges may occur."

The crowd cheered again as the king went on and continued to speak for the next few hours. Elsewhere an evil presence was watching the events unfold on a crystal ball monitor. It was a young teenage demon, who had been blessed with abnormal stats himself.

Demons on this planet were hunted to the brink of extinction. The humans were petty and xenophobic, any race that was different from their own were cast out and exterminated. Human-like races were tolerated, but still unwelcome in society. Those included dwarves and elves. They were allowed into human cities but were treated as second class citizens or kept as slaves.

Races such as demons, harpies, minotaur, orcs, and goblins were cast out and driven to band together on what was known as the dark continent. That is where the teenage demon lived, and he is whom those races placed all their hopes and dreams.

"What do you think my lord?" A female demon dressed in a classical maid's outfit said to the teen. "Do you think this hero will interfere with our plans? Do you think she will come for us?!"

"She is rather impressive for a five-year-old, isn't she?" He replied. "If I had to guess I would say that she was already in the upper twenties for her level. If she is trained properly, she could theoretically reach level fifty or more by the time she is an adult."

"A human at level fifty?!" She gasped. "Such a thing would be devastating for us. The average level of our soldiers ranges from forty-five for demons, down to fifteen for goblins."

"I know," he paused, "luckily she doesn't hold a candle to me, the demon lord of prophecy. I am already level six thousand and still growing. My skills of experience harvest, which allows me a portion of all of my followers' experience gains, and fast learner, which exponentially increases said experience, will allow me to maintain an impossible distance for any mere human to breach."

"Sir, if you are that strong why do we not destroy them now?" The maid asked. "Have we not suffered enough as a people, should we not take what is rightfully ours?"

"Patience." He replied. "I was planning on attacking when I reached ten thousand, but not that the humans have a hero in which they have placed their hope. I think I will wait for her to grow and mature. I want them to see that hope destroyed right in front of them. I want to feel the despair that our people have felt. I want them to know what it is to have everything taken from them. So, for now we will sit and wait… Mostly."

"Mostly?" The maid questioned, wanting to know the meaning of that qualifier.

"It might be fun to send some soldiers to test her from time to time." He said with a smile. "Oh yes it should be a very interesting school life for our dear little hero."

Back in the kingdom, Kelbor, Zell, Rose and Elenore had made it back to the manor. Rose ran over to Zell proud of her latest accomplishment.

"Looks like I will be going to school with you, big brother!" She said in an almost patronizing manner. "You start school next week and so do I! Tell me isn't it just the greatest thing ever to have the legendary hero as your sister?! If anyone picks on you for being such a weak disappointment, I can just beat them up for you."

"Rose, please don't speak to your brother that way." Elenore demanded of her daughter. "He is not weak nor a disappointment."

"Honey, she's the legendary hero!" Kelbor said. "It's only natural that she would feel superior to her normal brother."

"Honey, we will discuss this later in our chambers." Elenore said with a death glare towards her husband.

Upon seeing her glare, the color in his face left him. "Yes dear." He said sheepishly to his wife.

"It's okay mom." Zell said. "I'm proud of Rose, she accomplished a lot today, and I could think of no better joy than to get to go to school with my baby sister."

"Oh Zell, you're such a sweetheart." Elenore replied. "But if you don't defend yourself everyone is just going to walk all over you and that's no way for the future head of a dukedom or future king to act."

"Zell king?!" Kelbor said. "Rose is the hero of legend, if anyone would take my brother's throne after he retires it should be her!"

"Honey." Elenore paused to make sure her husband was listening to her. "There is more to being a ruler than stats alone, it takes a kindness and personality that one must be born with. Both our children would do well, and it is not good to favor one over the other. But like I said we will discuss it more in our chambers later. Please don't bring it up again. Zell, Rose, you two go to bed. It has been a long day and I am sure you are both tired."

"Especially after listening to your uncle prattle on for hours on end." Kelbor made himself laugh. "That man has no idea when to end a speech. Half the crowd was asleep by the end, including me!"