As I saw the unconscious body of the swordsmen, I noticed the others and Ryder coming towards me. When they arrived I noticed Ryder staring at me with his arms folded.
"Hey guys, I've been wondering when you would showed up, anyway I too—."(Cheria)
"Dammit Cheria💢!"(Ryder)
Ryder struck me on the head hard, like an annville hitting a coyote. He should really mind his blood pressure.
"What did I do Uncle!"(Cheria)
"I am not your Uncle! And how many bloody times have I told you, to wait until I tell you to come with us."(Ryder)
"..."(Cheria)
Ryder looked at the unconscious swordsmen and when he looked back at me he moped and gave a sigh.
"Well... at least you took care of the intruder and that's the important thing. However next time when you do something reckless again, give me a warning."(Ryder)
"Kay!"(Cheria)
=============================================
(Ryder POV)
It's been 250 years since I became Morito.
To all of us, Morito's has but one duty to protect city, the forest and the people living in it.
For some, they prefer guarding and doing research, others wanted to do in enforcer work by eliminating intruders and analysing whether they're a threat or not.
The Robbins which were Morito's loyal footsoldiers, always followed orders to the letter.
Omar And I had been Robbins ever since we were 80, but after the first demon war was finished, he was offered to become a Morito, but he turned it down.
We still kept in touch for a time, but our duties separated us.
Then one day we had a chat again and he brought his daughter with him.
================== Flashback Start===================
"Look this is my little girl, isn't she adorable!"(Omar)
That's the day I first met Cheria.
She was a little girl with a big heart on her shoulder, she was probably around 25 when I first met her. My first reaction when I saw her was to laugh, not because there's anything weird about her. But I just couldn't see past the hair that she had.
Then she realised why I was laughing.
"You were just laughing at my hairstyle weren't you💢!"(Cheria)
"Sorry! I'm sorry, it must've took a lot of work to get like that I think your hairstyle looks pretty."(Ryder)
"Thank you Uncle⭐️."(Cheria)
"Wait! since when am I your Uncle now."(Ryder)
"Well your friends with Papa right so that would make you Uncle now."(Cheria)
"Forget it Ryder, when she starts something she's never going to finish it."(Omar)
I stared at Cheria and she just smiled and waved at me with her eyes closed.
"No you're still not my niece and I'm sure as abyss not your Uncle."(Ryder)
"Mouu~! I'll keep calling you Uncle for the rest of my life, even if you hate it!"(Cheria)
""Hahahahah!""(Omar & Ryder)
"Stop laughing😖!"(Cheria)
==================== Flashback End===============
Every time I returned back from the outside of the city walls Omar and his daughter always came to visit me.
It felt like the old days were coming back.
When Omar told me who the mother was I was shocked.
Rorona was such a beautiful singer just hearing her voice every time she sang was enough to know that there was still hope for all of us. There were many men trying to win her over, but her friend Linda was such an insect swatter.
When I heard he confessed to Rorona of all people to marry him, I was like 'you're gonna tell me every single detail about what happened, everything.'
When word got out that she's not supposed to sing any more. I felt like that hope was lost now, but just seeing her daughter was enough to give that hope back.
But I felt my life had turned to a different direction, on one fateful evening...
============== Flashback Start====================
It was late at night and I was at the barracks. I couldn't sleep so I went to get a drink of water until I heard the noise and when I turned around Cheria was there.
"!"(Ryder)
"It's okay Uncle. It's me!"(Cheria)
"Cheria?! You almost gave me a heart attack! What are you doing here it's the middle of the night?"(Ryder)
"I had to sneak out of the house, plus my parents were getting lovey-dovey so it would get awkward."(Cheria)
I did not want to picture it.
Preventing my mind from going on a tangent, I noticed Cheria had a serious expression.
"Ryder... I've come to make a request"(Cheria)
"Eh?"(Ryder)
That's the first time she called me by my name and not uncle, whatever she wanted to say next must be something serious.
"I...I...I want you to take me outside the city please."(Cheria)
Outside the city she must mean outside the walls. The walls outside are filled with monsters and teaming flash eating plants.
"No it's too dangerous, I assumed you told your parents about this?"(Ryder)
"No, you're the first person I told."(Cheria)
"Then perish the thought I'm not taking you outside it's crawling with monsters everywhere."(Ryder)
"I know that!"(Cheria)
"Then why come to me instead of your parents?"(Ryder)
Cheria looked down and I saw her hands shaking like she was about to cry and she looked up at me and I could see her eyes full of determination.
"I want to... see how far I can reach."(Cheria)
(So that's what she wants). (Ryder)
Those words really hit closer to home I'm sure many like myself wanted to see how far they can go as well including defending their home with the strength they had.
When I got a good look at her eyes, I knew she wasn't lying. This girl... has something I don't.... A strong heart.
After closing my eyes and thinking long and hard of my next decision, I suddenly had my answer.
"Okay you got me. First thing in the morning, I'll ask Omar if I can borrow you for a while and then I'll see what you're made of outside of those walls."(Ryder)
"You mean I can..."(Cheria)
"Yeah you get to go outside the city."(Ryder)
"Alright~🤟😆! I get to go outside and beat the crap out of monsters so I can level up~🎵!"(Cheria)
As I see Cheria doing a victory dance, I saw something eerie from Cheria's shadow.
(SFX: Heartbeat)
Something was swirly around the shadow like it was on fire, then an eerie smile started to appear. Then glowing purple eyes and then it started winking at me.
(SFX: Heart Beats Rapidly)
"Is everything okay Uncle?"(Cheria)
My senses returned to me when Cheria was calling for me out of worry.
"I'm fine, a long night you better get back before your parents get worried."(Ryder)
"Okay good night Uncle and thank you."(Cheria)
"I'm not your Uncle you dill!"(Ryder)
"Hahaha!"(Cheria)
As I watched her running off back home, it got me wondering. Rorona may be my only hope. I thought her daughter was my hope as well... but after seeing her shadow made me think whether she could be my hope or my despair.
================ Flashback End==================
"Uncle you've been spacing out for a while now?"(Cheria)
"Just reminiscing about the past right now."(Ryder)
Whenever she's my hope or my despair it didn't matter, I'll still support her like her uncle... which I'm not!
"Cheria if you can just face your eyes to my chest and come close."(Ryder)
"Uncle why are you hugging me and why are you covering my ears I can't see or hear anything?"(Cheria)
Making sure her site and her hearing was cut off I gave my men and women The signal to kill the human that Cheria knocked out.
Well she may know how to handle herself on the outside but I don't think she has the guts to even take a life, let alone seeing something grotesque.
"What shall we do with the cor— I mean prisoner sir?"(Female elf warrior A)
"Fertilise them."(Ryder)
"At once sir!"(Female Elf warrior A)
"Fertilise are we gardening out here?"(Cheria)
"Yes we are gardening, now why don't we go back to that flower meadow that you like and have ourselves some lunch."(Ryder)
Dragging Cheria to a place where she couldn't see anything, I let go of her so she could see again and we walked together to the flower meadow.
Dealing with monsters is easy but dealing with people is hard I will have to give her a long hard talk one day about this, she will have to face it.
===============================================
Me and Ryder made our way to the meadow.
When he was setting himself down, I noticed a letter was stuck to the tree with an arrow through it. So I went and got it.
"Cheria what are you doing? Come on and sit down the others will be back soon!"(Ryder)
"Coming!"(Cheria)
As the other elves were coming back from their missions they sat themselves down. I heard someone talking of course, I wasn't interested as I was busy preparing my lunch.
"How did it go?"(Ryder)
"As much as it pains us to say it... we lost them..."(Male Elf warrior A)
"You mean you lost them on purpose."(Female Elf warrior A)
"I did not!"(Male Elf warrior A)
"Be that as it may, let the monsters feed on their flesh."(Ryder)
"You know what I'm gonna feed on? Cheria special sandwiches."(Male Elf warrior A)
"She bought some more today I would like some as well."(Female Elf warrior A)
As the others were all looking at my sandwiches like hungry wolves, I thought it best to give them some since I left them behind.
"Thanks Cheria!"(All Elf Warriors)
"You're welcome." (My Manwich!). (Cheria)
The sandwiches that I made were berry jam. I stomped them myself. I would love to make ham sandwiches but berry sandwiches is all I can make. I would kill for some ham sandwich right now.
It's been 32 years since I was born in this world.
I am about 31 years old but my physical appearance is like a 12 year-old, in otaku terms I'm a loli.
As I'm growing I'm starting to get a bit of chest pain lately guess it's a sign that my boobs are growing.
It's also been five years ever since I made a deal with Ryder to get me outside the city so I can hunt monsters to level up.
Ryder was like a student council president ikemen, but he's also one of the 17 Morito's.
A Morito is like another term for major or general in the elf society.
(A/N: If you want to know what Morito is read That person. later on... Ch. 5 web novel version on novel updates.)
As the elves were enjoying the relaxation, I was examining the letter.
(There's no way I can read this with that hole there unless...). (Cheria)
I turned around with my back facing the others, looking behind to make sure no one was watching.....
(<Dark Time>). (Cheria)
Waving my index finger counter-clockwise, the hole in the letter vanished like it was never there.
(Success!)(Cheria)
I opened the letter and I began reading it.
=================================================
To whoever can understand these words-
If you're reading this, I know that I'm not too late.
I may not know who you are but I can tell you I'm a man that can help your people. The Nobles in the Vera kingdom are growing restless, all because of that dam treaty. I don't care what the northern elves think about you, you're just like me doing your best to survive even if it means killing both guilty and innocent people. But that can only take you so far, let me offer you a warning beware of Vera kingdom's noble family, The Braithwaite. They will not plan to attack your home now but in the upcoming years, may the goddess curse them, they will.
But you won't have to worry, my family will be doing plans of their own as well. I'm not sure how much we may be of use but we will try. I hope one day we will meet in person.
I am
Moses The Grand Guild Master of the Adventurers Guild
===============================================
"Cheria what are you reading?"(Ryder)
"Eh? Nothing?!"(Cheria)
"Let's return to Oakdowns everyone."(Ryder)
Stuffing the letter in my clothes, I got up and turned around and noticed that the others were getting up and ready to leave.
"Uncle remember what we talked about."(Cheria)
As Uncle Ryder was watching the rest of them leave he kneeled down in front of me.
"You get back to the city gate by sundown alright. Or your father will come out of retirement just for both of us."(Ryder)
"Got it. I'll level up hard."(Cheria)
"I don't know what that means?"(Ryder)
"It's another word for getting stronger uncle."(Cheria)
"Just get back here in time before dusk breaks alright."(Ryder)
"Kay!"(Cheria)
As Ryder was walking away and making sure that he was obscured from view...
I rushed to the proper spot to begin. As I was running I couldn't stop thinking about the warning in the letter, whatever is going to happen it won't happen for another couple years, plenty of time to prepare.
"This should do."(Cheria)
Where I'm standing right now is the place where a monster known as Fauna Wolf often appeared. The perfect place for a beta test of mine.
"After a couple more tests it should be ready <The Death Barrier>."(Cheria)
=============================================
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