This truly is quite a blessing.
Alistair was nearly humming with delight as they traveled through the rather narrow, uneven road that led to Pertia. He had honestly thought that it would take much longer than this for him to get to the city, but luckily the local baker had some important business there.
Best of all, he'd apparently stay in Pertia for a few days which would give Alistair plenty of time to find somebody who could know about his mysterious new skill. He was so happy that he ignored the baker's angry glares and the even weirder look his apprentice had initially given him. She didn't look angry like her master, but he couldn't quite decipher her expression.
But there certainly was something odd about the pair that he was tasked with protecting.
Why did Guildmaster make such a big fuss about these two? She insisted on sending the elf and the mage with me for backup when I told her many times that I could handle it by myself. She even used recent griffin sightings in the area as an excuse. Even a child knows that griffins don't attack people unprovoked.
He threw a glance at the cart that was being pulled by the hugest black horse he had ever seen in his life. The animal was certainly stunning—he would have loved to have such a splendid mount himself. But the people in the cart were far from it. The famous Sunglow baker was nothing more than an old man while his apprentice was a small, frail girl.
She had trembled at the mention of goblins, looking as if she would burst into tears. It was almost humiliating that he, born of noble blood, was forced to come to this backwater place and guard this girl and her old master. But whining about it wouldn't accomplish anything, so Alistair decided he'd accomplish the duties given to him in Sunglow to perfection and prove to the Church that they made a mistake by sending him here.
"Miss Melina, are you tired? Perhaps, we should stop to rest?" Leon said with a sickly sweet smile. He had been buzzing around her ever since she appeared impressed with his mediocre display of magic.
I suppose it must be impressive if you've never seen real magic before. Sometimes it pays to be ignorant.
"No, I am still fine. I'd like for us to keep going until lunchtime," Melina replied with a sweet smile.
"Do not hesitate to tell us if you are tired. We'll make camp immediately," the wizard cooed, melting at her smile.
"Pipe down, boy! We'll stop at lunchtime and not a minute earlier. The road is far and we need to cover as much ground as possible," the old baker grumbled, forcing Leon out of his reverie.
"Master Gilbert is right. If we go too slow then we might be forced to camp outside during the night," Alistair said, shooting a warning glance at the wizard, who mumbled something under his breath and nodded.
"Will we be able to sample some for your great cooking today, Master Gilbert?" Remi asked with starry eyes.
"Yes, I have prepared lunch and dinner for today ahead of time," he confirmed.
"Yay! It's been so long since I managed to taste any of your pastries. I always wake up late so by the time I get to the bakery everything is already sold out," the elf complained.
"Early bird gets the worm," the baker replied sagely, and the elf puffed out her cheeks in mock anger.
It quickly disappeared, a wide grin reappearing on her face. "But today it doesn't matter. I get to eat Master Gilbert's bread and pastries—that alone is worth taking on this mission. I don't even need the payment."
"Oh, then you don't mind if I take your share of the payment?" Leon teased.
"Sure, but I'll take your share of the food," the elf retorted.
"No way! I'm looking forward to Master Gilbert's prepared meals as much as you are."
Is his food so great that they'd even give up their payment for it? No, I'm sure they are merely exaggerating. After all, people here just haven't enjoyed anything better. But I've eaten food made by the best chefs in Alemahria, so surely his meals won't be anything special.
The way ahead passed by without any incidents and before long they stopped to eat lunch. Admittedly, Alistair had been curious about what exactly the baker had prepared so when he was presented with a large round bun and then a smaller triangle pastry he was a little disappointed.
I think I've seen these buns before—some adventurers and guards take them along on patrol. I had been curious about where they got them. It makes sense now. But can a measly piece of bread like this replace an entire meal?
But he did not let his disappointment show on his face, instead thanking the baker for the meal and taking both of the pastries with a slight incline of his head.
"Yes! Meat bun! This is what I've been dreaming about," Remi called out and eagerly bit into the larger pastry. A pleasant aroma wafted in the air, causing Alistair's mouth to salivate.
"Oh, you really are spoiling us, Master Gilbert," Leon said with a wide grin, taking a bite of his bun as well.
"I can't wait for the day when Master Gilbert teaches me how to make these," Melina was already eating hers with gusto, surprising Alistair with how quickly such a little girl could eat.
"Thank you for the meal," Alistair said and took a careful bite out of his bun. The wonderful flavor of meat, carrots, and cheese exploded in his mouth while the crunchy pastry provided a wonderful base for the filling.
I…I can't believe it…
"Delicious, isn't it? There's nothing like Master Gilbert's pastries in this world," Melina said, looking straight at him. Their eyes met, and she looked away, turning her attention back to her bun. At first glance, one might think that she was embarrassed, but Alistair had an inkling it was something else.
It was the same look she gave me when we first met. It was so brief I couldn't quite tell what it was. Perhaps, she just feels uncomfortable around nobles—there are many commoners who do and she does appear especially meek.
"Yes, it is. I am pleasantly surprised," Alistair admitted.
"Oh, Lord Sinclair, you probably don't know, but in his youth, the late Queen had requested Master Gilbert to become her personal chef!" Remi said excitedly.
"Wait, really? I never knew!" Leon called out and looked at the baker in amazement. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
So he's a local celebrity of sorts. No wonder that Guildmaster fussed over him so much. But I do have to wonder why someone so skilled lives in such a little town as Sunglow when he no doubt could be making a fortune in the capital.
"That is quite impressive," he said.
"Did you know, Melina?" Remi asked.
"Oh, I found out shortly before arriving in Sunglow. The cook of the ship told me."
"When did you arrive in Sunglow, Miss Melina?" Leon asked.
"About a week ago," she replied.
"That little?! And Master Gilbert has already accepted you as his apprentice?" Remi asked in shock.
"Wasn't it prearranged by the family?" Alistair asked. Normally a family would talk to a master of the profession they believe their child would be suited for. If the master agreed to take the child, then parents would pay for all the living expenses while the master taught them the trade.
"What family? This girl is an orphan. The reason why I accepted Melina so quickly is because she showed more backbone than all those previous greenhorns. They ran away from the first speck of dust—what a spineless lot," the baker grumbled.
"Oh, I'm sorry if I brought up an unpleasant topic, Miss Melina," Leon apologized.
"Don't worry about it. I'm not really bothered by the fact," Melina said, and she genuinely didn't appear bothered, merely continuing to eat her bun.
Now that's something you don't see every day. Master baker of big renown accepting an orphan as their apprentice. This girl doesn't look like much, but she must have impressed him. Maybe there's more to her than meets the eye.
***
The afternoon seemed to continue in much the same manner—birds were chirping, the sun was shining and Leon was buzzing around Melina like a wasp around a pear in autumn. At one point Alistair began to wonder whether he should pull away the mage from the poor girl. It was increasingly more obvious that she wasn't at all interested in his ramblings and merely chose to remain polite.
But he didn't want to start an unnecessary confrontation. Not to mention, that the old baker looked like he was about to snap at any moment. Alistair was curious to see exactly how he would scold the pompous mage.
Suddenly the baker's horse stopped moving and snorted out a puff of air, digging at the ground in front of him with a hoof. Alistair's warned him just a moment later, and he dismounted his horse.
"Something's approaching from the east," Remi said, her keen ears already picking up on the approaching monsters.
"Can you tell how many?" Alistair asked, unsheathing his sword and unbuckling the shield on his back. He made his way around the cart, taking slow deliberate steps.
"At least nine, no, ten. Nine of them are running ahead while the last one is following from behind. It sounds heavier than the rest," the elf explained and readied an arrow.
"Goblins?" Leon asked nervously.
"Most likely. Get ready. Do not let any of them get to the cart," Alistair commanded, taking the front stance, and holding out his shield. Remi and Leon remained close to the cart, their eyes fixated on the forest.
Before Alistair could even spot the goblins, Remi let an arrow loose. It flew into the forest silently and seemingly disappeared. However, a few seconds later, he heard a guttural sound come from within and then some angry yelps after that. Remi readied another arrow, and Alistair saw eight goblins running at them, waving clubs and spears in their hands. One of them even had a knife.
"I'll turn those nasty creatures into a pile of ash," Leon growled, trying to launch a fireball when Melina reached out of the cart and grabbed his shoulder, thus breaking his spell.
"You'll cause a forest fire. Don't attack them with fire while they are hidden among the trees."
"Oh, right," Leon said sheepishly and snuffed his fire out.
Remi let loose another arrow which hit one of the goblins straight in its forehead, and then another one which hit another goblin in its shoulder, making it fall to the ground and scream in pain. The elf didn't waste the opportunity and finished off the wailing goblin, silencing him forever.
The remaining six goblins looked enraged, and a loud cry resounded from behind them. The ground shook a little as heavy footsteps came from the forest.
"It's a hobgoblin!" Remi warned, loosening another arrow. This time it missed, embedding itself in the trunk of a tree. The goblins reached the edge of the forest and Leon instantly brought his fire back to life, launching a fireball at one of the closest goblins.
It wasn't a very impressive fireball, but it was enough to dispose of the monster. Alistair rushed forward, smacking one goblin with his shield, instantly breaking his skull and decapitating another one with his sword. Remi took another goblin with her arrow, and Leon killed the last one with another fireball.
Despite that, the three fighters remained vigilant as the large footsteps came closer and closer. Remi readied another arrow and let it loose before Alistair could see the monster.
"Wha—?" The elf exclaimed, and then Alistair saw it—a monster taller than a man with red skin charging at them at lightning speed. Remi released another arrow, but the hobgoblin just swapped it away as if it were a mere fly.
"Save your arrows. They can't pierce his skin," Alistair commanded and gripped his shield tighter. "Leon, attack him as soon as he comes out of the forest."
The mage gulped, nervous sweat rolling down to his chin, but conjured up a fireball. Hobgoblin jumped out of the forest canopy, raising his club high to attack Alistair, and the mage released his attack. Unfortunately, the fireball was pathetically small, hitting the hobgoblin and then quickly fizzling out. It couldn't even slow the monster down.
So Alistair took the full brunt of the attack, blocking the club with his shield. He used the chance while the monster was close and slashed at him with his sword. However, the hobgoblin jumped back, just barely avoiding the attack. It looked over the direction of the cart and a nasty grin appeared on its face when it saw Melina. Without hesitation, it rushed straight towards her.
"I'm your opponent," Alistair blocked his path, hitting the shield with his sword to attract the monster's attention. It appeared annoyed, grunting something that vaguely sounded like tsk.
I've never seen a monster express such human-like emotions. The nasty bastard has his eyes locked on the baker's apprentice for some reason. Is it because she's the weakest one among us? But wouldn't the baker be the easier target then?
An unpleasant thought crossed Alistair's mind as the nasty grin on the monster's face grew wider when he saw Melina. Anger rose within him and he launched forward trying to slash at the hobgoblin's arm. It deflected with its club, the wood being surprisingly resilient against the sharp edge of the blade. It wasn't made out of any old tree.
"Reik grot re reik!" The hobgoblin yelled at Alistair in a raspy, guttural voice, swinging his bat at him with full force. But the man took the attack with his shield, standing his ground.
[Skill activated. Each consecutive attack with a sword will be stronger than the last.]
He slashed at the hobgoblin and this time managed to graze its forearm, although the cut was too shallow to hinder the monster.
"You won't get past me so easily!" Alistair once again hit his shield with his sword, which seemed to agitate the monster. It rushed forward again, swinging his club right at him. However, this time it seemed different—there was a shimmering quality to it.
Oh, no… Is it using a skill?
The club collided with the shield, and the force of the blow made Alistair slide backward in the mud, the shockwave of the impact passing through his body like electricity. His arms nearly gave out from the force—he wouldn't be able to take such a hit for the second time.
"Don't just stand there! Help him!" Remi barked at Leon and fired an arrow at the Hobgoblin, trying to hit its eye. It deflected it with its bat, unperturbed, and then Leon released another fireball at it. The hobgoblin just dodged it.
Dammit, their attacks aren't even good enough as a distraction. I have no choice, I'll have to tap into my bloodline skill.
But the hobgoblin didn't give him time to recuperate, instead, it began smashing his club against his shield like crazy, forcing Alistair to stagger back with each blow.
"Grek reiktek re gree!" Hobgoblin yelled with glee, his eyes fixed on Melina. When did the battle get so close to the cart? Before long the monster would be able to reach her. What would happen to the poor young woman then? He was the only thing standing between her and the hobgoblin.
He threw a glance back and saw the horrified expression in her eyes, panic no doubt already taking over her mind.
I must protect her.
A scene flashed before his eyes. It was there for a mere moment—him and Melina, much older in the same scenario. He, standing as her shield, and she, standing behind him, watching as he fought. He had wanted to see more of the scene but before he could fully take it in, it was gone.
[Your skill has ranked up. It is now Rank E.]