"Sorry! I know i am late." Said the healer as he walked into the room.
He healed the two with lesser injuries before he focused his mana into the gunslinger as it flowed through his body causing him to experience rapid healing but the poison still persisted.
"I am sorry but this is beyond me, you guys have to head to the town after this, look for The Priestess, she is the best healer i know." He said.
"I am able to stabilise him but he needs the poison out of his system" the healer added.
"You must hurry!" The healer says to Aki as he received payment from the governor.
Merlin walks up to the governor and drops the head of the werewolf.
"Contract fulfilled, i guess." Aki says with an unfulfilled tone as he and Merlin depart the office with Lee as they head back to the boy's residence to retrieve their horses.
"I did this! Merlin, me. When you bring someone into your guild you're in charge of them, their life is in your hands... My hands, i failed him Merlin" Aki said with a low voice.
"This happens all the time kid, it comes with being an adventurer, i know you know this but you have to understand it. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to stop it" Merlin said to him.
"Thank you" Aki said to Merlin.
"Anytime boss" Merlin said as he dragged the carriage behind him.
As they reach the boy's residence they loosen their horses and drag them outside. Merlin tying the saddle of Lee's horse to his Aki's so they can carry it along. And the unconscious Lee had been placed in a new carriage attached to the Pegasus.
"Sorry love, but we need to help that guy over there" says Merlin to Pearl, his Pegasus as he pubs her head.
Together the group depart from the village as they head for the pathway to the next town.
"Wait!!" Says the young boy as he ran out of the mist followed by several villagers who all come with small bags of food items and accessories as thanks for the defeat of the creature.
"Thank you" Aki and Merlin said to the villagers as they lowered their heads in gratitude and continued their voyage.
"How did you become a black knight anyway?" Aki asked Merlin.
"What?" Merlin said in confusion.
"The armour, the name, what happened?" Aki asked inquisitively.
"That's a story for another day boss" Merlin replied.
"How about your affinity type, darkness... It's rare, very rare and even... considered dangerous" Aki said.
"I know all that, it's not a problem"
"You know what? I was actually a knight." Merlin said as his Pegasus galloped.
"You? An actual knight... Wait that's actually believable." Aki said to him.
Merlin and Aki continued their conversation on the long road untill it got to daybreak as they had spent most of their night at the village.
"You angry?" Aki asked.
"Yeah" Merlin replied.
Aki threw him a loaf of bread and a bottle of milk he received from the villagers as they eat and drank.
Back at Niflheim. The villagers light their fire and begin reconstruction. They help each other with some carrying supplies from the storage unit and others helping with food and refreshments.
"How are we doing people?" the governor said out loud.
"Everything is going smooth sir" the people shout in unison as they continue their work.
Back on the road Aki and Merlin are still having their conversation.
"So you can't use sorcery?" Merlin asked.
"How did that happen?" He added
"I don't know but there are some people unable to use sorcery but they're a really really small group in this entire continent and most study alchemy instead." Aki replied.
"The thing is they can manipulate mana but me i can't... I can't feel it. I only sense it through instinct or observation" Aki added
"That's tough, why did you become an adventurer anyway? Everything here is to your disadvantage, you could've just stayed home and lived your life." Merlin asked.
"I just... I wanted something else, something more than what was around me. I wanted to see the world, see things for myself. Aki replied.
"That's alright, nobody enjoys feeling trapped" Merlin added as they continued their meal.
Back at Niflheim as the villagers worked and helped each other as three hooded figures approached from the forest with one of them dragging the headless body of the werewolf.
"It appears it was a success. This will prove useful much much later" says one of the cloaked figures.
"Who are you people" one of the villagers asked as she stopped work and approached the individuals with everyone watching.
"Us? We're just humble Travelers" a feminine voice is heard from one of the cloaked individuals as he walked forward, her height resembling that of an elf, as she squats down facing the body of the werewolf and removing what appears to be rune from it's back.
"A spell, she... They cast a spell on that thing! They did this! The woman screamed out as everyone withdrew themselves in fear.
"Have no worries... We mean you no harm" the third figure says, much shorter than the other two with a deep male voice.
"We were just conducting a test" he adds.
"Now that i think about it, i wonder what happens to Sir Lockwood? the knight appointed here. We haven't seen him since the creature began his attack" another villagers says out loud.
"Oh he's right here!" The third figure says as the knight emerges from the forest.
"Sir Lockwood?" The woman asks as she slowly approaches the knight.
Unresponsive the knight stands still. His eyes appearing to be red as blood and thick reddish veins appeared all over his visible skin particularly his face. The Knight unsheaths his sword and runs towards the villagers.
"Wait... Lockwood!" The governors tell out attempting to halt the fast approaching knight.
AHHHHH!!!!
HELP US!!!!
"There must be no witnesses" The figures say in unison as they return to the forest and the dreadful screams of the villagers echo though the village as blood flowed through the streets.