Chapter 13: I was just testing you

"... around ten thousand years ago, Ancient Sage Gray Silverleaf found a child in the middle of a forest. He took care of the child and trained him to be one of the protectors of the realm. But fate seemed to play differently. Sage Silverleaf was killed while the unfilial child became the Demon Sorcerer. With his great oppressive power, he amassed a great legion of demons from the 3rd hell and scourged the lands. The Strongest Sorcerer enslaved the Grandmaster craftsmen and had them create thousands of Emperor level artifacts. With his legion and artifacts, he caused havoc and great destruction on the Mortal Realm. If not because of the Six Kingdom Alliance and the 13 Heavenly Armies sent by the Heavens, the world would have ended. So..."

While on the road, Alice was explaining the reason why they were here, thousands of miles away from home, she noticed that behind Gin was a tall burly young blue-skinned man.

"Wow... there was a person like that? Why haven't I met him before?" Gin asked looking confused.

"Of course you haven't met him! Although you look old enough to be my grandfather, you couldn't have lived for 1000 years, could you? Hah!" Alice exclaimed, annoyed by Gin's question.

"Huh?! Old?! You're Old! Your Father's Old! All your family's old! I'm just 18 years old! How can I be old!" Gin shouted angrily.

"But Master, adding the time you were in the seal..." the blue man whispered to Gin.

"Oh... I guess I'm old enough to be your grandpa's ancient ancestor's grandpa..."

"You! How dare you curse my family to be old?!" Alice was fuming with anger

"Why? Don't you want to be your family to grow old? Want them to die young huh?"

"You... Urgh..." Alice was mad but couldn't refute the logic behind the statement.

"...Anyways, we thought that the Blue Spirit Bull terrorizing Lopan Village was the Strongest Sorcerer's Great Demon Bull. But It turned out to be an "Ordinary Spirit Bull". Although It was super strong, it couldn't be compared to the Demon Bull of the legends... By the way... Who is that Blue Ogre following us?" Alice asked.

"Oh... He's my friend, the "Ordinary Spirit Bull" you just mentioned." Gin replied.

"Eh???" Just as Alice asked, Lyle, who was walking in front turned around to look.

'I see, the bull was actually a super powerful Blue Orge! I couldn't even sense him when he's just behind us...' Lyle silently thought. He was so shocked that he just discovered an extra person behind them. 'I need to be stronger!'

Blue Ogres are humanoid creatures that have a high aptitude to be Druids and Mages. And being a druid, they can transform into many different creatures. Emperor level Blue Ogre Druids can even transform into Dragons.

With Little Blue's blue burly body and two tiny horns poking on his forehead, he was mistaken as a Blue Ogre.

Little blue though it was ok to be mistaken as a blue ogre. He had a lot of blue ogre friends before so it's ok to be called one. And since his Master didn't react, then why should he?

"Wow! Can you transform into a huge flying ship?" Alice asked enthusiastically.

"No Alice... Blue Orge Druids can only transform into living things..." Lyle replied

"How about a large flying bird?"

"No..."

"A pony?"

"No..."

"A huge Hamster?"

"No... I can only transform into a bull..."

"Aw, that's a shame..." Alice ended her series of interrogations to Little Blue with disappointment in her face. "By the way... why are the two of you following us?"

"Since you guys are going to... where was that again?" Gin said.

"We're heading to one of the Agnakar Cities, Belona. There's a trading ship there that has access routes to the Silver Sword Empire." Lyle explained.

Silver Sword Empire was once known as the Silver Sword Queendom. Although it has been a queendom for many years, it was actually founded by Grand Knight King Alluria Silversword. Its inhabitants are called Allurians. Ever since the "Great Calamity" a war between demons and gods with Lunarians caught in between, Silver Sword Queendom and the Dark Wing Kingdom have been in constant war. Skirmishes between Allurians and Agnakars happened from time to time on border zones.

But both of these nations didn't know the cause of their conflict. If they knew, they'd be spitting blood of how stupid their respective founders were.

It started with Alluria Silversword and Agnakar Ironfingers, apprentices of a Great Knight, bet over a bowl of strawberries. Then it became feud which turned into enmity until the later generations forgot the cause and still waged war with each other. A special location on their borders called "The Great Rift" was recognized as the entrance to both Empires. Both of the Empire leaders erected a 100 feet statue of their respective founders with both figures pointing swords at each other's necks.

"Then we're heading where you're heading. Onwards to Belona!" Gin pointing to a direction.

"Belona's not that way... It's this way..." Alice pointing at the direction they were currently headed.

"I know that... I was just testing you... hur hur hur..."

"Whatever... crazy old man..." being exasperated with their talk, Alice continued walking forward.

The path from Lopan Village of Peach Country to Belona was inside a forest. But on the middle part of the route, one has to pass a 2 meter wide 5-kilometer long cliff path. The height from the path to the base of the cliff was a staggering 2 kilometers while going to the top would reach 1.6 kilometers. There was another path to Belona but it would take at least a week to travel as they have to go around the forest.

The main reason why travelers would rather go around the forest or on the dangerous cliff is because the huge forest they have to pass through is known as the "Howling Woods". A very dangerous place where remnants of the Scats still lurk.

Therefore, the fastest route to Belona is the cliff path.

But it's just that the fastest route doesn't mean the safest route. One has to mind the landslides, strong winds and bandits... yes... bandits.

And speaking of bandits, just as the group reached the middle part of the cliff, a group of rowdy bandits were waiting in the middle of the road.

"Ok! Drop all your equipment, clothes and gold! And we might decide to give all of you painless deaths... or we will throw you off the cliff!" a thin one-eyed bandit roared.