World unknown

Paladins, Bandits, new skills! Oh my!

"What do you mean you almost ran into Nekronos?!" Marcus exclaimed.

"I don't know! He and some other demons who looked like either guards or soldiers were here and were talking about something! He said he didn't care and wanted whatever it was done..." Hyunjin replied which made Marcus raise an eyebrow.

"How do you know that he said that? Nekronos doesn't speak in any mortal tongue..."

"I... I don't actually know... At first, I couldn't understand any of it but then all of a sudden, I could understand him..." Hyunjin replied with his head down.

"What exactly did he say?" Marcus asked.

"Lushia ... J-Jenta wei? I think that's how he said it?" Hyunjin said which made Marcus' eyes widen.

"You somehow learned Nekronon! That's an amazing skill to have Hyunjin! Now we can understand the demons!" Marcus exclaimed with joy which caught Hyunjin by surprise.

"This is a good thing? I mean ... I wasn't taught it and from what I heard... Only those of the Akarune family can grant the ability to learn it..."

"A good thing? Hyunjin, this is a miracle! To have someone learn Nekronon without the needed intervention of the Akarune is amazing! Seems like you not being from this world has given you special abilities! I wonder what other powers you possess?"

Hyunjin didn't know how to feel about this whole thing, having just learned this demonic language without even trying. This was a lot for him to handle at that moment and he just stared blankly for a moment before shaking his head and coming back to reality.

"I don't know... But this is so unexpected that ... I'm kinda lost. I didn't expect to somehow learn a language that apparently only a select few can learn..." He replied.

Marcus nodded and smiled. "Well, it will come in handy when facing the demons that I know we will face."

Hyunjin nodded yet still felt conflicted. Why all of a sudden does he know this demon language? Why did he learn it and what purpose it would serve to get him back home? He sighed and decided it was best not to think about it too much. He looked up to see Marcus still going on about how great it is that he can understand and speak Nekronon and the importance of the skill which made him snort, reminding him oddly of Bang Chan.

"Hmm? What's so funny?" Marcus asked which made Hyunjin finally start laughing.

"The way you were talking about me knowing Nekronon! Haha! You reminded me of someone I know back home who sounds like you just did." He replied, wiping a tear from his eye.

Marcus raised an eyebrow before he chuckled.

"Oh? Are they a good leader like I am?" He asked which Hyunjin nodded in response.

"I think you two would get along very well."

"Well, I hope so! Any friend of yours is a friend of mine." Marcus smiled.

The two left the pub and wandered around the town for a bit before heading back to the horses. Hyunjin looked down at the ground and noticed what looked like burn marks on the ground near Stella. He knelt down and examined them, remembering those same marks from Nekronos' own horse and its flaming hooves. He swallowed hard as he realized that Nekronos might know of his presence, it terrified him yet also intrigued him to think that this strange demon knew he was here and might take an interest in him, yet he didn't think that was true as Nekronos could have also just rode by the horses. He sighed and hopped onto Stella before the two rode out of the town.

"Hey Marcus? You saw those burn marks, right?" Hyunjin asked.

"I did... Strange... They were shaped like a horse's hoof..." Marcus replied.

"Yeah... Um... Does Nekronos have a flaming horse?" Hyunjin asked.

"Some say he does. A family horse that was given to him when he learned the skill, supposedly he and that horse grew up together." Marcus replied.

The two rode in silence while Hyunjin wrote down what Marcus told him in his journal, stopping when he heard Marcus stop his horse. He looked up and saw that something was blocking the path.

"Damned bandits..." Marcus grumbled.

"Off the horses and empty yer pockets..." The bandit leader said with a smirk.

Marcus got off his horse before Hyunjin did the same, shaking hard as he watched the bandits come closer to him. He held his journal close to his chest as they eyed it.

"What's the book for?" One of the bandits asked, clearly not caring for the answer as they just wanted it since he was clutching it so hard.

"I-I" Hyunjin tried to say something yet nothing was coming out as he was still shaken by this experience.

A larger bandit stood behind him and went to grab him but Marcus was quick to act and pulled Hyunjin over to him, having him behind as he drew his sword. Hyunjin was shocked but thankful for his friend's quick thinking.

"Don't even think about touching him... I will not hesitate to wipe you and your sinful band off this mortal plane..." He said which caught Hyunjin off guard.

"Wait... Is he a priest? No... Priests wouldn't wield a sword... Is he a ... Paladin?" He thought as he watched Marcus begin combat with the band of bandits.

Hyunjin watched in amazement as the bandits didn't stand a chance against Marcus, easily being taken down yet not killed. Hyunjin smiled at Marcus' mercy, admiring that he followed whatever oath he took.

"Now then... Go and find a better path in life, there is nothing glorious about being a thief. I know you all can do better." Marcus said, which caught all the bandits off guard before they all got up and ran off.

"You, okay?" Marcus asked Hyunjin.

"Yeah... Thanks." Hyunjin replied.

"You're welcome, now let's get out of here," Marcus said before walking over to his horse and hopping on.

Hyunjin walked back over to Stella, checking to make sure she wasn't hurt or startled before he got back onto her back. The two picked up where they left off and continued towards the big city of Caldorian. Marcus told him stories of the big city which Hyunjin was quick to take notes on.

"Hey... You never told me that you were a paladin..." Hyunjin said.

"Oh? I thought I did! My apologies, dear friend! I suppose I should explain a bit about my order and what oath I took when I took on the mantle." Marcus replied.

He went on to talk about his order and the goddess Celeen. He spoke about what mission they were given. "I took up the oath of the guardian. An oath where I am sworn to protect and help those in need while also following a path of redemption." He explained which Hyunjin wrote down in his journal.

"That's... Amazing! Is that why you took to helping me?" He asked.

"Yes, that is one reason," Marcus replied with a smile.

Hyunjin smiled at the thought of others following the same path as Marcus yet he also felt like Marcus was just the kind of person who would go out of his way to help anyone in need regardless of the oath.