"Mina, do you want some meat?" a handsome man riding a horse beside Mina says, handing her a meat jerky.
Mina furrows her brow. "No..."
The man sits tall with a confident posture, his smile a captivating allure that draws people in. Jet-black strands of hair catch the light, hinting dark brown undertone that conceals his dark moonless eyes.
The man shrugs at Mina's rejection and chomps the meat as the wind brushes his hair back. His name is Ludwig Main, a colleague who joined The Magic Research Tower around the same time as Mina and was appointed to the same team.
Ludwig's outgoing demeanour fades when he notices one person in the village approaching.
"Loi?" Mina says when she raises her head.
Ludwig looks at her expression and his emotion sinks, his smile subsides and his gaze goes down.
"Ah right, you fought with him did you not? How was the champion?" Ludwig asks.
"...He was...nice. His eyes presented determination out of this world yet beneath the fire is...void. Trauma." Mina says.
Ludwig scratches his head. "What? How did you notice all that?"
Mina turns to Ludwig. "I know someone like that." her voice turns gentle and warm, yet sad and nostalgic.
"I see..." Ludwig clenches his grip on the rope. He was there on the day of the tournament and Mina's unforgettable charm imbued his heart. Although he had trouble communicating with Mina at first, he learned to drive the conversation for her.
===========================
The descent into the ruins is accompanied by heaps of monster corpses. I kill every single goblin in our path with a blink, leaving barely any remnants for visitors. Followers from The Holy Light purify the vicinity, removing remnants of demonic mana.
Our arrival in the spacious cavern spewing mountains of bones and monstrosity left everyone stumped in disgust and horror. The pungent and thick demonic mana ignites confusion and headaches among the weak.
"T-These remains aren't goblins...it's human." Aria Domenic says as she scrutinises the pile.
...
I activate the space magic for a shortcut when everyone steps into the room.
"Let's go," I say and walk out.
!
"W-What, where are we?" a mage exclaims. "Space-time magic?!!"
They look back and notice the door to the room of death disappeared into a pile of rocks. Anyone can deduce this part of the hallway caved in and exploded by something phenomenal.
"Did you fight something here?" Aria walks to me and asks.
"Yeah, a crazed hobgoblin and a sea of goblins."
"Unbelievable..."
Whether she believes this to be solely my strength, albeit the result of a strong hobgoblin clashing with me, I answer no questions and move on. Even if I explain it, barely any will believe a hobgoblin to have the strength of a master. The hobgoblins on the surface were extremely weak compared to the various veterans deep in the cave.
The tour through corridors unravels a hurricane of haphazard cuts spanning through the cave, the mirage of a museum capturing every awe.
There are always higher peaks nevertheless. We finally arrive at the abandoned Vanriem. An abyss of darkness consumed the city with only one source of hope, the illumination from the castle.
YOU ARE READING
A Background Character's Fate
Fantasy"In war, commoners are the victims in victory or defeat." Struck by poverty amidst a long and devastating war, an ordinary mercenary dies among the countless corpses on a snowy battlefield. Yet by a stroke of luck, he regressed to his younger self...
