PRIZIANNA: The Lost Princess of Esperanza (The End of Demons)

VI Progress

I was bothered by the nightmare I had even though Argal told me that maybe a demon witch had casted a spell on me. I can't stop thinking about the people of Hermoza. The letter I sent to Aziza a few months ago to tell her I was okay was no longer followed because I was busy looking for low level demons to increase my level.

"Hey, Atticus, once we get to Arcania, what's the first thing that you will do?"

We walked for an hour to leave the Evern forest. The sun was hitting my skin and sweat flowed down my neck. It's hot today.

"I already told you about it, send a letter--"

"Yeah yeah, for a family! But, aside from that? Don't you want to have fun?"

I looked at him when I heard his playful voice. Argal's eyebrows wiggled and I was disgusted by the smile he was giving me. I don't need to ask what he means, clearly the fun he was saying is about girls.

From the time that I found him, I learned what he likes and he doesn't like. And as a man, Argal tells me that it's normal for men like us to look for fun that only girls can do.

"I am tired and I want to rest," he groaned and made a more disgusting face.

Time is precious. I shouldn't waste it with people who will not help me to increase my power. As of now, all that I want to do in the places where the stars would lead me is to learn how to survive alone, how to use different kinds of weapons and gain new abilities that I could use to kill demons.

There's nothing more important than increasing my power. Because I know time is running out, this world will soon be in the hands of the demon Lord and the only person who could stop him is the chosen one who came from another world.

And that is me.

"No thrill. Your appearance would definitely attract girls' attention! Not to mention your tall height, and you even have a great body! You must come with me--"

"So you could use me? No," I glared at Argal and he just raised his hands in the air.

"Stop pestering me. I am not interested in the women you are talking about. Once we get to Arcania, the first thing that I want you to do is to accompany me to the place that sends letters or uses magic to communicate with distant people."

Argal nodded at me but he had a disappointed look on his face.

"Just do what I say and you can do everything that you want," I added. And because of that, his face lit up.

"Really?! But, I need money. You know I wasn't able to earn it because I was in stock and almost dying when you found me. Also, I have no things left to sell. I am now a poor man that's relying on you, master. And because of your kindness, I was able to survive, eat--"

I firmly closed my eyes and stopped from walking. Argal, too. He has a broad smile on his face while looking at me. I know he just wanted me to give him money. That's why his voice became soft and he started to praise me.

"I'll give it to you once we get there, but one thing that I want you to do for me."

"What is it, master?!" he asked.

I sighed and flicked his forehead, which made him groan in pain.

"Just don't bother me. After I send a letter, I want to sleep for the whole day and the next, I'll look for weapons. I have no plans to stay longer in Arcania. That's why I plan on staying for only two days."

I continued to walk after saying that. I don't want to think that the months that passed were a waste because I still think that I am weak, but I want to know if I did improve. The next place after Arcania is the Locus Forest. One of the deadly forests in Tercera. I learned about this when I ran into an adventurer who was fighting an earth demon.

The Tercera world has thousands of forests. I never thought this world was so big. Demons also live in forests, so if there are thousands, then it means that a lot of demons are hiding and waiting for humans to devour them.

After a few hours of walking, I heard a sound of water on the other side of the huge grass. I walked through it and found a waterfall. But what caught my attention was the crystal clear water. The sunlight that shines on it. This place is beautiful.

"Let's take a short break here, Argal," I said. I walked closer to the water and saw a lot of fish. This is perfect because we haven't had lunch yet.

"Atticus," Argal called me while I was removing my clothes to catch our food. I looked at him and saw his anxious face.

"What happened? You were just lively earlier."

"Ahh, you said you were not going to stay longer in Arcania. I just want to ask if you will leave me there?"

Oh, so that's the reason why he didn't respond. I continue to remove my clothes and fold them. I put it on the rock near me and I saw from the side of my eyes that Argal was looking at me.

"It's for you to decide, but there's no problem if you come with me, but I can't assure your safety all the time because I am not strong--"

"You are!"

"What the?" I stumbled. I was shocked because he suddenly shouted! But when I was about to scold him, his facial reaction changed, he was seriously looking at me.

"You look down on yourself too much, Atticus. Whenever we are talking about being an adventurer and how dangerous this could be because it could lead us to death, you always tell me that you are ready to die any moment. You know that demons are strong and once you encounter a high level, it's the end for you, but what the heck, man?"

He looks so pissed. His lips were twitching and his hands formed into fists. I tilted my head and listened to him more.

"I just found out that you have a family and I felt that family was very important to you, but why is it so easy to say that you are ready to die? Aren't you fighting for your family? To give them a safe world with no threat from demons? Atticus, I have seen how you fight demons since I decided to follow you. I called you master because you are not weak!"

My jaw tightened while listening to Argal. Aziza and Bell came into my mind, the people in the Hermoza Village. He's right. I always think of myself as a wink and have made no progress. For the past months, it's still me the coward Atticus, because no one reminds me like Aziza has been before. No one reminds me that I can be strong and I am not that weak Atticus before.

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply.

"You are a level 12 adventurer, Atticus. And if you didn't tell me that? I will think that you are a high-level adventurer when I witnessed how you fight the demons and, because of what I saw from you, I want to be strong. You inspired me to be, that's why I decided to come with you to learn."

That surprised me. Someone wants to learn how to fight from me?

"I think highly of you, I respect you and this is not what I was expecting to hear from you, Atticus," Argal said. He looked so disappointed when he turned his back on me.

I let out a deep sigh and I looked up at the sky.

Aziza always gets mad at me for this before, because I always belittle myself.

"You can save this world! But your mentality should change first, Atticus. You are smart, you can predict the enemies' moves, but then what happens to you in your world stops you from becoming strong. So, let us begin by removing all of your negative thoughts."

Now Argal made a huge slap at me that reminds me of myself before deciding to travel alone.

I jumped into the water and let the coldness envelope my body.

"You are more than negative thoughts, Atticus. Don't discredit your hard work. It may be slow, but there is progress. You are not what you were yesterday."

Those words from Aziza made me smile.

"I just missed her more."