Chapter 6: New Friend

Tem and I hunted slimes for a couple of days. Our goal was to earn some reward money. I wanted to advance my rank, while Tem hunted to pay for his mother's treatment. Despite his small stature, Tem proved to be a formidable hunting partner and we hunted more slimes together than we ever could have alone. Our pouches were full.

I felt confident in my decision to bring Tem on the slime hunt with me. After a series of fruitful days, we returned to Aurora to sell our spoils and confirm our haul. As we neared the guild, we both paused in our steps at the sight of a familiar individual standing at the entrance, wringing their hands and surrounded by three men.

"Why is she out here? And who are these guys?" I wondered silently, observing the group with suspicion. The men appeared menacing, and I couldn't shake the feeling that they were up to no good.

Tem and I cautiously approached, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation to hear what they were talking.

"Excuse me miss, my friends and I noticed you walking alone and thought you might like some company," the stranger said, reaching out to grab her shoulder. His gesture was aggressive, and his intention felt ominous.

Grace, fidgeting and frightened, stammered, "I-I'm sorry, but I don't know you and I'm quite occupied at the moment, so I can't—"

"Come on, let's have a good time together," the stranger cut in, forcibly taking Grace's hand and attempting to pull her away.

I stepped in, positioning myself behind the stranger. "Hey Grace, are these guys causing any trouble for you?" I asked, concerned and ready to defend her if necessary.

All eyes were on me as I spoke. Grace seized the opportunity to yank her hand free from the stranger's grasp and rushed towards me.

"Aaron! Y-you're here!" Grace exclaimed, her voice filled with relief.

The strangers turned their attention towards me, clearly upset with my interruption. One of them, with a rigid stance and tightened fists, asked with a raised voice, "Who are you? Can't you see that we were having a conversation here?"

I asked Grace with a determined look, my eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Were they harassing you, Grace?" I asked, my voice steady and serious. observing her fidgeting body. Despite her fear, I remained composed and determined to act responsibly in the situation.

Grace with her hands shaking, responded to my question, her voice trembling. "Y-yes, they were. I told them I didn't want to go with them, but they kept pressuring me," she said, her eyes downcast.

I didn't like seeing Grace in this state, it made my blood boil. "So this is how it feels to have people to protect. Not that I know how to do so. I never really had any friends back at my world." I thought.

I nodded at Grace, signalling her to move behind me. And without any hesitation, Grace quickly moved and Tem moved closer at us.

I shot a stern gaze at the strangers, my demeanor unwavering. "Listen up, folks," I said firmly. "She's made it clear. She's not interested."

The stranger's jaw tightened as he reached for the sword at his side. He brandished the weapon partially, clearly demonstrating his intent to fight. With a look of annoyance, the stranger brought his face closer to me and sneered, "What are you going to do about it?" He said. The other two strangers stepped forward, with menacing smiles.

I stood tall and spoke with conviction. "I won't tolerate my friends being bothered and I'd prefer to avoid any fighting. If you simply leave us be, I will let you go."

The three strangers shared a glance and burst out in laughter. "Ha! What did you just say?" one of them chuckled, as he poked me in the chest. "You must be a real funny guy." The stranger taunted with a smirk, emphasizing each word with a poke. "Do you truly believe you can take on all three of us? Do you even know who you're dealing with?"

"A bunch of perverts?" I replied with a smirk.

The stranger grew increasingly agitated at my reply. His anger flaring, and roughly grabbed my shirt. The stranger sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You've got some guts, kid," he said. "What rank are you, anyway?" I shot back, my tone sharp. "I'm a 6th set, got a problem with that?" I stood my ground, my body tense and my voice firm. Yet I'm still hoping for peace.

The strangers chuckled mockingly, their eyes became watery. One of them chided, "A 6th set? The lowest rank? You really think you can handle our business? Why don't you go pick some flowers instead."

I vein popped on my forehead as I heard his words. With a firm grip, I snatched the stranger's hand away from my shirt. My body tensed, ready for a fight as the two other strangers stepped even closer, their fists clenched. The air was charged with tension.

"The first time strangers tried to make fun of my rank, it didn't end so well for them." I warned, staring at the stranger in front.

"This guy is really pissing me off. You'll see who's picking flowers after this," I thought to myself.

I quickly glance over my shoulder and gesture Tem to go inside the guild with Grace.

"I've got your back, Sir Aaron!" Tem eagerly responded, rushing over to stand by my side.

"No, Tem. I need you to do as I say, and go inside the Guild." I said firmly. Tem looked at me, and he smiles. with quick steps, Tem grasped Grace's hand and tried to walk towards the guild, but one of the strangers blocked their path.

The stranger towers over Tem and Grace, scowling down at them with a menacing expression. Their eyes narrow, lips curl into a sneer, and they loom forward, making them feel small and threatened. With a challenging tone, the stranger barks, "Where do you think you're going, kid?"

Tem backs away and tells Grace to stay behind him. "I will protect you,"

I glanced over at Tem and saw the situation they're in. "This situation is bad. Tem might have trouble with these strangers and if he gets too focused on them, he and Grace might get hurt" I thought to myself.

The stranger leaned in towards Tem with a curious expression. "What do we have here?" he said, his hand reaching towards Tem's ear. "This is hmmmm... interesting," he added with a smirk.

Tem fiercely swung his hand and smacked the stranger's hand away with a resounding slap. "Keep your hands off!" Tem warned, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

The stranger with Tem chuckled with a smirk, "Wow, things just keep getting better and better. We've got an Elf right here, guys."

Tem's hair was short but still long enough to conceal his elf ears. Tem quickly brushed back his hair.

"Why are they surprised to see an elf? This is a fantasy world, right?" I said in my thoughts.

The air grew thick with unease as the two groups stood poised, ready to engage in a violent conflict.

Suddenly, the patrolling knights noticed the growing conflict. "What's going on here?" one of them called out, taking a step forward with a stern and authoritative voice.

The knight's arrival made the stranger step back. The stranger with me said, "Let's leave, we don't want any beef with the knights." One of the strangers spit on the ground and warned, "You got lucky this time, next time won't be so fortunate." Then they all walked away.

The Knights approached us and asked what had happened. Grace tried to explain the situation, telling them that she had never seen those three men before. After speaking with the Grace, the knight went to continue his patrol.

Grace then turned to me and apologized with a look of remorse on her face. "I-I'm sorry, Aaron," she stuttered, "Y-you and your friend almost got hurt because of me." Grace sincerely bowed her head in apology.

I gently lift my hand and placed it on top of Grace's head, my fingers tenderly stroking her hair. "Don't worry," I said with a calm voice. "If something had happened to you back there, and I couldn't do anything to help, I'd never be able to forgive myself."

Grace looks at me with red cheeks, her smile spreading wider. "Th-thank you, Aaron," she stutters, "I really appreciate it. You and your friend really saved me.""

As Grace expresses her gratitude, I became flustered and avoided eye contact. I tune my head away from her, my cheeks growing warm, and said with a quick tone, "Let's just go inside and sell these slime cores."

Grace, brimming with happiness replied. "Let's go"

As we walked into the guild, Grace went behind the counter while I and Tem approached the quest confirmation. With a touch of curiosity, Grace turned to Aaron and politely asked, "Excuse me, Aaron, may I know who your friend is?" I shifted uncomfortably as Tem stood nearby, awaiting a response.

I glanced over at Tem and meets his gaze. Tem stares back at me. "Oh, he's just a kid I found while hunting for slimes in the woods," I answered with a shrug. "We're just helping each other out with the hunt."

Tem tilts his head, brows furrowed. Tem looks like his lost in thought.

"Hey... Earth to Tem," I called out. Tem, surprised, answers "Ye-Yes!"

"Don't be rude, Introduce yourself" i said, as I nudge him forward so Grace could have a good look at him. The sudden nudge made Tem's hair swing.

Grace's eyes lit up with excitement as she turned to Tem and saw the ears. "Oh, you're an Elf?" she asked, her voice filled with curiosity. Tem fidgeted nervously, feeling embarrassed by all the attention. He was strong, but he wasn't used to talking to people, except for his mother. Tem raised his head, looking directly at Grace, and she smiled warmly at him. "Can you tell me your name, my little savior?" she said, her voice soft and encouraging.

I gently placed my hand on Tem's shoulder, trying to soothe him as he was awestruck by Grace's warm smile. Tem's hands were visibly shaking as he fidgeted, overwhelmed by the attention. "It's okay, take a deep breath," I said softly, offering him a calming presence.

Tem stumbled over his words, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to steady his nerves. He clenched his fists tightly at his sides, trying to project confidence despite his obvious nervousness. "My name is T-Tem, Ma'am," he stammered out, forcing a serious expression onto his face despite his nerves.

Grace covered her mouth with her hand, attempting to suppress her laughter. "I'm sorry for laughing" she said with a chuckle, before bowing her head in gratitude towards Tem. "Thank you so much for saving me," she added, her sincerity evident in her tone. Tem felt a rush of happiness, he doesn't often receive thanks for helping others, except for the occasional gratitude from his mother for taking care of her.

I caught Tem's gaze and saw the pure happiness in his eyes. He was beaming with joy and his smile reached his eyes. I couldn't help but smile back at him. "You did good, Tem," I said with a proud grin.

Tem's eyes filled with tears as he was overwhelmed with emotion from the compliments and gratitude from a stranger. His little frame quivered as he tried to compose himself, the outpouring of affection too much for the strong-willed child who had grown up with limited guidance and love. As I watched him, I was taken aback. I had thought I had done something wrong, and my voice trembled as I nervously asked, "W-what's wrong?"

Tem swiftly lifts his hand to his face and wipes away the tears that had formed in his eyes, his face now beaming with a smile. "It's nothing," he said in a confident tone, trying to hide any evidence of his previous emotional outburst.

After collecting our rewards, Tem and I spent the rest of the day chatting and sharing stories with Grace. She took breaks in between to hang out with us in the guild, where tables and chairs were available for loitering as long as peace was maintained. As the sun began to set and dusk approached, I stood up and said, "Look at that, Tem. It's time for us to head out." Aaron gestured towards the door, signaling for us to leave.

Tem's face fell as he heard that he and Aaron had to leave. Despite just making a new friend, he knew he still had responsibilities to attend to. Grace noticed the disappointment on Tem's face and intervened. "Uh, Aaron, if it's okay with you, why don't we have dinner together before you leave?" she asked kindly, offering to treat them all to a meal.

My gaze shifted to Tem and I saw the pure excitement radiating from him. His eyes lit up and a big smile spread across his face. "Are you sure, Grace?" I cautiously asked, making sure it was okay with her.

Grace nods her head energetically and confirms with a firm, confident tone, "Yes!"

I happily accepted Grace's proposal, with Tem bouncing with enthusiasm. The corners of his mouth curved upward into a smile, his eyes shining with delight. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of Tem's happiness. "It's not often that we get to have some fun he deserves this," I thought to myself.

As the three of us set out, Tem's excitement was palpable. We made our way to a nearby restaurant, eager to indulge in a much-needed break from our usual hunting and foraging. Over plates of delicious, unfamiliar foods, we chatted with Grace and got to know her better. The air was charged with joy and happiness as laughter and conversation filled the space.

After we were done, I and Tem said our thanks and goodbyes. Unlike the first time, Tem didn't look so sad. He was now happy, having made new friends and being able to just be a normal kid. I suggested that we walk Grace home, but she reassured us that it was okay. Her house was just a few blocks away, and she pointed towards it to show us the way. With that, the three of them parted, walking in opposite directions.

Grace arrived at her house, carefully placing her small bag on the ground. As she removed her headwear, she was suddenly ambushed by a shadowy figure who swiftly covered her head with a sack.

Grace's eyes widened in fear as she felt a rough hand grab her arm, pulling her back. The sack was tightly pulled over her head, blocking her vision and muffling her cries for help. The sinister voice spoke, taunting her with the words, "You thought you could get away from us so easily?" The fear was palpable in the air as Grace struggled against the unknown captor's grip.

Grace fiercely fought back, using all her strength to break free. She frantically screamed for help, but the tight sack muffled her voice. With quick thinking, Grace pulled out her small knife that she always carried with her and fiercely slashed the hand of her attacker. Blood spattered from the wound onto Grace's headwear as the stranger let go of the sack, angry. In a fit of rage, the stranger violently punched Grace in the stomach, causing her to crumple to the ground and fall unconscious.

I walked down the street with Tem nearing the gate, blissfully unaware of the danger my friend was in. We strolled by a hooded stranger who was walking in the opposite direction, but we didn't give him a second thought, not realizing that he was one of the men who had caused Grace harm before. As we continued on, I felt a sense of ignorance wash over me, not knowing the trouble my friend was facing.

End of Chapter 6