A FEW HOURS LATER

ALEXANDER

The village was on fire, not completely, but it was terrifying enough. Smoke rose into the night sky while terrified villagers ran between buildings carrying water buckets. Several houses had collapsed entirely, deep claw marks covered the streets. And above everything, a wyvern roar was heard. ROOOOAR! A wyvern flew over the village center, then another, then another. There were actually ten.

"Well." I stared upward.

"There are indeed ten." Aiko adjusted his glasses.

"Thank you for confirming the obvious."I sighed.

"You are welcome, Master."Aiko nodded.

The villagers noticed us. Hope immediately appeared on exhausted faces.

"The guild!"One villager gasped.

"The guild sent help!"Another one joined.

"We’re saved!" Third one added.

I really hoped they were right. Aiko stepped forward, and then something changed. His entire demeanor became sharp, focused, and professional. He looked like a military officer preparing for war.

"Enemy assessment complete."Aiko said. His eyes scanned the sky. "Three circling east, two attacking livestock, four maintaining altitude. One alpha class specimen directing movement."

Everyone froze.

"You identified all that already?" Michael asked through the communication crystal.

"Yes." Aiko pointed immediately. "Scarlet. Northern sector."

"Understood."Scarlet nodded.

"Noa. Eliminate isolated targets."Aiko contunied.

"As expected."Noa nodded.

"Rosalia. Long range support."Aiko said.

"Easy."Rosalia nodded.

"Iris."Aiko started and looked at her.

"Yes?"The vampire queen smiled.

"Please avoid destroying the village."Aiko said.

"I can do that."Iris looked disappointed.

"That answer worries me." I sighed.

Aiko ignored her and then he looked at me.

"Master."Aiko said.

"Yeah?"I asked.

"You will engage target seven."Aiko ordered.

"What?"I blinked.

"Target seven." Aiko pointed.

A massive wyvern landed on a roof, the creature roared and the roof exploded beneath its claws.

"That one."Aiko explained.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I preferred your other assignments."I frowned.

"Rejected."Aiko said and pointed again. "Go."

Sometimes I forgot he could be terrifying. Then the battle started. BOOM! Scarlet’s holy magic exploded into the sky and golden chains wrapped around one wyvern. It crashed directly into the ground. Noa immediately appeared beside it, one slash, two slashes.

Meanwhile Rosalia fired repeatedly, every shot hit exactly where it needed to. A wing, an eye, a joint. Wyverns started falling from the sky.

"Who are these people?"The villagers watched with open mouths.

"I don’t know."Another one asked.

"Are they really B-Rank?"A kid asked.

"I think they’re cheating."An elder man said.

Iris jumped and the ground exploded. She somehow reached a flying wyvern, punched it, and the monster disappeared into a mountain. Everyone stopped to stare, even the other wyverns looked confused.

"Did she just-"One asked.

"Yes."I nodded.

"With her fist?"Another one asked.

"Yes."I nodded.

The villagers looked terrified. Meanwhile, I was busy not dying, my assigned wyvern landed in front of me. Huge, angry and covered in scales.

"Wonderful."I sighed.

"Your stance is terrible."The sword at my side suddenly spoke.

"Oh." I sighed. "Not now."

"It is absolutely now." The sword sounded offended.

The wyvern charged.

"LEFT."Sword ordered.

I moved left, and the claws missed.

"GOOD." The sword sounded pleased. "NOW STRIKE THE LEG."

I swung. CRACK. The blade bit into scales and the wyvern roared.

"Again."The sword said. "Lower." Another strike. "Higher and stop aiming like an amateur."

"You are very rude."I said.

"I am a sword."The sword said.

Apparently that explained everything as the wyvern lunged again.

"Dodge."The sword said as I dodged. "Counter. Excellent. The sword sounded proud.

For the first time since obtaining it, fighting actually felt natural. Like the blade knew exactly what it was doing, which made sense. It had probably seen more battles than me, the wyvern stumbled, its neck became exposed.

"Now." The sword’s voice became serious. "Finish it."

I stepped forward, one clean strike, the blade flashed, the wyvern froze, and then collapsed dead.

"We did it!" I said exhausted.

"Correction."The sword sounded smug. "I did it."

"You literally cannot move by yourself."I groaned.

"Technicality."A sword grinned.

I hated how confident it sounded. Around us, the battle quickly ended, the last surviving wyvern tried to escape. Rosalia shot its wing, Scarlet trapped it, Noa cut it down. Ten wyverns were gone.

"We survived!"The village erupted into cheers.

"The monsters are dead!"A man shouted.

"Thank you!"Another one screamed.

People surrounded us immediately, meanwhile Zavier had completely ignored the celebration. The legendary blacksmith was kneeling beside a wyvern corpse.

"Oh..."His eyes were glowing.

He sounded emotional.

"What now?" I asked.

"Perfect scales." Zavier touched the corpse. "Perfect bones." He touched another one. "Perfect claws."

He looked happier than when he discovered black silver.

"Alexander."Zavier said.

His voice was deadly serious.

"Yes?"I asked.

"We are harvesting everything."Zavier grinned.

Every adventurer nearby took a step back, even the villagers looked nervous.

"Everything?"One asked.

"Everything."Zavier nodded. A terrifying smile appeared. "Nothing will be wasted."

The ten wyvern corpses suddenly looked less like monsters and more like crafting materials, somehow that was scarier. The villagers celebrated, the party regrouped as the battlefield was won.

"Your footwork still needs improvement."And my sword immediately spoke again.

"We just killed a wyvern."I stared at it.

"Yes."The sword said.

"Can I enjoy the victory?"I asked.

"No."The sword said.

"Why?"I asked.

"Because next time there might be two." The sword added, and I suddenly understood why legendary swords ended up sealed in ancient ruins. The last wyvern corpse had barely stopped smoking when everything immediately got worse again in a completely different way, because Michael arrived again. He stepped out of a teleportation circle right in the middle of the burning village square, looked at the ten wyvern remains, looked at the cheering villagers, then looked at me, then he just nodded. Once, slowly like a man confirming that reality had officially given up.

"Approved." Michael said.

Silence.

"That is it?" I asked.

"I have nothing left to question anymore." He replied.

That was probably the most dangerous sentence he had ever said.

"DING."The system suddenly flickered.

I immediately regretted being alive.

"Status evaluation: subject Alexander Blackwood is experiencing extreme mana depletion and physical exhaustion. Risk of collapse: high."The system said.

"Oh." I blinked. "I am fine."

My body immediately disagreed as the world tilted slightly.

"Master?"Scarlet stepped forward.

"I said I am-" I tried to speak, but my legs stopped cooperating. "Nope." I said.

Then I collapsed, and for half a second, nobody moved.

"I caught him." Iris said happily.

Somehow, she was already there and I was suddenly not on the ground anymore. I was in the air, specifically, bridal style.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I hate everything." I muttered weakly.

The entire village froze, Rosalia’s eyes narrowed instantly, Noa went completely still and Scarlet blinked twice. Even Zavier stopped looting wyvern claws. Michael slowly turned his head.

"I did not approve of that." He said.

"I did not ask." Iris replied cheerfully.

"Iris." I groaned.

"Yes, Master?"She asked.

"Put me down."I said.

"No."Iris refused.

That was immediate, too immediate. The vampire queen smiled brightly while holding me like I weighed nothing.

"You are injured."She said.

"I am tired."I sighed.

"Same thing."She repeated.

"It is not the same thing."I sighed again.

"It is to me."Iris grinned.

"I can carry him."Somewhere in the background, Rosalia clicked her tongue.

"I can as well."Noa said quietly.

"I would be more careful."Scarlet raised a hand slightly.

All three of them stared at Iris as the air got heavier.

"Why is this happening again?"Michael sighed.

"Female competitive proximity bonding triggered by perceived priority hierarchy disruption."Aiko adjusted his glasses.

"I am going to stop asking you to explain things."Michael slowly turned.

"Recommended." Aiko nodded.

"Master is comfortable."Iris hugged me slightly tighter.

"I am being kidnapped politely."I said.

"Correct."Iris nodded.

That somehow made it worse.

"DING."The system flickered again. "Warning: subject Alexander Blackwood has reached exhaustion threshold. Immediate recovery required."

"THEN GET HIM RECOVERY."Michael snapped.

"I am fine." I repeated weakly.

Nobody listened.

"I recommend high protein monster stew and restorative mana crystals."Zavier suddenly raised a hand.

"Yes." Michael pointed immediately. "Do that."

Villagers scrambled, someone shouted about soup, someone else ran for medicine and someone dropped a pot. Iris finally started walking still carrying me.

"Where are we going?"I asked.

"Somewhere safe." She said.

"This entire place is on fire."I reminded her.

"Somewhere safer."She added.

That did not help. Behind us, I could hear the girls arguing.

"I was going to carry him."Noa said.

"I was first."Rosalia added.

"You were standing too far."Scarlet frowned.

"I am surrounded by children."Michael covered his face.

"Technically accurate." Aiko said.

"I am going to demote you."Michael frowned.

"You can not."Aiko said.

"Why?"Michael asked.

"I am not employed."Aiko reminded him.

Michael stopped speaking. That was fair. Iris finally stopped near a relatively intact building.

"Rest, Master."She looked down at me with a smile.

"I am going to pass out again."I said.

"Good."She nodded.

That was the last thing I heard before the world went dark.