Episode 17: First Human Battle (4)

******* Carolus' POV ********

I'm in my room right now cleaning the blood off my armor and weapon.

I still can hear their cries and screams but I just keep on cleaning.

I remember that it is really easy to kill things in the game but it is quite different when the people you are killing beg for mercy.

Damn.

I'm sure I will be having nightmares from now on but I have to get past this since I still have a lot of things to do.

I still haven't found that woman ask her to send me home though I'm not sure where to start looking for her.

I also have to go to the nether quickly and gather the necessary materials for health potions.

The two injured people are still fine but it is better to make sure.

I'm not sure what I'm going to face once I'm finished building the portal but I have to do it. There are also other things I want to gather in the nether.

I take off my shirt to see if there is any blood on it. Thankfully, there is none.

I threw my shirt on the bed and take out a bucket of water to start cleaning myself when suddenly I heard someone knocking on the door.

It is probably Arthur since he is the only one here that is talking to me. All of the other people are hesitant to approach me.

"Come in." I didn't bother putting my shirt back on and just continue cleaning myself.

******** Arthur's POV ********

"Come in." I heard Lord Carolus voice and quickly opened the door.

I saw him with his shirt off and he is busy cleaning himself.

"Sorry, my lord. I'm just going to leave and be back later once you are done." I said while slightly bowing my head.

"No. Come inside." I was about to close the door when he suddenly stopped me.

I went inside and noticed something on his left shoulder.

A scar.

It is very big. About the size of a spearhead.

I'm not believing what I'm seeing.

What kind of monster that managed to hurt Lord Carolus?

I can't imagine anything that can touch him since I witnessed him do those things just a while ago.

"You curious about this?" He asked me while pointing at his left shoulder since he saw me keep staring at his scar.

I was a loss for words and just nodded my head.

He stopped cleaning himself and put down his towel.

He was silent for a moment.

"You don't have to tell me, my lord." I quickly said to him since it is none of my business even though I'm really curious.

"Stupidity." He said after a while.

What? Stupidity?

"This happened because of my stupidity." He sounded hurt and he looks like he is remembering a really painful memory.

I was about to ask him what happened but I stopped myself.

I started to see him as an invincible being but he is still a human and all humans have a bad dream they want to wake up to.

"How are your people doing Arthur?"

"What? Oh. They are doing just fine, my lord." I was suddenly snapped out of my thought by his question.

"I'm surprised you are all still here after what just happened."

I was silent for a moment.

All of my people saw the bodies but they didn't say anything. Probably because they thought that Lord Carolus did those things to protect us or they just don't want to complain since they got nowhere to go.

"Why are you here Arthur?" He suddenly asked me since I just remain quiet.

"I'm here to ask about the prisoner, my lord. How do you want me to handle the interrogation?"

"I believe I already told you to handle it yourself."

"You mean I can do whatever I want to get the information?"

"Yes." His straight answer and unwavering tone flinched me for a moment.

I'm bowed my head and leave his room.

I started heading to the basement to begin my interrogation.

I have plenty of experience interrogating a prisoner though I wonder how Lord Carolus know about it.

He also seems to know that I was a soldier. He probably thought about it since he saw my iron spear.

I reached the prison room and opened the door.

I can see that the prisoner is still unconscious and I can also see the zombie beside his cell is trying to break the bars that separate them to attack him.

I take out a bottle of water in my inventory and started splashing water in the prisoner's face.

******* Captain Merek's POV ********

I can feel the water splashing on my face.

I started to open my eyes and saw a stone ceiling.

I realized that I'm no longer in a grassy field.

I immediately got up and started looking around to know where I am.

"There you are. Took you a lot of water to wake you up." I suddenly heard a voice coming from behind me and quickly turn around.

I saw the spearman.

After seeing him, I suddenly remembered what happened.

"Where is he?"

I remembered how that blue man killed all of my people. The way he chopped them all into pieces.

I started shaking.

"Oh. Do you mean Lord Carolus? He is in his room cleaning the blood of your people off of his body." He just casually said.

I started panicking and quickly look around to find a way out of here but I realized that I'm in a prison cell.

I also heard a banging sound and saw someone on the other side of the bars.

It is a zombie.

My panic rose even higher and I started screaming.

I quickly run to the door and started banging to escape.

"Don't worry. The bars separating you are made of iron so it will be near impossible to break unless you have an iron pickaxe." He just said to me probably to calm me down but I'm still panicking.

I'm still banging on the door until I realized something.

The door is strangely really sturdy.

"Yes. The door is also made of iron. How about you calm down now so I can begin asking questions."

"Calm down? How can a commoner like you order me around?" I quickly said to him while pointing my hand at him.

"Did you really still not realized where you are and what just happened to you?" He asked me a question while starting to get closer to the cell.

I didn't answer and just keep staring at him.

"Good. You finally stayed silent. Lord Carolus kept you alive so he can ask you some questions."

"Lord Carolus? You mean that blue monster!?"

"Careful with your words. He might hear you." He said to me in an intimidating tone.

I stayed silent again.

"He said to me that I can do anything I want to extract the information from you but I don't want to hurt you." He said this while I see him constantly switching items holding in his hand.

All of the items I saw are used for farming and tending animals but the way he is handling them is terrifying.

"You will answer all of my questions, right?" He asked while staring at me with his scary eyes.

He is now holding shears in his hand.

I quickly nodded my head.

"Good. Now. Why are you and your people here?"

"The general ordered me and my people to capture all of you."

"What? Your general sent you even into this forest? He probably thinks you and your people are disposable." He said to me in a mocking tone.

My emotions quickly flared up and I was about to start screaming at him but I managed to stop myself. He is actually right.

He keeps asking me more questions and I just answered all of them.

******* Arthur's POV ********

Well. Thankfully this guy is cooperative and I managed to get the information Lord Carolus wants otherwise I have to resort on much meaner method.

I was about to leave but I remembered what Lord Carolus said.

'You can ask him anything you want.'

"There is also something else I want to know, Merek."

He looked at me and he looks like he is annoyed that I'm not done questioning him.

"I want to know about what did you do with my people that you captured."

He didn't answer and just keeps on staring at me.

"Merek?" I asked him since he still not talking.

I was starting to lose patience and was about to open the cell door when suddenly he started to speak.

"I don't know about your people but all of the prisoners captured by the kingdom is immediately sold to a slaver in the southern kingdom."

"What!?" I suddenly shouted at him.

He was so surprised and quickly took a step back.

"Even the women and children?" I ask him and was hoping he will say no.

"...Yes."

'No. This can't be happening.'

They sold my people to a slaver and worse of all it is a slaver in the southern kingdom.

'What have they done? Goddess, please help them. Don't turn your back onto us.' I prayed to the only being I know that will listen to me.

My anger is now uncontainable.

I keep thinking about the horrible things that are happening to my people at the hands of the slavers.

I started walking to the cell beside Merek.

"Wait. What are you doing?" I suddenly heard Merek asking me a question but I ignored him.

I opened the door of the cell of the zombie.

I also opened the door of Merek's cell.

Then, I started walking to the exit.

"Wait! It is not my fault! It was the order of the king! War is expensive and he can't think of a better way to profit!" I can hear him shouting things at me but I just keep on walking.

I opened the prison door and slowly stepped outside.

Once outside, I locked the prison door and I can hear Merek's screams.

I ignored it since it is nothing compared to was is happening to my people right now.

I turn around and leaned my back on the door.

I didn't realize that tears are starting to fall in my eyes.

******* Skeleton King's POV *******

"My king. I have returned."

I can see my soldier getting off his skeleton horse and immediately kneel on the ground.

I'm sitting in my throne right now waiting for the news from the scout I sent.

The moment night comes, I quickly ordered to sent someone to know what happened to the army approaching that man's territory.

"Speak."

"I can't see clearly what really happened my king since you ordered us to keep a distance to that man's territory but I saw a remnant of a battle though I'm not sure since it was thoroughly cleaned. The army traveling to the man's territory was probably an enemy to him and killed them all."

"Of course, he did."

That man suddenly invaded this fortress alone one day.

We furiously attacked him but he just killed all my soldiers that dared approach him.

He didn't stop killing until I ordered my soldiers to back off so I can handle him myself but I was shocked to see his appearance.

He is wearing armor and wielding a weapon that I never thought I will see again.

We keep staring on each other for a while until I asked him who is he.

He didn't answer and just turned around and walked away.

He probably attacked this fortress to make a statement that he wants to live in this forest since I heard that he also attacked the Queen of giant spiders and the Giant Zombie.

"You said it was cleaned so you mean he destroyed the bodies?" I ask the soldier after remembering what happened that day.

"Yes. He probably burnt them."

"Pity. What a waste of good soldiers. Those people will probably do well in our army."

I still don't have enough soldiers in my army.

There is also a problem with that man.

He started killing the soldiers that I placed around the forest caves near his territory.

That was probably his way of telling he doesn't want anybody nearby his home.

Well, I could just gather more dead humans to turn into skeletons in the nearby human villages.

Once I have the resources I need, I will quickly initiate my plan. My plan to rule this world once again.

Humans have probably forgotten about me but I will tell them, no, I will remind them who I was.

I was known as the Skeleton King. Ruler of the Overworld.