Chapter 38: Tryout

Perseus POV

"Alright moms, I'm off now, don't tell anyone where I'm going though."

I left home with Ruka after we bid our farewells to them and go to Zoris on foot since we're to lazy to fly there and be seen. I sent a letter rejecting the invite to spectate the summoning or whatever, we don't want to be seen or suspected once the heroes are dead.

Ruka on the other hand accepted, I need her to be there since even if we both sneak in together, Rowan or some people will detect Ruka, so she accepted the invite while I didn't.

It's a bit exciting, I've mostly stayed at the tree the past couple years, I didn't leave at all since I sent that surprise attack on Sheela, too bad she was barely injured since she is a daughter of someone of a marquis household, making it so that people gave their life to protect her.

I heard she's a bit hesitant about traveling now and has been spending about triple the amount of money for protection every time she goes out. She's a citizen of the northern continent which is where I'm heading next, so I look forward to meeting the former unobtainable flower. By looking forward, I mean raid and steal some of her treasures from her family treasury to make up for the money they didn't pay me.

It took about 4 days of walking and camping to read where I'm at now, which is about a 2 hour walk from Zoris, don't worry readers, I packed bottles of milk, 2 in my bag and 2 more bottle in my storage spell, I even made sure to wear purple clothing.

My goal to make the demon lord shit himself is still set in stone.

The storage spell is useful since I use it to carry most of my items, so I only have to certain items in my bag like some food and snacks with bottles of water.

"By the way, we're being followed by a group of people." Ruka whispered into my ears

"I know, don't worry, I've got plot armor."

I know about that, and based on how they're moving, they're just some lowly bandits who don't recognize who we are, and as a protagonist, I have face the ambush head on like everyone else, well most of the other protagonist didn't face it head on.

"By the way, your idea of bringing milk along is stupid." she commented

"Why? Do you not think it would lower the demon's morale if they hear about their strongest shitting himself?"

"I question why Leilah chose you everyday."

"Me too, that woman is a freak if I ever see one. Like a really good looking freak, but a freak nonetheless, I have no idea what she sees in me, maybe she got a thing for guys who has close encounters to death."

"It's rare but not uncommon where a rose and the lord, even a lord of one rose and another rose becoming lovers, so go ahead."

The bandits them jumped out of where they're hiding and pointed their swords and bow at us, about 20 people, nice, they seems to have wallets and a lot of equipments on them for me to loot afterwards.

"Right, give me my money and you'll let me go, right." I then patted down my pockets "Sorry guys, we've just been camping out, I didn't bring my wallet with me."

And this is where they usually make sexual comments about my companion like asking to pay them in other means, which I'm not really gonna let that happen. It seems that they're all mages ranging from 3-5 stars, it's not impossible for Ruka to just destroy them all in one go, for me, I can do about the same with the power of the roses, but let's go for a more fun method.

"Stop lying." the leader said "Based on your pretty looks and your gorgeous lady friends, you're clearly rich, give us your money and we'll let you both off with a bonus of your lady friend flashing us."

They all then laugh at the stupid demands their leader gave, one gave me a strange look once see me crouch on the ground.

I crouched down and placed my right hand on it, a moment later they can all hear roars coming around the forest and feel the ground shaking. As they look around, I create a rock ball out of magic, toughen it up and use the metal bat that I brought a long to hit it to the back of the leader's head who turned around.

He fell on his face flat. I then activated my voice.

"Guys, why are you aiming for me? Don't you think some of you guys share uneven loot when you successfully robbed someone?" I now planted the thoughts in their mind and I can see the glint in their eyes.

"The leader over there definitely took the most, why don't ya decide which one of ya actually deserve it...? I'll give that person all of our stuff and we'll all be on our merry way."

It's too late for them now, the thoughts seeped into their minds and caused them to argue.

"Yeah, when that merchant carriage bribed us, I got only 2000 bels!"

"I joined first and yet Jack got promoted first!"

"I worked the hardest!"

"I deserve the most."

The ground shaking and the roars were merely me faking all of it, I can manipulate people's sense though my more effective ones involve your vision, illusions, I distracted them and it gave me a slight short time to talk.

*****

Once the fighting ends, I just looted all their money and expensive equipments to pawn off in Zoris. I then sneaked pass border guards and into the kingdom to head towards the royal palace as Ruka separated from me and I escorted.

Well there is this 2 day tryout for people who wants to join the royal guards, for fighters and mages who wants to serve the Zoris royalties. Tomorrow is when the heroes arrive while the public is led to believe that it's in a week, this tryout allows me to get the closest to the palace, time to become Loki again, I guess.