Chapter 21: Chapter 21

I'd forgotten he was only a child, a five-year-old child. His actions and the manner in which he speaks had blinded me and instilled in me the belief that nothing could go wrong. That everything would be fine as long as we kept gaining strength. That Nothing could go wrong if I was there with him, I reasoned. But, Nonetheless, I am the child, a child whose strength has blinded him. A child who only moves forward without looking back. A child of great strength, but nevertheless a child.

As a result of that blindness, Sack is currently on the ground in a state of emotional turmoil. Is it fear, regret, or disgust that he is feeling? He on his knees, barely holding his spear, with his mother comforting him. Witnessing him in that light brought back an emotion I had long, but forgotten. It's been a long time since I've felt this way, a feeling I thought I'd never feel again....remorse. Remorse for seeing him that way, and most of all remorse for not acting sooner to stop him from doing this.

I stand there clenching my fist with gritted teeth, staring at the downcast Sack. Falling deeper and deeper into emotions on known to me. Emotions I've never felt before. Clenching my fist with even more force than before, blood trails from the side of my enclosed fist. What have i done? i know to well what that feels, what it feels like to kill a person for the first time. In Sack's case a goblin, making it much easier to take in, but even so its a humanoid being. A being that i am Sure Sack will mistake as a human. Releasing my enclosed hand, relaxing my clenched teeth, and no longer staring but walking towards him.

Walking towards the boy, the boy who is lost in his own thoughts, thoughts about what had just happened. Thoughts on what he's done concerning the humanoid that was impaled by his spear. Ignoring those in my path, I kneel next to him and place my dominant hand on his left sholder. Sack does not flinch at the sudden contact, or is it because he is in complete shock and cannot feel it? Raising the same hand that was placed on his sholder I strike across his face with the palm of my hand. It makes the same sound as when one strikes a water source with an open hand.

Despite the fact that it was not with my full force, Sack face followed the trajectory of my hand as soon as it made contact. I'm sure it didn't hurt him, but that's not the point. My intention is to shake him out of his stupor. It appears to have worked whereas Sack is no longer terrified and immobile. However, unlike before, Sack is stunned while rubbing his left cheek. His mother, who is standing next to him, looks at me, shocked and terrified, unable to believe what she has just witnessed. My mother, who is not far away, is making the same exact expression as Claire.

I stare at Sack with full determination, not caring, or more accurately, not noticing the two raging females heading my way. looking at Sack, who is looking at me with a puzzled expression. ""What are you doing?" I question him. A simple to answer question, a question I am sure he will not be able to answer. He looks at me, unable to answer my questions. "Let me repeat what I said in case you didn't hear me. I asked, "What are you doing?"" I enquire again. I can't keep watching him in that sorry state; if I leave him alone without intervening, he'll just fall deeper and deeper.

If he continues in this manner, he will be traumatized by the mere mention of a spear. Sack is at a loss for words once more, his eyes welling up with tears ready to burst. "What do you think you're doing, Sack? What if you were in a situation where no one could help you? So, what would you do than?" I say this to him from above, my rage boiling over. I'm not sure why I'm feeling this way, why I'm so angry, but I do know one thing. If I don't do something now to fix this, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. Placing both of my hands on each of his shoulders then shifting him closer towards my face.

"Then what?! Please tell me. I completely understand how you feel. After all, I've killed some goblins just like you. Goblins, that's what they are, not people Sack! This hesitation will lead to your death one day!" I say this while shaking him back and forth, no longer able to contain my rage. Standing up while still staring at the downcast Sack, my boiling rage subsides. "Sack, it's okay to feel that way, but you can't let those emotions control you," I say reassuringly. Sack's eyes welled up with tears, and he broke down in tears.

A COUPLE OF MINUTES BEFORE

GRAY'S POV 

Riding at the front of the carriage with Tom and Carl, admiring the two magnificent horses and the scenery around us. The gentle breeze blows our hair back, the trees sway in the breeze, and the horse's main moves back and forth with each step. The soothing scenery of trees and more trees comforts us as we pass the time by having small talks about anything that comes to mind. "You told them that?" I ask Carl, who is sitting next to me. He had stated that he would let Ash and Sack face any monster that they could handle.

"I see, so you've come to the same conclusion as me," I say immediately after. Ever since we left the vicinity of our village I could sense more and more monsters appearing around us. They are in our vicinity, but they do not approach us or follow us. It's as if someone or something is calling for them, as if there's an order they can't break. Every beast, without exception, heads in the same direction; some do ignore the others and head towards us, but they are in the end killed by us before they get close enough to see us.

I had come to a conclusion after observing the strange behaviors of the monster. No, it's more of a decision than a conclusion. I've decided that those two first kill should happen now rather than later. If those monsters get in our way, Sack and Ash will have no other choice but to fight; I don't want them to hesitate when it matters since it may cost them their lives. "similar conclusion? So I'm guessing you've noticed it as well. the number of monsters en route to the same location" Carl says with a worried expression next to Tom.

"How could I not? from powerful beasts to all the way down to slimes. We're fortunate not to have encountered any powerful monsters yet" I say, tightening my grip on my sword. Tom, on the other hand, is not a warrior, but that doesn't mean he can't fight. I'm sure he's picked up a few fighting techniques along the way. So, like us, he has noticed the anomaly of the situation. "It's as you both say, we have not been attacked by anything since yesterday. Something strange is taking place" While holding the horse's ropes even tighter, Tom declares.

We have been attacked; it's just that they're killed before they get close enough for him to see them. Nonetheless, the number of monsters attacking us is insignificant in comparison to previous times I've traveled. Not to mention that the monsters that do attack are weak ones, such as goblins. squinting my eyes, gripping my sword, and standing up, sensing about twenty weak creatures approaching us. Carl has also noticed them since he has stood up, but Tom looks at both of us with concern not knowing whats going on.

"I'll go get Ash and Sack," I say as I leap from the front of the carriage and head towards the carriage's door. Based on what I feel, I believe goblins are on their way here. Green, small grotesque creatures that are also cunning. The ideal beast for Ash and Sack's first kill. I quickly open the carriage double doors once I'm in front of the entrance. "Your time has come, Ash and Sack; get ready and meet us outside," I say immediately after. I leave the area without waiting for their response, heading straight for Carl and Tom.

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While Tom is calming the horses, Carl is bracing himself for the approaching small army of goblins. "They'll be here any minute now," Carl says as soon as I get close enough to him. I, like him, prepare myself by shifting my sword into a more comfortable position, making sure everything is in order, then expanding my mana sense to the max, making sure no other monsters are following the goblin herd. Only sensing the twenty goblins, I shift my gaze to the two approaching young boys.

"A herd of what I assume are goblins is heading this way, Sack and Ash. Even though they are one of the weakest monsters, if you are not careful, they can cause serious harm" I inform the two boys, who are listening intently. They do need to be cautious; in my opinion, goblins are the most cunning creatures on the planet, second only to humans. In contrast to their weak small bodies, they use their weaknesses to their advantage. Their small size makes them more agile than any normal human, making it difficult for a novice adventurer to defeat even one, let alone twenty.

Not to mention that they usually move in large groups, making it even more difficult for inexperienced adventurers to kill them, despite being one of the weakest monsters. Nonetheless, I believe those two can pull it off, and if they can't, Carl and I are here to help. However, that is not our goal; if they manage to kill one with their own hands and move on knowing they have just taken a life, I believe we have achieved our goal. The twenty goblins appeared immediately after I finished my thoughts, surrounding all of us and the carriage.

Ash is the first to move forward, preparing his small, but perfectly sized sword in a more comfortable position. looking at Ash's calm eyes, as if he's been in this situation a thousand times. The young boy filled with curiosity has long since vanished, replaced by a boy ready to fight. A tiny amount of murderous intent is being released from his body, reminding me of that day. Even I felt weak in comparison to the killing intent that day. However, this killing intent is distinct, more akin to bloodlust, ready to kill and thirsting for blood. Seeing him that way has led me to believe that even if he killed all the goblins here, nothing would change; the way his eyes look at the goblins is similar to how a murderer looks at his next victim.

"How awful, Sack, you take care of those in back while I take care of these in front of me" Ash says. Sack follows orders and moves to the back, where ten goblins are gathered. I turn my full attention to Ash, leaving Carl to care for Sack. The goblins rush towards Ash, thinking he's a simple pray. Running and stumbling against each other, attempting to catch him first. In comparison to other monsters, goblins are smarter than they appear. They try to move towards each of Ash's blind spots, but they are stopped before they can. The green creatures are taken aback when Ash moves.

The goblins, taken aback by his incredible speed, pause and screech even louder. The one in front who is unaware is killed by decapitation. The head pops up, followed by blood, and the decapitated goblin falls down, knees first, then the body. After witnessing that gruesome sight, the other goblins hesitate even further, but their shock is replaced by fear. The goblins thought he was the easiest to pray out of all of us, but instead of him, they are the pray. Ash moves once more, taking advantage of the terrified goblins.

Ash makes another move, this time toward a pack of five. slicing the first and second with a single swing, then striking again, killing the remaining goblins there. His smile deepens, and his bloodlust grows, making the goblins even more terrified. Even I, a grown full adult male, not to mention strong, am shaken by a boy no younger than five years old. I take a step back, not out of fear, but out of instinct, as if my body is telling me to run away from him. Ignoring these complicated emotions. I continue to watch with a troubled face.

The massacre had been over in less than two minutes. Every goblin who had challenged Ash is now on the ground, their own blood staining the earth. And the one who had caused it all has a disappointed expression on his face, as if it wasn't even a challenge to begin with. Monsters that any lower-rank adventurer would struggle to defeat has the boy in a downcasted mood. Seeing him in that manner has proven my earlier point, that even if he killed every goblin in the area, it would make no difference to his mood. It's as if he's murdered before, but that can't be, it's impossible.

I understand that Ash and Sack are special, Ash more so than Sack, but that does not mean they are born with the ability to kill without hesitation. Even the most ferocious and evil beasts are incapable of doing so. My perception of Ash has shifted yet again, and this encounter has led me to believe that he is possibly concealing something. Whatever that something is must be very important for him to keep it hidden from his own parents. Nonetheless, trusting him, I'll wait until he's ready to tell me the secret that he is hiding.

Shifting my gaze to the others to see how Sack is doing, I find him on the ground with a traumatized expression. He who is on his knees and holding his spear with a tight grip, the bloody tip spear. That is a normal reaction for his first kill, and one I expected Ash to have after his first kill. Carl has neutralized the threat, but Sack has yet to respond to the world, despite his mother tightly hugging him next to him. And my wife is looking at me like, 'This is all your fault, do something.'

Ignoring her and instead looking to Carl to see if he would do anything to help his son, knowing that ignoring her would enrage her even more than she already is. Before Carl takes his first step, Ash walks towards Sack. Kneeling down and slapping him across the face with his palm to jolt him out of his stupor. Both Claire and Samantha stare at Ash for a few seconds, unable to believe what he had just done. Claire is the first to react; she extends her hand towards Ash in an attempt to stop him, but is stopped by his own husband. I do the same thing with my wife, stopping her from going any further and allowing Ash to do what he is about to do to Sack.

"On hand me this instant, my child needs me! my baby boy!" Claire yells out of fear, rage, and, most of all, regret. Regret for allowing him to leave the carriage in the first place. Screams of anguish and fear, as if she had witnessed the death of her most precious person in front of her eyes. Wiggling her body with all her might in an attempt to break free from Carl's firm grip. Her attempts are nearly futile; she can never win against someone who has had combat training. The same with my wife, she who is a mage who deals with magic rather than physical combat, can never win against someone who has trained for years.

"Claire, don't worry, nothing else will happen to him. I know you wouldn't believe me if I told you we made this happen for a reason, but know that it's for their own good. It will only benefit them in the future" Carl says softly to his wife in an attempt to calm her down. However, she neither heard him nor she cared because her wailing and screaming had been amplified to a new level, making it difficult for even Carl to keep her from approaching him. "Please calm down," he says again as he pulls her closer to his chest. In contrast with Claire my wife, on the other hand, has calmed down; is this because nothing major happened to Ash, or is it because she trusts me, wich i highly doubt.

Since Ash's birth, her love and care for me has shifted to Ash, leaving me with only expectations and responsibilities. Sighing, I turned my gaze to Ash and Sack, only to see Sack crying and Ash approaching us with rage, but most importantly, determination.

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