“Child, do you want to join our church? If you do the blessings of the Lord will give meaning to your life. No matter your age, you are not too young to serve our Lord!”
Donned in glistening golden robes, a man who seemed to be some high-ranking member of a Church began saying while his hands clasped together in prayer; this was all while a large procession consisting of more than three dozen people wearing either golden robes or armors stood behind him and stared forward with shining eyes.
All their attention was focused on a youth in animal fur that looked to be in his earlier teens and was standing in front of a village entrance. However, one could see immature features across this child’s face that suggests he was quite younger than that despite his build.
This child had messy black hair that was tied into a ponytail. While on his back he carried a large stack of thick firewood, which would make one wonder how this little child looked so at ease carrying them.
With his innocent childlike eyes, this little boy stared at these strangely dressed people with a weird expression.
The boy was just about to enter his village after a trip out collecting firewood, but then he heard a loud noise behind him. When he turned and looked, he saw four massive horses hurtling down his village’s pathway in the forest while pulling a carriage. And behind it was even more people on horses.
If it wasn’t for the fact the boy saw his father defeat wild animals larger than these horses, he would have been scared witless.
After he stopped to see this man get out of the carriage and then listen to his incomprehensible words, the child simply turned and continue walking back to his village, following one of the many rules his father told him of.
Never talk to strange people.
However, unbeknownst to these two parties, this little interaction marked a massive change in this world’s destined future.
The man who requested the boy to join his Church saw the boy leaving and began to panic a little.
“Wait, little boy! Is it that you can’t understand me?”
The man yelled before he began fiddling with the diamond-shaped necklace he had on. However, his face soon became red with anger as the device wasn’t working as he was told it would.
“In the name of our Lord Ga-On, give me strength!!”
The man cried out as he ripped the necklace off in frustration. He then turned to one of the men in the procession that was wearing golden robes and growled.
“Deacon Ainz, you were the one responsible for procuring these multilingual devices. Now that it doesn’t work, are you going to take responsibility if this excursion the Cardinal entrusted us doesn’t go well?”
This man name Deacon Ainz shivered nervously.
“Bishop Adalhard, I-I…”
As Deacon Ainz stuttered, Bishop Adalhard turned to another person in the procession and glared. Without him having to say anything, that man hurriedly took off his multilingual device and handed it to him.
After wearing the necklace, Bishop Adalhard said.
“Go after that boy, we need to learn about this village from him. Our mission to seek out these Barbarian Tribes are the orders of our Cardinal, we must not fail this mission at all costs.”
“Yes, Bishop!”
“Yes, Bishop!”
One male and one female from the procession that was dressed in armor with swords strapped to their hips, charge at the boy; one of them yelling.
“Child, stop! We need to ask you some questions!”
The little boy from before was quite some distance away but these two caught up to the boy in an instant. It was the speed unfitting of a regular human.
However, as the man reached out to grab the boy’s shoulder, his hand suddenly missed its target causing him to stumble forward.
The boy was then seen several meters away from where he initially stood; glaring at the man.
The man and woman seeing this child’s movement had their pupils dilated to pin-sized needles.
As paladins from one of the Seven Great Church, Church Ga-On, they were warriors that went through rigorous training to serve the Church. And despite the two graduating at the lowest of low among their batch of Paladin Warriors, the man, and woman have long surpassed the realm of what a normal human was capable of.
So, how could a brat in this village have speed on par with them, who have trained their entire lives up until this point? And that stack of firewood he was carrying on his back, it should be at least twice his weight!
The man and woman were momentarily dumbfounded by this abnormal kid.
While the two were still in their dumbfoundment, the boy suddenly turned and dashed off while yelling.
“Dad!”
Snapping out of their dumbfoundment, the two paladins rush to explain they mean no harm, but at that moment, a large shadow suddenly cascades over them.
“Ah! Monst-!!”
With a terrified expression, the man went to yell, but his face was suddenly grabbed by a large hand. This hand was big enough to fully wrap itself around the man’s head and leave space for a large watermelon.
The woman in response immediately drew her sword, but the eyes of this ‘beast’ landed on her and a pressure she had never felt before caused her knees to buckle in an instant.
No, she had felt this type of pressure before. During the final trials of graduating to become a Paladin Warrior, they were required to withstand the holy might of a top-ranked Paladin in their Church.
However, this monster in front of her did not only have a greater pressure than that senior, but an aura of a tyrant that sent shivers down her spine.
The woman dropped her sword and fell backward onto her butt. She was scared, more scared than she ever was in her life. It felt like she was going to die. ｂｏ𝚟𝚕.
However, this beast suddenly opened its mouth and said.
“I have no intention of harming you people, I just want to know why you were after my son. However, if you don’t give me a proper explanation I cannot guarantee that I won’t take action.”