After two weeks of training, aka sparring to be beaten up in ridiculous ways, combined with occasional ch.o.r.es such as cleaning, luggage carrying, and odd jobs, Bakit was tasked by his teacher to hunt for an animal in the forest."This is part of your training! Hunt down an animal to eat it, the meatier the animal the better! Of course try not to run into the ones that will eat you instead."
After entering the forest, Bakit found himself in a rather threatening situation. He currently was being chased by a monstrous five meter tall bear.
The bear was unusual. Its head was rather large, two large sword like fangs protruded from its jaws. It had two snake-like tails that it used to slash everything behind it. It had spikes on its spine and large metallic-looking claws. But the scariest part was its face-it had four large yellow eyes focused on its prey-Bakit.
Remembering his master"s words "Meatier the better", Bakit cried out "I know its meaty but I am the one who will end up being its meal, d.a.m.n it!" he was running as fast as he could, but the monster bear kept following.
"Why is it chasing me, I didn"t even want to hunt this thing!" That was the truth. He was looking for an animal to shoot with a bow, but the bear snuck up on him. He only noticed when the bear was two meters behind him, roaring loudly. With a scream, the chase started.
"Have to survive, have to survive! If I live, I will kill Mekros!" Bakit said in frustration.
After being chased for quite some time, Bakit found himself at a dead end, with only a large tree on sight. Desperate, Bakit proceeded to climb the tree.
"Ha! I am up high now! Can"t do anything can you! Too heavy and too big to climb!" Bakit seriously thought that monster bear"s bulky body would prevent it from climbing up.
To his utter horror, the monster bear confidently started to climb up the tree. With its mighty claws it pulled itself higher and higher.
Now there was only a meter distance between the bear"s open mouth and terrified Bakit. "This was a very bad idea!" Bakit screamed as he saw the jaws of the bear open and claws, trying to bite him.
Then, a flash of silver light. Three knives embedded themselves into the bear"s neck. The monster bear now helplessly fell down from the tree, leaving Bakit unharmed.
The monster bear didn"t die, instead it proceeded to walk away after pulling the knives out from its neck. It was one h.e.l.l of a monster. Even neck wounds combined with a rough fall was not enough to kill it.
"EUGH! That was close!" Bakit climbed down after the monster bear left.
He saw a silhouette approach. Bakit quickly bowed down in front of the form of his rescuer.
"Thank you very much! You have saved my life…." When he lifted his face up he saw a person he least expected to see. It was that ax crazy maid he met at that mansion.
"Well, well, well. I never thought being a hunter involved being hunted. But I suppose I should have let the bear eat you for not understanding such a simple fact."
"It"s you!" Bakit cried out.
"Who else do you think it would be? As much as I would like to let you be bear food, I was tasked by young master to keep an eye on you. I don"t think he will be happy to hear that one of his subordinates was eaten, even if it is you."
"You could have said it much simpler, "like you"re welcome" or something. But still, thanks." Bakit said with a bow.
"I presume Mekros told you to hunt down an animal? What an old coot! He hasn"t changed at all from even at his age!" the maid looked at Bakit with evil grin. "But I suppose if he wanted to get rid of you that would be the fastest way."
"I don"t think Sensei is evil like you." Bakit said with dread. This maid almost killed him back at the mansion. Now being saved by her felt just wrong.
"Regardless, would you like to pick up the carca.s.s of the deer I left over there? Even someone as weak as you should be able to pick it up and take it home."
"Fine. I suppose I owe you for the rescue." Bakit had to admit, as much as she was a pain in the a.s.s, she did save his life.
"Walk faster, or else I might leave you in the forest." She commanded while walking ahead of him; Bakit was trying to carry the heavy body of a deer.
"You know that is not such a bad idea. You can just go ahead. I will catch up with you later" Bakit really did not want to keep walking with her ahead of him, she really could say about a million things he was doing wrong in the span of few minutes.
"Oh really? Then you probably should know there are around hundred monster bears inside the forest and it is the mating season, so they are extremely aggressive."
"I take it back; please lead me out of the forest, Lady Aurelia!" Bakit said while bowing on his knees.
"Wow, even if I like your quick change of att.i.tude, it looks really weird." Aurelia admitted scratching her brow. Bakit now noticed that she always wore a hat on her head; concealing her ears. Just for a moment he was able to see the tip of her right ear. It was a long and pointy ear; unlike any human ear Bakit ever seen, not that he paid much attention to them until now. Those were elven ears.
Seeing him focus on her ears, Aurelia quickly pulled her hat down, hiding her ears from sight. Her face somewhat red, she turned around.
"You did not see anything."
"Aurelia, are you?"
"You did not see anything." She pulled out an ax from the crystal on her necklace. "I did not see anything." Bakit said helplessly.
"Good" She said and the ax in her hand disappeared into thin air.
That day Bakit found out one of his superior"s most precious secret.