"Yeah yeah~ So impressive! Are you sure you don't want to settle down here?"

In the small village Dax had brought food to, the qiton was currently being swarmed by housewives while he was helping prepare for the night's banquet by breaking down the large hog like monster.

"While that does sound like an attractive offer I'm afraid I have to decline, I've been travelling all over the world for as long as I can remember and now I'm closer to my goal than ever."

"So you're a wandering mercenary? That sounds so exciting, you must have tons of interesting stories to share~"

"Yeah, there is quite a few… So many in fact I don't know where to start."

Looking into the eyes of the housewives Dax could still clearly see that they wanted to make him stay in the village at all costs, but he chose to look like he still remained ignorant to that fact. Working with lighting efficiency even still as he talked, Dax used a cleaver to separate the bones and sinew from meat as it would serve as the starter for the stew he was making together with the housewives. After starting up the stock in the villager's giant cauldron with the bones, fat and some aromatics Dax started to peel the monster's pelt off.

-

After having spent most of the noon and afternoon removing the monster's pelt, sc.r.a.ping the fat off and treating it together with some of the villagers Dax went back to help with the food, or at least he tried to.

"No, you've helped us plenty. Sit down and take a break, come on, over here."

Being guided to a seat of honour at a long table Dax accepted the suggestion to take a break and learned back before closing his eyes and taking in the afternoon summer rays

"Umm Dax, would you like something to drink?"

(So that's why they wanted me to take a break… If nothing else they are cunning.)

Lazily opening a single eye, Dax took a second to readjust to the light before he glanced at the bachelorette they had sent to win him over. She looked about 20 years old with a healthy tan and fuzzy brown hair that reached down to her shoulders she looked like an energetic farm girl in her simple one piece dress and straw hat. She looked at Dax with bright blue eyes that radiated a type of wide eyed innocence only found far out in the countryside as she handed Dax a mug of water and sat down beside him.

"Thanks. May I ask what your name is?"

(Might as well play it friendly since I'm getting something warm to eat for once.)

"It's Lisandra."

"Nice to meet you, Lisandra. My name is Dax, I'm a travelling mercenary and monster hunter."

"Yeah, I heard. Did you really take that large monster down alone? Wasn't it hard?"

Taking Lissandra's question seriously Dax thought back to the fight for a few seconds before answering.

"Not really… Although my sword was a bit uncooperative so I almost had to fight unarmed."

"Your sword was uncooperative?..."

Seeing Lissandra's face turn into one big question mark, Dax explained.

"It's an intelligent weapon, sometimes it can be a bit fuzzy."

"An intelligent weapon!? Are those not extremely expensive?"

Having talked a bit with pa.s.sing traders, Lisandra knew how expensive those sorts of weapons were.

"They are, but I found this one in the middle of some ruins."

(I'm not really lying but it still doesn't really feel right…)

Even being a hardened orbital marine Dax didn't really like to lie to someone as entirely positive and naive as the girl right in front of him.

"Wow, you must be really lucky!"

"Well, I have my moments… There are plenty of times where I only just survived. But enough about me, please tell me about yourself young Lisandra."

"Eh? M-me? I'm nothing interesting…"

Seeing how downcast Lisandra felt when he tried to change the subject, Dax frowned as he put both his hands on the girl's shoulders.

"That simply can't be right. For as long as I've lived and all the people and places I've seen, I haven't seen a single person that wasn't interesting."

"But I'm just a normal village girl you can find just about everywhere...."

"Are you really? I don't believe in the therm 'normal', the only normal people you see in your everyday life but don't know. There's no such thing a normal people, we all have our quirks and special talents, even if you haven't found yours yet don't lose hope. As I've said I've seen a lot of people in my life and you're one of the more promising I've seen so don't sell yourself short."

While encouraging Lisandra, Dax's hand somehow found it's way on top of her head.

"O-okay…"

(Aunty I don't think I can persuade Dax to stay here, he feels like my grandpa…)

Spending the rest of the day celebrating with the villagers Dax spent the night there on the elder's suggestion, when dawn came he prepared to leave.

-

"Umm, c-could you take me-"

"No, I can't. Sorry."

As expected Lisandra stood ready at first light outside the hut Dax had borrowed with a request to take her with him on his journey. Dax had learned last night doing the celebrations that she had lost both of her parents and felt out of place in the village, but even if Dax took pity on the young girl there was no way she could follow him.

"Why!?"

Crying and sobbing Lisandra managed to utter a single question, which Dax somehow felt obligated to answer.

"Because there's a good chance I'm going to die. If I don't I'll come back and see how you're doing, maybe bring my daughter along too."

Channelling mana into his body, the qiton made it look like he took advantage of strengthening magic when he jumped away from the village. Landing about 600 meters away Dax started running, partly to make up for time lost and partly because he really didn't know how to handle such situations.

(How the h.e.l.l did I even manage to raise Lux?... Ah, that's right I had Ra and Mu to help me. I wonder how they're doing…)

Ever since Dax was forced to seriously consider Lilly, Solaris and (to a lesser degree) Alice as romantic partners he had spent some time together with them doing various things but he still felt sort of disconnected. Perhaps it was due to the long life he had spent doing black operations and orbital wetwork, his genetic makeup as a pureblood qiton or even something else but Dax didn't really feel that many emotions. Of course, he had times when he was happy or sad, but those feelings never really seemed to register at a deeper level, like he felt empty somehow. That condition had never really bothered him, after all, he had never really been without it and it even worked to his advantage in respect to his choice of work.

The issue that he had suddenly run into was how to deal with the prospects of a somewhat serious and long lasting relations.h.i.+p, even if he did cherish the girls (Which he did) that suddenly and openly displayed an interest in him, Dax found himself unable to respond seriously to their feelings. In the end, he had argued for a long term deep cover operation to deal with current threats, as well as his own internal conflict but the qiton only found himself more confused when it came to the latter issue.

(I guess there's no need to think about it if I can't come to my own conclusion… Sticking my head down and working hard is what I'm good at, so I'll just keep doing that for now.)

(Master I smell blood!~✿ It's human blood too~)

"Calm the f.u.c.k down pervert! ICI please give me a wide scan."

(DIRECTIVE CONFIRMED, SCANNING IMMEDIATE AREA…)

Stopping in place on a lonely road flanked on both sides by forest, Dax's intuition screamed at him that there was something going on. 

(EVENT LOCATED. POSSIBLE CONTACT 12 O'CLOCK, 5010 METERS.)

"Show me."

(ROGER, PATCHING CONNECTION… CONNECTION ESTABLISHED, DISPLAYING VISUAL.)

"Seems like you'll get to taste some human blood after all…"

(Yay~✿ Dax you're the best~)

"Yeah yeah, show me your grat.i.tude by cooperating a bit more will you? ICI warm up the forge, give me 50%"

(DIRECTIVE CONFIRMED. INITIATING AMBIENT MANA ABSORPTION, ALLOCATING PROCESSING POWER FOR SCRIPT… COMPLETE, MANA FORGE ONLINE, RUNNING AT 50%)

Feeling mana surge throughout his body Dax's expression turned cold as he dropped his backpack and did some light stretches before launching into a full sprint and drew the cursed blade which flowed with mana.

(Blood~✿ Human blood~✿ It's been so long~✿)

Enduring the swords perverted panting and annoying voice that echoed out in his head as he had better things to do, Dax inspected his opposition as he formulated a plan of attack.

(Outright killing the leader would be problematic as the goons would scatter like baby spiders after… Let's just go with a plain and simple head on attack.)

(Time for a banquet~✿)

Jumping into the air over a bend in the road Dax looked at the hostiles for the first time with his own eyes. Corpses of about 10 knights laid dead or dying in the dirt surrounding a somewhat fancy horse drawn carriage, they had been slaughtered by about 30 bandits which most likely had ambushed them an hour ago. The last knight had retreated to the carriage and cast some sort of barrier spell over it, but judging from his injuries and lack of blood that properly would not last more than a few minutes at the most. Landing in the middle of the bandits Dax exploited his element of surprise and cleaved down 4 bandits while leaving shallow cuts on 6 more.

"Wha!-"

"Ambus.h.!.+"

"It's just one person! Kill him!"

(Do your thing.)

(With pleasure~✿)

Without any warning, the bandits which had only been lightly wounded dropped dead as the cursed sword's ambient mana flared in intensity. Using that mana and feeding on it, a blood red mirage formed around the sword.

(How do you want to do it this time Dax?~)

(Let's go with wind magic.)

(Roger!~✿)

Suddenly a violent maelstrom of air formed around Dax and cut the bandits apart that believed rus.h.i.+ng him would be a good idea.

"Stay calm! Back off and reorganize your formations, riches are within reach if we stay committed!"

Calming down his comrades the bandit leader made them form ranks as the mages in his group started forming spells which they would throw out the moment their attacker's barrier dissipated.

(Fools…)

Suddenly a red sword was flung out of the barrier and impaled one of the mages, making him fall over dead as his spell misfired and showered the other mages in a torment of fire.

"He threw his weapon!"

"Kill him!"

As Dax emerged unarmed from the wind barrier some of the bandits naively taught that the qiton in front of them would be less effective without a weapon, oh how wrong they were. Immediately as if he wanted to prove how wrong they had been Dax charged, leaving deep cracks in the sun dried dirt below.

"s.h.i.+!-"

The first bandit didn't even get to utter a full word before his cranium was completely shattered by a punch and the others near him held a similar fate as Dax had helped himself to the fallen bandit's mace.

"What the f.u.c.k are you!?"

Not even a minute pa.s.sed before the bandit leader stood alone in front of Dax as he retreated backwards for every relaxed step Dax took forward. As the demonkin in front of him didn't answer but instead flared in bloodl.u.s.t the bandit leader got a chill down his spine and considered running before he got an idea. Creating a wind spell he temporarily blinded the demonkin as he opened up the distance, reaching the sword it had thrown and picked it up.

"With this, I can kill… Him…."

Thinking the sword was some sort of mana enhancing weapon the bandit leader sealed his fate as he suddenly found himself in a dark cave. On top of a throne made of flowing blood sat a single child which bloomed a bright smile when he looked into its empty and soulless eyes.

(Have you come to play?~✿)