trial a

 tap tap tap

clink-clunk

“Can't you walk quietly!” raged Arthan annoyed at the sound made by Poci Armor.

Poci right now wearing semi-metal armor, with many metal chains like ornament covering the leather armor inside.

Thus, when the chain-like ornaments hit each other or hit other metal parts of the armor, they keep creating an annoying clink-clunk sound that made Arthan mad from this dawn.

“The armor is too big! No matter how I move the chain keeps heating each other!”

The armor has no problem, it was standard armor for the guard in the back garden, but Poci's thin body is like anchovies.

"Didn't I have been warned you before? Argh! Your idiocy is killing me!”

tap tap tap

Arthan who was simply wearing his shabby handyman suit, picking up his speed left the pot.

Different from Poci who is fully geared with physical items, Arthan though not like one is also geared to teeth with more five-talisman items around his body.

The mere market price of Arthan' staff, 'head cracker' can already buy tens of armor used by Poci and with the price of other talismans in his body, Arthan basically is walking piggy bank full of gold coin.

But Arthan can't show his talisman to others since the talisman is a prohibited item inside the Douglas back garden. Still, with the illusion of talisman, he can dupe the guard at the checkpoint before entering the back garden with the other four talismans.

clink-clunk clink-clunk

"Hey wait for me!" shout Poci from behind as he runs with those heavy armors to chase Arthan

Looking back at how hard Poci breathing become after moving with the armor, Arthan shook his head, “Idiot!”

tap tap tap

Deciding to no longer care about Poci, Arthan resumed his journey to the south garden.

Douglas back garden is split into five-part, a four-direction garden and a central garden.

The only special one is the center garden, which is where the lake around 2km in diameter is and another 2km land around the lake for flowers garden.

Outside the center garden are four-directional gardens, or Arthan rather calls them woods than a garden, as many big solid trees planted in this garden are.

It's not that the back garden is so vast, though Douglas castle is truly vast. But the back garden is actually a vast garden with space elongated formation.

“The formation in the back garden is so vast, and that must cost a lot, yet what is the use?” whines Arthan who had to walk so long every day from the northwest gardener settlement to the lake for enjoying the breezy breeze its shore.

Ka-ching ka-ching

"Who are you?" two-guard at the south garden checkpoint pointed their sword at the incoming Arthan.

"It's a gardener, sir!" Arthan quickly raising his hand as a sign of peace and dangling master Eram medal in the air, “We—I am under master Ezam in a task to take care some trees in south garden”

Arthan corrected his word after seeing Poci is still far behind.

Clack!

"Come here, let me see the medal." One of the guards re-enters his sword to the scabbard and demands Arthan to give the medal.

Throw~

Catch!

The guard scrutinized the medal closely, channelling some mana to it and the face of master Ezam suddenly appeared in the medal.

Node!

Clack!

Getting the nod, the other guard also puts his sword back.

“Are you the only one who will go kid? It's too dangerous in the south garden, you better go back and get some adult gardener to go” a guard with the medal gives the medal back to Arthan and advises him at the same time.

"No, sir. There is an adult with me, but he walks too slow with his armor” putting the medal back Arthan pointed to heavily panting Poci.

“Oh, then that's great, though that boy also doesn't look reliable enough” the other guard chipping in.

“ugh…get me started, sir! He is unreliable…” moaning and shaking his head to garner pity, Arthan then asks the military secret task, “That is why, sir. Can I ask if there is a subjugation team from the military today to enter the back garden?”

"Is there?" the guard who checked the medal before eyeing his friend to ask.

“I think Pedro and the newbie under him will be coming today for training.” Answer the other guard, “You can wait for them if you want. It will be safe then.”

“Thank you, sir” smilingly Arthan gave a salute to both guards, though inside he was smirking after hearing Pedro name, 'Seems someone will be swarmed by bad luck today!'

tap-tap

Pedro who currently leading his team to enter the back garden suddenly felt a chill all over his body and stopped his step.

"Are you an okay team leader?" asks Hebert.

“Somehow I have a hunch about today task!”

“As long that the devil is not in our way then shouldn’t be any problem as we will merely training at outskirt near the checkpoint,” reassure Hebert.

"Hope so..."

tap tap tap

"Good morning, sir!" after walking for other minutes and getting to the checkpoint Pedro and four other soldiers saluted to guard at the checkpoint.

"At ease!" says the guard who checks Arthan medal, “Today, other than subjugation task, you will also need to escort gardeners too—”

“Gardeners!!” at the job of Arthan, all soldier in the Pedro team feels all their hair raised.

"Yes, gardeners. Is something wrong?”

"No sir!" answer Hebert, after noticing Pedro has yet answered for a long time.

"Then you can go."

Hearing the guard words, the other guard took out a bronze medallion with Douglas house insignia on it from his pocket and channelled his mana to the medallion.

Shuuungg!!

The woods behind the two guards suddenly became hazy showing the magic formation wall and door like cracks opening in this magic formation wall.

tap tap tap

One by one Pedro team entered the south garden.

clink-clunk clink-clunk

Inside of the formation. Poci restlessly paced. “Is it true that there will be a team of soldiers doing the subjugation task today? Why are they have yet come if there is?”

Shuuung!

"Ah! Here they are!” watching the door of the formation opening again and one after one soldier of his age entering the door Poci is related.

"Hello, sir! My name is Poci, I'm a gardener under master Eram." after easily identifying the leader of the team, Poci approached Pedro and introduced himself.

Though none of the soldiers answered Poci, they were merely looking around, not seeing a sign of Arthan, they felt relieved, “Huuf~”

“The god is still blessing us!”

"Hahaha. That's right!”

Pedro's team laughed at their good luck. though, because they laughing too loud, a devil who is doing meditation behind a big tree is disturbed.

“HAHAHA… Your god has blessed all of you today!” Arthan shows himself from behind the tree.

GASP!!

Pedro's team, become pale at the sight of Arthan.

“Why are you not greeting your boss! Are your arse already hard enough for not getting a beating in the last two months?” scolds Arthan at Pedro team.

da da da

“B-Boss!” all the soldiers ran to Arthan place and then gave him a bow.

“HA…” Poci who is left behind like air by the soldiers has his mouth gape open at the magnificent scene he saw.

Stare!

Staring at Pedro's team that only has five soldiers, Arthan frowned, "Why are you only five? Where are the other five soldiers?”

"Since the southern garden is a dangerous place, only the strongest soldiers can participate in this task." Hebert's answer, after seeing how pale Pedro is.

Out of six months of Arthan madness that looks for fights with them every day, Pedro is the saddest, because he has to fight Arthan every single day.

Thus, Arthan devilish image is clearly embedded in Pedro mind. at me thought Arthan face, he would already be most and by near the real Arthan, he didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

‘So, this five is the best one of the younger generations? How lousy does that drunkard train his men!’

Looking at Pedro and Hebert, Arthan throws orders to them, “Pedro, you pick one of your men and make a team with that armoured guy over there! As for you lanky with the other two, you also become a team!”

"Yes, Boss!" answers Pedro and Herbert.

“Both of the team will be standing at my left and right-wing. Today, we will end the lives of all of the pests in this garden! I want all of the insects to die! Do you get me? Every single one of them!”

Though in his mind, Arthan knows the infested south garden wasn't the reason behind why his family didn't stop their feet in the back garden. Still, the demonic insect may be one of the reasons, thus today. He decides to purge all of them and erase one of the reasons for his family not stepping to the back garden.

"Let's go! We start from the west!”