Chapter 5: Return
"It's fine, we're almost there. It won't be long." Maximus mumbled, and at the same time, patting the horse on the head.
Both of them already close to the northern edge of the forest, and soon, will be able to leave the area completely.
Maximus was leading the horse by walking, while the animal itself dragging a huge corpse of a bear that has been tied to its body through a rope. Although the corpse was big and heavy, the horse seems to have no difficulties in pulling it.
This was done so that the villagers can see Maximus brought a game back home openly, just like what he had said to them back in the morning, in order to prevent any suspicions from brewing inside their hearts. He had done this kind of act multiple times. After all, he couldn't simply take the corpse from out of nowhere in front of them, right?
A few minutes later, at a slow but steady pace, Maximus and his animal companion finally emerged from the last treeline. What greets them was a vast grassy plain that seemingly unending, sprawling before their eyes.
Several hundreds of meters in front of them, the village of Roa, gleamed by the sun's magnificent orange ray, stood peacefully and small amidst the grassy plain. Dozens of wooden buildings with all kinds of sizes and simple designs packed together in a not so dense arrangement, fully enclosed by wooden fences that don't really offer much protection.
Looking really fragile and slightly dilapidated, giving off the impression that only a true medieval village can radiate.
That was where Maximus had lived for the entirety of his new life so far. The small and rural village, although boring, has witnessed tons of memories that the old war veteran held very dearly.
Unfortunately, he had decided to leave this village and embark on an adventure. While he did have many feelings about this place, his fiery ambition was much more important.
As Maximus was getting melancholic…
"Hey, Max!"
Someone suddenly yelled out his name.
Maximus looked to his left and saw three men with rough appearances and coarse clothes running towards him.
He immediately recognized those three, they were his fellow villagers; Jon, Robb, and Ian. The three mostly working as woodcutters, spending most of their time in a logging camp nearby. And judging from where they were coming from, it looks like the three had just got finished their jobs.
These three were of the same age as Maximus, and they have a pretty cordial relationship with him. As they approached closer, he can clearly see their jubilant expressions.
"Holy Radiant God! That bear is yuuge!" Exclaimed Jon, the tallest of the three. He was almost as tall as Maximus, whose height already reached 187 cm.
His facial features made him looked exactly like a typical Englishman, the other two were also the same. In fact, most humans that reside on the eastern coast of Gaia shared similar features with British people.
Maximus was a bit different because his paternal grandfather was originally a migrant who came from a region in Central Gaia known as Magna Valeria, the humans living there generally looking like typical Italians and Mediterranean people, and they called themselves Valerian since they were the descendants of people who originally founded the Valeria Empire.
"Shit, Max! Don't you see the old horse is panting from pulling that thing?!" Said Robb with a little bit of complaint.
They both surrounded the corpse and were looking closely at it.
"Wait! I'm gonna call some people…" Said Ian briefly and started running fast to the village.
Maximus decides to stop and wait for help.
He then removed his jacket and placed it on the horse's saddle. Feeling slightly thirsty, he grabs the water pouch.
*Gulp*
*Gulp*
"Ahh, that's really nice…"
After savoring the water, just as he was about to put the water-pouch back to the horse, he noticed that both Jon and Robb were staring at him dazedly.
"What's with you both? Is there something wrong with me?" Asked Maximus with his eyebrows raised.
Jon was the first to react, he opened his mouth hesitantly, "I-I don't know… You, you're kinda looked different."
Robb didn't say anything, but he nodded in agreement.
"Different?" Maximus frowned. He quickly examines his body to see if there's something different about it.
But after a while, he didn't find anything, his body looked very normal like it always has.
"It's your aura or something like that, Max. It feels… strong?" Robb answered, he somewhat found it hard describing what he felt from Maximus.
Maximus himself was confused even after he got the answer, but a realization hit his brain like thunder!
It seems after his cultivation broke through to the Knight level, his aura has become fiercer than before. Even though he had been suppressing it from leaking, this was something that cannot be easily hidden. A knight-level expert most of the time would carry the same type of pressure that can make people around them feels slightly suffocated, even when they do not deliberately unleash it.
This should be what Jon and Robb felt from him. Moreover, Maximus' physique had also undergone a transformation, his overall appearance has improved by several degrees, becoming more mature, sharp, and resolute. Those who knew him can definitely see the differences.
"Your eyes are wrong. That's why I've been telling you both not to drink Jenna's horse-piss mead at night. This is what happens if you did, seeing things that weren't exactly there." Jested Maximus while crossing both arms over his abdomen. His bullshitting skill was truly top-notch.
"It's your eyes that wrong, your whole life is wrong, fuck man! Don't your ever insults Jenna's meads! Those drinks are heavenly." Jon was fuming and made a ruckus.
Maximus calmly smiled, "Jon, everyone on the whole Roa knows that you only drink those in order to please her." Then his smile turned into a lewd one, "I mean, I don't blame you. She got some big tits and ass, I understand that those are your actual preys, isn't that right?"
Hearing that, Jon was blushing, he embarrassedly says, "W-well, they sure big alright. And beautiful too… Ah! I mean her, her face is really beautiful an—" He stopped before finishing and started staring at Maximus with gazes full of suspicion, "What do you want to do?! I'm telling you right now, Max. She's mine! I know you're a Fighter warrior, I'm not a match against you. But don't think I don't dare to fight if you had any ideas about Jenna!"
Jon uttered his warning while pointing his finger at Maximus.
He's really serious right now. Jenna had been Jon's sweetheart and dream girl ever since he was a boy, he dreamed of marrying her. She was the village's butcher's daughter, cannot be considered beautiful but her gentle nature, as well as plump body, made Jon extremely obsessed with her. And he's truly afraid Maximus had some "wicked" intentions towards her and would steal her away.
This damn guy was Roa's most handsome man, he's talented, strong, can read and write, not to mention his job provided him with a steady and big salary. Due to this, lots of maidens in the village adores him. It's really enviable, but that's the reality, Jon couldn't do anything about it.
Seeing this scene, Maximus was stunned for a little, then just shook his head and smiled wryly, "Don't worry, I don't have ideas about her. You're free to pursue her."
Robb, who watched from the side, sighed and rather focusing himself on the bear instead. He doesn't want to have any parts on their bickering.
Jon calmed down after getting a reply, but still eyeing Maximus with suspicious gazes, "I'm watching you, Max. I'm freaking watching you."
"Whatever, man." Maximus shrugged. He really does not have the intention of wooing Jenna. He knew that he was popular with the village's ladies, and some of them might be willing to give themselves to him if he asks, but he's not going to do that.
Besides, unbeknown to Jon, Maximus had already tasted Jenna once, 'Heh, thinking about it, that happened on the farmland about a year ago. She really is a busty vixen. Who would have thought the always gentle girl can be really wild during a love-making session.'
He still had a calm expression as he recalled that passionate noon. The Maximus before recovering the memories of his past life can be said quite… a playboy.
It may be because of the absence of any organized religion that tends to uphold conservative values, which made cultures around this world seems pretty much open about sex. Sure marriage still exists and prevalent, sex was encouraged only being done after marriage, and loyalty was celebrated, but nobody was going to be condemned or ostracized if they had pre-marital sex.
Although not to the point where everyone can just banging right in the middle of the streets, this world's opinion with the matter of copulation was so much better compared to Earth's medieval era.
It's precisely this kind of openness that allowed dashing young men like Maximus to harvest lots of "conquest", and Jenna was simply one of them as she's also among his many admirers.
"Huh?" Maximus thought was disrupted by a peculiar scene of one carriage leaving the village and heading straight for the north. "That's the old bastard's carriage, where is he going to?" He asked with some annoyance, curious about the magistrate's destination.
Jon beside him ignored his rude way of referring to the magistrate, not a single villager who doesn't know about the feud between Maximus and the old Elton, everyone already accustomed with Maximus' lack of respect toward the magistrate.
"A messenger from Texel came by riding during the noon, I was back at the village at that time to grab some food. I heard the old man was summoned by the lord, no idea what for though." Jon replied nonchalantly.
Maximus narrowed his eyes, wondering, 'I wonder what's the reason. This is not yet the time for the old bastard to go to Texel and report to Jason. He already did that two weeks ago. So why?'
Every magistrate in charge of each village under Texel's jurisdiction was required to report their governing affairs to Lord Jason once every few months. Two weeks ago, Elton had already made his trip to Texel for that very purpose, but still, he was summoned again today. This was unusual.
Maximus soon tossed away the thoughts as he saw Ian was returning back to them while being followed by a group of men, they seemed to have brought a wagon as well.
"Max! That's a big game you hunted." Said one of the men behind Ian while grinning, he does not look like a human at all.
He was a humanoid wolf, who's really tall and athletic with most of his muscles greatly outlined by his clothes. He had a body fully covered with gray furs, a striking wolf head, sharp claws protruding from all of his fingers, and canine-like teeth. A member of the proud Wolfman race and best friend to Maximus — Schmidt.
"It's been so long since we got some meat from a bear. Dinner is going to be a little bit fancy tonight." Another voice resounds, also coming from a non-human.
A dog-headed male with dark furs, a lean and tall physique, a pair of azure eyes, and canine teeth strode closer along with the group. If people from Earth saw this man, they will feel as if they were looking at Anubis, the god of death in Ancient Egypt's mythology. His name was Rollo, a Kobold. And just like Schmidt, he too was a close friend of Maximus.
Maximus throws a wide smile at the newly arrived group. Those two were not the only non-humans amidst the villagers.
What he found absolutely incredible was that there was no such thing as racial discrimination in this world. Even though various different races exist and sharing this realm together, not a single conflict ever occurs due to racial tension or friction. Everyone was mixing and mingling with each other, this applied anywhere one can travel. While conflicts and wars still erupt frequently, but the motives were mostly fueled by a clash of interest and rivalry between countries or nobles rather than race-related problems.
"Brat! You said back in the morning you only want to hunt some deer or elks, but here you are with a bloody bear. And not just common bear for Dragon God's sake!" A loud angry voice was uttered by a middle-aged human male with a slightly plump body and forest-like beard on his face.
This loud man who always angry for no apparent reason was the village's sole butcher and father to Jenna — Irgun.
"Found this big guy when it fought a pack of demon wolf, I tracked it afterward and killed it." Said Maximus in a relaxed manner. He was telling the truth, that's how the story really went.
When others heard his words, all of them froze instantly.
Irgun reacted first as he grabs Maximus' collars and shouted to the man's face up close, "What the hell?! Are fucking mad?! You've encountered a pack of demon beast?!"
Maximus pulls his face away, "Calm down, old man. I watched them fight each other from afar, those guys didn't notice me. I simply followed the bear after it had escaped from the pack and the rest is history." He explained calmly.
"History my ass, you brat! You must have gone very deep into the forest, right? Don't you bullshit me, you shit! You're not a fuckin knight! You won't be able to handle even a single demon beast, much less a pack of them…" Irgun continued to berate.
"Max, the old butcher is right, you know. I thought you found the bear in the forest's outskirts, no wonder you didn't bring me and Schmidt like you usually did. You really had planned to travel deep from the beginning." Rollo said, his expression exudes worry.
The rest of the men keeps their silences, but their faces don't look good too, it's clear that they were worried about Maximus' safety. To them, demon beasts were akin to nightmares. And because those beasts reside in the deepest region of Eerie Forest, the villagers have always restricted their activities only along the northern outer edge, they don't dare to venture deeper than that.
Maximus sighed, but his heart was filled with heartfelt and warm emotions, "Look, I'm still alive and kicking, okay. Without a single scratch... It's not like I don't exactly know the dangers. But old man, you know that I am now stronger than the old Regan, I can take care of myself. I only took my chance when the bear was alone, otherwise, it won't be possible to kill it. So let us all be relaxed and start to bring this bear back to the village. We will have a sumptuous dinner later." He let out a cheeky smile as he finished.
Seeing this smile, Irgun felt annoyed for some reason, but he calmed down and released his clutches, "Do whatever you want, little shit! I don't want to talk to you anymore." He scolded and went to check the corpse.
Maximus smiled wryly in response and shook his head.
"Alright, let's just fix the corpse first and bring it to the village, the sun is almost set, anyway." Said one of the men, trying to defuse the situation.
"Yeah, shit not we will have meats for dinner, haha."
"Hmm, it's been a while."
"I think it's almost weighed a ton, it is enough for the whole village to enjoy."
The men started chattering as they surround the corpse in preparation to transport it.
Schmidt moved closer to Maximus, and asked in a whisper, "Bro, did you really encountered demon beasts. What were they looked like?"
Despite living very close to the forest infamously known for being a den of evil, demon beasts were such a rare sight to Roa's villagers. It's normal for them to be curious.
Maximus gave a sidelong glance, and spoke, "They looked just like you, Schmidt. But they walk with four legs, though."
Schmidt rolled his eyes.
"Max, I'm serious." He then stated.
"I'll tell you about it later. We should help the guys first." Maximus smiled lightly.
Both of them soon joined the group in transporting the bear back to Roa.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone