Agatha The Legendary Guild Master

I glanced again towards the sword, which started to shrink, returning again to disappear inside the castle at the bottom, and I sighed. It seemed I could move alone against this castle, anyone else with me would end up killed, unless I expanded the shield to protect all.

However, thinking again about the experience I just had, that made me suspect the efficiency of my shield to protect everyone. The only thing that made my shield able to withstand this mighty attack was the small area it was defending.

If I expanded it, then it would be risky, and thus I decided not to bring anyone with me here, not at least I nullified the sword.

Without waiting anymore, and after I overcame my shock, I moved my balloon, without putting away my shield. I kept my eyes checking the rear all the time, for fear of any sudden sneaky attack from that strange sword. I was alone, moving amidst the emptiness that veiled in place of all the players and demons who were occupying land and sky minutes ago.

I didn't feel fear, instead I was coveting that sword. Obtaining an offensive artifact like that sword was something good. I already had a spear, and holding a spear in hand, and a sword in the other was a great picture in my mind.

Who could stand against me with all these artifacts here?

However I knew conquering this castle would be easier said than done, and subduing that sword would be nearly impossible, especially when I was planning the attack on my own.

"My esteemed lady, may I have a word with you?"

Amidst my thoughts, I didn't detect the sudden appearance of a balloon coming from far, far away. The words the owner of the balloon yelled from his far, far away position indicated he was watching this massacre, and the fact I was still alive made him vigilant.

And his appearance made me more vigilant. It seemed I was distracted by many thoughts, and didn't detect his presence, which was something rare to occur to me.

"Come, friend or foe, I don't care!"

I didn't decrease the speed of my balloon, and my reply expressed how I eyed the newcomers. If they were my friends, then I should welcome them, hear them out, and see them away.

If they intended to be my enemies, then I would cut their throats, occupy their balloon, and return with one more balloon in my Inventory.

"Friends, we are friends, my esteemed lady."

The voice came again, as the balloon started to draw near me. It was a much higher balloon than mine, which made me regret them being friends. If they were just enemies, I could obtain this awesome balloon in the end.

"My lady, may I know your name, please?" a swordsman appeared in front of me, leaning on the wooden ridge of the balloon. Seeing him made me wonder, were most of the players here swordsmen, or was that entirely my luck?

"No names," I simply said, "I don't intend to stay here for long," I added.

"I'm Sir Teragos, a nobleman under your service my lady."

My eyes shone brightly one I heard his introduction, a nobleman, that was great. I could now snatch his balloon on a rightful basis, right?

"A nobleman under my service? That's a joke, right?" I asked, in a rudely sarcastic tone, preparing to jump over him the next moment he replied arrogantly as usual, and claimed his balloon.

"Yes, it's indeed correct my esteemed lady."

He, opposite to my expectations, acted nicely, so much nicely that even pissed me off! What was wrong with these people?! The time I want them to behave nicely, they behave arrogantly, and when I want them to be arrogant, they treat me nice! I couldn't understand the logic behind these people's actions anymore!

"Sorry, I think you are mistaking me for someone, noble, as you are. I'm just a commoner," I said, trying to correct any possible misunderstanding in him, and stimulating his arrogant nature by using the word commoner.

"No, my esteemed lady, I'm not mistaken. Though you are a commoner, you are of noble origin indeed. After all, in front of our god, we are all of noble origin."

'Damn you bastard!' I was really angry with him that I clenched the shield and was seriously thinking of getting out my spear right now. I had it enough from him, this snake tongue person, whom did he think I was? An idiot?

He is a nobleman, a filthy dirty nobleman, why didn't he act like one then?

I eyed my beloved balloon in regret, mammy couldn't take you home little cute baby, so don't be sad.

"May I know what you want from me?" I asked, as this was the only possible explanation of this change of attitude of such a noble origin man.

"Oh, my esteemed lady, I can't be this low to just meet your highness and ask for a favor."

I didn't respond, as I started to move my balloon to the front, moving away from here and him. he was surprised, it seemed, from my behavior, as it took him a few minutes to catch up with me, shouting in his delicate respectful tone:

"My esteemed lady, my lady, I didn't mean any disrespect to you from before. I just don't want to ask a favor once we just met!"

"Then give me your balloon and you can consider us acquaintances."

I replied back, without even turning to look at him, however the gasping sound I heard from him made me chuckle, and regret not looking at his reaction.

"Oh my esteemed lady, this balloon is nothing but a vassal, I can't give you something this old and tattered like it. You deserve something new and clean and advanced, matching the latest trends in our empire. By the way, what family are my esteemed ladies from?"

This snake was really something! I swore if he wasn't a nobleman, he must have been a merchant, a filthy rich merchant with a big belly and money he couldn't even count.

"I can live with your balloon as an introductory gift, and we agreed not to use names from the start, right?"

"My esteemed lady, I can't refuse a request of you," he said, finally making me turn to look at him with my most affectionate smile, "but I need that balloon for the upcoming task in hand, the one I need your help at."

"You …"

I cursed in my heart with the most dirty words I could muster, with many 'bastards' amidst all of these curses. That nobleman was so mean and sly, he was a merchant, I was now one hundred percent sure of it.

I kept pushing my balloon fast towards the front, but unfortunate for me, his balloon was faster. I was at my wits end, if he kept doing this, I would really turn around and snatch that beloved balloon from his dirty, ungrateful, disrespectful hands, despite not doing any harm to me.

"My esteemed lade, please wait, hear me out at least, if you don't like my offer, then you are free to go."

He finally caught up to me, which made me quite annoyed. It was like a fly, an irritant fly, even after hitting it a couple of times, it kept flying back, annoying you.

"Fine, just tell me what you want, and don't speak much," I finally asked about his offer, while my eyes were attached to the balloon.

"I noticed my esteemed lady to have a gadget, an item that can face the mightiness of that sword and survive, am I correct?"

I just patted warmly, and slowly, over my shield without saying a word. His eyes were attracted to the shield, as mine were attracted to his balloon.

"What about we exchange? You take my balloon, and I take that shield? It looks quite heavy on a sweet young esteemed lady like yours."

"You sneaky bastard!!!" I angrily yelled, as I took out my normal spear, pointed it towards him in a promise.

"Ok, ok, this was just an extra offer, not the main one, I can say the main offer now," he hurriedly retracted his insulting words he just said, and that didn't even make me feel better. This man was indeed a nobleman, nice treacherous nobleman.

"What is your offer?" I asked.

"You come with my army, to attack this castle. All I need of you is to defend against the sword attacks, and after the battle you can take one item from what we find inside the treasury."

My eyes shone more brightly when I heard the word, treasury, as I hurriedly asked:

"Is there a treasury down there?"

"Sure, sure, a very big and famous treasury, the one amongst the first ten layers not to be opened yet."

He replied, honestly, making me feel more grateful to him, but I had already gotten what I wanted, so I put away my spear and took out my other one, the artifact spear.

"W-W-What i-i-is this?" he stuttered once he spotted my spear, but he didn't have long in this world, as I attacked him, before jumping over the balloon, and killed everyone else there. it didn't take a minute for me to kill everyone, obtain the balloon, and then I decided to continue using it, while putting my older one into my Inventory, while muttering:

"Thanks for the offer anyway."