Chapter 49: Why fall for me?

“It’s just Jeeves Ms. Pepper.” he smiled

“T-Thanks Jeeves.” she stuttered. Being saved from such an ordeal had her dizzy with relief.

Jeeves turned to walk away, but turned back. “Do be careful Ms. Pepper, they’re some feisty creatures further down.” he said, pointing down the passage he came from. “I’d hate to see you stumble into an ambush.”

“Okay.” Pepper just nodded. She didn’t really feel like hunting anymore today.

“Then, I’ll be taking my leave.”

After saying his goodbyes, Jeeves vanished into thin air. He was gone just as quickly as he appeared.

---

Harbor City of Alia, Naleng Dominion

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“Get off me you oaf!!” the hobbit cried as he kicked at his attacker. The behemoth of a man shrugged off the kick as if it was nothing.

“You owe me boy! Did you think I lent you all that gold as a favor!” the man punched the hobbit again.

The two had met after-hours in one of the warehouses by the docks to discuss their agreement. Unfortunately for the hobbit, his benefactor had wanted to do much more than just talk, and he now found himself cornered.

The hobbit pulled out his hidden knife in an attempt to fend off further attacks, but the man used his monstrous strength to pin the halfling’s arm against the wall.

“You will pay what you owe me boy, one way or-” A cane under the man’s chin cut his words short.

“Mr. NomNomBabies, how is it that you’ve returned so soon? Didn’t we speak earlier?”

Jeeves asked as he glared at the man.

“H-hey Jeeves, wait a minute! I’m not doin’ nothin’ but a havin’ a talk with this ‘ere hobbit.”

“Anyone can clearly see that you’re aroused Mr. Babies. Do you mind if I call you that? Your name is quite the mouthful.”

Just as Jeeves stated, NomNomBabies’ erection was clearly visible through his trousers. But with Jeeves staring him down, it wouldn’t last for much longer.

“You’ve been caught red-handed Mr. Babies. Now why don’t you unhand Mr. Romulus so that we can further discuss your conduct.” Jeeves suggested.

NomNomBabies quickly let go of the hobbit and proceeded to run for his life.

Jeeves shook his head in exasperation and moved a hand to his cane. In the next moment, he was in front of NomNomBabies with his back facing toward him. Yet, instead of drawing his weapon, he was sheathing it.

A resounding click echoed throughout the quiet warehouse, and NomNomBabies collapsed on the spot.Then a ghost of himself rose from his body and split into two.

Romulus came running up to the seen. “What did you do to ‘im?” he asked.

“Mr. Babies has just had his level and skills reset. He shouldn’t be able to bother anyone for a while. However,” Jeeves removed his rapier once more and stabbed it into the heart of the weakened man, “I can’t let a foolish deed go unpunished.”

“I appreciate it.” Romulus said, nodding in thanks.

“No problem at all Mr. Romulus. Though I do suggest you repay Mr. Babies as soon as possible. He’s liable to be furious upon his return, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he beat you to within an inch of your life.”

“But you’ll come back and help me if that happens right?” the hobbit asked hopefully. He was usually at a disadvantage when it came to fights. He only played Chaos Online to sail, so his stats were relatively low.

Jeeves just smiled and said, “Goodbye Mr. Romulus.” Then disappeared into thin air.

---

Valor Fields, South edge of the Bealte region, Todos Kingdom

A battle had just taken place on Valor Fields, and the survivors of the battle spread out into the surrounding villages. Nelang soldiers invaded the homes of Todos citizens, taking what they wanted before killing every living soul.

The armies of Todos weren’t much better. They pillaged just as much as their enemies, but they left the citizens alive so that they could continue to serve the kingdom.

On a nearby ridge, overlooking one of burning villages, a man was struggling to subdue a young woman. She had fled the village with her sister, but the man had killed her as soon as he caught up with them.

They struggled in the grass, and blood oozed from a hole in the man’s chest. His eyes glowed green with the signature color of the undead.

“I simply can not comprehend how you managed to revived twice in one day Mr. Boogeyman.”

At the sound of the voice, Boogeyman stood up and distanced himself from the woman.

“Give me a fuckin’ break! She’s just an NPC!” the necromancer cried.

“Do you see this?” Jeeves held up his notepad. “This flags you as a potential sex offender Mr. Boogeyman, meaning any attempted sexual attacks from you will be stopped by me. It no longer matters whether or not the victim is a native or a Traveler.”

“That’s bullshit!!” Boogeyman spat furiously.

“No, Boogeyman!! What’s ‘bullshit’ is the fact that you’ve repeatedly attempted to assault these women despite my warnings! I even set you back to square one, and still you managed to prey on someone weaker than yourself!? You are a visitor in this world, and there is enough evil in it without you constantly trying to add to it!!” Jeeves bellowed in rage. Then he took a deep breath and removed his hat. “I apologize for shouting... I’m just extremely disappointed with the choices you’ve made. You’ve left me no choice....”

The necromancer back away in fear. He’d already been reset, and there was only one thing that could be worse than that.

Jeeves reached inside his hat and pulled out his silver mallet. Then with god-like speed, he smashed the mallet into the Boogeyman’s face. Once the man hit the ground, he shattered into a hundreds of pixelated pieces.

“Goodbye Boogeyman.” Jeeves whispered as he replaced the mallet and hat onto his head. Then he turned to the astounded Npc. “You should run along now, Ms. Guthrie. It’s not safe here.”

“But my sister-” she whimpered.

“Is dead.” he interrupted. “And if you don’t want to end up like her, I suggest you leave quickly.”

The woman looked toward her sister with hesitation, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

“I’ll see to it that she receives a proper burial.” Jeeves said quietly as he walked over to place a hand on her shoulder. The woman nodded and started to run as fast as her legs could carry her. Once she was a fair distance away, Jeeves snapped his fingers and burned the body of her sister to ashes.

“I told you if we followed him, he’d show up.”

Jeeves turned around to face two men as they revealed themselves. They were both clad in bright silver armor with the insignia of scale imprinted on the chestplate.

“Mr. Marius, Mr. Fourscore. What brings you here at this hour?” Jeeves asked as he straightened his tie.

Marius stepped forward. “We’ve come to see you in action Jeeves. We followed that necro and his friends from Todos, but when you came online, we figured we’d leave him to you.”

“Why not help sooner? You could have saved Ms. Guthrie's sister.” Jeeves questioned.

“We could ask you the same thing.” Marius countered.

“Boogeyman didn’t show enough intent at the time, and my protocol doesn’t extend protection to the natives. They must live in this world, no matter how ugly it turns out to be.”

“So I’m guessing you won’t be going down into that burning village.” Marius looked over to the blazing flames that lit the night.

“I can’t.” Jeeves said.

“You won’t.” Marius walked up to stand in front of Jeeves. He looked him over once before he spoke again. “I happen to know a man who helped to program you. And while it’s true that you can’t interfere too much in worldly affairs, I know for a fact that your limitations aren’t as severe as you believe.”

As if on cue, a scream resounded into the night from the blazing village below.

“Fourscore.” Marius said without turning. He continued to stare into Jeeves’ eye as Fourscore removed the bow from his shoulder and shot an arrow. A few seconds later, the screaming died down.

Jeeves’ face contorted in confusion.

“Don’t look so surprised Jeeves. It’s been a while since he’s missed.” Marius smiled as he patted Jeeves on the shoulder. Then he began to walk with Fourscore to the village below.

“It’s not your place to help them. This isn’t your world.” Jeeves called out to them as they walked away.

Marius stopped and turned around. “You’re right...it’s not our world. It’s yours isn’t it?”

Jeeves frowned as he turned to watch the burning village. It had only barely been one day since he came online, and he was already contemplating the purpose of his existence.

---

Church of Thena, Todos, Todos Kingdom

The girls dormitory was silent except for the soft breathing of the initiates. Magical stones at either end of the room provided a dim glow for any late night restroom trips. Soon all girls would wake up for morning prayer and chores, then the entire church would be bustling with life.

Thadius stood looking down at the sleeping Christina, who had an impossibly bulky shape underneath the covers. He immediately guessed it was Yuna using her bodyguard detail as an excuse to snuggle up next to someone, and shook his head at the blatant exploitation of the Goddess.

After he’d returned to the inn, Thadius had spent the rest of the day weaving. The integration of his Corbae robe into his new armor set had gone so well, he’d decided to get a head start on the next shipment of Wolf Gear. He had a feeling that once he was out in the field, he wouldn’t have much time for tailoring.

Unfortunately, his focus had gotten the better of him, and he ended up sewing until his room went dark. Thadius had to let the girls know about his absence, but he didn’t want to alert anyone who hadn’t yet fallen asleep. So he waited until the very early morning when he could wake Yuna and Christina up without them losing too much sleep.

Still, the thought of sneaking into the girls dormitory was nerveracking, and every fiber of his being was screaming at him to exit the premises. But Thadius was a man on a mission, and he was also pressed for time.

He kneeled down beside Christina bed, admiring the beauty of stillness.

’Why fall for me? You’ve barely reached adulthood and you’re already putting your heart on your sleeve….If I fall for you now, there’d be no more room in my heart for- Thadius sighed and shook his head. ’No, she’s gone. And that’s how it should be. What’s wrong with making life here? A full life...’ He looked at Christina again, and as gently as he could, traced his finger along her jaw to her chin.

Her brow furrowed a bit in her sleep, and the reaction prompted a devilish grin on Thadius’ face.