Land: The Chronicles

Extra Chapter: Bread Seller Girl

That afternoon, our shop had a customer just after the last buns for the day had been baked.

He looked young, but from his posture and appearance, he looked like a young mercenary. After buying some bread, he immediately walked out of the store.

Seeing it reminded me of the times I was so young and careless, as a result of my carelessness, I had to lose one of my precious limbs.

"Your prosthetic leg seems to have to be fixed immediately, Elle," said the father after I entered the living room while watching my right leg being replaced by a prosthetic leg.

I nodded, "Yes, tomorrow I will go to doctor Otto's place." Mom comes up from behind the kitchen door, "Would you see Otto or Jonathan?" goda.

I felt my face heat up, I immediately covered my face with a pillow in shame my expression would be seen by mother, "Mommy!" I screamed, Mom just laughed mischievously and went back into the kitchen, while Dad just kept quiet with a small smile.

"Yes ... Jonathan was good enough for a man-man" I hurriedly closed my father's mouth with my hands, heard the laughter of the mother from the kitchen, "Dad ihhh ...!"

He laughed, and then put away my hand that covered his mouth, "Udah ah! I'm going to sleep!" I can't be here anymore, I'm sure dad and mom are teasing me.

In the room, I pensively looked at my right leg that was not there, even now, I did not understand why Jonathan could still like me even though I was already a disabled girl.

I rubbed my right thigh which was no longer connected, again the memory of that day came to my mind, the day I had to lose my right leg.

...****************...

"You're taking part today, Elle?" A woman in her thirties named Rizza asked me as I was gathering with the other mercenaries who were taking on a mission to attack a group of bandits seen in the forest around the city.

I nodded in agreement. He sighed, "Listen yes, instead of me underestimating you or how, but this mission is quite risky, you could have lost your life this time," he said.

"I can do it!" My heart did not accept, she shrugged her shoulders and turned around, choosing not to argue any longer, "But you have to remember one thing Elle. Unlike me, you have a home and a family waiting for you." He said as he lit a cigarette, "Well, you can't die anyway, okay?" he blew his cigarette smoke in my face, making me cough.

He laughed at me and patted me on the back, "If there's any danger, you run away, let me take your place die," he said in a high tone, from the look on his face, he looked solemn. "What the hell is that?" I shook my hand.

A big bald man passed by the two of us, he looked a little surprised when he saw me, "Eh, are you coming with Elle? Maybe you don't know, but the mission this time is quite light-hearted" I hit my shoes with a whiff, "I can! I can! Just look at the tree!" I screamed out loud, making the bald man flustered, he looked at Rizza questioningly, who was stared at just shrugging his shoulders indifferently. Someone laughed at my behavior.

From the hordes of men who were fighting for Panco, someone with full armour stood up and exclaimed, "All men are obliged to protect Elle! Do you agree!?" all the men in that place raised their hands and cheered loudly, agreeing with the man's words.

"Women worth protecting are gentle, selfish women like Elle! Not that muscular woman with a fierce look over there! After" he had not finished his sentence yet, Rizza's shield flying at high speed smashed into the man's face, leaving him sprawled.

Everyone including me laughed looking at that, while Rizza was just pecking in annoyance, she walked up to the man to pick up his shield, then stomped on the man's stomach. Makes him squirm because of shortness of breath.

Amidst the laughter, the captain of this mission stood up and told us to be quiet. All the commotion immediately dissipated, the eyes of the people were fixed on the captain.

"We're leaving this afternoon and arriving at the forest where their base is located, the plan is simple, we'll ambush them when they're off guard. Finish them off with one strike!" The men cheered and laughed, "It's easy for the captain! Looks like we can all get out of the forest alive!" chirped at a man in his fifties while laughing, the others also chuckled along. The captain who heard that only smiled, he told them to shut up and immediately prepare.

I hope that the man's words are the truth.

...****************...

That's what Elle thought.

BOOM! BOOM UP! BOOM!-

-DOR! DOR'S! DOR!-

-RATATATATATATATA

One by one his fellow mercenaries fell down horribly, the combat strength of the bandits was much higher than they had expected. The mercenaries who were supposed to ambush turned into the ambushed ones, the panicked Elle could not find Rizza in the midst of all this chaos, everyone was trying to run away from the hail of bullets and gunpowder bombs.

Something was thrown and fell before Elle, he fell down in shock upon seeing it, it was a cut of his partner's hand.

"Hiike! Hick! Hickk!" He curled up to cover his head, even he could not cry and only let out strange sounds many times due to his so depressed.

"Elle! Elle! Where are you!?" A woman with a body full of bloodstains and dust running around looking for Elle, she is Rizza. As she saw Elle curling up in tremors while making strange noises, she immediately walked up to him and sat him down.

"Elle! Be aware! You could die if you keep doing this!" He screeched trying to restore Elle's consciousness affected by the panic attack, "Elle! Ah shit!" One slap landed on Elle's face, she looked a little conscious, but Rizza slapped her once more.

His consciousness had already recovered, Rizza immediately pulled him to his feet, "Hey! We must run away from this place immediately! You heard! Run and don't even look back! Emergency signal has been fired! Reinforcements should be coming soon!" Rizza encouraged him to run, he followed behind to shout at Elle to run faster.

As they were almost at the end of the forest, there was a sound of an eruption, a split second later a single bullet pierced through Rizza's back, making it fall over. Elle who saw it cried out in panic, Rizza with the remnants of energy shouted at Elle to keep running. Some bandits were seen chasing them.

"Ukhc! Run Elle! Run on! Uhukk!" Rizza who was vomiting blood continuously shouted at Elle with his raucous voice

While Elle was just groping, she curled up while holding her head, tears rushing out from her eyes that sniffed in fear, "Death I die I die I die I die."

"Snack girl!" Strangling Rizza, he stood up while holding his bullet-pierced stomach, trying to protect Elle who was losing her mind.

The bandits who were getting closer swung their weapons while cheering, "Don't kill them, make them lose consciousness!" Shouted one of the bandits.

Rizza unsheathed his dagger, that was the only weapon left, the bandits surrounded the two of them, Rizza slashed out his dagger in origin, making the bandits laugh at him. But when they let their guard down, Rizza immediately pulled one of the closest bandits, before he could react, Rizza stabbed him in the neck with a dagger. "Khehehekk," the bandit was sprawled with a dagger stuck to his neck.

"This girl is crazy!" One of the bandits immediately slashed at Rizza's unprotected back, Rizza shrieked in pain and fell down, the bandits immediately venting out the annoyance by beating Rizza who was lying blindly.

Elle who witnessed that was silent with a blank look, her sense had completely disappeared after watching Rizza being cruelly finished before her eyes.

The bandits immediately approached him and dropped his body on the ground, as one bandit overcame his body, either due to his survival instinct or the control of the subconscious mind. Elle hit the bandit's seed until it broke using his knee, the bandit was convulsing with a frothy mouth.

One of the bandits roared and hit Elle's right knee with an axe until it broke, Elle began to wriggle violently while screaming in pain, her eyes still staring blankly, whether she was conscious or not.

When the bandits who began to grow furious were preparing to finish off Elle. Suddenly, one of the bandits sprawled out with a hole in his forehead, followed by another bandit the next split second.

From behind the trees, came a group of people with complete weaponry, they were the knight division of Orthras. With tactical movements, they immediately ambushed the bandits, their condition benefited because the number of bandits was reduced because of the resistance of some mercenaries and their ammunition was depleted due to continuous shooting blindly.

The unconscious Elle was rescued along with several other mercenaries who were still alive.

Of the hundred and eleven mercenaries who were on missions, only thirty-six returned.

...****************...

I woke up from the daydream when the store bell rang and a customer came in, he was the man who came yesterday afternoon, this time he was seen wearing his gear. It turns out that he really is a mercenary.

He bought a lot this time, it looks like he is preparing provisions for the trip. The man left immediately after receiving his change.

I sat back in the cashier's chair staring at the ceiling. When I closed my eyes, the door opened again. The happy expression on my face I could not hide when I saw who was entering.

After all this time, I was finally able to recover from the trauma I had, the biggest reason being this man I was now before.

"Today's the schedule for fixing your legs, right?" She said with a smile on her sweet face.

"Yes." Yeah." I answered briefly. The plan was, I'd come to the clinic, but instead he himself came to me.

Suddenly, I popped out from behind the door that connected the house, "Eh, Jonathan, are you going to fix Elle's leg or are you going to propose to her?" with her ignorant expression, mother teased both of us. My face is heating up, I am speechless.

Then I immediately pulled my mother back into the house.

Jonathan and I looked at each other. Very awkward.

"Eh, ja-so ... Where's feet?" Say it timidly. I just kept quiet and gave the fake leg to Jonathan.

He checked quickly, then replaced some of the small parts in the leg, then handed them to me.

"Thank you" I said after receiving the leg, "Sama-sama." He said that awkwardly.

The business is done, but he doesn't say goodbye.

"Emmm ... Want to buy some bread?" Ask me slowly

Jonathan shook his head, his face looking very red and nervous, several times he gulped.

"Eh ... Anu ... So ... Emm ...." He seemed to want to say something. I looked at him curiously, but he looked even more nervous.

"I-i ... S-like ... Uh ... That's ...."

Uh, it's impossible, right?

"J-so ... That ... I ... M-me-apply ... W-ka-you."

Unknowingly, tears flowed from my eyes. Jonathan grabbed something in his pocket, then knelt down and opened a small box containing a pair of rings. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Will you marry me?" The words came out of his mouth, making my whole body tremble with happiness.

He was no longer nervous, his face looked confident even though it still looked awkward.

I covered my mouth with both hands, my cries could no longer be contained, not a word could come out of my mouth.

Jonathan looked worried.

The store was silent for a while, only the sound of crying as much as I could hear.

I can only nod in response.

"UWOOGHHH!"

Father and mother who had been eavesdropping exclaimed with joy while hugging and prancing, I threw them with bread crumbs. Jonathan laughed a little at the sight.

After all the commotion had subsided, Jonathan and I looked at each other with timid expressions.

"Please take care of me." I said with a voice trembling with tears.

Jonathan nodded steadily. "Sure!"