Tursed my worid upside down

When the young men came closer, they came up against a tall, about five meters, as it seemed to Egor, solid wooden fence. Above the entrance gate stood two guards with scabbards on their belts, wearing helmets and, by the look of it, absolutely uncomfortable and bulky armor.

In the green spaces nearby, strangely enough, completely ordinary cows, sheep and some other animals that Egor had never seen before were grazing. There were also several horses.

"Stop!" shouted one of the guards as soon as Klaus and Egor came close enough to the gate. "Who are you and what do you need here?"

"We are simple travelers. We decided to stop for a few days in your village."

"Travelers are rare guests here," the second guard said suspiciously.

- I understand - Klaus sighed - it's not that easy to get here!

- Put all your weapons at your feet - said the first guard and disappeared from sight, and a few minutes later the sound of the bolt being released was heard, and his face in an awkward helmet peeked out through the crack of the half-open gate.

Klaus had already put the katana at his feet and was waiting for further action.

"Is that all?"

"We are simple travelers, what else do we need for self-defense?"

"And the second one?"

"He is not a warrior and never was one, he does not know how to handle a weapon."

"And why do you need such a useless companion?" the guard did not stop asking questions.

"We have been friends since childhood. We can't leave him in a place he is not suited for. Especially since he is a good cook."

The guard looked at the young people with a critical gaze for a few more minutes, but in the end he opened the gate and let them inside.

"Thank you very much," Klaus bowed slightly. "Where can I stay here?"

"There are no hotels in this backwater, but you can ask one of the locals. They will gladly take on helpers around the house, or better yet, money."

"We are also not very rich in the latter. Thank you again," Klaus smiled, and the young people entered the wide street. On both sides of the well-trodden road there were small shops, one bar with a slanted sign, a couple of covered wells. The buildings were dilapidated, completely wooden. A few people with baskets of vegetables, fabrics and other small items were scurrying along the main street.

This world seemed somehow gray to Egor. The clothes of the locals were dark gray shades, sewn from some kind of rough material resembling burlap. The women were dressed exclusively in dresses, and the men in wide trousers and high boots. What fashion? They were all the same! Only a few people in leather trousers and jackets caught his eye. Klaus noticed Egor's gaze:

"They are mercenaries. Villages usually hire small detachments or individual soldiers to protect their lands, march through the forest."

"A very sad picture," said Egor.

"Why?" Klaus was surprised "they are free and feel quite calm."

"It's like I've been transported to the Middle Ages."

"I warned you that my world is not like yours. It will be difficult for you here."

"It's okay, no one has ever died without the Internet," Egor grinned.

A slightly swaying man in warrior clothes came out of the bar, despite the early morning, or maybe it was already daytime. Seeing two unfamiliar young people, he waved his hand at them.

"Hey! Are you new here?"

Klaus and Egor exchanged glances as the man slowly walked towards them.

"I asked, are you new here?"

"Depends on what they offer for work here," answered Klaus. "Right now we are just travelers passing by."

"There's no point in lingering here. It's a wilderness of sorts. Only riffraff who are content with food, shelter, and entertainment as payment come here to be guards!"

"Judging by everything, you're one of them?" Klaus grinned.

"Hey, kid! Don't be cheeky! I have my own reasons for settling in this swamp. How about a glass of beer?"

Klaus silently walked towards the bar, Egor caught up with him and whispered in his ear:

"Klaus, I didn't understand a word of what these people were saying! And what you were answering, either."

The prince frowned slightly, and then touched the spot between the blond guy's eyebrows. Egor felt nothing and looked questioningly at Klaus, who had already continued on his way to the bar.

"How long have you been working here?" Klaus asked as soon as everyone sat down at the dirty wooden counter.

"A little over a month. Hey master! Pour two mugs at your own expense!"

A hunched old man came out of the room behind the counter and began to serve a rather drunk guest. There were only a few people in the bar, all of them soldiers. Egor looked around the room. It looked more like a barn, into which several tables had been brought. What surprised the young man most was that he understood every word in this muffled hum. "So that's how his magic works," Egor thought, turning an admiring glance towards the prince.

"Where did you serve before?" Klaus continued the casual conversation.

"What, are you trying to interrogate me here?"

"No. I'm just curious. Perhaps I'll decide to join you."

"You have nothing to do here. Better go where there are more prospects. You're still too young to bend over here among shabby women, dirty old men and outcasts."

"Maybe this is exactly the place we're looking for," the prince replied, taking a sip of his foamy drink.

"Then you're either fools or you've done something so wrong that you're ready to bury yourself in the ground."

"So, where did you serve before?"

"On the border. They kicked me out because, according to the new captain, I'm too old! Ha! No way! That little bastard can't even handle a sword properly, but he pretends to be a great warrior! Damn highborn bastard!"

"Young captain? Highborn?"

"Yeah, the royal offspring, Abel, son of a bitch Deffender!"

"Abel serves on the border?" Klaus's face changed.

"He was sent to us shortly before my expulsion. He cleaned up the ranks of the soldiers well, leaving them without work. Those who had families returned to them, and people like me were left homeless and were forced to find a place for themselves in places like this."

"Unusual," Klaus said thoughtfully and, seeing Egor's meaningful look, added "Abel was always a hothouse guy and didn't like hiking, and now he found himself at the head of the border troops. Hey, old man, do you know why they sent him there?"

"The hell knows. We were only told that this bastard would become our commander and that's it."

About an hour later, the young people left their interlocutor and went deeper into the village. It was more like a commune. Apart from a couple of shops and a bar at the gate, there was no other place where you could buy or sell anything.

Almost in the center of the village there were several huge barns, and next to them the only two-story house. The young people headed there. An elderly woman opened the door for them.

"How can I help you, defenders? Do you need more provisions? Wine? As far as I know, my husband has paid for everything for you this month."

"We are not soldiers, but ordinary travelers," answered Klaus. "We need to stop somewhere for a few days. Can you tell me where we can go?"

"Travelers? In our area? - the old woman was surprised." We have nothing of note here. I advise you not to linger, but to continue on your way.

"And yet, where can we stop?"

"Ask to go to the soldiers' barracks. They will surely accept you as one of their own." Having looked the prince over from head to toe, the woman answered.

"Are there any other options?"

"If you help clean the pigsty and chop some firewood at the edge of the forest, then, alright, I will give you a room in my house."

Egor was surprised by the skill with which the prince worked with a shovel, raking out the stinking manure from the pigsty without even wincing.

"I lived with a teacher since I was five and learned to do everything necessary for survival. We had our own livestock, which I looked after," Klaus explained.

The hostess of the house gave them high boots, trousers and a shirt made of coarse fabric, brought them lunch of thin porridge with pieces of vegetables. Klaus ate everything, Egor also stuffed the treat into himself, and only because he was very hungry. There was no trace left of the prince's usual fastidiousness. If Egor did not know, he would have decided that Klaus was an ordinary low-born guy who was really tired of the army and decided to lead a peaceful life.

The young people fussed around in the stinking pen until the evening. The hostess kindly offered them to use the common bathhouse, which was located a few houses away, after which she fed them some soup, where Yegor even caught a few pieces of tender meat.

They were given a room without beds. On the floor lay two small mattresses stuffed with straw and two shabby rags that served as a blanket. Klaus, again, without further ado, lay down on the nearest bed and threw his hands behind his head.

"It was a hellish day!" Egor said, carefully sitting down on his bed. "I think I still stink!"

"Quite a peaceful village. Didn't you like it?" the prince grinned.

"That's not what I was counting on when I followed you. I didn't think you would calmly agree to live in such conditions."

"But can a former soldier and a lowborn person have anything against hard work?" Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"But you're not lowborn..."

"Now I'm lowborn, just like you, so stop whining."

"By the way," Egor suddenly remembered "What was in that letter?"

"In the letter?" Klaus was surprised.

"Well, the one that I gave you from Professor Skotsky."

"I completely forgot about it," Klaus answered, getting up from the bed and going to the travel bag.

He took out the envelope, sat back down on the mattress, unfolded the letter and began to read aloud.

"Your Highness, I apologize for not informing you immediately, but you and I are compatriots. I have long since moved to this world, but I will periodically visit my native land. I did not help you return, because I believed and still believe that it is better for you to remain here. Your uncle's messenger should meet you at the portal and provide protection. Be careful. I advise you to immediately return to this world and stay in it. This will be the safest option for you.

I hope you will listen to my advice. With respect, Vitos Hariu, and now Denis Skotsky."

"This old…," Klaus hissed through his teeth "He could have sent me back right away! What kind of games is he playing and who is he cooperating with? This letter raises more questions than it answers."

"Maybe we should go back to the portal? The professor said that they were supposed to meet you there."

"I doubt they will wait that long, and my relationship with my uncle is not particularly friendly. Why would he help me?"

"I don't know about your family problems, but you think it's better to take advantage of the opportunity, right? And anyway, what are you going to do next?"

"Tomorrow we need to chop wood at the edge of the forest. Forgot?"

"That's not what I'm talking about," Egor waved his hand "did you really decide to just stay in this village? Was it worth using the portal at all? Maybe we should go back?"

"I told you right away that you should go back. I still have a lot of things to do here."

"What? Build a small house and live among the locals?"

"Find those who tried to kill me."

"And then what? And how are you going to look for them?"

"I don't know yet. I need more information about the changes that happened in my absence."

"Do you think you'll find a lot of information in this isolated place?" Egor noted skeptically.

"We need to start somewhere," the prince shrugged "and now let's sleep" and he turned away from Egor, closing his eyes.

They spent the next three days working up to their necks. Yegor would only have time to reach the hard mattress, which seemed softer than a feather bed after the endless day, and immediately fall asleep. He had no strength for anything, unlike Klaus. The prince was very hardy and often went to the bar after dinner to talk with the guards.

The woman who sheltered them turned out to be the wife of the village chief. The chief himself was an unusually sociable man and a drinker. Half asleep, Egor listened to the conversations between the old man and the prince. From them, he realized that the villagers had little information. He told Klaus that a son had been born into the royal family and, according to rumors, he would become the heir instead of the missing Klaus. This arrangement did not suit many, and the high-born demanded confirmation of the death of the elder Deffender, which the king was actively engaged in. The king's brother sent the younger son to the border. Rumor has it that the old man decided to get rid of his annoying son. No one knew what exactly Abel was guilty of, but, again, according to rumors, they say that the son is plotting against his father and wants to get the place of the head of the second branch of the royal family.

They couldn't find out anything else, and on the third day at night Klaus told Egor that it was time for them to leave this village.

"I thought you'd never say that!"

"I got everything I could here. I think it's worth visiting my uncle. His estate is not far from here, about three days' journey," then he looked at Egor "although, perhaps, five."

"Hey!"

"You're not at all hardy. We'll have to make more stops, and we'll have to cross the forest again."

"I won't slow you down."

The sun had just begun to rise and the whole village was still asleep. Klaus jumped up from his mattress from the roar and screams. He looked out the window, pulling up his pants as he went, and saw panic. The men were arming themselves with improvised means and hurrying to the gate, while the women, old people and children were grouping around the headman's house.

"What's going on?" Klaus asked the chief's wife.

"An attack. A squad of soldiers attacked our village!"

The prince saw the confusion on the woman's face and disbelief in what was happening.

"We've never been attacked by such a huge squad, at most a group of bandits, but something like this..."

"Why is it so noisy?" Egor's sleepy voice was heard, appearing on the stairs.

"Sit here and don't stick your head out," Klaus answered and ran outside.

As soon as the prince found himself in the thick of things, he immediately realized that this was something new for the locals. Men with pitchforks, hoes, simple sticks, axes and other improvised means were flocking to the main gate. They looked like a flock of sheep that had lost their shepherd. Two mercenaries on the towers near the gate were trying to shoot back with a bow, the rest with naked swords stood at the gate, ready to repel the enemy. There were about twenty of them at most.

Klaus climbed one of the towers. There was a detachment behind the gate. At least fifty people. Two heavy logs were hitting the flimsy defense of the village, supported by six soldiers each. The barrier would not hold for long, and beyond the gate they would face uncertain resistance from twenty trained soldiers, but for various reasons thrown out of the army, and a bunch of villagers who did not know how to fight.

An arrow whistled past the prince's ear. The next one pierced the left eye of the archer on the second tower and he flew down, landing with a disgusting crunch. Klaus understood that two archers, not very skilled ones at that, were more like annoying mosquitoes that they had finally decided to get rid of.

Klaus feverishly tried to figure out what to do in this situation. Take Yegor and run while it was not too late? Or try to save the village from the invaders? What chances did they have of winning? The forces were not equal and as soon as the gates opened, the village was considered captured.

"Hey, friend!" the second archer addressed him. "I see you have a sword, are you a warrior?"

- You could say that.

- Then don't just stand there! Help!

Klaus still didn't understand what kind of help the archer wanted from him. How would his sword help him now? The prince went downstairs. The gate was covered in many cracks. He turned away from them and ran back to the headman's house.

"Old man, do you have an emergency exit?" he turned to the eldest, who was making sure that everyone who had magic went down to the basement of his house.

"There's a small crack through which children sometimes slip out to play."

"Where is it?"

"Why do you need it?" the old man was surprised.

"No time to explain."

The old man pointed the direction and Klaus, without a moment's hesitation, rushed. The gap turned out to be very narrow, and the prince almost got stuck while trying to get out. From the point where he stood, the raider's detachment was clearly visible. Everyone was relaxed. No one expected a worthy resistance from this village. The gates split with a crash, soldiers poured into the breach, and Klaus rushed at the unsuspecting army, drawing his katana.

When the enemy realized that an enemy had gotten into their ranks, Klaus managed to chop down about ten people. As soon as he was discovered, the prince had to defend himself more. Blows flew from all sides. Klaus did not have time to dodge them all and received a couple of shallow scratches. A picture opened up before his eyes. A decent hole was knocked out in the gate, mercenary soldiers were fighting off the enemy with their last strength, and local men were standing behind them, like chained up.

"Fight," shouted the angry Klaus! "Fight for your life and freedom, don't just stand there."

He had no time to follow the fate of the villagers, he was trying to save his life and inflict as much damage on the enemy as possible. He heard the flock of sheep start to move, heard their cries. Gradually, the prince made his way to the gates and when he found himself surrounded by the enemy, realizing that he would not be able to parry each blow, he remembered one significant thing.

"What a fool I am!" he shouted, releasing a lightning bolt from his hand free from the katana.

With magic, things went much faster and now he was standing at the gates. Behind them, there was complete chaos. Men who had never held a weapon in their hands waved garden tools without looking. Hitting both their own and their enemies. Klaus realized that if things continued like this, they would simply kill each other.

"To the side," he shouted "Everyone retreat!"

Only the remaining guards obeyed him, who were used to following orders without question. The locals, overcome with fear, did not even hear Klaus. He could not use lightning, fearing to hit not only the enemy.

"I said retreat!" he repeated the order, but it did not help. "Damn it! Idiots! Get out of here!" no reaction.

The prince dodged another attack of the enemy, turned around and cut off his hand, then with a quick movement returned the katana to its sheath and sent a discharge across his entire body. He tried to reduce the strength of the discharge, which he sent into the ground and released in a circle, trying to cover the entire battlefield. Hundreds of small lightning bolts flew out of the ground, scattering soldiers and locals in different directions.

"I hope I did not hurt them too much."

There was silence, which was what he was looking for.

"I told everyone to retreat! Now get up and go!" he repeated his order once again, hoping that they would listen to him now.

The first to move were the opponents, who, without missing an opportunity, tried to stab as many local residents as possible. The villagers, who had already managed to come to their senses, nevertheless obeyed the order and as soon as they got to their feet, ran, or tried to run, into the depths of the village.

"Guards, whoever is left, finish everyone off!"

Two mercenaries came out from around the corner of the bar, one looked out from behind the tower and another one with an arrow in his leg tried to get up, but in vain. Only four remained, but since they listened to the order and did not get into the lightning strike zone, they had an advantage, which they took advantage of, cutting throats, piercing hearts, chopping off limbs of the attackers who still had not come to their senses.

"Don't kill everyone, take a few prisoners!" Klaus shouted, cutting off the head of another enemy.

The fact that the enemy was relaxed and did not expect resistance was good, otherwise nothing would have worked. When the plan for a surprise attack matured in Klaus's head, he understood that he was taking a big risk, but he could not resist the temptation. He was a little worried by the fact that the decisive factor was not the salvation of civilians, but the blood that rushed to his head. Anticipation of battle. An enemy who became his opponent only by chance. Protecting the village was just an excuse to swing a katana.

Klaus walked along the main street, stepping over the mutilated bodies of enemies and villagers, heading to the headman's house. He spent a lot of magic and felt tired. Still, releasing powerful lightning is easier than controlling power, and especially on such a scale. He just wanted to lie down and sleep, but he could not do it.

The captain of the guard died in the battle, and the remaining warriors accepted him as a replacement, unquestioningly following the prince's commands. Now he had to take responsibility. He approached the house where almost all the surviving residents had gathered. First aid for the wounded was organized right on the ground. Women and children were crying. Klaus was accustomed to the battlefield. Blood, torn off body parts, the smell of death, but he had never fought in a residential area. He had never seen the pain of those who had lost their husbands, sons, brothers, fathers. This sobered Klaus.

"Thank God you're okay!" Egor ran up to him. "It was hell! I thought we were all finished!"

Klaus was tempted to say: "I told you so," but he just patted the guy on the shoulder and went to the head.

"Old man, do you have a prison or something like that here?"

"No, there is no prison. If someone is rowdy, we lock them in the basement."

"Excellent. Now I need your basement to house the prisoners there."

"Prisoners?" the man was horrified. "Why? They..."

"Tell me, do trained soldiers often attack you in groups?" the leader shook his head. "I wonder why they chose such a remote and remote village."

"Who are you?" the leader spread his hands. "From the first day, you seemed to me to be more than just a deserter soldier. And your magic... It is the rarest element, and of such power. You..."

"Better not say it out loud. Let me remain a deserter for you. I promise that as soon as I find out everything, we will leave this village."

"What are you saying, I am in no way driving the heir away..."

"Old man, are you deaf?" he just nodded and fell silent.

Klaus did not waste time and, as soon as the prisoners were chained and taken to the basement, he immediately headed there. There were three prisoners, all in bad shape and surely none of them would withstand torture.

"How do you like the new place of residence?" asked the prince, turning to the captured enemies. The only answer was forced looks. "I have a couple of questions for you. I hope we get along. I am not in the mood to dismember your bodies."

"Bastard! Better kill me right away!"

"Don't worry, you can't avoid death. The only question is what kind of death it will be. So, why did you attack this village?"

"A strange question! Are there other reasons besides replenishing the slaves?" grinned the most daring of them.

"Wrong answer," said Klaus and sent an electric discharge into the man.

While the prisoner was convulsing, choking on his own saliva, the prince approached the second.

"So, the reason?"

The man looked at his friend with genuine fear and then turned his gaze to Klaus's calm face.

"I don't know! We were ordered to kill everyone and collect the bodies on the main street!"

"Who ordered it?"

"Our commander!"

"Who is your commander?"

"Amar Priksky!"

"I don't know anyone with that name, Klaus said thoughtfully."

"Who or what were you looking for in this village?"

"I don't know anything else! We were ordered, we carried it out! That's all."

Klaus approached the speaker closer, demonstrating lightning discharges in his hand.

"I swear, I don't know anything else!"

"And what do you say?" He approached the third.

"I only know what has already been said."

"And if you think about it? Which of the nobles does your army serve?"

"Our unit belongs to the royal army!"

"Then why are you wearing a different uniform?"

"They gave it to us before the attack. We didn't ask, we just did what we were told!"

"Where is your camp?" Silence. "I asked a question!" the prince's eyes flashed.

"About twenty kilometers to the west," the prisoner answered through clenched teeth.

"How many of you?"

"About five hundred soldiers."

"Yes, you haven't clarified the situation, but for answering my questions," Klaus took his katana out of its sheath and with a quick movement cut off the head of one, and then the second. He approached the third, who was trying to breathe with his eyes rolled back, turned around and walked out of the basement, leaving the third to die a not very long, but definitely painful death.

"We need to clean up there," Klaus waved his hand towards the basement to the first person he came across.

"Where have you been?" Egor's voice was heard.

"Finishing up business in this village. Now we can leave it."

"But they need help! We can't just leave them now!"

"It's not our concern anymore. If you want, you can stay. I'll send an air mage to open a portal for you."

"Don't talk nonsense! I told you I'd go with you!"

"Then get ready!"

Egor was angry. Klaus had decided to leave the village when it was most vulnerable. He made a last attempt to convince Klaus to wait a few weeks:

"Look, I understand that you have your own urgent matters, but can you leave helpless people? Let's stay a little longer, help them, and then continue searching... It doesn't matter, let's continue your business."

"I already told you, these people are not our concern. We accidentally ended up here at the wrong time. Now they are on their own. I don't care about the fate of one miserable village.

Egor went cold. Could this really be the true Klaus? Had he really hardened his heart that much? The young man didn't answer. He did what he was told - he went to gather his few belongings.