The Transmigrated Author

The crowd erupted into a frenzy of whispers as the second soldier also collapsed, overwhelmed by the sheer force of Anouz's aura.

"Did you see that? He knocked them out without even touching the second one!"

"These strangers must be here to declare war on the Iron Fist! No one challenges them like this!"

"We're all dead if they're planning to overthrow our rulers. The Iron Fist will punish everyone!"

The murmurs grew louder, a wave of panic beginning to spread through the gathered onlookers. Some began to back away, while others pressed forward.

The young woman who had been accused of theft remained frozen in place, her eyes wide with disbelief at her sudden salvation.

THUMP…THUMP…THUMP…

Heavy footsteps echoed on the cobblestones as a tall, imposing figure pushed through the crowd.

Unlike the common soldiers, this man wore ornate armor with iron spikes protruding from the shoulders and gauntlets.

A deep red cape billowed behind him, and a scar ran from his left temple to his jaw, giving his face a permanently twisted expression.

"What's with all the commotion here?"

The crowd immediately fell silent, parting to give the general a clear view of the scene.

His eyes widened as they fell upon his two unconscious soldiers on the ground, then narrowed dangerously as they locked onto Anouz standing over them.

"Impressive. Very few can take down Iron Fist soldiers so effortlessly, He might be apart of the resistance. Doesn't matter to me he must be worthy of crossing blades."

His gaze shifted, taking in Rel and Christian, who had moved to flank Anouz.

Then the general's expression darkened further as he studied them.

"You're not from around here,"

he growled, moving his hand to the hilt of the massive sword strapped to his back.

"I know every face in this district. How did the two of you get in? Our gates are secured by the most loyal of my men."

Rel and Christian exchanged a brief glance.

"Should we tell him?" Christian asked whispering to Rel's ear.

"I don't think he'd believe us anyway,"

The general's face contorted with rage at their nonchalance.

"You dare mock me? I am General Krath, second only to the Iron Lord himself! Answer me or—"

BAM!

In perfect synchronization, they each drove a fist directly into the general's face.

The impact created a shockwave that rustled clothes and hair of the nearest bystanders.

As his massive body crumpled to the ground his sword clattered beside him, the sound echoing through the now-silent square.

For a heartbeat, nobody moved. Then, as if a dam had broken, the crowd erupted.

"They defeated General Krath!"

"Did you see that? They took him down in seconds!"

"Are they here to save us?"

"The Iron Fist's tyranny might finally end!"

The whispers quickly grew into cheers and shouts of joy.

People who moments ago had cowered in fear now surged forward, their faces alight with hope and excitement.

The young woman who had been accused of theft approached Anouz, with tears of gratitude. She fell to her knees, clutching the hem of his garment.

"Thank you, thank you so much. I owe you my life. Please, tell me how I can repay you. Anything—I'll do anything!" Her body trembled as she sobbed endlesssly.

"Hey, it's okay. Really. You don't owe me anything," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"But I do have a question—how did things get this bad here? Why is everyone so afraid of these Iron Fist guys?"

The woman wiped her tears, taking a deep breath to compose herself.

"The Iron Fist... they appeared in Eldervale almost three years ago. At first, they were just a small group of outsiders who kept to themselves, but then they started recruiting, growing stronger."

She gestured around at the dilapidated buildings and frightened faces.

"They ransacked every village within Eldervale's borders. Our strongest warriors, our most skilled mages—none could stand against their leader. It was as if he possessed some kind of otherworldly power."

"They took everything from us—our freedom, our dignity, our hope. Anyone who opposed them was either killed or imprisoned in their fortress."

Anouz stood awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with the woman's gratitude.

He glanced at Rel and Christian, silently pleading for help.

"And what of this leader?" Rel asked, his voice calm despite the tension in the air. "Who is he?"

The woman shuddered visibly.

"They call him the Iron Lord. No one knows his real name or where he came from. Some say he's not even human, just a force of destruction in human form. His fortress stands at the peak of Eldervale, overlooking everything he has conquered."

The crowd around them had grown, people pressing closer to hear every word, they knew these people were the hope that could save not just their city but the villages in the area.

"Are you... are you going to save us?" the woman asked, her eyes searching Anouz's face.

Anouz opened his mouth, then closed it again because he wasn't familiar with the words of saving people.

He has never done such a thing before.

He'd only meant to stop an injustice, not spark a revolution.

"We will,"

"…!"

In between the two Rel interrupted as his voice carried across the square with unwavering certainty.

"We'll save your village and your people. The Iron Fist's reign ends today."

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, followed by a surge of cheers that echoed off the buildings surrounding the square. The woman before them broke down completely, tears streaming down her face as she clutched Anouz's hand.

"Thank you... thank you..." she repeated, her whole body shaking with relief.

As people surged forward to touch the heroes who had promised their salvation, Christian seized the moment of chaos to grab Rel by the collar, yanking him close.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

His fingers tightened around the fabric of Rel's collar confused at the situation they had put them in.

"We're supposed to be finding landmarks, not starting a damn revolution!"

Rel's expression remained calm despite Christian's grip.

"If it's gotten this bad," Rel replied quietly, "I think it's in our best interest to save the village. We were brought here for a reason."

"Our best interest?" Christian's voice cracked with disbelief. "You just promised to take down an entire military regime! We don't even know what we're up against!"

Rel placed a hand on Christian's wrist, gently but firmly loosening his grip.

"Look around you. These people are suffering under tyranny. The Iron Fist controls everything—and I'd bet my life that their fortress is our third landmark."

Christian's eyes darted around the square, taking in the thin faces, the tattered clothes, the desperate hope now blazing in every pair of eyes fixed on them.

His shoulders slumped slightly as the reality of their situation sank in.

"Fine," he conceded, releasing Rel's collar and smoothing the fabric with a reluctant hand.

"But if we die, I'm blaming you in whatever afterlife we end up in."

"So, we're really doing this? Taking down the Iron Lord?"

Anouz approached them, his face flushed with excitement.

He had never done such a thing before but still wouldn't want to lose his cool in this moment.

Rel nodded, his gaze traveling upward to the distant silhouette of a fortress perched atop the highest point in Eldervale.

"We are. But we need to be smart about this. We can't just charge in blindly."