The Thunderborn Chronicles: Rise of a Healer

Ramesh Rastogi, widely known as Young Master Rastogi, was infamous as a lecherous man in the city. Born into one of the oldest and richest noble families in the county, he had never faced consequences for his actions. His father, Baron Ramakrishnan Rastogi, had three daughters before Ramesh was born. As a result, the Baron doted on his only son and always covered up his mistakes. Over time, Ramesh grew arrogant, and his twisted sense of entitlement only worsened.

He and his goons had committed numerous crimes, including robbery and worse atrocities. Some citizens remained silent out of fear, while others were silenced with money from his father. Today, when a young and untouched village girl caught his eye, Ramesh believed she would submit to his offer… especially after flaunting his noble status and promising her money. But when she refused, his rage swelled. Just as he was about to abduct her by force, an even more beautiful girl appeared in front of him.

Seeing her, his mood visibly improved. Even though this new girl looked too young for his taste, her pretty face was enough for him to make an exception.

Paramita hadn't thought twice before stepping in. She'd seen the poor girl being harassed and assumed the city guards were nearby, ready to intervene. However, she'd forgotten one crucial detail—she had deliberately dressed in casual clothes to blend into the crowd. Because of her plain attire, the goons didn't take her seriously.

The guard accompanying them saw Paramita being harassed and moved to intervene. Just as he was about to enter the crowd, he felt a gust of wind brushed past him. Ranav had already stepped forward. Thus, he stayed behind, ready to attack these goons from their back.

Ranav entered the scene with an amiable smile and said loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, please give me some space. This is a market, and I'm here to buy things. Thank you, thank you."

He then turned to the skinny girl and asked, "Miss, how much for your sword?"

The girl, stunned and tearful, stammered, "T-ten silver coins."

Without hesitation, Ranav stretched out his hand, already holding the counted money. "Here is your ten silver. Please count it."

The girl took the coins with trembling hands, staring at Ranav in disbelief. Her thoughts spun. Her grandfather… the only family she had left… was at the healing center, and she desperately needed money for his recovery. In her house, this sword was the only thing of value left. Out of sheer desperation, she had decided to sell this family heirloom. When she stood in the market, trying to find a buyer, these goons had begun harassing her. All potential customers had fled, leaving her helpless.

Just as she had given up hope, a girl younger than her appeared to help her. Then this boy had appeared… calm, composed, and strange. He bought the sword without question, handing her the exact amount she asked.

Her daze broke when Ranav gently took the sword from her hand and said, "I've paid, so I believe this sword is mine now."

The unexpected interruption left Ramesh and his goons momentarily speechless. The fat boy recovered first, sneering, "Boy, which family are you from? Do you have any idea who Young Master Rastogi is? Take your money and leave."

Ranav put on his most innocent expression and replied, "I'm just here to buy a sword. This sword is mine because I paid for it. Did you pay for it?"

He clutched the sword tightly against his chest, like a baby afraid of losing a toy. The goons were taken aback, clearly unable to believe the child's audacity.

Meanwhile, Ranav and Jessica continued their mental conversation.

"Where is the guard accompanying us?"

"The guard is behind the goons. I think he's ready to act."

"Good. What are my odds of winning?"

"I count seven goons, including the leader. None of them are mages; I don't sense any mana. The leader has had some knight training—his stance makes that clear. Among the others, only one seems moderately trained. The rest are just cannon fodder. With the sword, your chances are good."

"Got it. I'll wait until they push their luck further."

"Hold on… city guards are approaching. I think they'll intervene soon."

"Perfect. I'll just stall until they arrive. Let me know when they're here."

Though their mental exchange only took a second, Ranav now had a clear plan.

One of the goons, annoyed by Ranav's calm demeanor, growled, "Kid, if you know what's good for you, take your money and leave. Otherwise, I'll beat you up, and you won't get a single coin back."

Ranav put on a fearful expression and whimpered, "Why are you angry, brother? I need this sword to play knight. I paid for it… please understand. This toy is mine now."

The fat boy, growing impatient, barked, "Get lost, or I won't care that you're a child."

At that moment, Jessica informed Ranav that the city guards had arrived. Without missing a beat, Ranav shouted dramatically, "Guard sir! They're trying to steal my toy! Help! Help!"

The goons instinctively turned to look in the direction Ranav was pointing. Taking advantage of their distraction, Ranav hurried to the girl, leaned close, and whispered, "If you want to leave, run for your life. Take this money too." He slipped her two more silver coins.

The girl nodded tearfully and darted into the crowd.

Ranav then grabbed Paramita's hand. "We need to run, hurry!"

Paramita immediately understood. Together, they bolted into the crowd, blending into the chaos. The skinny girl had already vanished.

The goons finally realized something was wrong. Their "prey" had disappeared. The fat boy cursed loudly in frustration.

At the same time, the city guards arrived. Their leader, spotting Ramesh, called out, "Oh, Young Master Rastogi! What's going on here? We heard someone shouting for help."

Ramesh, visibly annoyed, snapped, "It was nothing. Just some brat playing a prank."

The guard leader sighed dramatically and shook his head. "Children these days… Why don't parents teach them manners? Back in my day—"

He launched into a long-winded story about his childhood. Ramesh and his goons fumed in irritation, forced to listen to the guard leader's nonsense. They couldn't interrupt him either; as a team leader, he held some authority in this city.

The guards standing nearby smirked knowingly. They'd heard this story countless times… it was their leader's go-to tactic for stalling troublemakers. It was long, boring, and utterly fabricated, designed to frustrate the listener to the point of insanity.

The guard leader's thoughts were clear, Miss Paramita Rawat had been helped, and icing on the cake, his actions remained unnoticed by her.