Chapter 99

  Three days had passed, and both my and Axel's squads were preparing for our departure.

  “Man, it's seriously unfair.”

  Felicia commented while poking my stomach with a frown.

  “How could you get so shredded in so little time? I'd kill for a six pack like this.”

  “Quit it. That tickles.”

  I pushed her back and turned to face Bubblin and Lily.

  “Are we all clear on our role here? Our squad will be moving out of sight to—what's wrong, Lily?”

  I stopped to address the girl who was biting her lip and glaring at Felicia. But in the blink of an eye, she was back to her usual self. It was such a rapid change that I doubted my own memory.

  “Hm? Nothing. Go on.”

  She smiled back.

  “We're to scout the road ahead from within the forest. Even if a fight breaks out on the road, we are to take a support role only, got it?”

  Bubblin blew a raspberry at me.

  “Why we no on front line? And where our horsies? Knights always have horsies.”

  “Cavalry will be useless on that narrow road, and even more useless in a siege. You can ride Soot if you want, though.”

  “Haha!”

  Bubblin raised his fists and cheered.

  “Snort!”

  And Soot reared up on his tiny back legs.

  It hurt to admit, but those two fought so well together that I couldn't rationalise not pairing them together.

  “Tee-Tee!”

  Lily held her arms out, and Tiara leapt into her arms. I swore I could see them both glaring at Felicia again, but once again, I blinked, and they were both looking at me innocently.

  I had to make it abundantly clear that Tiara and Soot did not have new favourite people. They simply complemented the talents of my squires too well not to utilise.

  That was it. And nobody could convince me otherwise.

  “Axel, about our primary formation, I think we should reconsider a weighted approach of one spearhead and two shields. The twin blade, single striker approach is more—”

  “No.”

  Leon had been cut off by Axel while trying to show him some kind of diagram.

  “I lead. You two keep the nobodies off me. That's all you need to do.”

  Axel ignored him, causing both members to sigh in frustration.

  Working under him must have been both exhausting and unrewarding. In fact, Felicia and Leon usually ended up training alongside my team whenever we had spare time to run drills.

  “This intel of yours is definitely accurate, right, Rex?”

  Axel asked.

  “Of course, this came from Clink.”

  “Ah, it was him? Alright then.”

  Axel immediately accepted my explanation.

  “Hold on. Clink? That's the merchant one, right? Since when do we trust what he says at face value?”

  Leon recalled his last meeting with the goblin in question.

  “You don't know? That little gremlin found out he can sell information as well as weird items. Loads of people have benefited from his network. Even Rose wants to form a partnership with him.”

  Axel chuckled.

  When I revisited the Blood Thunderers two days prior, questioning Clink was high up on my priority list. The information he revealed was shocking, but I had no reason to doubt it.

  First of all, Soleo was already preparing to send another force westwards. And this time they had enlisted a knight of some renown to lead the charge. One “Hard-Head Harkon,” who just happened to be known to Axel, hence Axel's enthusiasm to get moving.

  But that held little meaning to me. What I cared about was the second piece of information.

  It was in relation to the murdered students who ran away from the group. Their bodies had already been recovered and inspected thoroughly, but all we learnt was that there was likely only one killer, and something hot and sharp was used.

  Clink, however, had seen the killer personally. His sketch was less than worthless, but I at least obtained a verbal description. He also noted that this was not the first time this man had been sighted. He was one of the “blue blades” previously seen before the incident in Farrowgate.

  This had already been relayed directly to Alma, who would be looking into it while we handled the mission.

  “You know you're not gonna get a chance to fight this guy, right?”

  Felicia loudly spoke over Axel, who was arguing with Leon about tactics again.

  “Klaus is leading this operation, and he won't let some human take a glory kill from him.”

  “Ha! You just watch.”

  Axel brushed her off.

  “Just don't put the rest of us in a bad spot with your recklessness.”

  Leon scowled at him before turning his attention to my team.

  “Aren't you guys meant to be stealthy? Why is the goblin still wearing his armour?”

  We had all received new weapons and armour to meet the needs of our given positions, but as stated, Bubblin was the only one who hadn't changed anything.

  “Hiya!”

  To answer this question, Bubblin slapped his chest, and a dim silver glow briefly lingered over him. He then began jumping violently, and yet he made no noise at all.

  “Freedom of Movement? Figures you would know that one too.”

  Leon sighed. In recent days, he had gone from amazed to exhausted when it came to seeing what Bubblin could do.

  Ignoring Bubblin's special circumstances, my team was lightly outfitted and given cloaks to help blend into the forest's foliage. Axel's team instead wore heavy armour identical to that of the others they would be marching with.

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  I had to admit, they all looked pretty good. It was a nice mixture of intimidating and noble.

  I, on the other hand, looked like some kind of shady assassin. My look wasn't helped by the fact that Gaspard’s mask was too conspicuous, so I was ordered to use something else. I settled on one made from the wood of a burnt oak tree and asked a battlemage to enchant it with an Alarm spell.

  With that, any hostile creature that entered a 150 metre radius of me would set off a silent alarm in my head. The only problem was that it didn't tell me where the danger was coming from.

  “Looks like we're all set. Let's not be late for departure.”

  They all nodded in response to my words, and we left for the eastern gate.

  It was encouraging to see that everyone was eager and prepared for the reality of our situation. The days of having to babysit incompetents were hopefully behind me.

  I glanced cautiously at Leon, but seeing the resolve in his eyes, I quickly discarded my faint concern.

  ***

  [Seraphina's POV]

  In the Solean capital of Aurumpride, where the golden aura of the royal family was said to grace the citizenry, there was instead a heavy grey atmosphere dulling the streets. The sun above appeared to have somehow lost its usual radiance, and even the trees were oddly devoid of the songbirds I was so fond of.

  “We demand answers, Sol Proudmane! I have invested capital into numerous imperial ventures. This war will cut my proceeds below the red line. How am I to explain to my subjects why so many will be left without food and shelter come winter?”

  A sly-looking nobleman was yelling in outrage. His demeanour was not fit for this grand hall in the esteemed Radiant Hall of the palace.

  And yet none could shut him down. The simple reason being that he was right. The King had put many nobles, just like this man, in a terrible position with his inexplicable actions.

  Perhaps it could be justified if he had secured victory and brought home some spoils, but what did we receive instead?

  A portal opens in the town square and drops a disgraced, defeated Leonidas into the central fountain for all to see.

  And did he explain himself?

  No. He holed himself up in the royal family's secret underground dungeon, in a segment that even I was forbidden to enter. He still relayed one-sided orders through his son, but he refused to acknowledge anything we asked of him.

  Unfortunately, he hadn't relinquished command either, meaning we were still being forced to refuse the empire’s repeated attempts to open negotiations.

  It was a mess far greater than what I had anticipated.

  And it was likely to benefit me much more as well.

  This was the weakest the royal family had ever been, meaning the other noble families stood to rise higher than ever. If I could just find a suitable, malleable son of one such family, I could secure a marvellous future of relaxation.

  “Sol Proudmane, are you not listening? This war is unwinnable! At best, we can hold the line for half a year, but what then? Our fields are barren, and our people grow sick. It is as though the land itself is biting back at us for this affront to the knight's code!”

  A burly, red-faced nobleman began yelling. This scene had already played out time and again since my arrival in Aurumpride, and I had long since grown tired of it.

  No matter how much they bickered and whined, the King would not listen. If they really desired to steer the country towards a better future, they needed to take matters into their own hands.

  "Weak-willed humans. They gnash and bark but lack the heart to sink their fangs in.”

  That heartless voice spoke into my mind, and the tiny passenger hiding at the nape of my neck quivered.

  Arach had been more talkative than usual. I suspected that the situation in Soleo was currently her greatest concern, as she seemed to always be watching now.

  “A touch, no more than a nudge. That is all you would need to secure power beyond your wildest dreams, child. A throne with no power is but a chair, and your King has demonstrated his weakness for all to see. Gather your power. Seize the throne. Restore your kingdom.”

  I subtly pretended to scratch my neck while poking the tiny spider to show my annoyance.

  The voice went quiet, but the eerie feeling remained. I knew she had not left.

  “What is this I hear about the Blood Knights committing all their efforts to this farce?”

  A much calmer member in attendance spoke next. He was usually the voice of moderation, but even he did not defend the King’s actions.

  “Surely we do not intend to leave our southern border unprotected? What say you, Sol Proudmane?”

  They calmly pressured the person seated at the head of the table. That person who, despite his many qualities, was struggling to cope with the sudden responsibility thrust upon him.

  My cousin, Zachariah Sol Proudmane.

  His handsome, composed features had grown ragged from sleep deprivation. His upright posture had been burdened by the invisible demon known as stress. And his sharp eyes were hidden beneath a fog of exhaustion.

  But he had not complained. He unquestioningly obeyed his father's wishes and refused to take any action that contradicted them, no matter how the nobles clamoured before him.

  “I have heard you all.”

  He spoke firmly.

  “Plans have already been made to engage in peace talks with the Queen of Esplendor. Given that we have held the upper hand for three years now, we strongly believe that Her Majesty Cecilia Cardoso will be receptive to our generous terms. This will allow us to divert forces from the south without risk of attack.”

  The moderate noble stroked his moustache and quietly leaned back.

  “As for resources, we will need to ration across the board and consider leaning on our eastern neighbours for relief.”

  “Relying on godless dwarves? Tch!”

  The burly noble retorted. However, his complaint was at least partially addressed, and for the time being, he seemed satisfied.

  “And unfortunately, the issue of lost investments is not one that my family is responsible for. I can, however, suggest that you liquidate some of your assets in order to keep your people happy. You don't truly need so many exotic trophies after all.”

  The sly noble shut his mouth, a bead of sweat trailing down his temple.

  His preference for women of the far west was something of an open secret in the political sphere. While it was not illegal to purchase such servants from abroad, it did imply a certain level of depravity when all of them were young women, and he himself was a married man.

  Thus, the fact that the Prince knew of such an embarrassing fact was all it took to cow the man.

  It was a tactful rebuke to be sure, but it hardly solved any of the problems we faced. My darling cousin had merely swept the immediately visible dust under the rug while ignoring what gathered in the corners.

  “I know many would like for this matter to be resolved sooner rather than later, but I implore you to hold onto your faith a while longer. My father truly believes this is the right course to take, and I believe in him.”

  The meeting dragged on without me needing to speak a word. After all, I was present merely as a representative for my father, who remained in charge of Lion's Maw.

  “Sera, is all well with you?”

  I scarcely noticed the others had left until Zac approached me with the same question he posed each day.

  “Yes, thank you for the concern, cousin.”

  And as always, I responded with the same polite tone.

  “...I know you may be worried about your brother. If there's anything I can do to help—”

  “I am fine, cousin.”

  I cut him off before he could embarrass himself. Worrying for someone as invincible as Axel was a foolish notion after all.

  “Is that so? Then, I will take my leave.”

  I remained seated by the window and merely nodded as he left. But just as I thought the day would be uneventful, another man entered the room. He was ignorant of decorum, blundering in and greeting the Prince with casual familiarity.

  “Hey, Sera!”

  I smiled an impeccable smile despite my inner disdain for the young man.

  “Lloyd. A pleasure as always, do take care of my cousin.”

  “Of course! I'll stay by his side until the end!”

  He babbled on in excitement, but fortunately, it appeared like he would be leaving soon.

  “Zac, you gotta come see this, I finally got the hang of that move.”

  He grabbed Zac by the arm and promptly ran out of the room, leaving the heavy door to slam loudly on its own.

  That nuisance had come to the capital alongside my cousin, somehow covering the distance between Borderton and Pyremane in record time. Since then, the palace had lost its regal splendour.

  “The handsome one again?”

  A voice appeared behind me. This one more comforting than the last.

  “Handsome? I suppose if that is your preference, I can't complain. You could do better, though, Gina.”

  My loyal maid and protector. The one person I trusted most in the world, apart from my brother. Even I didn't know exactly when she slipped into the room.

  “A response has arrived from your lover.”

  She handed me a dirty envelope, and I took it without reacting to her comment.

  “Hmm… Hm? What? Huh!?”

  I couldn't help but react in such a manner upon seeing what was contained inside.

  “G-gina, did you mess with this again? Is this a joke?”

  She shook her head.

  “No, milady. I have not so much as read this one.”

  As if to prove her point, she was curiously peering over my shoulder to read along.

  Her normally stoic face suddenly morphed, displaying dilated eyes and a fang-baring grin.

  “Ha ha ha…”

  She laughed dryly.

  “He's insane. Should we assist him as he requests?”

  Gina clearly wanted to go along with it, but I was torn on the matter. What he was suggesting certainly would stop many from losing their lives, but it would also forever sully the reputation of a loyal ally to Soleo.

  “The lost soul does what is needed. Learn from him.”

  “Shut up, spider!”

  I cautiously looked around to make sure nobody else heard that, then continued in a calmer tone.

  “Rex Jaeger… Arach… Have I made a mistake aligning myself with these monsters?”

  I sighed deeply and slouched down in my chair.

  “Damnit, fine! Pen my words, Gina.”

  Gina eagerly recorded my response, and left once again to deliver it through the usual spider-infested method.

  “Good. You have guts, child. I am eager to see how you continue to grow.”

  Finally, with those parting words, the shiver down my spine vanished without a trace and I was left to contemplate the best way to support Rex’s plan.

  “I suppose what we really need is some fuel for the fire…”

  My mind raced as a mental list of all the noble families passed through like a torrent of information. Finally, I settled on one name. Someone with reason to travel to Farrowgate, and with whom I held some sway over.

  “Time to pay a visit to Kenneth Faelora.”

  I stood and left the empty room behind. And though I abhorred hard work, I did find an inexplicable pep to my step as I walked.