Chapter 27
“Victor was an intelligent and lively child. He always stood out because he excelled not only in swordsmanship, but in other aspects as well. All the knights admired His Highness even though he was younger than them.”
His ladle scraped the bottom of the pot.
“But he also has many secrets.”
I looked at him calmly.
He suddenly looked much older.
His nostalgia seemed to have swallowed him up like a tide.
He poured the hot soup into her bowl.
“Enjoy your meal, ma'am.”
She nodded and sat down in front of the campfire, saving her seat. After the knights had received their food, the fastest ones got the best seats, closest to the fire.
Seventeen knights, Daedric, Victor, and herself.
They were returning home.
Two years in the Southern Kingdom, and another two years in the Eastern Kingdom. The Knights of Morte endured a long, painful war.
So much so that not only Victor, but also his knights cannot sleep.
“Will Victor get better when he reaches his hometown? His illness is clearly making him anxious.”
She looked at her bowl of soup. Gentle steam was coming off of it, warming her face.
“Ma’am! Eat this too!”
A loaf of bread flew through the air towards her. I caught him.
It seems that Daedric bought a food truck from the last village. Knights flocked around him.
“If you don't come soon, we'll eat everything!”
She lowered her bowl and ran towards them as fast as she could. She was too hungry to indulge in emotion for long.
***
"Wow"...
She couldn't hide her admiration. In stark contrast, all the knights had a bitter attitude.
“Ma’am, do you like this? It’s Draka skin.”
“It is not common in other areas.”
She rolled her eyes. The odds and ends displayed in the booth were dazzling.
The last village they stopped in was on the border of Morty's estate and was filled with all kinds of specialties from the estate, which were sold to travelers.
Draka skin, a small drum decorated with feathers from all kinds of migratory birds, a blanket made of thick wolf fur...
She looked at them with wide eyes, but most of the knights, who had spent their apprenticeships at the estate, showed no interest.
“Ma’am, these things are much cheaper in the estate. And where are you going to use the drum?”
“I can play.”
“You can play it's a drum.”
Karls snorted.
I frowned.
Although she didn't know much about the world, she knew that the items sold in these kinds of places were mostly steals. That didn't mean she couldn't take a look.
Victor wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
“Do you want to go to town with me?”
“Victor, be honest, you’re not interested in anything either.”
She pointed to Victor's tired face and disinterested expression.
He was born and raised on the estate, so I expected him to be a bit excited, but his face did not reflect any emotion. He clearly wanted to wash and put something in his mouth as quickly as possible.
She smiled as she pushed Victor's hand away.
“I'll go and take a look on my own. You should rest.”
“But”
“Then I'll take you.”
Sir Raoul, the great knight who favored axes, stood out. He laughed out loud.
“This is my first time coming to Morty’s estate, so there are quite a few things I want to see. I will go with you.”
Victor struggled for a while, but finally nodded.
Apparently, he was in desperate need of a break.
He held her hand briefly and whispered.
“You should be back soon.”
Don't worry !
When Victor nodded, Raoul handed his ax to the knights in charge of supplies and charged towards her.
He gave her a wide smile.
“Today, Raoul and Radan will accompany the lady.”
***
Omarion and Sir Raoul behaved like citizens on their first trip to a big city.
Merchants were mostly crooks who were good at stealing customers, but they couldn't actively ask for it because Raoul's appearance was too terrifying.
Sir Raoul enjoyed the tour more than she did, but she didn't buy anything.
“Aren't you going to buy something?”
When asked, he answered coldly.
“I don't buy anything expensive.”
“He's definitely a mercenary.”
I laughed.
He said that he joined the Morte Knights during the Eastern Kingdoms War that ended last year, so it was understandable that he was still acting as a mercenary.
She looked eagerly around.
In the market, there were mercenary stalls selling parts of monsters, but also unusual foods and trinkets.
They bought some yakitori and headed to the outskirts of the market.
[* Yakitori is grilled chicken usually covered with different fruits, and grilled over a charcoal fire. If you want to search, write yakitori]
At the end of the stands, there was a booth without a sign.
Omarion and Sir Raoul stopped in front of him.
It seemed like the stall only held Draka skin items, but in reality, they were much rarer.
"Isn't this the skin of the Chimera?"
Sir Raoul asked in astonishment.
Looking closely, the skin was red and covered in shimmering scales. Four giant fangs sat atop the mound of skin.
It was clearly the skin of a chimera, a beast mixed with a lion and a snake.
The man sitting behind the booth nodded proudly.
“Yes. I almost died holding him.”
“It's beautiful. Where the hell did you find it?”
“It was around the borders of the Grand Duchy.”
Raoul frowned.
“Near the border… isn’t it guarded by the Duke’s knights?”
The man raised his head and looked at Raoul. His gaze rested on the black lion emblem stamped on Raoul's pauldron.
“You must be a Knight of Morte. Do you serve the Grand Duke?”
“Yes.”
“Choose what you want, I will give it to you at a cheap price.”
The Chimera's teeth were as hard as steel, and could repel fire. She picked up two fangs while Raoul picked up a pile of skin.
The man sold it at a reasonable price, as he promised. After they packed their goods, the man looked at her intensely.
“You have to hurry when the owner is away. A flock of mice is invading his nest.”
“The Grand Duke has been away from the estate for a very long time. His reputation has risen dramatically, but the mice do not know him to return safely.”
The man folded his arms and closed his eyes as if he had finished speaking.
She frowned and turned to Raoul.
Raoul was looking at her with the same expression.
The next day, they finally arrived at the estate.
Murti Estate
[Located in the far north of the empire, Morte Estate is the largest territory under the rule of the Emperor.
The capital is far to the west, and the southern, northern, and eastern parts of the empire are large enough to be their own territory.
Geographically, the north has many monsters because it is close to the Black Mountains and the barren land below, but there is not much damage because the knights of the area are strong.
Instead, the biggest problem is the death of livestock from the cold, the scarcity of fruit. Wheat grows well in cold climates, and the territory's income comes mainly from the precious gems mined...]
Minerals were also the Amari's main source of income. Of course, no precious gems could be found, only iron and copper.
Anyway, it was surprising that Victor, who seemed like a typical southerner, grew up in a similar environment to her.
“Did he also grow up seeing miners with coal-stained noses?”
She glanced secretly at Victor.
Victor had been looking out his window all day.
It had been a long time since he had been home, so he had a lot to think about.
But he didn't forget to smile at her from time to time.
He seemed very happy to bring her to Morty's estate.
“It gives me peace of mind to think that you will live in my castle.”
He held her hand.
“Just the two of us”…
Victor smiled weakly.
It was a beautiful smile that she didn't think she could get used to seeing his face every day.
She hesitated and quickly changed the subject.
Won't you be busy? It's been a long time since I've been here. "
She had heard some bad rumors spreading in the area, and what the Illusion Hunter said yesterday tormented her thoughts.
“What did he mean by mice? the people ? Monsters? "
No matter what happened, it wouldn't really be that strange, since their master, Victor, had been gone for a long time.
But Victor smiled slowly.
“Well, if I don't want to do the work, then I don't have to, right? I believe in my followers.”
He was gently caressing her hand, running his fingers over her knuckles, and kissing her knuckles.
“No matter what happens, don’t worry, all you have to do is stay by my side.”
She frowned in uncertainty.
The north wind blew gently at her back.
***
Morte Castle was a beautiful place.
The long walls encompassed the village, and the houses were like nothing Omarion had ever seen. Made of solid stone, each house was topped with a white roof.
The main road was neatly paved with stones, and a canal ran through the land, giving everyone access to clean water.
Even though the walls were tall, you could still see the forest through the arrows* that were placed at equal intervals
[E/N: An arrow is a narrow vertical hole in a wall through which an archer can shoot arrows or a crossbowman can fire bolts.]
As the Grand Duke's carriage rolled through the village, the young men standing by the roadside cheered.
They threw white petals on their carriage and on the road in front of her. She could understand their reactions. If Lord returned after saving the empire, she too would celebrate.
But Victor seemed distracted by something else.
... “It's strange.”
"Yes? What?"
Nothing
Victor smiled calmly and pointed to the cart driver.
Their carriage increased its speed and quickly approached the inner castle, where Morte's castle was located.
***
• End of chapter •
To be continued •••
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