Back in the village.

The royal guards were searching around the village, making sure that no one could leave it.

“Is this... Is this really necessary?”, asked the village elder.

Dave turned over to him with a sorrowful look on his face and nodded.

“It would be extremely helpful if you would co-operate with us...”, asked Orph.

“Co-orporate how?”

“Oh, I don’t know, how about you tell us about the slave traders you’re associated with?”

“S-Slave traders...?!”

Orph sighed, “Thankfully you’re not an actor...” he looked at the ground before looking at the elder right at his eyes and moving near him.

“I don’t know anything about any slave traders.” replied the elder, trying his best to keep his anger in check.

Orph smirked, “Fine. We’ll play the long game.”

Dave sighed at what was happening near him and excused himself to take a walk. Soon after, he found himself where he was back during the feast. The blacksmith was going on about her usual self. Dave did visit her at times, and looked over at her working with her materials, but he hadn’t had the chance to talk to her after that day. Making up excuses, disturbing her work just for mere talks? Especially someone as skilled as her. He just couldn’t bring himself to do it, or so he told himself.

“The sound of the hammer...”, Dave wondered. He walked at a steady pace and planted himself behind a tree, peeking while trying his best to hide. There she was, working as she usually does.

“She’s a hard worker...”, Dave mumbled to himself, as the sweat from the blacksmith’s forehead dropped and splashed on the sword she was making. She sighed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled before noticing Dave trying his best to hide behind a tree.

“Sir...?”, she asked.

Dave didn’t move.

“Do you want something from me?”

Dave came out and gestured towards him as if to ask whether she was talking to him or not.

She nodded.

Dave placed one of his hands behind his head and started to rub it as he laughed and walked towards her.

“No... I... I was just enamored with how well you worked.”

“Enamored?”, the blacksmith blushed.

“Oh... No... Not like that!”, Dave replied, as fast as he could.

“I just like seeing people full of passion...”, he added.

“Ahh...”, if disappointment was a living being, it’d be her.

“I-I see...”, she added. “I’ll... get back to my work...”

Dave sighed and nodded, before trying his best to smile. His eyes laid upon the sword she was working on.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

He couldn’t help but let out an “Impressive.”

The blacksmith smiled, “Thank you.”

Before missing a beat, she continued her work.

“Sir knight!”, screamed Cess as she ran towards them.

“Oh! Cess! What brings you here?”, Dave replied, still recovering from being flustered

“What...?”

Cess shook her head and added, “The villagers are not revealing anything... Is Orph correct?”

Dave sighed, “I don’t know... maybe?”

“What he said does make sense...”, he added.

“Is this about the slave traders?”, asked the blacksmith, interrupting them both.

Dave looked back at her, trying his best to hide his smile, “Yes!”, he exclaimed.

“You could hear all of that?”, he added.

The blacksmith nodded, “There was a huge commotion about that a few moments ago...”

“Sorry for the commotion...”, Dave replied.

“Don’t be.”, she added and smiled.

“Remember that woman who asked you for a fightback when we first met?”

Dave made a thinking expression and replied, “Yes?”

“She’s who you’re looking for.”

“Wait? What?”, asked Cess, surprised beyond belief.

She looked at Dave before adding, “You’ve already met her?”, before looking back at the blacksmith, “You know her?”

Dave didn’t know how to react.

“Does this mean you’re associated with them?”, he asked.

“You can say that. I work for them.”, she replied.

Dave went near her and slammed a wall.

“Is it blackmail? Are they holding someone you hold dear hostage? Or are you a slave...”

Before Dave could go on, the blacksmith mustered up a no.

“No... None of those things...”

“Then why?”

“Money...”, she replied, while looking at Dave, smiling but sadly.

“They paid well...”, she added.

The expression on Dave’s face went from worried to disappointed. He started to walk away. As soon as he walked past Cess, he finally spoke up, “Arrest her.”

Cess looked at Dave for a while before nodding.

No other words would come out of the blacksmith’s mouth, no matter how hard she tried. Saying sorry? To who? For lying? Why?

Cess grabbed her and sat her down before tying her with rope while Dave kept walking towards the villager elder and Oprh still having a fight, with Eric standing nearby not knowing what to do.

“Listen here, young man-”

“You’re under arrest.”, said Dave.

“Under arrest?”

Dave looked down on the elder as he tied a rope around his hands.

“You can’t do this!”, the elder screamed.

Dave sighed, “Give it up. The blacksmith confessed.”

“And you’re going to take her word over mine? The village elder?”

Dave didn’t reply as he picked the elder up on his shoulder and asked the royal guard to be extra cautious of the other villagers.

Orph looked over at Eric, “Just so we’re clear. My deduction was correct.”, he smiled and smirked.

Eric sighed and patted on his back before walking and signaling him to follow Dave.

Dave put the elder right beside the blacksmith before asking, “Where is their base?”

“What base?”, the elder replied.

“You see that mountain over there? Right behind you. Their base is on top of that.”, replied the blacksmith.

“I-”, screamed the elder.

No longer being able to control his rage and knowing that it was too late, he gave in.

“How dare you! After the generosity we provided you! I told her. I told her not to hire you.”, he cried.

The blacksmith ignored that, but instead looked at Dave who wasn’t even looking at her.

“Sir... Sir Knight!”

Dave looked down at her, eyes filled with no emotion.

Words could barely come out of her mouth. There was a slight hint of regret, maybe she shouldn’t have said the truth. She just wanted his attention, but this wasn’t the attention that she wanted. No, she did feel relief when the secret was finally out. However, the only words that could come out of her mouth were, “I’m sorry...”

“I’m not the one you should be sorry to.”, replied Dave not missing a beat.

Tears started to roll down the blacksmith’s face as Dave looked away.

“Why do you guys even support slave traders?”, asked Cess.

The elder scoffed before looking Cess right into her eyes, “Why? Why you ask? It’s because they protect us. They protect us while you knights are nowhere to be found!”

A slight smile started to form on his mouth, “They protect us from bandits, it’s only fair that we protect them from you.”

“So, all of that wise village elder thing was an act?”, Cess replied.

The elder looked down before sighing and replying, “Maybe you’re too young to realize that my words still contain wisdom.”

“Leave him be.”, said Dave.

“It’s true that knights are not there to protect everyone. It’s true that we do a very bad job at it...”, he stopped before he could blame someone and sighed.

“But this? Two wrong doesn’t make it right. What you guys did is wrong, no matter your reasoning.”, he added.

The village elder didn’t reply but instead chose to scoff at Dave, who ignored that and went to talk to the royal guards.

“Leave him be.”, said Orph looking at Cess.

“We have bigger fishes to catch.”, he added while looking at the mountain.