Chapter 14

As the caravan trudged along the road, the cloud of dust on the horizon grew closer. The soldiers' polished armor glinted in the sunlight, and their golden banners snapped crisply in the wind. I soon noticed a young man riding in front, dressed not in armor but in extravagant clothes like I had seen nobles wear in anime.

The current situation was definitely strange. I couldn't think of any reason for the duke's army to greet us a two-day ride from Baran. The only explanation that occurred to me was that they had learned I was here and were coming to arrest me.

I looked around for something that could distract the soldiers while I made my getaway. My eyes settled on Laine. I could always throw him at the soldiers and make a break for it. He’d probably talk their ears off long enough for us to escape.

Before I could act on my hasty plan, the soldiers had neared us and stopped. The young man, the group leader, dismounted his horse and strode forward. His tailored coat and perfectly combed hair screamed “royalty,” or at least “royalty adjacent.” Jessica gasped and quickly dismounted as well, hurrying toward him. To my surprise, they embraced, her face lighting up with relief.

“Jessica, my beloved! Thank the stars,” the man said, pulling back just enough to look her over. “You’re safe. When my mages told me they sensed you approaching, I feared the worst. Why didn’t you send word when you left Spuria? I would have sent an escort to guide you. You know that as my fiancé, your life is in danger.”

Jessica shook her head. “There wasn’t time, Eris. It was too dangerous to delay my stay at Spuria any longer. I had to leave immediately.” She held up the box that she had been clutching to her chest as if to signify the need for urgency.

I nudged Ghis and whispered to him. “Who’s the fancy guy?”

Ghis tilted his head, squinting at the man. “I’ve never seen him personally, but I’d wager that’s Eris Baramund, the Duke’s heir and eldest son. Apparently, he’s engaged to the Maxwell girl. Who knew?”

My stomach sank further. Of course, Jessica's fiancé was the future Duke of Baran. I'd saved a lot more than just some merchant's daughter. Now, she was practically untouchable. The Council's haste made more sense in hindsight. No wonder they couldn’t let her reach Baran.

Eris didn’t seem to notice me or my discomfort. He was too busy bombarding Jessica with questions. “What happened? Who attacked you? How many were there? Were they bandits? Assassins?”

Jessica raised a hand to stop him. “Eris, please, let me introduce someone first.” She turned and gestured toward me. “This unnamed hermit saved my life and the lives of everyone here multiple times. I wouldn't have made it to you without his great powers."

Eris’s sharp gaze turned to me as Jessica continued to whisper in his ears. I overheard the words "lightning" and "boar."

Great. Here we go again.

Magister Lyra’s words about not escaping my fate as a hero echoed in my mind. It really did seem like I was doomed to be a hero everywhere I went.

Eris left Jessica’s side and began walking towards me in a dignified manner.

“You have my eternal gratitude, sir,” he said, bowing slightly. “Jessica has told me about your incredible magic. Summoning a lightning bolt to crush her attackers and later conjuring a giant boar to trample them…”

“Not quite how I remember it, but okay,” I thought, keeping my expression neutral. The last thing I wanted was to correct him and start a new round of questioning.

I noticed the young lord hadn’t asked for my name. Jessica must have told him not to. Ghis’ stories about me being crazy were still working their wonders to some extent.

“How can we ever repay you?” Eris asked earnestly.

Before I could respond, Laine piped up, standing a little too close for comfort. "Gold."

I slapped the back of his head without looking. “Ignore him,” I said. “There’s no need for a reward. I just want to be left alone.”

Eris frowned, looking embarrassed. “I wish I could grant your request, but deeds like yours can’t go unrewarded. If the Duke’s son were to let his fiancé's savior go unrewarded, that would reflect poorly on the duchy as a whole.”

He sighed, his expression turning somber. "Unfortunately, if it's gold you want, I don't have the resources to properly repay you. My father controls the duchy's funds and… doesn't easily part with them."

I didn’t need to hear the rumors about the Duke to understand what that meant. The tension in Eris’s voice was enough. I had a sinking feeling he was building up to asking me for something.

“There’s really no need,” I said quickly, trying to cut him off. “I’m just a traveler passing through. I don’t need anything.”

Before he could argue, Ghis stepped forward with a slight bow. 'We'll come find you if my master decides what he wants,' he said smoothly, his tone making clear there was no room for argument.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Eris hesitated, then nodded. “Very well. At least allow my soldiers to escort the caravan to the city. It’s the least I can do.”

Jessica smiled, placing a hand on his arm. “Thank you, Eris. That would put everyone’s minds at ease.”

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With the soldiers flanking us, the caravan moved much quicker than before. With Eris' escort, the road felt safer, and for the first time in days, the caravan's passengers appeared relaxed. Meanwhile, I was even more worried. I kept imagining the disguising spell being undone and one of the soldiers recognizing me from the wanted poster.

But nothing happened, and by dawn, the walls of Baran were looming on the horizon. The city was massive; its towering walls encircled a sprawl of buildings that stretched as far as the eye could see. Banners bearing the Duke’s crest fluttered from every tower.

The caravan entered the city without issue, with the soldiers waving us through the gates. But as we passed through, I immediately felt that something was off. Instead of the bustling streets and lively markets I’d expected, the city was eerily quiet. The wide cobblestone roads were nearly deserted, with only a few people moving hurriedly from one shadow to another. Windows were shuttered, doors closed tight, and the air was thick with an oppressive silence.

“This is… unexpected,” Ghis muttered, glancing around. “Where is everyone?”

Ghis frowned but didn’t answer, his eyes scanning the empty streets warily. Even Laine, usually full of chatter, seemed subdued. The few people we passed averted their eyes, scurrying away when they saw the soldiers.

“I thought this place would be… livelier,” I said, more to myself than anyone else.

Eris, who had been riding alongside, must have thought I was speaking to him. “The Duke’s rule has been…hard on the people.”

I looked at him and raised an eyebrow but decided not to press him. His face was a mixture of shame and anguish. The rumors that the Duke had once been kind but had suddenly turned cruel seemed to be true, and it appeared that this change did not sit well with his eldest son.

We slowly headed to another wall deeper inside the city. Ghis turned and told me that those walls led to the inner city, where the nobles lived. Eris was probably planning on taking the caravan passengers inside and helping them for a bit.

“But if we want to escape and go to my father’s house,” Ghis continued, “now’s our chance. It’s going to be much harder to get away once we’re inside the ducal estates.”

I nodded and told Ghis we would try to get away the next chance we got.

The next few minutes were tense for Ghis and me. We looked around every second, waiting for the opportunity to sneak away, but none presented itself. Jessica or Eris was always too close, not talking to me but perhaps trying to show me their favor.

The caravan finally rolled to a halt in front of the inner walls as we waited for the soldiers manning the walls to open the gates. Jessica and Eris went to the front, conversing in hushed tones. The soldiers dispersed to help the passengers disembark and move them to other, sturdier wagons that were brought from inside the walls. There was a lot of movement around us.

I looked at Ghis, and he nodded back at me. This was our chance.

We got off our wagon and slipped into the crowd of soldiers and passengers. Walking as nonchalantly as we could, we jumped into the nearest alleyway and began running. We kept to the narrowest side streets with Ghis leading the way. After a short while, we stopped, and I turned to see if anyone was following.

Laine’s stupid, grinning face stared back at me, unmoving.

“Why are you here?” I asked, glaring at him.

“What? We’re no longer friends now that the ride is over?” he asked innocently.

“We were never friends.” I grabbed him and put him in a half-hearted chokehold. “Go back to the caravan.”

“Sam,” Ghis said tiredly, “just let him come. He’ll follow us anyway.”

I sighed and released Laine, who smiled like he'd won something. "Fine. But stay out of the way."

We continued through the city, the tall buildings casting long shadows in the morning light. Ghis led the way to a modest house tucked away in a quiet corner of the city. I looked around. The neighborhood was just as deserted as the rest of the town. A few tattered golden banners hung from the houses, their flapping the sole sound in the still air.

Ghis stood before his house and turned to me.

“You can take the cloak off now. I didn’t see any posters of you anywhere in the city. I doubt they expect you to have reached the city. Besides, you don’t need to hide from my parents.”

I hesitated but reluctantly took the cloak off, feeling the spell wear off.

Ghis took the cloak from me and turned to the house again. He stopped before the door and hesitated, his hand hovering just above the wood.

“What’s the holdup now?” I asked.

Ghis shifted uncomfortably. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them. What if they…”

“I get it,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder in what I hoped was a comforting manner. “But I really want to sleep in a bed tonight, man.”

Laine chimed in. “Yeah, come on, Ghis. We’re all tired.”

I turned and glared at him. “Why are you still talking?”

Ghis sighed and finally knocked on the door as I put Laine in a chokehold again. It opened slowly, and a woman’s head cautiously peeked out. She eyed the Ghis and then Laine and me, struggling on the ground.

“What do you want?” she asked aggressively.

“Mother… it's me,” I could hear Ghis’ voice wavering.

The woman looked confused momentarily, then her eyes widened as she took another look at Ghis. She cried out and burst through the door, throwing her arms around Ghis.

“Ghis! You’re back!” She sobbed, clutching him tightly. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too, Mother,” Ghis said softly, hugging her back. He pulled away slightly, and I noticed tears welling up in his eyes.

"These are my friends, Mother." He gestured to the two of us, still wrestling on the ground. "Where’s Father? Is he not home right now?”

His mother’s face immediately crumpled with tears streaming down her cheeks. “He… he’s in trouble, Ghis. The Duke has him imprisoned. Please, you have to help. You have to rescue him.”

I felt Laine tap out as my stomach sank.

“This smells like trouble,” I thought grimly.