The campfire crackled quietly into the lukewarm evening as Percy approached the others. The Glacia Knights’ smiles didn’t cease, but they got up and scooched over.
“Some space to sit for our suicidal hero,” One of them joked.
Percy smiled wryly but sat next to the Glacia Knights. The atmosphere was light and cozy. The contrast to the battle with the demons was enormous. Everyone was at ease, other than the watchguards, and chatted lightly into the night. Percy didn’t say much at first, but his lips parted naturally after the Glacia Knights offered him food. He feasted on their meat stew and other delicacies and couldn’t hide his happiness. His stomach had revolted, telling him how much it had been neglected in the last few days, and Percy made it a holy mission to fill it to the brim.
He listened silently to the others and only exclaimed a few times when he heard his new nicknames.
Suicidal hero is a great nickname compared to sleeping beauty. Is it necessary to call me a sleeping beauty only because I’ve slept a few days? Isn’t there some knight codex prohibiting them from bullying the weak?
Percy winced, but the corner of his lips curled upward. The Glacia Knights looked stiff and like joy killers, but they were nice to be around. It was almost like the knights were a little family.
“You surprised us a lot, kiddo,” One of the older Glacia Knights said at some point, “We weren’t sure you would survive this, but you regenerated much faster than we could have hoped. Your body lacks some training but you are tenacious, even if you sleep too long for your good.”
The old knight winked at the last bit, but Percy remained silent instead of exclaiming in dissatisfaction. The Glacia Knights would tease him a few days before everything would be over.
Come to think of it. How much longer will I be with them? The demon hunt is over, and I’m not even supposed to be here. Why did they not bring me to Raewood?
Until now, he’d been listening to the Glacia Knights and their teasing. That had been enough until his stomach was full of delicacies. Now, Percy needed some answers.
Before he could say anything, Melissa Reeze jumped up. She glared at him, and Percy was certain he would be dead a hundred times – if not more – if gazes could kill and returned to the carriage. The coachman had cleaned the carriage for the young lady. Cleansing the carriage hadn’t been easy and occupied the coachman for a while. Fortunately, he was finally done, and the young noble left the campfire.
She didn’t even try to hide her dislike for him, but something was different from before.
Disliking me is one thing. Not everyone has to like me. But…why does it feel like he loathes me? Isn’t that too excessive?
Percy turned to the Glacia Knights once the coachman closed the door to the carriage behind Melissa Reeze.
“Why does she – I mean, Lady Reeze – hate me so much?”
Etiquette might still be an issue for Percy since it was grossly exaggerated in his opinion and still something new to him. Still, he could learn and improve with time.
The Glacia Knights were silent for a moment until Ulfhar passed Percy on the back.
“She thinks all of this is your fault.”
“Fault?”
“Well…” The Glacia Knight Captain sighed deeply while the other Glacia Knights looked to the ground. They seemed…ashamed?
“This matter is a little bit more complex than you might think. First, we didn’t know there was an Infernal Lair in the Meiso Plains, but that is something we could have discovered early enough if we hadn’t rushed to slay the Archyeas you sighted weeks ago. Lady Reeze ordered us to locate the Archyeas without any preparations. Her highly aggressive method to get rid of the Archyeas would have worked if the Lesser Demon was alone…but that wasn’t the case.”
He forced a smile on his lips and looked deep into Percy’s eyes, “We killed the Archyeas easily but weren’t prepared for the Infernal Lair, the Archyeas Unit, let alone the Mutant Pleacis. Nobody died, but you – a civilian whose help we requested – got injured. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Bronze Rank Adventurer or not. At the Bronze rank, any noble would consider you a civilian even if you’re stronger than one.”
“So, the main problem is that a civilian got injured protecting Lady Reeze, who failed to protect herself by using the Staff of Leech. The lady knew she wasn’t in the best condition to use the Staff of Leech, but that was exactly what she did. She failed to exert her powers – her Ego and Cards – and let her emotions take control of her, resulting in your injuries. Lady Reeze’s rationality was swallowed by greed and attracted the Pleacis’ attention.”
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Ulfhar took a deep breath and waited a second to observe Percy, who was still intently listening.
“Nobody was prepared to encounter a Mutant Elite Demon in this corner of the kingdom. I was also taken by surprise and reacted too slowly. The situation escalated, and Melissa lost focus and control of her body. You had to put your life in mortal danger to rescue her, which is unfit for Duke Reeze’s heiress…”
The Glacia Knight Captain had more to say but noticed the confusion in Percy’s eyes.
“Maybe politics, the importance of a noble’s reputation and pristine image, and the necessity of a noble’s combat prowess should be discussed later.”
Percy nodded slowly, but he was still confused.
“I don’t understand how any of this is my fault,” He grumbled quietly, “You asked me to bring me to the spot where I saw the Archyeas last. It’s not my fault I only saw one of them…How was I supposed to know there was an Infernal Lair, or whatever that thing is called?”
The Glacia Knights pressed their lips together, but Ulfhar nodded.
“You are right. None of this is your fault. The problem is that our young lady wanted to use this opportunity to show off her capabilities. We think she was trying to gain acknowledgment from her father for killing a Lesser Demon before reaching adulthood. The way she handled the situation with the Infernal Lair, without issuing a single order to the Glacia Knights, and how she fought the Archyeas and Pleacis had the opposite effect.”
“Lady Reeze has a lot to learn, and she understands that now, even if she is unwilling to acknowledge it openly.”
Percy nodded slowly. Some of it made much more sense now that someone explained it to him.
“So…she doesn’t hate me because I’m a commoner?”
Some Glacia Knights burst into laughter, but their captain merely smiled, “No, that’s not an issue. But I think she might dislike you for being able to stay calm enough to respond to the Pleacis’ attack.”
“At least everyone survived,” Percy mumbled, and the Glacia Knights nodded, a warm smile blossoming on their lips as they looked at the tough kid. They were honorable knights who would give their lives to protect their lady, yet the one who protected her was none other than a young man around Melissa’s age. He didn’t have to protect her but was courageous enough to jump before their lady and the coachman to protect them twice.
“You protected Lady Reeze. We owe you,” Ulfhar said what the others had on their mind.
If not for Percy, Lady Reeze would have been injured badly in the best case or killed on the spot in the worst case. They owed him a lot.
“My mind went blank, and a moment later, I was already before her…” He mumbled and grasped his side when he remembered the Pleacis’ bloody arm piercing through it.
“On another note,” Percy changed the topic, “Where in the seven hells are we? And what happened? I should be in Raewood and not in the middle of…wherever this is.”
“We’re still in the Meiso Plains but in its outskirts. The Pleacis hit you hard enough to kill you on the spot. If not for your tough body and your Artifact, the Pleacis would have killed you,” Ulfhar explained, dead seriously, “You were dying, and nobody in Raewood could heal you. Our potions weren’t enough to maintain your condition and heal you, so we resorted to one of Lady Reeze’s Artifacts. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay in Raewood for long. We were, and still are, on a tight schedule and had to move to our destination.”
Percy’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits.
“You…kidnapped me?”
The Glacia Knights smiled at this accusation. If not for their shining armor and for knowing them – even if it was just a little – Percy would have been sure he was sitting around a campfire with a group of bandits.
“We returned to Raewood after slaying the Pleacis to bring you to their healer and leave without you, but their healer was not there anymore. She lost her husband not too long ago and decided to follow him,” Ulfhar studied Percy to watch his reaction, but the youth remained silent. He swallowed hard, and his eyes widened as he realized what the Glacia Knight Captain meant. However, Percy didn’t utter a word.
“If their Healer had been present, we wouldn’t have to use the Artifact and several expensive potions to heal. You had to survive.”
Because your Lady’s image would be tarnished if I died protecting her from her foolish actions?
Percy nearly said aloud but controlled himself and remained silent.
The old Glacia Knight spoke again, “Your acquaintances said you planned to leave Raewood soon and shouldn’t feel too bad. They’re wishing you good luck on your journey.”
Apparently, the old knight was a little too loud, and Lady Reeze heard them in the carriage, “They wanted to get rid of you. I understand that!”
Percy smiled wryly but ignored the young noble’s exclamation. She sounded more childish the more he listened to her.
I wasn’t in a rush to leave Raewood. I had some things to finish first. But…it’s not like I have to do them. I couldn’t even say goodbye…
He sighed deeply. It was possible to separate from the Glacia Knights and travel back to Raewood by foot, but it was dangerous to camp in the wilderness alone and for days.
Returning to say goodbye before leaving with the next traveling merchant doesn’t make sense. Maybe…I will return to Raewood in the future. Yes. Maybe I will! As long as I’m alive, I might be able to return.
If not for losing his armor and the iron dagger getting Damaged and Corrupted, Percy would be in a much better position. But he was alive, physically well, and the Gnoll Card was also with him.
“Okay…what now?” He thus asked the Glacia Knights even though the question was more for himself than others.
What would happen to him now? Where was he supposed to go?