chapter 11 : Departure Time, The Power of Knights

The dawn rays bathed the Veyrith estate in a pale golden hue, and its ancient stones whispered secrets of a historical lineage as Kallen stood ready to depart. He looked back to see his parents, Lord Erlyn and Lady Alice, waiting for him at the gate. Lord Erlyn's expression was neutral, but Kallen could see the worry in his mother's eyes. She approached him first, her voice gentle yet firm.

Kallen, their son, paused at the gate, his youthful face illuminated by the dawn light. A confident smile graced his lips as he turned to his parents. "Father, Mother, take care of each other in my absence."

Lady Alice stepped forward and embraced him tightly. "My son, remember to come home to see me often!" Her voice trembled slightly, revealing the deep love she held inside. Kallen felt her warmth. "Take care of yourself out there, Kallen." She held him close, whispering, "Remember to come home often."

Kallen nodded, then stepped back with a reassuring smile. "I’ll be careful, Mother."

Lord Erlyn stepped forward, gesturing outside the estate where three hundred men stood in disciplined formation, their presence a testament to the Veyrith family's strength. One hundred knights—warriors who had mastered the Power of Life—stood tall, their armor gleaming in the morning light, adorned with the red wolf emblem of House Veyrith, a symbol of strength. The remaining soldiers were trainees, eager to prove themselves.

Kallen raised an eyebrow and looked at his father. "Isn't that a bit much, Father?"

Lord Erlyn nodded slightly. "At least for your safety. One hundred knights who have mastered the Power of Life and the rest are trainees—consider them yours now."

Kallen opened his mouth to protest, but Erlyn raised a hand to silence him. "Additionally, Gareth will accompany you as a personal guard, along with two servants you will become acquainted with."

Kallen felt a wave of surprise. "Gareth?" he echoed, unsure of what to expect.

"Gareth is trustworthy. As for the servants, I believe you know them well." With that, Erlyn offered no further explanations and turned to leave, the weight of his responsibilities urging him to depart.

Alice stepped forward to embrace him one last time, her voice whispering softly: "Take good care of yourself, Kallen." She hugged him tightly as if trying to give him her strength.

After casting a final glance at his parents as they walked away, in a bittersweet farewell moment, Kallen gathered his resolve and stepped through the palace gates.

"Young lord, Lord Kallen, the great knight Gavin Tolada is at your service under the command of Marquis Erlyn Veyrith !" Gavin, a man of strong presence and fierce demeanor, bowed deeply before him.

Kallen nodded in acknowledgment as his gaze swept over the disciplined formation. The red wolf flag of House Veyrith fluttered proudly in the breeze. The soldiers exuded palpable tension, ready for action. Armed with iron armor, long swords, shields, spears, and bows, they were an elite infantry force, a testament to the strength of House Veyrith.

Kallen strode forward, taking a leadership stance toward the carriage with an iconic smile, noticing the three figures waiting beside it. Two of them were young servants he recognized immediately: Thomas and Lily. Thomas, eighteen years old, stood tall with black hair, possessing a humble scholar's appearance but sharp, observant eyes, while Lily, the girl who had spilled water on his table, had grown to seventeen, her brown hair framing a nervous expression that only heightened her determination, and she had a steady, loyal presence at home. Both bowed respectfully.

These two were his informants, ears whispering secrets like currency in the palace.

"Master Kallen," Thomas greeted, his tone a mix of respect and camaraderie.

Kallen nodded in response.

Standing between them was a man clad in a heavy dark cloak. As the man removed his hood, Kallen met the piercing gaze of Gareth, his new personal guard, who nodded gravely. "I am here at your service, young Master Kallen."

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Kallen observed Gareth’s appearance—his weary face, sunken eyes, and a man possibly in his thirties, exuding a quiet confidence. Gareth’s steady gaze suggested he was a person accustomed to danger . With a smile, Kallen climbed into the carriage, followed closely by Gareth and the servants.

Outside, a horn sounded, and Gavin, the main knight, called out in a resonant voice, "Soldiers, advance!"

As the convoy moved forward, Kallen leaned back, his mind buzzing with plans and ambitions. Unfamiliar feelings of excitement surged within him, the thrill of freedom. With the wheels of the carriage beginning to turn.

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Six Days Later

In the afternoon, with the sun shining high in the sky, the rhythm of travel became monotonous, and tensions began to rise. Finally, Lily, unaccustomed to the rigors of the road, broke the silence. She asked, a hint of desperation creeping into her voice, "How long will it take to reach the city?"

Thomas looked at her with concern, then frowned. "According to our speed, the journey from the marquis's palace to the border city takes ten days. With six days behind us, we have four days left."

Lily sighed as she stirred the soup in front of her, but the discomfort she felt during the journey was evident. She glanced around; they were not alone. In the small group were other servants busy with feeding and tending to the battalion. In the carriage, Gareth sat in front of Kallen, who was jotting down notes in an old book, his brow furrowed in concentration.

As Gareth relaxed in his seat, arms crossed, he suddenly lifted his head and looked at Kallen, clearing his throat, drawing Kallen's attention as he spoke in a low, calm voice. "There are those watching us."

Kallen's eyes sparkled with interest. "Oh? Where, and how many are they?"

Gareth replied, scanning the trees. "Fifteen ordinary men, divided into three groups—two from the east and one from the west of our camp. They appear to be bandits. They do not dare to approach us directly with our numbers."

Kallen's lips curled into a sly smile. "Interesting. I wanted to try something." He stood up, stepping out of the carriage, with Gareth closely following.

As he approached Gavin, Kallen whispered a few words into the knight's ear. Gavin nodded, his expression serious as he prepared his men for Kallen's undisclosed plan.

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In the dense forest, the air was thick with tension and anxiety as five men sat in a tight circle, whispering softly. Their faces were pale and weary. The rustling of the leaves seemed to echo their fear, with every sound from a branch sending waves of panic through their ranks.

"Brother," one of them hissed in a trembling voice. "What if the Veyrith family comes for us? They're ruthless. What if they come to destroy our group?" His eyes sparkled with nervousness as he scanned the thick bushes for any sign of danger.

With a swift motion, another man slapped him on the back of the head, his face filled with annoyance. "You fool! If they wanted to destroy us, do you think they'd come with such a large force? A small group of knights could wipe out our base without breaking a sweat!" His voice was sharp, but underneath, there was a current of fear.

"Some of you seem quite clever," came a surprising voice from above, dripping with sarcasm.

A collective shiver ran down the spines of the thieves as they instinctively looked up. Two armored figures stood on a thick tree branch, gleaming like ominous stars against the backdrop of the forest canopy. Their presence seemed surreal, defying the laws of nature with their heavy armor.

"It makes you wonder how they got up there with all that weight," muttered one of the highwaymen, his voice barely a whisper, his courage crumbling.

The face of the largest bandit turned pale. "K...K...Knights!" he stuttered, panic beginning to take over as he shouted, "Run!"

"Where?" whispered one to his right, her voice soft yet terrifying.

Before he could process the words, he barely took two steps before an armored knight stood directly in front of him, seemingly having teleported from the treetops. "How?" the bandit said, disbelief clear on his face. "I was just there!"

The knight smirked sarcastically from beneath his brow, his eyes gleaming with confidence. In an instant, the bandit felt a sudden pain explode in his right side. A sharp blow struck him, the knight’s fist hitting him like a hammer against his ribs. He doubled over, clutching his side, gasping from the shock. "My ribs?" he muttered, realizing through the haze of pain. The world around him spun as he struggled to breathe, Fear in his chest is only increasing with the realization that he was weak. His fear did not last long before he was struck in the head and lost consciousness.

The bald man, the most timid among the group, watched in horror as chaos erupted. Before he could even scream a warning, a sudden, intense headache struck him, and he collapsed to the ground. As he lost consciousness, the last image etched in his mind was of a knight holding a massive tree branch, looking at him with contempt.

"Since when?" grumbled the bald man, his voice laced with confusion and challenge. "When did he get that branch?"

After the knight efficiently dispatched another thief, he turned his gaze toward the unconscious figures littering the forest floor. Then he exhaled mockingly. "Why does the young master need this trash alive?" He sneered, his tone dripping with disdain.

His companion had taken down the other two thieves, shrugging nonchalantly. "Who cares? Who knows what the young master thinks? Maybe he's just curious; after all, this is his first time out."

The same thing was happening in other places.