Ritzy, Gerhart, and Mognog were all looking forward to getting out of the dastardly forest and the rain pouring down on it. They had almost forgotten what it felt like to be dry. Well, Mognog, in his current state, didn’t really feel wet or dry, but he sympathized with the other two.
Unlike the other two, Mognog was also more aware of the fact that it was now, when they were dangerously close to being in the clear, that they were most likely to die. It was when they were the most tired. And it was also when a sense of relief and a feeling of safety would wash over them.
They were almost there, at the place where they would be safe from Baron Michmond’s men, which is practically the same as actually being there. So, taking it slow and lowering their guards would be nothing short of a natural response to that feeling of safety.
However, until they were absolutely safe, which they wouldn’t even be, Ritzy and Mognog couldn’t let down their guard. Doing so would leave them unable to respond in time should one of Baron Michmond’s subordinates catch up to them.
Mognog reminded Ritzy and Gerhart of it multiple times. But there was only so much that nagging could do, even if it came from Mognog. He couldn’t stop RItzy and Gerhart’s bodies from feeling safe. He couldn’t stop their brains from relaxing for the first time in about a week, especially when it was something they desperately needed.
Mognog could only do his best to make sure that Ritzy and Gerhart weren’t taken off guard by raising his own even further.
But even he had a difficult time focusing on watching their surroundings when they reached the edge of the forest. Undeath had made him rusty.
“Halt! Another move, and it will be your last.”
A male voice suddenly shouted, clearly telling Ritzy and Gerhart to stop walking. But Ritzy was in the middle of taking a step, and he finished it as he looked around, fully on guard.
“Um, I just finished taking a step. It doesn’t count as another move, right?”
Ritzy and Gerhart were both looking around, trying to identify the source of the voice. But they could at least guess that it wasn’t someone pursuing them on behalf of Baron Michmond. It was most likely someone from Chitron, which meant there would be opportunities to negotiate.
“Twelve o’clock.”
Mognog whispered to Ritzy and Gerhart as soon as he saw the source of the voice.
“Stay where you are, with your hands in the air!”
At the same time as Ritzy and Gerhart looked in the direction Mognog had given them, which was the direction of Chitron, which all but confirmed their guess that it was someone from the Chitron Kingdom, the voice spoke again.
“Um, I am carrying something precious, well, precious to me. You guys wouldn’t like it. I am going to put it down, alright?”
Mognog wanted to point out that Ritzy hadn’t been that gentle before when he threw Mognog at Lenny’s corpse. But he didn’t say anything.
“Do it slowly! Tall guy, move to the side. Two steps.”
Gerhart obeyed with his hands raised while Ritzy slowly knelt and put Mognog on the ground facing the other way to see if there was anyone behind them.
“I don’t see anyone.”
Mognog’s whisper helped Ritzy and Gerhart relax a little since it meant the primary threat was from ahead of them.
“State your identities and what you are doing here!”
Since Gerhart had a more imposing and reliable voice, he would be the one to do the talking. And he answered while keeping his eyes on the tree, which the person speaking hid behind.
“Our names are Gerhart and Ritzy.”
Gerhart didn’t see a reason to lie since they were seeking asylum and refuge in an enemy kingdom. And if they wanted to use their assassination of a noble to their advantage while doing that, they would have to be honest.
“We come from a town called Vestor, and we are currently traveling to Chitron in hopes of a better life and to seek refuge.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Gerhart banked on the guess that they were talking with someone from Chitron. If they weren’t, and it was border patrol of the Shiria Kingdom, revealing that much would have been a death sentence.
“Well, the town was called Vestor before it caught on fire and burned to the ground.”
Gerhart ignored Ritzy’s half-mumble.
“Repeat that last sentence, please.”
Another voice, much closer than the first one, spoke after hearing what Ritzy said.
Ritzy looked in the direction of a suspicious-looking tree.
“I said, ‘Well, the town was called Vestor before it caught on fire and burned to the ground.’ As far as I know, it was a complete accident. I promise I had nothing to do with it.”
Ritzy’s words did the opposite of removing any potential suspicions anyone might have had that Ritzy or Gerhart was somehow responsible. But neither the first nor the second voice spoke for a few moments.
“You said you were seeking refuge, right? Is it because you lit the town on fire?”
The voice didn’t sound accusatory, only slightly curious. So, Ritzy and Gerhart felt like they had indeed encountered someone from the Chitron Kingdom. In that case, it should be fine to reveal the extent of their misdeeds.
“Well, uh, it’s not only because of the town and the fire.”
“Wait, Gerhart. They could be baiting us into a confession!”
“They’re not–”
“Let me handle this.”
Ritzy interrupted Gerhart before he could say anything else as he shoved a hand toward him. The rule about having their hands raised wasn’t followed or enforced so strictly.
“In addition to the unfair accusations regarding the incident with the fire, we are also unjustly pursued due to false allegations regarding the murder of a noble son of the Michmond baron family.”
Ritzy spoke with a satisfied smile and gave Gerhart a confident wink. Gerhart rested his forehead against his hand as he waited for a response from the people who had stopped them.
“Let me get this straight. You guys torched a town and murdered an aristocrat. And now, you’re on your way to Chitron in order to escape facing justice for your actions.”
Ritzy held up his hand in the direction of the voice.
“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. It’s not justice if we didn’t do it. That’s injustice.”
Ritzy spoke with such certainty it was almost believable that they weren’t responsible. Unfortunately, it was a little too late for that since his previous words had practically already confirmed that they were guilty of town-wide arson and murder of nobility.
“Well, the Shiria’s justice system is pretty corrupt, so you probably wouldn’t get fair sentences. Anyways, what are you going to do if you get to Chitron?”
The second voice spoke again after being silent for a few moments to process Ritzy’s words.
Ritzy and Gerhart exchanged a glance before answering at the same time.
“Passing through.”
“World domi– Passing through.”
Ritzy hurriedly changed his answer once he realized he and Gerhart thought of different things to do. He also realized that Chitron wasn’t a good starting point for his plans, especially when the first objective at the moment was to resurrect Talia.
There was also the fact that claiming he would take over the world might not be the best way to introduce himself to others.
“Passing through, huh? Any plans on setting any towns on fire or murdering nobles or people of standing?”
“No.”
“Only in self-defense.”
Gerhart glared at Ritzy. He looked like he wanted to say something, but the second voice was quicker.
“Young man, you don’t light a town on fire in self-defense.”
“I don’t think you should speak on matters of which you know nothing about, stranger.”
“I know enough about fires and towns to know torching one isn’t something you do in self-defense.”
“It is if you do it to defend yourself.”
Ritzy and Gerhart could hear the man sigh even from afar.
“Alright, I won’t argue with you. I have better things to do. If what you’ve said is true, there’s no reason not to let you enter Chitron. But you will have to follow Maklin, and you will have to behave at all times.”
“Got it.”
“Alright.”
After the two of them agreed, eight people stepped out from different nearby trees.
“Oh, shit.”
It startled Ritzy, and he swore while unsheathing his dagger. But Gerhart stopped him before he could point it at anyone, especially one of the bow-carrying people they had encountered.
“Ritzy, you fucking idiot.”
“Sorry. Got scared. Been a long time since I’ve seen an orc. My apologies, fellas.”
Ritzy smiled and waved at the people who had just revealed themselves.
For some reason, the Chitron scouts had a hard time accepting Ritzy’s apology. But it was like the second voice to speak had said, they had better things to do than argue with a child, even if that child had just called them orcs.
Most of them just glared at Ritzy until one of them stepped forward.
“Well then. I’m Maklin. I’ll be in charge of guiding you to Chitron and arranging passage to wherever you wish to go once we arrive at Linlet. Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, nice! I was hoping it would be you.”
Ritzy trotted up to Maklin with a smile and shook his hand. Maklin was confused by Ritzy’s words, much like the others. Gerhart sighed and shook his head before walking up and greeting the well-built and hairy man that was a head and a half taller than him.
“I’m Gerhart. Nice to meet you, Maklin.”