"I don't know why I remembered that. It's damn sad to see myself, a grown man, crying for his mother's death even after all these years... Mother, you were a good person."

Joe lay on his bed in a cheap inn in the capital. He looked through the window and noticed dusk approaching. He then turned his gaze back to the ceiling and sighed. "I ran. I was just a coward, a damn noble kid with nothing more than a pocket full of my father's wealth. I was nothing, could have died at any moment... huuuuuuh, I just..."

Joe closed his eyes and sighed again, speaking in a mocking tone: "As my father once told me, some people are so poor, all they have is money."

Joe tried to sleep as memories drifted back to the time just after the funeral. A week had passed when a group of knights were escorting a carriage travelling toward Goven village.

Inside the carriage were Hamell, Leader Rhothomir, and an old man with white hair dressed in noble blue clothes. He didn't carry a weapon, only a book he was reading.

Rhothomir looked at the old man and said, "Uncle, are you done reading that book? We are almost at the village."

His uncle, Bot, smiled as he closed the book. "A happy ending. I really liked it."

Rhothomir looked at his uncle and tried to speak, but his uncle interrupted him. "What was the name of that soldier who saved you? ... Ah, Jeffrey Gostave, am I right?"

"Yes, uncle," Rhothomir answered. "A brave one, really."

"I am excited to meet him. After all, I have business with him. Tell me, Rhothomir," Bot said, looking at Rhothomir with a curious eyes.

Rhothomir looked at his uncle, who smiled and asked, "Is he a smart person?"

Rhothomir thought for a moment before responding. "If you mean bending his knees, he will, as any other person to a noble. But if you refer to loyalty, you have to earn it. Money and power won't cut it with those people."

Bot clapped his hands, laughing, and punched Rhothomir's back. "I like him already. And thank God his wife died; that will make things easier."

Upon hearing those words, Rhothomir stared at his uncle with anger. Bot smiled and waved his hands. "No need to get angry. I won't say it to his face. I want to win him over."

Rhothomir responded immediately, maintaining his stare. "That was cold and inconsiderate, even from you."

Bot laughed, waving his hands dismissively. "Doesn't matter. I have plans in my mind, and sometimes I have to be cold. I would have preferred to come later because his wife's funeral was just a week ago, but I need that man. I need him badly."

Rhothomir then looked out the window of the carriage and sighed. Bot took Rhothomir's hand, turning his attention back to him. With a serious look, he said, "Help me convince him—money, honour, damn lies! I don't care. Help me convince him of my deal!"

Hamell looked at Rhothomir, who tried to refuse by saying, "Look, uncle, he saved—"

"I DON'T CARE!" Bot's angry response stopped Rhothomir, who stayed silent as Bot continued. "Help me this once! Just this once! I need a shoulder, Rhothomir, and yours is the only one I can lean on right now! Please, don't disappoint me in my time of need!"

Rhothomir turned his gaze away, about to open the door and jump from the carriage. But he sighed, calming himself, and nodded in silence.

At Goven village, Tyka was helping Cox with the shop. Tyka took the hot sword and put it in the water bowl, causing a big cloud of steam to rise from the water due to the sword's heat.

Tyka then walked slowly, as his right leg was broken and needed to drag it. He sat on a chair and rested while Cox continued working.

Tyka looked at his father and said, "Father, I've returned, so why are you still working? Go rest, take care of my kids, or travel. Or..."

Cox stared at his son, making Tyka fall silent. Cox then said, "With that damn leg of yours? And even when the nuns come and fix you up, I won't stop working."

"Why?" Tyka asked. "When I fix this leg, why would you work? You hated this job and were happy the moment you gave me the shop."

Cox smiled as he struck another sword with his hammer. "Because it took me and young Joe and weeks of effort to get my old skills back. I struggled to remember, and when those damn nobles launch another war, who’s going to feed your kids?"

Tyka lowered his head and said, "I miss Gula. I really miss her."

Cox sighed. "That whore? She left you and your kids to make a living in the capital. Curse her!"

Tyka stared at Cox with anger. "No need for such harsh words! She is the mother of my kids, your grandchildren."

Cox spat on the ground in mockery, then answered, "That was before she got that invitation from the nobles. You and I pleaded with her to stay, but golden coins were more important than her family."

Tyka turned his gaze toward the sky. "I waited for her, but she never even sent a letter. Maybe she just closed that chapter of her life."

Cox threw the hot sword he was hammering into the water and murmured, "And like any whore, she spread her legs wide open."

Tyka shouted, "Father!"

Cox then entered the house, shouting, "I'm hungry. Finish the work yourself!"

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

At the village guard post, Urien sat in silence, reading a book and occasionally glancing at the spot where Titus used to sit and study magic. He closed his eyes, shaking off the memories, and tried to concentrate on his book.

Suddenly, his thoughts took him back to the funeral. He had lowered his head to avoid meeting anyone's eyes, regret and shame consuming him as he closed his eyes.

A gentle hand touched his shoulder, and he opened his eyes to see Jeffrey, his face and arm bandaged, tears in his eyes. Jeffrey looked at Urien, and Urien noticed the villagers were also looking at him. Jeffrey, tearing up, said, "You did what you could and saved who you could, protected who you could. Now rest, my old friend."

Urien looked at Jeffrey and instantly remembered Beatrice. He then glanced at the villagers, Safle, Lyra, Cox, and Tyka. The images of the good people who died flashed before his eyes.

Urien looked away as tears streamed down his face. He started crying with a pained voice, as if the whole world was squeezing the tears out of him. He fell to the ground, head bowed, and spoke in a broken voice: "...I... am... sorry... forgi...ve me..."

Jeffrey hugged him, while Tyka and Cox patted his back. It was a nightmare Urien found himself in.

"Can you get yourself out of it?"

Urien opened his eyes and noticed the knights escorting the carriage. He got up, his face flushed red as he remembered the knights who hadn't helped that day.

At Gostave's house, Jeffrey was in pain. He fell to the ground, holding his broken arm. He removed the bandages and the wooden splint, unable to bear the agony any longer.

Breathing heavily, he called out, "Joe? Where are you, son?"

He then remembered that Joe was out making deliveries between villages, a job he had taken on to help with various needs and to sell what was left of Kaelen's shop to prevent the products from rotting.

Jeffrey clutched his arm and screamed in pain, closing his eyes and saying weakly, "Beatrice............ please help.............. me, dear!"

At that moment, Lyra opened the door and entered, calling, "Jeffrey? Where are you?"

Jeffrey shouted, "Here!"

Lyra entered the bedroom and looked at Jeffrey's arm, her eyes widening as she stared at the purple bruising. "Jeffrey! Your arm is purple! What happened?"

She gently grabbed his shoulder and helped him sit on the bed. Looking concerned, she asked, "Did you fall or something?"

Jeffrey shook his head, breathing heavily as he replied, "I... I don't know. It just... kept bothering me since they put the bandages on me... when the war ended."

Lyra nodded in understanding. "I'll call Urien and see what's left from Kaelen's shop! Just..."

At that moment, Lyra and Jeffrey heard the sound of horses arriving in the village. Lyra helped Jeffrey to his feet and walked him towards the door.

When Lyra opened the door, she and Jeffrey watched as the knights cleared a path for the carriage to stop. Urien stepped out of the guard post and fixed his gaze directly at the window, locking eyes with Hamell who stared back.

Rhothomir and Bot disembarked from the carriage and began to search the village. Bot demanded urgently, "Where is the one called Jeffrey?"

Rhothomir's eyes widened as he surveyed the scene. His attention was drawn to the men of the village: Tyka, dragging his injured leg while peering out from his shop; Safle's husband, emerging from his house with trembling hands, his son's face still covered in bandages.

Rhothomir then turned his gaze to Jeffrey, his eyes fixed on Jeffrey's purple arm. He approached Jeffrey and asked, "Why... why haven't the nuns arrived?"

Rhothomir covered his face with his hands, closing his eyes as he felt he had betrayed his men. He couldn't shake the memory of Lorence, the Crystal Priest of the Light Temple, who had assured them during a meeting: "We will send the nuns. All soldiers just need to be patient."

Rhothomir muttered to himself with anger, "You meant the nobles first? You damn..."

Bot looked at Rhothomir and slapped his back. Rhothomir startled and glanced at his uncle, who said firmly, "Pull yourself together! This is a mistake we will take care of."

Collecting himself, Rhothomir turned to the villagers and declared, "The nuns will arrive. Give us a day!"

The villagers exchanged glances before resuming their duties, seemingly indifferent. It was as if they were looking at an empty vessel of a kingdom, tasked with babysitting its nobles. Even anger seemed unnecessary, as they always knew who their kingdom cherished more.

Jeffrey noticed the pain in Rhothomir's expression and said quietly, "They've lost faith in this kingdom. Don't blame them, your knights never saved us."

Rhothomir nodded solemnly, understanding the sentiment. However, Jeffrey smiled faintly and added, "But I still have faith in you. After all, you are my leader and companion."

Turning back to Jeffrey, Rhothomir forced a smile and said, "Friend."

Jeffrey nodded weakly, returning the smile. "Friend."

Afterwards, Rhothomir used ice magic to alleviate the intense pain Jeffrey was experiencing.

Jeffrey looked at his frozen arm and mused aloud, "If I don't feel anything anymore, is that a good or bad thing?"

Rhothomir smiled reassuringly. "A good thing. They will fix you, I promise."

Jeffrey chuckled and joked, "And if not, be ready to call me the one-armed Gostave."

Rhothomir didn't catch the humour and replied earnestly, "If you lose it, they can take mine too, as repayment!"

Jeffrey shook his head. "I was just joking. I want my arm!"

Meanwhile, Bot gazed around the house—the kitchen, the old table, and the kitchen window overlooking the village. He murmured to himself unconsciously, "A calm life, huh?"

Kyra arrived with cups of honey tea, serving Rhothomir, Jeffrey, and Bot. Bot stared at Kyra for a moment, then glanced at Rhothomir with concern. Rhothomir shook his head subtly, reassuring his uncle that Jeffrey hadn't married another woman, as he wasn't that kind of man.

Bot sighed in relief, then accepted the tea. Meanwhile, Lyra handed tea to the knights outside, cautioning them, "It's hot, be careful."

The knights nodded bashfully, bowing their heads as they sipped their tea, visibly relaxing. Lyra then returned to her home, still curious about why these nobles had arrived.

As she passed Hamell, who had lowered his head, Lyra shot him an angry glance and remarked, "No tea for you."

Hamell kept his gaze on the ground, nodding quietly. "Understood."

Lyra continued walking toward her home, her voice carrying loudly back to Hamell's ears. "I hope you die, coward!"

Back at Gostave's house, after a moment of silent drinking, Bot broke the silence. "Jeffrey Gostave, first of all, thank you for saving my son here. I may be his uncle, but this kid is mine, and I deeply thank you for saving his life."

Jeffrey nodded gratefully. "It was an honour fighting alongside him."

Bot continued, "As nobles, we will compensate your village and others with coins for letting you suffer in this state without healing. Additionally, we'll provide more coins for the women and families who didn't receive anything from the kingdom during the war."

Jeffrey was surprised by Bot's generosity, but he remembered who Bot was—a noble and a businessman. There was always a catch.

Jeffrey glanced at Rhothomir before turning his attention to Bot. "If you need something, ask Urien. We don't have a leader or chief, just him as an authority figure."

Bot smiled and shook his head. "No, I need you, Jeffrey Gostave. You are a hero; you saved many people, important people."

Jeffrey looked down at his tea and asked, "But why pay money that the kingdom promised? Isn't that costly for you?"

Bot nodded, maintaining his professional smile. "Yes, but for the Renolva kingdom to fail in paying housewives would be a blow to its reputation. It's better for the nobles to cover the cost, making the kingdom indebted to them. It's a strategic move, not disrespectful to the kingdom's standing."

Jeffrey nodded and then asked, looking directly at Bot, "And my part in all this is?"

Bot met his gaze and replied, "Jeffrey Gostave, do you want to make a deal? A profitable one, I swear on my name, my father's name, and my family's name."

Jeffrey remained silent, his expression unreadable, while Rhothomir looked away. Bot smiled and added, "Care to listen?"