ON top of the hilltop overlooking Andania Town is a famous tall monument. The first Lord, Lord Ezkamen Lut Andania, built the memorial with a group of Witches who cast an invisible protective barrier. This barrier, woven from the threads of magic and bound by the Witches' ancient spells, shields the town from harm, natural disasters or malevolent forces. Mika couldn't help but wonder if this barrier would be strong enough to withstand whatever threat the scroll warned of.
"We've made it!" Luna inhales and exhales deeply. The air is fresh, too, from the forest surrounding it!" The young Captain turns to her best friend, Mika, with a wide smile.
"Isn't this town just fascinating? I feel peaceful by just being here," Luna marvels, her eyes taking in the sights of the unfamiliar town.
"Indeed, Captain," Mika replies with a nod. She can barely contain the excitement and needs to constantly keep herself in check.
"That's right. This is your first time stepping outside of the castle's walls. Right, Mika?" Luna asks, her tone filled with respect for her friend's past experiences.
Mika nods.
"Oh hey, I have an idea. After we've finished delivering the scroll to Lord Andania and collecting the swords from the blacksmith, we'll take a little stroll around the town. Won't that be fun? What do you say?" Luna suggests her determination to enjoy their time in the town shining through.
Mika hesitates. Disobeying orders… but Luna is right. We hardly get any breaks. "I suppose it'll be a great waste not to explore the town since we're already here… Maybe we can also drop by at the Knight's Station and check things out with them? That won't be considered loitering now, would it?" Mika suggests, her sense of duty and responsibility weighing heavily on her decision.
"Precisely!" Luna nods happily. "It will only be for a short visit, okay? We still have a long journey back home if we want to make it by noon."
Luna happily wraps her arms around her best friend. "Oh, thank you, Mika! You're the best! I'll go to inform the others." The warmth of their friendship is palpable in this moment.
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VICE Commandant Claire Boyce lets out a long sigh as she finds herself in an incredibly distressed situation. She glares at the Knight in Training, who sits shaking in his booth before her. Already, she can feel veins popping in her head as she reminisces what happened a while ago:
Commandant Grants Rogue has proven himself countless times as a force reckoned with. He always keeps a cool head under tremendous pressure in difficult situations.Though a true soldier at his core, Grants has also shown people of gentle side kindness and compassion when needed by his soldiers. Grants earned the title of the Demonic Commandant due to his notorious and gruesome training to keep his men in shape and to prepare them for anything to come.
Many young and old Knights have sworn on their lives throughout their services as the Knights of Luyas that they have never seen their respectful Commandant Grants Rogue anything other than what he has described.
Imagine what an incredible shock it must have been for his Vice-Commandant when she entered his office to deliver some scrolls and found him in such a messy state. Scrolls were scattered everywhere, with a few empty Rum bottles across his table. It was like a typhoon had been unleashed, creating havoc in his office.For as long as Claire could remember, Grants barely touched any alcoholic drinks, with an exception on special social occasions, let alone being caught drinking in broad daylight.
"Commandant! Are you all right, Sir?" Claire asked concernedly.
When the Commandant's only response was a few gibberish words, Claire grabbed the last Rum bottle from his hand and placed it far away.
After a moment of great struggle, Claire gathered and put away all the alcoholic bottles in the room. Fearing it would be lousy insight if any of Lord Ranfel's men got wind about this, Claire was ready to discard the bottles when she came in person with a Knight in Training who had come to deliver a scroll to the Commandant and saw Grants in an inappropriate state due to the door being opened.
"For the last time. The Commandant is not to be disturbed at the moment unless there is anything urgent that requires his utmost attention."
"B-But Vice-Commandant Boyce, has something bad happened to the Commandant? Why does he-"
Claire mentally counts from one to ten before answering. "Trainee Lyne. Does your duty require you to question His Commandership on what he does during his private time? If you don't have anything else to report, I urge you to return to your duty at once."
The young trainee apologises profusely before excusing himself to the door. The way he dashes out of the door seems almost comical had it not been this dire situation.
Claire sighs yet again, putting down the files on her desk. "Perhaps a little tea and light snacks should make him sober at the very least…"
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GRANTS Rogue sits on the sofa in his office. He heard about the commotions but didn't give a damn about it. He trusts Boyce would handle the situation for him. Grants stood and stretched his arms. His eyes wander at the clock hanging on the walls. His patience grows thin as the noon closes in thirty minutes.
What could have taken them so long to deliver the scroll to Lord Andania and retrieve the swords from the blacksmith before noon? Moreover, he'd even assigned two of his most trustworthy Royal Knights to accompany them to keep the team focused on the mission. Could it be… He's already too late?
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
A couple of soft knocks on his door interrupt his deep thoughts.
"Enter."
The door opens and reveals Claire carrying a tray contains a mug of a herbal tea and some dry biscuits. "You've sobered up, I see."
"Yes," Grant clears his throat. "I… I want to thank you for taking care of things earlier. And to extend my sincere apologies."
Claire silently put the tray on his desk, pushing away the papers to make room. She picks up the cup and hands it to him, which Grants gladly accepts.
The tea felt perfect for his dry throat. In one swing, he finishes it. "Thank you. I needed that."
Claire nods. "If you don't mind me asking, I'd very much like to understand what happened to cause you to be in such dire trouble, Sir." Always straightforward with her questions without beating around the bush — those were among the many qualities that Grants greatly appreciated about his subordinate.
"It would be better if you see it for yourself. Please, have a seat."
Claire sits on the opposite side of the desk while Grants opens one of the drawers and pulls something out.
"Has Captain Luna's Team arrived at the gates?"
"Not quite yet. Though one cannot help but to ponder what was taking them to complete this simple task. Perhaps sending them for this errand is not the wisest choice, Sir."
Claire's eyes landed on the papers with the Heartlets' seal before her. She gazed up at the Commandant, who nodded before she read it silently.
Grants cleared his throat. "Normally, I'd put my absolute faith in the carefully selected team assigned for this type of mission. However, as this is a special request from Lord Ranfel himself who wanted his daughter to be promoted to Captain as soon as possible — even though the young lady is not ready for the position."
"A Knight requires special intensive training for certain periods to prepare them for the Captain Examination. Lady Luna certainly is not fit enough nor prepared herself for the training," Claire finished reading the papers.
"Precisely. Read on the next one."
Claire proceeded, taking the scroll carefully in her hands. Her eyes lingered on the significant capital letters, written as 'TOP SECRET'. All of a sudden, she felt a knot at the pit of her stomach.
While his Vice-Commandant read the report, Grants pulled another drawer and slammed two pieces of report statements on the table. Claire rushed in, reaching out both reports with trembling hands. She read them thoroughly, then gasped.
"These reports came in from the Knights of Eden who were patrolling the area near the Northern Borders, yesterday. They've received an urgent report about a large group of unknown intruders who had mysteriously entered the Northern lands and murdered the Knights stationed nearby. Lord Eden has sent an alarming warning to other Kingdoms about these intruders. Should any of those intruders manage to slip away from his Lines of Defense, the good Lord wants all surrounding Kingdoms to be well prepared and to take necessary actions. As Andania is the closest town in the North-East, the possibility of these intruders slipping in the town is dangerously high."
Grants cleared his throat. "The scroll that I'd asked Luna's Retrieve Team to deliver, was a warning for Lord Andania should an attack take place. Two thousand swords have already been made and Knights of Luyas have already been assigned to protect the town."
"So the sudden increasing numbers of the Knights patrolling within Andania is just a cover-up and not in preparation for the Captain Examination?"
Grants shook his head. "We do not want to cause chaos and panic amongst the people there with the sudden increase of Knights patrolling the area. To deceive them with the cover-up is the best."
Claire stood up abruptly, worry visible as she looked at the Grandfather's clock, now fifteen minutes close to noon.
"Commandant, we've stopped receiving any updates from the Senior Knights in the Retrieve Team, hence, what are the odds of Captain Luna's team being caught in the middle of the battlefield? Or worse, what if an attack is already taking place and—"
"Calm yourself, Vice-Commandant. The worst is yet to come. It'll be wise for both of us to keep a cool head at these times and not to overthink about this matter. Though I agreed with your assumption," Grants sighed deeply as he rose from his seat and headed to the door. "Prepare the necessary for an Immediate Rescue Team at once, Vice-Commandant Luna."
"Understood, Sir!"
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BACK to Luna's brigade, as they approach the entrance of Andania Town, the imposing structure adorned with the town's sigil loomed before them. Guards stood vigilantly at their posts, their expressions grim. Unlike the usual relaxed postures Luna was accustomed to, these guards held themselves stiffly, hands hovering near their swords. Mika's gaze darted around, taking in the scene. She noticed an unusual number of patrols circling the town square, their movements sharp and purposeful. A knot of unease tightened in her stomach.
"Is everything alright here?" Luna inquired politely, her voice betraying a hint of concern despite her best efforts.
One of the guards, a grizzled veteran with a weathered face etched with worry lines, hesitated before replying. "There have been… rumours of trouble on the northern borders, Captain Luna. Lord Andania has requested increased vigilance."
Mika's heart pounded against her ribs as the guard's words echoed in her mind. Intruders? From the north? This was far more serious than a simple border skirmish. She glanced at Luna, whose brow remained furrowed in concern. A flicker of worry crossed Luna's previously optimistic gaze.
"Intruders from the north, you say?" Luna inquired, her voice firm despite the tremor in her hand. "Do you have any further details?"
The guard shook his head, worry etching deeper lines on his weathered face. "Only whispers, Captain. Strange cloaks, symbols none of us have seen before... brutality beyond anything we've faced."
A cold sweat prickled Mika's skin. This wasn't just about bandits or disgruntled peasants. This was something entirely different, something far more menacing. Her eyes darted around, searching for any sign of these intruders, any sign that the town was under attack. But everything seemed to be proceeding as usual, almost eerily so.
"Thank you for the information," Luna said, her voice resolute. "We'll deliver the scroll to Lord Andania immediately. It might hold some answers, some way to prepare for whatever is coming."
The guards exchanged a solemn look before nodding and swinging open the gates. As they entered the bustling town square, Mika couldn't shake the unease gnawing at her. The scroll felt heavier than ever in her grasp, a constant reminder of the urgency. A cold dread washed over her. This may not be a simple border skirmish. Maybe something is going on that none of them are fully aware of. At the very least, not yet.