[Sain Rider Point Of View]
I am a new recruit to House Crambells squad knight. I decided to follow after Dores who was hired by Marquis Rodolph. I barely survived the marquis cruel test but luckily I was able to join months ago.
My hometown is a bit far from the empire's capital. I was born at the northern end, nearest to [ Logoria Fortress ] in a small village called [ Stoneville ]... The dukedom of the north yield us, they aid our village at times, even though the one that supposed to be leading us is Count Loche, the count of the north had neglected its duty ━ ignored us precisely, even watched us being raided by bandits and criminals.
Others of our allies who had fallen by the hands of those filthy scams become bandites themselves, because of how hard surviving in a small village be like [ Stoneville ] the empire cannot always protect us, the only hope is that we rely on the dukedom of the north rather than the count that governs our village.
I decided to follow Dores in his dream of becoming the empire's knight, and I also deam to see my future at the hands of the empire. We have the goal to protect our village by becoming one of the empire's most honorable jobs. It may lead to a difficult road but I reach my goal with pride.
I meet the squad captain, Sir Adrian, who clings on the marquis like a slime. He may look like a lame fellow but the squad captain had taught us many things of becoming a Crambells Squad Knights, he was shy but also a dignified warrior.
There is also Eclise whose mouth reminds me of a fish, and a person who can't shut his mouth from talking. He talks a lot and he likes socializing with others even when others seem to be uncomfortable with his tireless and awkward topics.
I like him as a spar partner but he is not someone you'll enjoy talking with. He has a double edge lips that creeps ladies from talking to him, Eclise is someone I consider one of the few people who needs more of mental aid than that person who can't socialize itself.
It's not an insult! I don't have problem with Eclise's terrible personality, but he may need attention more than Lady Seira.
Furthermore, we have Lady Seira, a female. More than anything, I know nothing of Lady Seira but herself being the marquis' only child, the lady was said to be fragile and frankly speaking, she does not possess a fragile body! Again, milady is not weak!
However, she was said to be [ pale ] and frail, she does not possess a long and capable strength that can compare to the marquis himself. I heard she fell on the lake after the day of his highness the crown prince's birthday party that was held at the banquet hall.
She fell... Is more likely not how to describe... The maids said something interesting. They said she tried drowning herself in the lake near Marquis Lordest residence, that lake known to be mankind's curse, a lake built to frighten every bones in anyone's body who will be visiting it.
Although, it's just a tale, it was proven to be safe... The lake... I mean...
Milady's attempt that day was known throughout and even the maids and servants had been discussing it.
Yet again, I was wrong, milady is not someone perfect for a description of innocent and weak. I met her for the first time but Sir Adrian had met her several times to look at her with surprise, she made the mighty squad captain kneel in a low position, you'll remind me of the eastern style of kneeling.
The lady defeated the squad captain so unexpectedly with a wooden sword, probably the high quality one but it's still made of wood! I thought she looked like some rabbit challenging the lion's den. It was a mistake to even think of her as 'cute', she was not!
She moves her body like someone dancing in a waltz style, she rotates smoothly with her hands against the wooden sword, she feels the wind under her skin as she attacks Sir Adrian head on, yet her footwork is so refined to understand it in a day.
She was walking in pace so perfectly, her stance was so refined, her way of swinging the sword, her body the way she moved, her speed and even her breathings. A female who fights is something I have never seen, especially if it's a noble lady. I may have seen a few but huntresses, a common female huntress but not a female fighter.
I was dumbfounded the moment I watched her... She reminds me of dancing petals, and the sound of the wind. It was harmonious to watch her being herself but also didn't expect her to almost (slit) Sir Adrian's throat in just a second.
--+-•-+--
After the battle and the loyalty declaration to Lady Seira, I watched her as she walked away from the knight...
Even though she was refined and perfect in many ways, she is not flawless for many reasons. If Sir Adrian has his weakness, that is his seasickness, milady has her own thing that we normal knights won't probably understand, yet it feels like milady was running away to accept something in an awkward manner.
Well at least she was able to socialize with us after the 1st day of journey, yup, she socialized despite being awkward to us when we were talking. Instead of feeling that her presence is nearby, she kept herself responsible and silent at all times so we barely thought that milady was around.
She had enjoy quite few of Dores jokes, even the most lamest part and unlike some of us, she seem to have gotten closer to Eclise the most irritable fellow amongst the others.
Yet again, she likes talking to us in a face so serious that we sometimes barely look her in the eye. Although she feels like an elder, rather than a child. We remain reluctant and responsible whenever we are near her boundary, we just feel like milady is a leader of a military army rather than a lady of the court.
She also didn't have much problem with socializing... It doesn't seem that she is suffering from fatigue or something but sometimes she looks like someone who had suffered and experienced battle fatigue, someone who had lived by the rules of fighting without a reason.
One who experiences the sweat of the war will understand once they see one.
So I decided to confront milady, when she was alone at her own tent. She honestly didn't like sleeping on the carriage. She said that she will sleep outside and we didn't want that so we built her a tent. I walked in silently and saw Milady sitting on a chair with her hands against a paper, that must be the paper that the messenger bird keeps on transmitting.
I wonder why milady looks so serious in a letter... Could that be a letter of proposal? Or a secret? There are many reasons why we use messenger birds to transmit information, so I don't exactly know what milady is doing right now.
"What is it that you want, Sain? " I barely move but she notices me? As expected from a female fighter who defeated five demonic beasts and was able to cultivate the strongest aura I can feel.
I smiled and kneeled. "It's very awkward to see a 10-years-old kid who talks maturely, " I said, then immediately took back most of my breath.
"Milady, are you perhaps suffering from battle fatigue? "
I didn't hear any response for at least 40 seconds and the chill of the night breeze is actually devouring me, and I can feel the cold pressure that evolved on this tent.
What's happening?
I feel like... No, it can't be... My eyes turned towards milady, but I was shocked to see the dark flare aura that I sensed back then, it was the same, and its... Frightening... I feel like I wanna cry at this moment... Yet, the dark flare disappeared in the mid air.
"Have you seen one suffering from it? To be sure that I carry one? " Those are her responses and instead of answering, I walked in front of her and bent the same way I did before.
"I cannot be mistaken one, when I see one, I myself have experienced the judgment of war. A [ battle fatigue ] is like a sickness or illness engraved to a person who had been fighting over severe battles that might cost them instability. I believe that milady herself is suffering one right now, when did this happen? " I explained, and observed milady's reaction, she was looking at me rather [ empty ] than shocked, I can't read her own reaction or how she is expressing one that made me suffocate.
I'm confused...
"Hmm, that's impossible, I've never fought back then, surely I told you about the dream, it's only a dream, that cannot happen, " she sneered before shrugging and folded that paper that she received earlier.
Then she looked at me...
"We are nearing House Cullian's territory, tell the knights to feed all the horses, we will run towards there tomorrow by dawn, we cannot delay anymore, " she commanded without even flinching.
I just nodded as I used to.
Before leaving the tent and telling Sir Adrian what Lady Seira said.
My head feels like... No, what did she mean? Run towards House Cullian territory? Are we perhaps in a hurry? Or did something perhaps bad happen? I'm not sure, but it seems that milady is planning on traveling at speed.
Besides, I can't be sure if she is aware that she's unstable right now. Maybe because the Marquis is not here, or because something is happening to her? I can't be sure, for now, I'll leave it as it is.