"Wait! Where do you think you're going? I order you to guard my carriage!"
An annoyingly pompous voice rang out from behind us, cutting through the thinning battlefield noise like nails on glass.
Kayda and I both froze mid-step, our heads turning slightly.
Kayda slowly turned on her heel, eyebrow twitching in irritation. "Who the fuck is this person?" she muttered under her breath, her voice already tight with disdain.
I squinted at the approaching man. He wore a garish red-and-gold nobleman's overcoat far too extravagant for travel, his boots spotless, and his hair styled with far too much oil. Despite the battle that had just ended, he looked like someone who had never lifted anything heavier than a wine glass.
"Umm… I think I've seen him before," I muttered, tilting my head. "But I can't quite put my finger on it…"
The man strode toward us with exaggerated swagger, like he owned the road itself. "I am the first son of Viscount Jaman," he announced, puffing out his chest, "and I order you two to guard my carriage!"
Kayda looked at me as if silently begging for permission to slap him.
"AAH! Now I remember!" I said with a spark of recognition. "This is the idiot who tried to flirt with the princess before Hugo's duel."
Kayda blinked at me. "He did that? And he's still alive?"
"Yeah, I think he just got a warning," I said, watching the man come to a stop a few feet in front of us.
He blinked, recognition dawning in his eyes. "Wait, it's you!" he pointed at me, voice rising.
"Should I knock you out again?" I asked casually, tilting my head, a lazy grin tugging at the corners of my mouth.
"N-No! No, that won't be necessary," the viscount's son stammered, his hands flying up defensively.
"Good. Then we'll be on our way." I performed a theatrical spin as I turned around. "Thanks for wasting our time."
Kayda huffed beside me as we started walking again.
"Wait up, ladies! Would you please just hear me out?!" Another voice cut in before I could even take two steps.
"Tch. Kayda, you handle this one," I said, already regretting stopping.
"Why me?" Kayda asked flatly, arching an eyebrow.
"Because this one's your kind of problem," I said, gesturing behind me.
Kayda followed my gesture—and immediately groaned. A man in ceremonial white robes approached with slow, deliberate steps. His uniform was embroidered with golden patterns and a symbol of the Church of Light. He looked far too important to be ignored.
"Oh. I see," Kayda said, giving my shoulder a light, sarcastic pat. "Fine. I'll behave."
"Good afternoon, Kayda the Sage. It is an honor to finally meet you," the man said, bowing respectfully once he reached us. "I am Archbishop Warlurd."
I kept a blank expression, letting Kayda take the lead.
"Why would an archbishop be heading toward Armillian?" Kayda asked coolly, one brow raised in suspicion.
"There have been unsettling reports from the south over the last few weeks," Warlurd replied calmly, his voice polished and diplomatic. "I chose to investigate them in person."
So, something major was happening in the demon territory.
"I see." Kayda folded her arms. "Then what does the Archbishop want from us?"
Warlord straightened his posture slightly, hands clasped together with grace. The fight with the Crimson Bandits has severely weakened our escort team. We may not survive another ambush if they return. I would sincerely request that Lady Kayda and her companion assist us by guarding the convoy until we reach Armillian."
He gave a deep, sincere bow, his long white robes billowing gently in the wind.
Kayda blinked, caught off guard by the humility.
"Hm… I don't know. What do you think?" she asked, glancing at me.
I crossed my arms thoughtfully. "Will we get paid?"
Everyone blinked.
"Oi," Kayda said in a flat tone, giving me a long, deadpan stare. "Not everything is about money."
I returned her look with equal seriousness. "We will need money to travel through the kingdom."
Archbishop Warlurd laughed softly. "Of course. You are a practical one. To think the disciple of Kayda the Sage would be so concerned with coin."
"She's not my disciple," Kayda snapped, already annoyed. "That's my sister."
"Never mind that," I said, stepping forward. "How much are you offering?"
Warlord chuckled again. "How about… twenty gold coins each?"
"Thirty."
He smiled. "Twenty-five."
"Thirty-five."
Warlord raised an eyebrow. "Fine, thirty."
"Fifty," I said without missing a beat.
The archbishop went pale, his mouth twitching.
"Stop!" he groaned, clearly realizing the trap. "We can't pay that much!"
"Huh? But you're hiring Kayda the Sage," I said, placing a hand on Kayda's shoulder with exaggerated reverence. "You don't think she comes cheap, do you?"
Kayda gave me a look of pure betrayal.
"…Sigh. I should have known," Warlurd muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Fifty gold each. But no more."
He turned sharply, robes snapping, and walked off before I could open my mouth again.
I smirked. "We'll be on the viscount's carriage if you need us," I called after him.
I turned to the pale, trembling viscount's son. "That's fine with you, right?"
"Y-Yes! No problem!" He stammered and scurried off.
Once he was gone, Kayda rounded on me like a storm cloud.
"Nova. Did you just sell my name?" Her voice was dangerously calm.
"Yep," I said cheerfully. "One hundred gold coins will be helpful."
She grabbed me by the collar, her face inches from mine. "Do you know how much a normal escort from the capital to Armillian costs?"
"Nope," I said innocently.
"ONE gold coin. One." Her eye twitched. "And how much are we getting paid?"
"Fifty. Each." I grinned.
Kayda's fingers tightened like iron vices. "Five hundred percent more than the standard rate."
"But we're special," I said with mock pride. "You're a living legend. I just did excellent marketing."
Kayda slowly exhaled through her nose, like a volcano on the edge of eruption. "You made it sound like I'm selling my name for money."
"But I was! That was the whole point!"
"That's not up to you!" Kayda yelled, finally letting go and storming off.
I brushed off my shirt. "Didn't you say this was my trip?" I called after her.
Before I could say anything else, something smacked into the back of my head.
Everything went black.
(Unknown time later)
'Ugh… what happened?' My mind was fuzzy. 'Oh, right. Kayda knocked me out.'
I groaned, blinking against the sunlight filtering through the cloth canopy above me. Something soft and warm cradled my head, the scent of lavender and magic tingling in my nose.
'No way. Is this what I think it is? Lap pillow?'
A slow smile spread on my face. 'Please be the cute sister from before.'
I opened my eyes—only to meet Kayda's unamused gaze.
"Aah. You're finally awake," she said coolly.
'I mean… not bad.' I secretly smirked, maintaining a confident expression.
"Oh? A lap pillow from you, huh?" I said with a sly smile, shifting slightly. "Don't mind if I do. I think I'll sleep a bit longer."
Kayda blinked once. "Is that so?" she said, lightly brushing her fingers through my hair.
'Wait… she's really going to let me?'
The warmth of her touch lulled me slightly.
Until—
"Like hell I will!" she snapped, suddenly pinching my ear and yanking me upright.
"OW! Why are you like this?!" I whined, rubbing my abused ear.
"You try being nice, and this is what I get?" she huffed.
"Lady Kayda, that's not very nice," a soft voice said from across the carriage.
We both turned.
The healer from before—Mil—sat with her hands folded neatly, a faint glow of magic still dancing around her fingers.
My pout returned instantly. "Yes, scold her, Sister Mil! She's so mean to me!"
I scrambled across the floor and threw my arms around Mil's waist, causing her to yelp in surprise.
From Kayda's angle, I made sure she saw my wink and slight head tilt toward the small window at the front of the carriage.
Kayda sighed, muttering under her breath. "You stupid cunning fox…"
With a wave of her hand, she created a small soundproof wind barrier inside the carriage, shielding our antics from the outside.
"See? Mil, she's always bullying me!" I said this while dramatically leaning into Mil's lap.
"It's okay," Mil said sweetly, gently petting my head. "You poor thing."
I froze.
She's petting me. Why is she petting me?'
Her hand continued to stroke gently, like I was some obedient housecat.
'This is fine. This is FINE. I'm doing this for Kayda's sake.'
"Thank you, Mil," I said with a bright smile, letting her go and sliding back to my side.
I tilted my head innocently. "But Mil… Why are you going to the South? I thought there were no churches that far out."
Mil nodded. "You're right. There weren't. But with the Head of the Anabald House going quiet lately, the Church decided to begin expanding south."
"That's… not a bad move," I said slowly, eyes narrowing slightly. "Less resistance, more faith."
"Yes, exactly," Mil said cheerfully. "Though a new problem has come up. Something strange. Something... wrong."