Chapter 101: Night Patrol
Hermes stared at her with wide eyes and after a moment of silence he asked quietly, "Ma'am, that is all?"
Seraphina let out a faint sigh, "No, of course not. You will wait for the punishments that follow later. I only hope you will understand and at least learn your lesson from this, because I would rather not be forced into actions that I do not wish to take. But for now I have little time, I am occupied with something else today. It has been far too long since I last stepped directly into a case myself. Speaking of which, you should prepare yourself as well... I have a feeling something is going to happen in Velhart soon, so keep your guards alert and prepared at all times."
Hermes gave her a long look and then, with visible relief, sighed and smiled faintly, "Understood. And thank you so much, Captain, for your understanding and your generosity... and, if you permit me, I have a question for you, ma'am?"
Seraphina tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing, "What is it?"
Hermes hesitated for a breath before glancing at her hair and replying, "Where did you get this beautiful hairclip? It looks very expensive. Come to think of it, I have never seen you wearing anything like that before... why the sudden change?"
Seraphina did not reply at once. For a moment she remained silent before letting out a soft chuckle, "It was a gift from someone, so I cannot tell you where it was bought. But why this sudden curiosity?"
The air between them seemed to grow colder, though Hermes only coughed lightly as if trying to shake it away, "Well, you see... I believe I am going to marry soon... though nothing has been decided yet. My youth is slipping away so I thought it'd be the best time to get a partner to spend life with, and if everything goes well then I want to give her something beautiful like that, something precious. That is all."
Seraphina studied him with a tired expression and finally sighed, "So, who is the girl?"
Hermes quickly coughed again and turned his eyes away as though embarrassed, "You already know her... the receptionist, Trisy. But I still cannot bring myself to confess my feelings to her, and I have no idea if she would even accept me. And of course, I would never force her to agree with me, you can trust me on it. But hoping to not get rejected actually frustrates me beyond measure... Can you give me some advice, Captain?"
Seraphina closed her eyes for a brief moment and then exhaled, "Trust me, Hermes, I am the very last person you should be asking such a question. Still, if you want my opinion, I believe she will reject you, especially with the way you always act around her."
Hermes lowered his head and sighed again, "I know... I lose myself whenever she is around, I become flustered and then I end up shouting at her for no reason just to drive her away... it is foolish, I know it well."
Seraphina lingered in silence for a moment before giving him the faintest sigh of resignation, "Well, good luck then."
She had already begun to turn away when his voice stopped her, "Oh, Captain... are you leaving without eating anything?"
Her reply came quickly, "No, not today. Didn't I tell you I have errands to attend to."
Yet before she could take her leave, a figure appeared at the doorway carrying a tray with tea and some desserts.
The moment she entered, Hermes's face flushed crimson as though he had been struck with a fever, his entire body tense as though he might burst apart. He could not even form words in her presence, while Seraphina, observing the scene, could not help but notice the odd resemblance between Hermes's nervousness before Trisy and the way a certain someone often behaved before her.
Her thoughts pressed against her like a whisper she did not want to hear. "No... I am only thinking too much. That bastard already told me clearly he does not hold such feelings for me. He only acts that way to provoke me, to make me angry... nothing more."
Her reverie was cut short by Hermes's awkward voice, "H-hey, Trisy... should you not have brought these earlier? What took you so long? And... you did not hear anything we were saying, did you?"
Trisy shook her head slightly, a motion that showed she had heard nothing, and since she brought the tea, Seraphina could not resist taking a few sips of it. Tea was her weakness, her small addiction, after all. Soon after, she left the office with Trisy following behind her, carrying the tray.
When they reached the corridor below, Seraphina suddenly halted, turned slightly, and asked in a calm voice, "You heard everything he said, did you not?"
The girl's eyes flickered toward her and she gave the faintest nod.
Seraphina lingered for a moment, her expression unreadable, before speaking, "Since you chose not to tell him anything, it means you did not wish to acknowledge it, though deep down you already knew. Am I right?"
The girl sighed softly, her voice steady but faint, "I did. It became clear enough when the soldiers began to act differently around me, almost as if they feared me too. It was not hard to understand what it meant. But I do not think I am ready for such a thing. It would be better if he never asked me at all."
Seraphina turned away but a strange expression crossed her face as she spoke, "Then take a small piece of advice from me. First, think carefully about the kind of decision you want to make, and make it in such a way that you never have to regret it. Marriage may be a small and simple word, but most people often fail to understand the weight it truly carries. Even I cannot say what it really means, not fully. It is something that binds you to another person with an invisible line, sometimes even to someone you hardly know. And whether you realize it or not, you are fortunate, Trisy, because you still have the choice to decide. There are people who never had that chance, who could never choose such a path. So I tell you, think carefully before you decide anything, because once you do, your life will change forever."
The girl stared at her for a long moment, her voice uneven when she finally answered, "Understood, ma'am... I will keep that in my mind."
Suddenly, Seraphina exhaled softly and asked out of topic, "So, Trisy, can you tell me where's the women's washroom?"
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After the training with Arienne had come to an end Kael found himself with nothing to do at least for a while, and so he wandered aimlessly through the town's paths without any particular destination in mind.
Even though it seemed like he had already forgotten about the hairclip and the story of its owner, he knew deep down that he had no real intention of digging further into the matter of that old woman, since doing so would only complicate things in ways he could not yet grasp. And still, he had no proper understanding of the tattoo etched on his body, nor what it truly meant, nor what he might gain or lose from its presence.
Earlier, he had visited the guild, not to accept a new quest but simply to search for any recorded information about the Hollow-Tongue he had fought yesterday. As it turned out, his suspicions were correct. The creature had not possessed spiderweb-like cracks on its hands, nor were such markings part of its natural evolution. That could only mean the monster bore some kind of tattoo of its own, one different from Kael's.
That alone was enough to confirm something he had long suspected: the creature might indeed have possessed a strange kind of vision as well. At first, he had treated the thought as nothing more than an idle theory, but after reflecting on their fight again and again he was now almost certain of it.
Back then, the monster's behavior had been far too unusual, the very opposite of how monsters typically acted. The strangest part of all was the way it refrained from attacking him the instant it appeared at his side, when normally monsters lunged the very moment they laid eyes on their prey.
"Speaking of that… didn't the creature actually show me a direction when I was lost in thought about where to go… it did, didn't it?"
He had been so preoccupied with missing memories, with visions that might not have been visions at all, with demons, with tattoos, and with his wind magic that he had almost let that small detail slip from his mind. At the time, the fight itself had consumed him, leaving little room to reflect, but now that he pieced it together, the memory stood out with unsettling clarity.
If he was correct, then the glimpse of the future he had seen had not been an illusion of vision but something more tangible, something far heavier, and if that was true then perhaps the monster too had seen its own future. If that were the case, then the creature must have known from the very beginning that it was destined to die by Kael's hands. Perhaps that was why it had hesitated to attack, though Kael had been the first to strike regardless. And so the question lingered, did monsters possess emotions at all, and more importantly, could they feel fear in the face of death?
"Who knows? Maybe… I'm just a fool."
Even so, he could not deny what now seemed certain: the monster, even after glimpsing its end, had still fought desperately to break free from that fate, but in the end the outcome had not changed. Its attempt to falsify the future had only brought about the truth of it. If that was truly the nature of such visions, then his own glimpse would one day unfold into reality as well. Yet how could that possibly come to pass when in that vision he had not even been within his own body? Would he too, like that monster, eventually find himself inescapably cornered by fate? And if so, why had he not seen his own figure in the vision at all?
No answers came, only more uncertainty. The only path toward answers lay once again with the Silent River. To reach it, however, he would need to search, yet as Kael the weakest adventurer he could not dare to set foot in the Forest of Death. He was weak, lacking both strength and refined skill, unable even to best an ordinary orc, so how could he possibly hope to survive a forest that swallowed even seasoned warriors? Not only was the forest vast, its reaches barely explored, but it was also filled with monsters of terrible power. If he wandered only a short distance, perhaps he would already cross paths with an A-Rank beast, and beyond that dozens, perhaps even hundreds, would surely descend on him the moment he was discovered.
"Well, I have no intention of dying anytime soon."
Of course, he could step into the forest as his stronger self, but even then he lacked the freedom of time or the luxury of a proper schedule to do so. And somewhere in his heart he felt a flicker of pity for himself, for unlike many others he had no wings to carry him through the skies, and the forest itself was swarming with flying predators of every kind.
Before long the stone path he had been following, lined on both sides with wooden houses of two or three stories and the occasional marketplace stall, came to an end.
Ahead stretched a river flowing in calm silence, yet whenever Kael laid eyes on rivers these days a strange chill always ran through his body. It was an odd feeling, impossible to shake. The road across the water was marked by a curved stone bridge, wide enough to allow mounted riders to cross, its sides shaped with careful design.
As he stepped onto the bridge his eyes caught a familiar figure standing there, leaning against the edge, gazing into the current as it reflected the golden light of the late afternoon sun.
Her mint-green hair, tied into a long ponytail by a ribbon of gold, stirred in the wind as though it carried its own quiet life. She seemed to have already sensed his presence, since her teal-green eyes turned briefly to him, and for a moment they looked different, softer perhaps, before she smiled and returned her gaze to the glowing horizon.
"Fancy seeing you here, Kael."
Kael walked to her side, his footsteps measured, then answered simply, "I was just passing by."
She glanced at him again before replying, "Were you? All the better then, since we've found each other here, otherwise I might have needed to wait for you to come searching for me in the office."
Kael chuckled, tilting his head slightly, "And why would that be? Am I being granted a little holiday before the training even begins?"
She lingered in silence for a moment before speaking, her voice softer now, "No, that isn't it. The truth is… I need you, Kael."
His brows lifted as he stared at her, trying to read her expression, then he finally spoke, "What?"
Arwyn turned toward him fully this time, resting her back against the stone of the bridge as her eyes fixed on his, "I want you to accompany me tonight, Kael."
Kael raised an eyebrow, his lips curling with faint amusement, "If that's the case then you might have sought out the wrong man. You should know by now, I am not in the habit of giving girls my company for the night."
She chuckled lightly, her voice carrying a teasing calm, "Ah, are you worried that your training in magic will be disrupted? Please, do not be... you will have more than enough time for that training since I will be with you constantly. Besides, you will be fortunate enough to learn many valuable things along the way, things that will no doubt prove themselves very useful in the days to come."
Kael sighed, his breath leaving him in a long exhale as if to keep himself from losing his head, "If you say so. Then tell me, where exactly should I accompany you? Though I doubt it will be in your bed..."
Arwyn's brows twitched, and her face shifted into an expression that could not easily be named, neither blank nor entirely furious but something beyond both.
Before Kael could even notice the change fully, he suddenly felt the sting of a stick striking across his mouth as if it had come from nowhere. She began to step away, yet he continued with a smirk tugging at his lips, "Ah, do not misunderstand my words, Arwyn... I only wondered whether you were perhaps afraid of the ghosts in your house, and thus required my presence for your comfort, nothing more."
She remained silent for a while, then gave a soft laugh that carried just a faint edge, "No, that is not the case at all. In fact, we will not be going to my mansion tonight either. You will train outside with me while I patrol during the night. Though I am not very used to night patrols myself, which is why I want someone like you to accompany me, so that I may concentrate fully on my work without distraction. Now tell me, will you help me with this or not?"
Kael gave it a thought, then shrugged, "Sure, why not? It is not every day that I am given the chance to walk alongside a Knight Patrol, something I have only ever observed from a distance."
Arwyn sighed faintly, her tone even as ever, "Very well, then come with me."
Without offering him another glance she stepped ahead, and Kael followed, allowing her to lead the way. As far as he could tell, they walked and turned corner after corner for what seemed like quite a while. Whether it was truly her patrol or something else, he could not be sure, but gradually he began to notice the knights stationed across the city had grown more numerous. Their presence was subtle, almost difficult to detect at first, yet their movements carried a purpose, as though they were gathering information or preparing for something unseen.
"It is rare to see the soldiers moving about with such urgency," Kael muttered under his breath, his eyes following them briefly, "could something be happening in Velhart? I wonder what it could be..."
Since Arwyn gave no reaction and paid no attention to the soldiers at all, he kept to her steps, trailing behind her almost like a loyal dog.
The sun had long since disappeared, and now the dark veil of night had settled over the city.
At one point Arwyn suddenly stopped, leaving Kael somewhat confused about where they had ended up. Before him stood an abandoned house, which perhaps in its time had once borne intricate design, though now its walls were old and worn, several parts broken, and its windows cracked or sealed shut.
The wooden door was in no better condition, scarred with age and neglect. Judging by the atmosphere alone, the house might well be one of ghosts, though Kael admitted to himself that if a ghost were to appear he would not mind, so long as it was a lady.
When he glanced at Arwyn he noticed that her expression was far too calm, unnervingly so, when she should already be unsettled or raising her voice at the very sight of such a place. Perhaps she was working hard to maintain her composure at all costs. Kael could not help but ask with a touch of sarcasm, "Lieutenant... are we here to hunt ghosts? I had no idea the Knights of Velhart had lowered themselves to this kind of work these days."
She turned her head slightly to him, and in that fleeting moment her expression resembled that of someone who had truly seen a ghost standing before them, though it was clear she was suppressing it as best she could. "No," she said evenly, "we will be patrolling here tonight."
Kael raised an eyebrow and muttered in thought, "What? Is this some kind of joke? Who patrols around a ghost house of all places..."
His words trailed as he turned his eyes toward her, yet to his surprise she was already gone.
He spun around quickly but found nothing, then lifted his gaze upward and there she was, one leg already on the upper platform of the roof, staring coldly down at him. "What are you waiting for... come up here."
Kael stared blankly and replied in disbelief, "How exactly am I supposed to climb up there? I am a human, not some monster like you..."
Arwyn tilted her head slightly, then with a calm flick of her shoulder slipped her cloak free and tossed it down like a rope. Kael leapt up, catching the end of it, and with her steady pull he climbed toward the roof.
Though his face betrayed embarrassment, as he had done his fair share of jumping across rooftops before, there was something particularly humiliating about being hauled up in this manner. Still, he pushed the thought aside, deciding it mattered little.
When he finally reached her level she extended her hand and pulled him onto the ceiling beside her, then placed her cloak back over her shoulders and settled against the higher slant of the roof, leaning casually as though it were the most natural place to sit.
Kael caught his breath, his thoughts stirring quietly, "Well, I suppose I can see why she truly wanted someone to accompany her. Patrolling the roof of a ghostly house in the dead of night would be frightening even for her... let us see just what sort of patrol this is meant to be."
Curiosity etched into his face, he asked at last, "So then, what kind of patrolling are we doing here? Because I am rather certain no knight in this city has ever done anything like this."
Arwyn lifted her gaze to the sky, then looked back to him with an expression as even as ever, "It is an important kind of patrolling... do not concern yourself with me, simply begin your training. I will be watching from here, and if you have questions, you may ask me."
And with that she fell into silence, her eyes occasionally lifting as if searching for something or someone, while Kael crossed his legs and joined his hands together, the faint smirk on his lips betraying his thoughts.
"So, that is how it is," he mused inwardly, "she is in the middle of some operation, perhaps even spying on someone for a case. Well then, I only hope it is not my case she is after."
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(Chapter Ended)