Hester's Hill

Chains dug into their wrists, pitch-black liquid swirling around the rusted metal as Liel, Torres, and Graham trudged through the snow of the ravine below, led by the hooded figures and the leader of the Roamers, Ciaphas. Keihart had been killed in the previous fight, and because he had completely disappeared during the battle, Carris was assumed dead as well.

Morrigan had vanished into the storm after killing off the rest of the Elders from Estelle as he had promised, leaving Liel and the Paladins behind to Ciaphas’s whims. Liel didn’t blame the Bard for this. As it stood, he remained alive, and so she felt she had satisfied the debt she owed him.

“You know why I became an oathbreaker, Miss Astalette?” Torres suddenly spoke out as they walked.

Liel shook her head. “No, Sir. Why did you become an oathbreaker?” She knew he was probably just trying to distract her so she wouldn’t be disarmed by her own fear, but even she took an interest in the matter. Liel thought she should know what was ahead of her.

She was still determined to stain her blade with blood, and so she would definitely break her vows. It wasn’t enough to kill the Elders, Morrigan had already done so. Because the mission tasked to the Paladins was to eliminate Ciaphas and the Roamers, she would have to help them out. They had already helped her out enough, even at the cost of themselves. If she didn’t do at least that much, she felt her sense of debt would never be settled.

And unsettled debts meant she could never be at ease, doomed to never live a peaceful life.

“I had a son with a woman I fell in love with.”

Liel’s eyes widened. This was definitely a strange occurrence. By law of the Holy Empire, those who joined the Paladin’s Templar, usually those without a great family name or wealth, were not allowed to have children. This was in stark contrast to members of Noble families, like Liel, who could choose to study under a Master of their own family instead of joining the Templar. They would be allowed to have their own children, and in the case of the Astalette family, would later send those children to the orphanage in Sechille and continue the cycle.

‘So, he broke his vows to the Templar, rather than those to the Lord he serves?’ Liel hadn’t even considered such a thing. She had only read in the textbooks about the vows that those joining the Templar would swear- she never had any intention of joining the Templar, and because everyone around her had assumed she would study under a Master from her own family, they never bothered to share further details with her.

One such vow was the promise to never seek out love or pleasure, and to never have children of their own.

“You said you’ve been on this mission for three years. As far as I’ve heard, the service tour in Hel lasts two years. Shouldn’t you have been able to return and see them by now?”

“It’s because I was put on this mission that I haven’t yet returned to them. You’re right, though. In truth, my service has been up for quite a while. Until I finish this mission- until Ciaphas is dead, I can’t go and see my son, whose face I don’t yet know.”

Suddenly, the group was forced to stop walking. They had arrived next to a row of dilapidated buildings- stone-brick structures that had long since begun to fall apart. Cloth tarps had been hung over the caved-in roofs, and there was a longtent at the head of the row of buildings, illuminated by orange lamplight.

This was the Roamer’s camp.

“We’ll get to the tower soon.” Ciaphas smiled genially at the Roamer holding their chains. “Place them somewhere comfortable until then.”

Liel and the others were thrown against the side of one of the stone buildings, one of the Hooded men standing guard a way away, Ciaphas adjourning to the longtent at the head of the camp.

For a time, Liel and the Paladins observed the movements of the Roamers, who seemed to go about normal lives in the encampment, preparing supplies for the further journey.

“Sir, I think I have a plan.” Liel leaned over and whispered into Torres’s ear, causing him to smile.

“Oh yeah? Let’s hear it, Miss Astalette.”

“I’m going to punch you.”

“I like the sound of this plan.” Graham, leaning against Torres’s back chuckled wryly under his breath. “Can I join in on it too?”

“Are you trying to stir up trouble? What’s the goal of this plan. There must be more that you haven’t said yet.”

“He was your former comrade- he knows you. As for my companion, I didn’t know much about him prior to coming here, but he seemed to be known by Ciaphas, their leader, as well. But to him, I’m an unknown. He hasn’t even glanced at me since he captured us.”

“Do you want to exploit your unknown status to deal an underhanded blow?”

Liel nodded her head. “Yes, but not in the way that you’re thinking, at least not immediately. He's the kind of person that enjoys thrills, isn't he?"

"He's a little too obvious when it comes to that. Ciaphas could never hide his whims." Graham chuckled slightly.

“So, what would be more interesting than another traitor?”

A knowing grin spread up on Torres’s face. “You want to pretend to betray us and get closer to him… but if you kill him, the others will definitely kill us all.”

“Like I said, not immediately.” Liel shifted her sitting position, crouching on her heels as if prepared for action. “Do you know the reason why ballrooms are so big, Sir?”

“Why is that?”

“It’s because when you’re dancing, you’re prone to running into the people around you. The large space is necessary to prevent injury. When engaged with another person, all you can focus on is them- the movements, the swaying, the rhythm- you get caught up in it, and it’s all that begins to exist in your eyes.” Liel muttered. “When you gain that focus, you forget what’s around you, and you become prone to danger in a group. I’ll find some way to draw them together and have them focus on one point. Then, that’s when we’ll strike… we’ll take them all out at once.”

Torres nodded his head. “Do it.”

Liel took a deep breath, the rune on the side of her face shimmering as a deep calm overtook her emotions. She had read many books on acting and so many stories that so many of her memories were filled with fantasy, but now she had to play a role completely unlike her, one that would sympathise her on the side of the enemy she had been brought up to fear and hate.

“I hope your acting skill is good, Sir.” Liel began to frown as they both stood up, facing each other.

She eyed the Hooded guard who stood apart from them a few meters away, making sure they had grabbed his attention before parting her lips to speak, an annoyed and confrontational expression crossing her face. Her hands were bound, so she pushed the Senior Paladin with the side of her body, causing him to stumble slightly. Although, because of his size, he remained standing, looking down at her in confusion.

“What’s wrong with my family name? Do you think that I wanted to be given away to an orphanage the moment I was born!?”

Torres’s eyes widened, a grin spreading up his face as he realised what Liel was trying to portray. He leaned forward, replying, “I was born in the slums of the capital. I wish I had a lofty name like yours. It would have made my life so much easier. Do you know how commoners end up in the orphanage in Sechille? We’re kidnapped from the streets and sold to shady Paladins who wish to bolster the number of potential Scholars!”

Liel hesitated for a moment, but soon raised her bound hands, striking Torres in the face. He recoiled, crimson dripping from his nostrils past his lips. He laughed in response, continuing to chide her in a sarcastic manner.

“Is the young noble Lady offended by my words? My apologies, my Lady. I didn’t know your confidence was as shallow as your character.” He bowed slightly in a joking manner as if gesturing towards her as a noble woman, whispering in her ear as he did so. “There’s a stone to your left, right next to your foot. Strike me with it, just enough to draw some more blood.”

Liel’s eyes widened. She was committed to the performance, but was this much really necessary? “Truly?”

“I serve Lord Leter. This much is nothing to me.”

‘The God of sacrifice, the abandonment of one’s own life, the courage necessary to give one’s life for a greater cause…’ Liel’s perception of Torres deepened greatly. ‘To think the kind-hearted Captain was actually someone who would give everything for the cause…’

Without hesitating, Liel reached down beside her, grasping the smooth palm-sized stone that sat beside her boot, striking the side of Torres’s head with the blunt edge. He recoiled even harder, grasping at the side of his face as he let out a groan. His fingers became stained with blood, which cascaded down his cheek, settling in his beard.

The Hooded Guard, who had been quite entertained with their fight, finally saw fit to split them up. He yelled out to them, running up as he threw Liel to the ground, grasping at Torres’s hair as he surveyed the wound on his head. It was completely superficial, nothing dangerous. Liel had made sure of that.

Hearing the commotion, the Leader of the Roamers, Ciaphas, emerged from the longtent, walking over to the Paladins at a leisurely pace.

“What’s going on?” He asked, his calm expression washing over the Roamers.

“A fight broke out, Sir. Nothing serious.”

“Did you hit him?” Ciaphas asked the Hooded Guard, pointing to Torres.

He shook his head. “No, General. It was the Paladin woman. They were arguing.”

“A Paladin struck their own comrade?” Ciaphas chuckled, finally looking at Liel seriously for the first time since they had been captured. “How interesting… bring her to me. I’ll speak with her and further ascertain the matter.”

Internally, Liel’s heart began to race.

The first condition of her plan had succeeded.