Chapter 19 - Resolution

When Garrock was supposed to strike me down, instead of sharp pain in my throat, I felt a crushing sensation across my whole thorax. It was extremely uncomfortable but didn’t seem to hurt me all that much either, only making it extremely difficult to breathe. When I opened my eyes, my vision was slightly fuzzy and the air seemed to be shimmering slightly. I could still see Garrock standing over me, with the sword loosely held above his head, looking at me in shock. He then shifted his gaze to the side and, with a sudden anger and a warcry, he rushed off. At that point, the crushing feeling disappeared and my vision became clearer. I gasped for air, actually enjoying the burning sensation of oxygen in my lungs, and pushed myself up from the ground, ignoring all of my joints and muscles screaming at me in pain, barely managing to get up on my knees. Trailing to where the captain ran off, I noticed he was engaged with Liyanne several paces away, slashing at her furiously while the princess skillfully dodged and shield-blocked his attacks, not retaliating and seemingly trying to reason with him. Shifting my gaze left, to where Miya and the other soldiers were, I saw the three knights from our escort absolutely shredding the disoriented soldiers to pieces. Even Miya, in the midst of it all, managed to jump up to her feet, grab a weapon and thrust it under one of the soldier’s arms, killing him on the spot. With that, she sprinted over to me.
-Edward! Are you alright!?
-Yeah… yeah, I’m fine.
The girl jumped to me and immediately started looking me over, visibly shaken. I noticed her ears were flat against her head and her tail was low and completely rigid, at least until she made sure I was, in fact, still alive and in one piece, without any serious injuries. She let out a heavy sigh and leaned closer, pressing her head against my chest. I could feel her tremble slightly but I was unsure if she was that scared, angry or both. Hesitantly, I moved my right hand up and placed it on the back of her head, stroking her gently in an attempt to calm her down slightly.
-That’s good… I was scared you were done for. And I couldn’t help you…
I was caught slightly off-guard. While I wasn’t surprised she felt that way towards me, I was expecting her to keep a more level head for now and perhaps be angry at me later that I had gotten us in such a situation in the first place.
-It’s okay, we’re both alive. Now, I know it can be tough, but we’re still not safe. We have to help our guys, so keep lending me your strength, okay?
Even through armour, I felt Miya nod at my words. Still, she took a second before she pulled away from me. Stealthily wiping away her teary eyes, she looked around but at this point, the knights had taken care of all the outpost soldiers and Liyanne had just delivered a final blow to the captain, his body slumping over at the ground like a tossed sack of potatoes. The battle is over, at least for now.
Liyanne gave a quick order to the knights to set a watch and start piling up the bodies. Herself, she walked up to me and Miya with clear disgust painted on her face. Luckily for me, it wasn’t directed at us, as we were just about to learn.
-Garrock, that bloody traitor. The captain had aligned himself with bandits. They’re been working together for several months now. He was trading away equipment and supplies, sometimes even setting miners free to join them in exchange for various stolen goods and even slaves. Turns out that all of our soldiers stationed here were chained and sent to mines and were replaced by bandits. So don’t worry about any of those deaths.
-Right… I ended up killing a few people there… I think I’ll throw up in a moment.
-You’re still not used to it, are you?
-No, I’m actually pretty good with it. Maybe it was the looming threat of death back there but I didn’t feel anything particular back there. I was just fighting for my survival.
-Right. Anyway, some thanks would probably be in order, don’t you think?
-Huh? Ah, was it you who saved me from Garrock’s final strike?
-Mhmm.
-Then I sure owe you one, Liyanne. Whatever you did, I’m really glad you managed in time to save me there.
-Me also, thank you for saving both of us, princess Liyanne.
I glanced over at Miya, not really expecting her to step out like that. Liyanne, on the other hand, looked away, trying to hide her blushing face. She demanded thanks in a slightly humorous tone, hoping to unload the tension in the air slightly and wasn’t really expecting to receive such honest gratitude from us.
-Just barely in time. And right, you never saw me use that Skill, did you? It’s my Skill as a Paladin, allowing me to manifest a magical shield, almost impervious to any form of an attack. For now I can only cast one, and only every few hours, but it can be improved with adequate training. I could only do it once a few days at first.
-That’s surely a helpful Skill to have. Once again, I truly owe you one, so whatever form of repayment you request…
-Save it, Edward. This is also my job as a Paladin and your companion. There will come a time when you will end up saving me, then we’ll be even.
-I don’t want to stay indebted but let’s hope that doesn’t happen either. So, what’s the deal with this whole mess now?
-We have to bring the prisoners under control, identify those who were meant to be the actual guards here and equip them. Since most miners here are convicted criminals, there is a high chance of a riot if word gets out that most armed forces here are now dead. The worst might still come and we have to get ready for it.
-Alright. What about that burning building over here?
-Leave it. It’s too late to save it now and the fire shouldn’t spread anywhere either. I doubt those bandits had anything of use or value there anyway.
-Alright. Should we also send word to the capital?
-I’d love to do that but right now I need every sword I can get. Sending a messenger will have to wait until we can fortify this position a little more. Plus, it will start getting dark soon too, whoever I send there, I’d rather they aren’t anywhere near that Hyndrall den at night.
-Fair enough, I’ll leave it to your judgement. So, what are your orders, princess?
-You and Miya, I want you to go to the storehouse, the big barn over there, and check on the number and quality of equipment that we can give out to the guards. We already confirmed there’s enough supplies to last a few days, so I need you to focus on the armours and weapons specifically.
-Alright. Where do we meet up?
-I’ll take someone with me to screen the prisoners, so you will find me by the common quarters, inside the mine. It’s the first tunnel to the right as you go in.
-Copy that. See you in a bit then.
I turned around and started walking towards the designated building but realised mid-step that I still didn’t have my sword with me. Taking a quick look around, I noticed it was lying next to Garrock’s dead body. I walked up to it and picked it up, giving it a quick glance over. It was in a fairly sorry state, the blade had a few chips in it now and the tip seemed slightly bent. This was the sword that Gurthan bought me back when I came to this world and it was already showing signs of wear by the time we set out on this expedition. After fighting monsters in the recent days and today’s combat, the blade gradually became more and more damaged, now being likely beyond repair. Once we come back, I might need to get a new one. I wonder if Krewly might be able to get Markus to make me an enchanted blade of sorts? Likely not but there should be no harm in asking, right?
I sheathed the sword and headed to the barn. Miya kept up with me, staying closer to me than usual. I guess me being on the verge of death really did shake her up more than I thought. Thinking about it, I probably shouldn’t be surprised about it. While people at the castle tend to be friendly towards her, not everyone there shares my and the king’s views on their kind. Even around the castle, she tries to be around me as often as she can and going outside of its wall by herself is still completely out of the question for her. I guess she sees me as an anchor that grants her at least a bit of perceived freedom. The people around the city already got used to Miya accompanying me and that they better keep their mouths shut about it but there’s no telling if they will do the same if she was there by herself. Even though she’s formally tied to me as my slave, not everyone has to be familiar with it or want to respect that. And if I were to be gone, she’s likely to lose whatever little chance she has to be accepted by the wider community. I guess today’s events made her realise that a lot more and made her more wary of losing me. After all, it’s not her own freedom we’re talking about here but her sister’s too. I should probably be a lot more mindful of her and try to risk my life a little less from now on. After all, I can’t accomplish my mission of making this world more tolerant if I die either.
We arrived at the barn. I pulled the door open. They required a bit of force but finally gave in with a screech characteristic of old wooden doors that are holding on the last breath of the rusted hinges and are about to fall flat on your head any moment. Still, I hope they’ll hold out for at least a little longer for our sake. I had enough near-death experiences already for one day, if no my whole lifetime.
The inside of the barn was extremely dim, with the setting sun not really helping our situation. Reluctantly, we lit up torches that we found near the entrance and headed inside, being particularly careful not to burn down another building today. The barn wasn’t that big, so finding equipment chests didn’t take us that long. We located and opened five crates total, two of which contained gambesons and mail chausses, one with metal armour bits like breastplates, gauntlets and pauldrons, one with regular clothing and tunics of the Katerial military and one with swords and daggers. There were also about a dozen bows, with quite a lot of arrows to go around, and five spears, not counting any that could be salvaged from the dead impostors. Honestly speaking, there was more gear than I expected to find. I guess that Garrock didn’t manage to pawn off the last supply delivery off to the bandits just yet. Well, that was great news, this meant that, if the princess could find the manpower among the miners, we’ll be able to equip a decent amount of troops, about as big if not even bigger than the bandit force here was. That is, if the equipment is actually usable.
Even with Miya’s impressive strength, it took us a couple minutes to carry the heavy cargo out of the dark spaces to where we could better see what’s inside of it. Once there, we started unpacking the gear and put it together in sets to gauge how many people we can fully gear up. As expected, we only got three full sets of metal armour, with a few arm and leg pieces left. Surprisingly, none of those pieces seemed to be used. There were no visible scratches, chips or even rust, suggesting it was all fairly new stuff. The same couldn’t be said about a decent part of the weapons, however we still found a combined twenty swords and daggers in good condition. Only one of the spears had a chipped tip and two other ones seemed to be of fairly bad quality but should still be usable. I wasn’t too comfortable they would fare well in a combat role but, for a strictly peacekeeping scenario, all five of them were in a good enough condition. The clothes, however, were a completely different story. Out of about forty sets, we only managed to salvage about a dozen and a few less tunics and gambesons. Most of the cloth was mouldy or simply full of holes. I was worried about how long the remaining clothing would last, as some of them felt slightly wet to the touch.
-Could you do something with your fire magic and try to dry those clothes out a little?
-I can try but there’s a high risk I end up burning them, if not setting them ablaze directly.
-Okay, let’s not do that then. We already have too few to go by to risk losing even more. Well, this will have to be one of the priorities for the next supply shipment. With a note that they should try and waterproof the crates a little more too.
Miya nodded and stood up, stretching her back and arms. I smirk, sitting back. Our task wasn’t hard but it required a lot of sitting hunched over stuff and intently investigating it, so my back muscles felt pretty sore too.
-Should we go look for Liyanne or do you want a short break?
-I am fine, master.
-Alright, let’s get this over with then.
I stood up and headed towards the rendezvous point mentioned earlier. The mine seemed to be in a pretty wide natural cave with clear signs of exploitation on the walls even this shallow into it. Just several metres in we noticed a secondary tunnel leading off the main shaft. Liyanne was standing in front of it, with one of the soldiers, Trefyon, by the looks of it, blocking the way in and out. The princess was talking to one of the miners, a young looking lad, not as malnourished-looking like most of the bandit guards were, suggesting he spent less time here than the others did. When Liyanne noticed us approaching, she dismissed the miner and walked up to us. I watched the boy salute and walk back inside the tunnel under Trefyon’s escort.
-So, Edward, what’s the status?
-Without looting the bodies of the fallen bandits, we can probably bolster six to eight guards with somewhat proper equipment. We have some more weapons to give around but most would need to remain in the garbs they’re already wearing if we do that. There’s just not enough clothes and armour to go around.
-That’s worse than I expected.
-Yeah, things aren’t looking too bright. A lot of the clothing was ruined by improper storage conditions. Getting new supplies of clothing and armour should be a priority.
-I guess our mission changes here, then. If we could gear up at least sixteen guards at once, I wouldn’t be too concerned with leaving this place and bringing reinforcements myself. We’ll have to improvise a little.
-How much manpower did you get anyway?
-There’s twenty soldiers whose identities we could confirm. There are still five more we are trying to locate, according to intelligence we received. We also have about a dozen other prisoners we could try drafting who are being recommended by the soldiers here, although I don’t like that idea.
-The more compliant miners can always be used for more direct tasks. I assume this camp will need lumber to rebuild and refurbish its structures. If they have a good reputation, they can always be assigned to those tasks for a promise of a reduced sentence or a more favourable outlook and perspectives of better jobs around the camp later on.
-I was thinking about it. I don’t mind them getting paroled for helping us stabilise here but I wouldn’t want to have them join the security force when we’re stretched this thin already unless it’s absolutely necessary.
-Understandable, they’re a potential vulnerability. But how are you planning on sending the word back to the capital then?
-I’m going to have you and Miya go there and relay the message.
-Why us?
-I don’t want to put you on guard duty in a prison colony. And besides, our escort is better trained and suited for this role than you two. I can’t send just one person there either because of the Hyndrall problem but I also cannot spend too much manpower on it. Hence, sending you two back is the most optimal option.
-Can’t argue with that logic.
Before I could continue and ask for details on the message we have to relay, Miya suddenly stepped forward, catching both me and Liyanne completely off-guard.
-If I may, princess, with my speed and endurance, I could probably get to the capital a lot faster myself, while also being able to avoid most dangers. If we need to prioritise speed, then-
-No.
Miya, shocked at my sudden rebuke, took a step back, unable to speak for a moment. She stared at me, blinking, unsure what warranted such a sudden and strong denial from me.
-M-Master…?
-While it might sound optimal to send just you there, I won’t put you in danger for that reason alone when I don’t have to. There’s enough supplies to last for a while, we established that already, and I believe Liyanne and the soldiers will be able to keep things in check here. As such, there’s no point in you risking your life like that to save two days tops on the whole operation. If the situation here gets out of control, Liyanne and the others can always abandon the post and let the colony fall in the hands of the miners. We can simply besiege it, bring more forces and take it back later. If you fail on that mission, we’ll be stuck here with no help coming and will ultimately lose everyone here, base included As such, priority must be given to ensuring the safety of the messenger and, even if the two of us going together will result in us being overall slower, it is simply much safer for us in case anything goes wrong. And even if, I simply wouldn’t feel comfortable sending my companion alone into such a potential danger.
-I second that.
Liyanne stepped in before Miya could argue, signalling that the decision was final. Miya, although a little surprised, didn’t seem disappointed or angry at that. If anything, she felt a little relieved, if not happy about it. She straightened herself and returned the salute our soldiers used to do.
-I understand.
-Good, you’re one of us, Miya, and I would hate to lose a good soldier. Someone has to help me babysit Edward, after all.
-Oi, that was uncalled for.
Liyanne laughed, leaving the surprised Miya and more than slightly pissed off me behind and heading towards the tunnel. She stopped for a moment just at the entrance.
-You two get some rest. There should be cots in the gatehouse, I believe. I want you to set out for Katerial at sunrise. You’re to request immediate temporary support of at least twenty guards followed by supplies of food and clothing. Throw in anything else you noticed that may be needed but those two are the priority and are needed in bigger quantities. Also, we could use a carpenter or two for rebuilding this place, too.
-Roger that!
I saluted and, after Liyanne turned around and walked into the tunnel, I let out a sigh and started walking towards the gatehouse. Miya followed behind me but pretty soon sped up and matched my speed by my side.
-I… thank you, Edward, for looking out for me.
-Stop it. Even as a commander, I would never put anyone in danger if I can avoid it, unless that someone is myself. And you’re not just some random soldier under me but my companion, so it should come as natural that I want to keep you away from harm’s way, right?
-...you’re really a kind person. Almost feels like you’re from a completely different place altogether.
-I told you when we first met, didn’t I? I’m not from around here. Maybe that’s why my priorities are a little messed up but I’m gonna stand for what I believe in. And I believe human lives shouldn’t be played with so carefreely.
Miya didn’t respond but seemed either very happy with my answer or rather amused by it. Either way, I didn’t mind her smiling like that, so I let it be, instead focusing on the gatehouse we were gradually approaching. Just two wooden towers with a bridge between them over a metal-reinforced double-wing gate that opened inside, both currently closed and barred. It seemed that the gate was operated based on a bunch of pulley systems, seemingly connected to a windlass on the bridge.
Walking inside the gate towers, the only thing we found was a ladder to the top. The gatehouse did, however, seem to have a liveable space in it, with a table, two chairs, a chest and a wardrobe that I decided to not open and a singular bed. I halted for a minute, looking around, hoping to find some bedroll or at least dried hay to make a sleeping spot for myself but I didn’t see anything like that.
-Guess I sleep on the floor then…
I said with resignation, sat down heavily on one of the chairs and started to take off my equipment. Miya instinctively moved in to help me out of my armour.
-We could share the bed, it seems just big enough.
-No, we shouldn’t. That wouldn’t sit right with me.
-It is your decision to make, master, but I want you to know that I don’t mind. I know you are not the type of person to do anything weird.
I clenched my teeth, stopping myself before replying with something stupid. She sure wasn’t making it easy for me but I could tell she was playing with me, or perhaps testing me even, with the way she modulated her voice to sound just a tad softer and sweeter than usual. Her hands working on my back while taking off my armour and her breath on my neck weren’t helping my situation either. I was also painfully aware that if I did end up trying something funny, she was easily capable of breaking both my arms in seconds in retaliation, which was exactly why I didn’t want to take any risks of accidentally doing something while being asleep.
I stopped for a moment to consider why she was acting this way, too. We did sleep in the same room for a long time, so she should be aware that I can control my libido pretty well. Or, perhaps, was she speculating I might not feel anything particular towards her and wanted to test her theory? Knowingly or not, she put me in a tight spot there. I had to figure out what this girl was really thinking about me but now didn’t seem like a good time to start such an investigation.
Once I was out of my gear, I asked if Miya required help with her set. She gave me a soft smile, giving me an idea she’s thinking of something mischievous, but ultimately she shook her head, saying she’ll handle it. Having nothing better to do, and not wanting to peep on her, I started looking out into the darkening forest outside, returning to my previous thoughts.
I worked with Miya for a while now and our dynamic was clearly a complicated one. While she was my slave only due to formalities and I never thought of her that way, she seemed to be locked into that mindset and it was hindering our relationship. I don’t know when exactly she was captured but, given the general situation of the Red Wolf Pack and the way she’s been so transfixed on her status as a slave at times, I assume she spent quite some time in slavery before being rescued by us. This explains the way she usually approaches and addresses me, no matter how much I hated it. I always preferred she treated me more like a friend but was she really a friend to me? I certainly enjoyed her company but I also was in a pretty unique position. I mean, how could I turn a beautiful kemonomimi girl like her away and not have her be part of my entourage? I am a man of culture, after all. But putting jokes aside, her abilities and knowledge are extremely useful to me, not just in a way that I have someone to watch my back in a fight, but they also help me research and understand how this world works and how to affect it. In return, I was helping ensure her and her sister’s safety and well-being. Did that mean our relationship was solely based on the transactional gains? Would we ever get off if we didn’t have clear gains from holding that relationship up? Well, Miya probably would never trust me to begin with, given her initial impression of humans and how she reacted to me back in that bandit cave. The only reason she gave me a try was because she didn’t really have other options at the time and only came to start trusting me with time, and I still felt like she was constantly testing me, as if she still didn’t fully trust me, or at least couldn’t bring herself to trust me based on her previous experiences, which was also understandable.
Hearing what sounded like a bed creak, I glanced over towards Miya. She had already laid down, her back to me, the tip of her tail moving ever so slightly from side to side as it hung over the edge of the cot. Yup, there was definitely not enough space for two people on that thing, unless she was to lay down on top of me, which would make things oh so worse for me. She had to be either teasing me or testing me when she suggested that, there was just no other way about it.
Well, I decided to stop overthinking things for tonight. Whatever the relationship we shared was, it could always change depending on the circumstances, for the better or the worse both. I would like to know whether she’s generally worried about me or only about losing me, who is her potential anchor to what little “normality” she can expect for herself and her sister. At the same time, I was afraid of finding out. Well, maybe I’ll learn the truth one day, or a true mutual friendship will naturally form as we keep working together. Either way, we both needed one another for now. And the other thing I needed right now was sleep…
I leaned over the table, resting my head on my arms, shifting my gaze to the forest outside. On one hand it looked quite terrifying, dark, distant and mysterious. But right now, as I was dozing off, it felt like I’m simply watching a fantastical story about some hero, instead of living it, with the twisted forest as nothing more than a background for another act. Soon enough, my mind drifted off to sleep.