Chapter 8 | The Stolen Letter.

My breathing became rhythmic and agitated; the pressure of knowing that someone had taken the letter filled me with fear. Could it have been the Black Hat Knights?

“Guikyume!” Itsuki called out, trying to bring me back to my senses.

No... I didn't think it was them. If those people had been responsible, they would have attacked us directly. Someone else knew we had the scroll. But... why would they take only that?

“Guikyume, snap out of it! Maybe it was just a simple theft!” Itsuki insisted, grabbing me by the shoulder.

“No! Absolutely not. Why would they take only the letter and leave everything else untouched? Think harder, Itsuki!”

“What are you implying?” He frowned, clearly irritated by my tone. “You're probably the one who left the letter somewhere.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

I looked desperately from side to side. A few meters away, I spotted a couple of farmers carrying baskets filled with fruit. I abruptly stood up and ran toward them; perhaps they belonged to the village of the man who had asked us for help at the guild. I couldn't afford to waste any more time.

“Guikyume! What are you doing?!” Itsuki exclaimed, following close behind me.

“Hey! Come here!” I shouted at them.

The farmers approached with noticeable uncertainty.

“What is it, young adventurer?” a young woman asked.

“Are you from the village affected by the dragon?”

“Yes, sir... Why do you ask?”

“There are several of you here, right?” I turned toward the carriage. “Come on, take whatever you need. We brought these supplies to your village, but I'll give them to you now. Be quick, all right?”

The villagers, surprised, began bowing repeatedly. Yes, this was definitely part of the culture in this area.

I scratched my head desperately. My body felt restless, unable to stay still. After a while.

“Thank you very much, young man! We've finished arranging the supplies! We're leaving now!” one of the young women said.

“All right,” I replied without enthusiasm.

We headed back toward the capital.

“See you later! Take care!” Itsuki shouted at them from a distance.

...

We quickened the pace of the carriage; we had to move as fast as possible. When we reached the capital's walls, the guards let us pass freely after recognizing our guild cards.

Boom!

I slammed open the door to our room at the inn. I began rummaging through everything, desperately searching every corner.

Nothing!

Not a single trace.

The entire room had been turned into a complete mess. I knelt in the middle of the chaos, breathing heavily.

“Who the hell stole the letter...?” I muttered to myself. “I'm not thinking clearly...”

Itsuki slowly approached and placed a hand on my shoulder, but I knocked it away.

“Guikyume... how about we get something to eat?” he suggested softly.

“What the hell are you talking about?!” I glared at him angrily.

“We need to take a breath. You're not going to solve anything while you're like this.”

“What I need is to go interrogate the damn innkeeper.”

...

We went down to the reception desk. The innkeeper began going through his registration books with trembling hands, searching for the record of anyone who had entered during the last few hours.

“Young man, I'm truly sorry, but there wasn't a single person who came in during the early hours of the morning. Nor during the morning,” the man assured me, swallowing nervously.

“Are you absolutely sure?” I asked, drawing my dagger with a metallic click and driving it into the wooden counter. “Check again.”

“Guikyume, enough...” Itsuki intervened, stepping beside me.

“Young man, I've already checked three times!” the receptionist exclaimed, taking a step back. “If you keep threatening me, I'll call the guards!”

My eyes felt hot and wet from helplessness...

I stared at him for several seconds before releasing the weapon's hilt.

“Let's go, Itsuki,” I said, putting my dagger away.

...

We took refuge in a nearby tavern. I ordered nothing more than a glass of water and a piece of bread; Itsuki, on the other hand, ordered a plate of meat.

My leg wouldn't stop moving. I felt a sharp pain behind my eyes.

I wasn't okay.

“Guikyume...?” Itsuki spoke after a while.

“Leave me alone.”

“Guikyume, we'll figure out how to solve this.”

“How?” I slowly raised my head.

“I... I don't know exactly how... but we'll figure it out.”

“We have absolutely nothing. We don't know where to go or who took the letter.”

At that moment, the heavy doors of the tavern opened. A demi-human child entered. He looked disoriented, as if he were searching for someone among the tables.

Suddenly, his eyes met mine. He smiled. And ran straight toward our table.

“Sir Guikyume!” the little boy exclaimed when he reached us.

“Sir Guikyume isn't feeling very well right now...” Itsuki warned him quietly.

“Tell me, what do you want?” I asked bluntly.

“Sir... with all due respect, why are you so sad?”

“It's nothing.”

“Guikyume, by the way, he's your admirer. The boy I told you about,” Itsuki explained.

“Hmm. Interesting. Whatever,” I replied, looking away.

“Sir Guikyume... what's wrong? You're a really strong person. It's strange seeing you like this,” the boy insisted.

Why is he being so persistent? Why can't he just leave me alone? I thought to myself, feeling my patience running out.

“I can't find a letter my mother left me. That's all,” I replied coldly.

“What did the letter look like, my lord? Was it inside some kind of case?”

“It was kept inside a black case. Why do you ask?”

“I think...” The boy stopped for a moment, as if organizing his memories. “I think I saw someone fleeing from the inn where you're staying very early in the morning. They were carrying a scroll inside a black case.”

A click echoed through my mind.

He comes here... calls me “sir”... and just happens to know the exact details about the case and the letter.

My suspicion immediately turned into a burning rage that spread throughout my chest.

It all made perfect sense!

“Wait a moment...” I abruptly stood up from my chair.

“Sir...?” the boy said, startled.

“You... did you steal the letter?”

“Sir Guikyume, no...”

“Tell me right now! Did you steal the letter?!”

“Guikyume, stop! He's just a child!” Itsuki intervened, standing up.

“I said tell me right now!” I demanded, taking a threatening step forward.

“Sir Guikyume, I only want to help you!” the boy pleaded, taking several steps backward.

I moved closer and closer to him, cornering him against the wall.

“Tell me the truth!”

The tavern door suddenly flew open with a thunderous bang. This time, it was the Royal Cavalry.

What the hell are they doing here?

“Guikyume, you are under arrest for interfering with a tactical deployment of the Royal Guard!” one of the knights announced coldly.

A murmur immediately spread throughout the tavern.

“What the hell are you implying?! Where's the evidence?!” I demanded.

“Guikyume, enough!” Itsuki shouted.

There are only five... I can defeat them.

“Soldiers, arrest him!” the captain ordered.

Three guards advanced toward me. One of them held a pair of iron restraints, while the other two grabbed me by the shoulders to immobilize me.

What the hell?

I suddenly crouched, spun around, and drove a kick into the leg of the soldier in front of me. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

I immediately got back up, drew my daggers, and held them at shoulder height.

One of the knights swung his sword directly at me. I dodged the blade to the left and prepared a counter-thrust, but he stopped it with his shield.

I kicked him in the chest to push him away, but another one charged at me furiously.

Our weapons collided, producing metallic sparks.

I took a couple of steps backward as the remaining three advanced.

Nearby, I spotted an oil lamp hanging from a wooden post.

“Citizens, get back!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.

I unhooked the lamp and threw it into the air.

With a swift movement, I threw my dagger at it.

The glass shattered against their armor, and the oil began covering them. Flames immediately spread across their bodies.

The soldier with the shield charged at me, attempting to knock me down.

I ran straight toward him and leaped horizontally, planting my feet against the surface of his shield to propel myself forward.

I spun through the air over his head, landed behind him, and drove my elbow into the back of his neck.

With a precise kick to the back of his knee, I sent him crashing heavily onto the wooden floor.

I sensed a presence behind me, turned my head just in time, and saw a sword descending straight toward my neck.

Suddenly, Itsuki jumped over the tables and fired an arrow that struck the knight's sword directly, knocking it off course.

“Sir Guikyume! Itsuki, the window in the back will get you outside!” the demi-human boy shouted from a corner.

One remaining soldier charged toward me.

I spun around, slipped toward his flank, and pressed the cold edge of my dagger against his throat.

“Don't even think about it...” I threatened in a whisper.

The fire was beginning to spread across the curtains.

Itsuki gave me a desperate signal. He ran across the tables and jumped through the rear window. I followed him.

We both crashed through the glass.

“Soldiers, after them! Don't let them escape!” the order thundered behind us.

We sprinted through the marketplace at full speed.

We spotted a nearby tavern, climbed its wooden exterior, and began moving across the rooftops of the capital. We jumped back down and continued our escape through the commercial avenues.

“We have to get out of the city right now!” Itsuki exclaimed, breathing heavily.

We kept going until a group of guards blocked our path at an intersection.

We stopped abruptly.

“Change route! To the right!” I said.

“Whatever you say!”

Every footstep against the cobblestones felt heavier, and every breath scraped against my lungs.

We managed to lose sight of them temporarily and hurried toward the inn's stables.

“Hurry, soldiers! Arrest those fugitives!”

I turned my head. A mounted patrol was approaching at great speed.

We reached the stables just in time. Itsuki released the reins of our mounts, and we quickly climbed onto the horses.

“We have to reach the main gate before they block the exit!” Itsuki shouted at me.

“Let's go!”

However, a stab of panic pierced my mind. If we leave the city now... what will happen to the letter? And what about the rest of our belongings?

Majestic suddenly stopped, reared onto his hind legs, and let out an alarmed neigh.

“What happened?!”

A dull whistle passed within inches of my ear. An arrow. Three mounted knights emerged from the alleyways, armed with longbows.

We turned around and veered to the right, reaching a wider avenue.

The scene brought back a bitter memory of our pursuit through the Forest of Disconnection.

Would I be able to do it again?

One of the riders positioned himself beside me.

I took a deep breath, stood up on Majestic's back, and jumped toward the knight with all the weight of my body, my fist raised.

The impact was direct.

The man was thrown from his mount, and we both rolled violently across the ground.

I immediately got back up, took the metal shield that had fallen from the soldier, and blocked a barrage of arrows coming my way.

I threw the shield vertically at the second archer's horse's legs to throw it off balance.

I ran toward the third knight, jumped, and grabbed onto the folds of his armor.

The soldier drew his sword to run me through, but a familiar neigh echoed through the street.

Majestic!

I dodged the sword by the narrowest margin, climbed onto the soldier's shoulders, hooked my legs around his torso, and kicked him backward, sending him crashing into the ground.

I spun around and saw the last archer aiming directly at my chest.

He released the string.

I dropped to the side of the mount, using the enemy horse's body as a shield.

Before he could prepare a second arrow, Majestic charged into the archer with force, knocking him completely down.

“Good job, Majestic!” I exclaimed.

I jumped off the enemy mount and climbed back onto Majestic, rejoining Itsuki.

“You're completely crazy, my friend!” Itsuki shouted at me between laughter and heavy breaths.

“...I think I am.”

We suddenly turned right, searching for an escape route.

But reality hit us head-on. There they were, a massive formation of soldiers blocking the way.

We stopped abruptly.

When I turned my head, I noticed that our retreat had also been sealed off.

We were surrounded.

Several spears, drawn bows, and unsheathed swords were pointed at us from every direction.

“You are under arrest!” the captain in charge declared.

Itsuki looked at me, his face filled with panic.

They dragged him off the horse, forced him to the ground, and put the iron restraints on him.

I slowly dismounted Majestic, but before I could touch solid ground, I received a brutal blow to the face.

My head slammed against the cobblestones, and I tasted the metallic flavor of blood in my mouth.

They restrained my arms behind my back and tightened the restraints before forcing me to my feet.

“You damn cowards!” I spat contemptuously.

One of the knights took the reins of Majestic and our other mount to lead them away.

“Don't hurt them!” I demanded, trying to take a step toward them.

The captain in charge gave me a cold smile.

Majestic tried to resist, but several soldiers tied ropes around him to restrain him.

I tried to break free from the guards' grip, but the cold edge of a sword immediately pressed against my throat.

“Keep trying and you'll end up buried in a mass grave, brat,” the captain threatened.

“Enough, Guikyume! Please!” Itsuki pleaded from the ground.

I stared at the captain. A murderous desire pulsed through my veins. I took a deep breath and forced myself to swallow my rage.

...

We were escorted to the dungeons. According to the guards, the place was reserved for particularly dangerous prisoners.

The place wasn't very large. The cell was damp, cold, and dark. There was no one there except Itsuki and me.

“What are we going to do now...?” Itsuki asked, breaking the silence.

“We don't have the letter. They took all our belongings, and I have no idea where they took the horses. I really don't know...”

“I understand...”

We sat on the freezing stone floor, hugging our knees against our chests and resting our backs against the wall.

I had no energy or desire to speak.

“You know something? Despite everything... I think I enjoyed this journey,” Itsuki continued with a faint, melancholic smile.

“I understand...”

“I remember when I asked to come with you. I just wanted to have an adventure and escape from my parents' grasp.”

“What exactly do you mean?”

“Well... they only wanted me to be an obedient son and fit their expectations. My father hates me, and I'm sure he hated me even more when I ran away. Even though I know they're fine, the truth is, I don't miss that place at all. I wanted to see something more.”

“To see the world?” I asked softly.

“Yes, really... I'm happy. Thank you for letting me come with you, Guikyume.”

“Whatever...” I slowly stood up. “I'll think of a way to get us out of here. I just need to concentrate for a while.”

I closed my eyes and tried to channel my life energy to cast a spell mentally.

However, as soon as the first spark formed at my fingertips, it vanished instantly.

“Hmm... interesting.”

“The barriers in this cell must be enchanted with anti-magic, right?” Itsuki deduced, observing the bars.

“Most likely. The guards mentioned that particularly dangerous prisoners are kept here. It was only natural that they would be prepared for any magical escape attempt.”

“I agree,” I said, sitting back down.

“I'll sleep for a while...”

“I understand. Get some rest.”

...

The next day. We had spent an entire day; it was now early morning. I couldn't sleep at all. If the letter... What could happen? There's too much to think about, but we don't have any other options.

Moonlight illuminated the underground area through a small window. There was no sound, only a silence that felt terrifying.

I sensed a presence. The light was gone. I looked carefully and saw something black... It was forcing its way through the barriers. It removed one and that black thing entered. It fell to the ground, but didn't make a sound.

It approached... What the hell is that? It crawled... until it finally stood up. It headed toward where the guards were and took the keys. Then it came back.

It stood still. Until it extended its arm. It opened the door. It was wearing some kind of cloak that covered its entire body.

“Who are you?” I asked quietly.

“Gluęwuonä.” He removed the covering. “Sir Guikyume.”

It was him, the demi-human boy. My hope returned.

“Thank you very much. But what does what you said mean?”

“Hello, brother. In our species' language, brother means that we are very much of our own. When I give you our formal greeting, it means that I consider you one of us, and you are.”

Itsuki woke up.

“Gluęwuonä, Sir Itsuki.”

“What the hell did he say? Wait, what is he doing here?”

“I'm here to help you. Come on.”

“The guards?”

“I think we should go through the door. I saw your belongings nearby.”

We quietly gathered our belongings. My bag, everything is here... Except our money.

There are three guards. One has an iron spear. The others have shields. They're completely asleep.

One of them began to move, but the demi-human boy opened the door. However, the keys woke them up.

“Stop right there! What are you doing?”

I went after one of them. He swung his spear horizontally at me. I dodged and moved to his side. I grabbed his arm and took the spear from him. I kicked him and jumped upward with the help of the spear, holding it between the two narrow walls. I kicked him in the head, and he fell to the ground. I jumped off the wall. I spun around and struck the other guard with the spear.

The demi-human!

The guard held him with his sword against his neck.

Itsuki aimed his bow. The guard wanted to use the boy to manipulate us. I spun around and pointed the spear at his neck.

“Let him go. Otherwise, I'll kill you,” I said coldly.

He released him, and we ran toward the outskirts.

“Incredible, Sir Guikyume!”

“I have to go get my horses.”

“Don't worry, my people have them. Follow me.”

“Thank you!” Itsuki said.

We reached the wall. Someone threw down a rope.

“Come on, don't waste any time!”

We climbed up, and another demi-human was there. He gave us a slight bow, which I returned.

“Follow me, adventurers!” the other demi-human said.

We ran along the wall. Suddenly, the other one stopped abruptly and jumped down.

I looked down and... no. There was a staircase. We went down and disappeared into the forest.

“We have to reach the first clearing!”

“Let's go!” the boy said.

...

After an hour of running, we arrived. The village was below us, on a slope between several hills. This was the clearing. We slid down until we reached the oakwood entrance. I carefully examined the extensive stone walls. The boy opened the gate, and we entered.

There were staircases in the trees leading to houses, connected by bridges.

Shops, a bar in the distance, with a s

ign that read: Adventurer's Guild. I see, they have everything they need to function as a society. It's fascinating.

“Welcome to the village!” the boy said.

“Thank you very much... By the way, I'm sorry for judging you.”

“Don't worry, Sir Guikyume. Come this way, your horses are here.”

Suddenly, our two horses appeared, restless and happy. I stroked Majestic.

“Hmm, well, they came here, haha.”

“Mother is waiting for you. I mean, the leader. We have to go to the guild. Follow me.”

We mounted our horses and followed him. We arrived at the entrance to the guild. Before entering, the demi-human boy seemed a little nervous.

“Are you all right?” I asked, dismounting.

“Y-yes. Mother... I didn't know it was you, so... Well, I'll ask you to follow these rules when speaking with her.”

“Rules?”

“Yes. She's very... Well, hmm, don't talk about elves. She hates them. Don't say the word ‘demi-human’; it's disrespectful. Above all, don't tell her what to do. She's the leader.”

“All right?”

“Let's go.”

We entered. The place was fairly large, with adventurers drinking and laughing.

“The feline woman over there is her. She's the leader.”

“Hmm, but she seems focused on playing cards.”

“All right, here I go...”

The boy touched the leader's arm, and she turned around, somewhat annoyed.

“I told you not to bother me when I'm doing my own thing.”

“Mother, it's them.”

“Huh?”

She looked at us and smiled bitterly. She slowly approached, tied back her curly gray hair, adjusted her chest armor, and stopped in the middle.

“Hello,” I said, somewhat shyly.

“I didn't know they were humans. Son, come here.”

She hit her son!

“Mother, I'm sorry.”

“Don't lie to your mother again. Much less to your leader. Come on, go. Get out of here.”

“As you command.”

“Welcome, humans!” She raised her hands. “So you're the criminals, huh? What the hell are you doing here?”

“We escaped from the Cavalry. Could you offer us a place to stay for at least a week? I'll pay you later. I can even help out here at your guild.”

“Huh? I understand perfectly... But we'll see about that tomorrow. For now, you can stay.”

“I really like the demi-human village,” Itsuki said.

“Itsuki... shut up.”

“What did you say, archer?” The leader turned around.

“Uh... I said I really like the demi-human village.”

The leader made a gesture with her hand. Suddenly, several of them moved to our sides, pointing their swords at our necks.

“Leader, they don't know!” the boy shouted.

“Should that matter to me? We learned to speak the common tongue, and they don't even know a single word of our language. They certainly know nothing about our codes either. This isn't moralism. It's realism.”

“My leader...”

“We're sorry, leader. We're truly sorry,” I said.

“Hmm.” She dragged a chair over. “Are you sorry?” She sat facing us with the chair backward. “Demi-human... What the hell is that?”

“Isn't that the name of your race?” Itsuki asked.

“Archer, go study.”

“It's a term,” I said.

“Very well, young man. The real demi-humans are you. Elves are elves. Dwarves are dwarves. Why are we called a half? The royalty are arrogant. They are demi-humans; if they have the chance to kill or manipulate, they do it. They're true beasts. We are Dorsphienn, pronoun Dorsyvnn. A warrior race.”

“I understand...”

“Son, did they see your face?”

“...Yes.”

She stood up from her chair and gave him a signal. I don't want her to hit him again. After all, he was very brave.

“Leader!” I said. “Your son isn't to blame. I gave in to temptation and acted aggressively. Because of me, my companion and your son were put at risk.”

“Hmm, then what do you want?”

“I don't understand your question.”

“You're not one of us, and my son told me that you were of the Dorsyvnn race. Are you? No.”

“Leader... they're the ones who saved the dragon.”

She turned toward her son.

“Is that true?”

“Yes...” I said.

“Dragons hold great significance for the Dorsphienn warrior race. Thousands of years ago, a blue dragon helped our people defeat a corrupt king. Saving lives and protecting our forests.”

“They're incredible creatures.”

“Regardless. Thank you very much. However... the Cavalry is now looking for you. What do you want? Because I could simply hand you over.”

She's practically telling us to leave the village. But we don't have any supplies or money. They have a guild here.

We could earn some money.

“We would like to join your guild.”

“Son, why did you help them?”

“Because they're one of us, Mother. I want to help Sir Guikyume find something that belongs to him.”

“I understand. You must be here tomorrow afternoon. I'll see what I can do.”

“Thank you very much, Leader!”

They released us and let us pass toward the outskirts. We mounted our horses. The Dorsphienn boy led us to a cabin. I feel like the leader has some kind of strategy.

Tomorrow, I have to keep searching for the letter.