A new Adventure - 5

Why are they here?” Freya said.

“Someone must have sent word. We’ve been in this village for four days now. For a place this cut off from the rest of the kingdom. The arrival of a pair of two strangers would obviously raise suspicion…”Atmik let the thought finish itself. “They’d want to know who we are.”

“What sort of Kingdom is Antaboga?”

“A failing one,” Freya said, not mincing words. “They are a patriarchal monarchy. The current king, Kertanegara, is said to be a man of pleasure. The governance has rotted beneath him.”

“They have lost territory to voidwalkers and, in some places even dark guilds. I’ve even heard of drug addiction spreading through their territories as well. Though I’m not aware of the details.”

“...Makes sense.Well we can’t hide around forever. Let’s go see for ourselves. But before that, there are some things I want you to hear.”

Just like that, the pair walked out toward the knights, holding each other's hands.

“Excuse me! Are you perhaps looking for us?” Atmik called out.

The interjection turned every head. Villagers murmured as the two approached, hand in hand. Near the two knights, a middle aged man leaned in and whispered into one knight’s ear.

“That’s them.

“Where were you two? You’re late!” Old Candra’s voice cut through the crowd.

Then she turned to Knights.

“See, officer? I told you it’s just rumours. You can tell just by looking at them, can’t you?”

The rough-looking, middle aged Knight spared her a glance.

“We’ll judge that ourselves.”

He stood still, as the pair approached him.

“Sorry, Grandma,” Atmik answered, loud enough for everyone to hear. “She still can’t walk easily and I even forgot her footwear. So it took us a while getting back.”

“Sorry for putting you into such a spot,” he added.

Then his eyes moved to the knights standing a metre away. “...So, officer, were you looking for us? Did someone send you to bring us back?”

The knight said nothing. He looked once at his companion and then back at Atmik and Freya.

The knight draped in the heavy red armor inched closer until only a few inches separated him from Atmik.

He parted his lips.

“State your name and relationship.”

The words hung in the air but Atmik did not let them hang for long.

“Uhm..I’m Atmik and my wife, Maya.”

An indifferent smile settled onto his lips. “We’re a pair of married adventurers. We were injured during a mission, though I’m sure you already know most of that.”

The Knight remained silent. He didn’t voice it, but his expression said everything.

Atmik had guessed right. In truth, the knights already knew all there was to know about the two strangers — their names, the story they’d told the old woman and what they’d told the village.

The question had been a pressure test and nothing more. And now, with the boy answering without an inch of hesitation, the knight felt something close to being made a fool in his own interrogation.

“Tch.”

The sound escaped through his teeth as he drew his sword from its scabbard. “Yes, we have. That’s why we’re here. Which guild are you two registered under? Show me your guild cards.”

“Ah– I’m sorry. As you know, we lost most of our belongings and the cards went with them. I can’t show you even if I wanted to.” Atmik smiled. “As for the guild, we’re registered with a local one, back in my wife’s kingdom. Could you tell him the name, Maya dear?”

“Flying Graysons. In Valkyria,” Freya said flatly.

“...Hmm. Alright.”

The knight’s frustration was evident as his expression stiffened.

The reason was simple. Antaboga and Valkyria had frosty relations due to old territorial grudges. As a result, they didn’t have serious diplomatic channels worth the name.

Add to fact, the pair had named a local guild instead of multinational ones. So, verifying that information would take, at minimum, a week or two.

That was more than enough time for the two to think of a plan to escape from here.

On other hand, the knights had no real leverage against them for anything serious.

Which was exactly what Atmik had counted on. He had walked Freya through this before they ever stepped out, the fake name, the story and even the guild.

She hadn’t liked a single word of it, but played her part considering the situation.

And as things would have it, the situation unfolded precisely as he had visualised.

Even the next moment, just like he had expected, the knight lost his composure and placed his sword diagonally against Atmik’s throat.

“...Do you think we’re fools?” he whispered.

“Officer…please. Don’t hurt the boy. He’s innocent. Hear me out –” the old woman pleaded from the other side.

“Would you not interrupt an interrogation? You know very well what happens to those who disobey us. Miss Candra." The second Knight cut her off.

Then Freya interjected, unable to stomach the scene a moment longer.

“You imbecile. Put that sword away from him.”

The knight turned to her.

“What? Are you ordering? And, what’s with those eyes? Do you have a death wish, you feathered wench?”

“Please, forgive her!”

Atmik stepped in front of her before she could answer, his hands raised toward the knight. “She didn’t mean anything by it. She’s just…possessive of me. Please don’t hurt her.”

“Hey, what—” Freya hissed softly.

“Calm down.” Atmik whispered, soft enough so the knight couldn’t hear.

“Tch. Control your wife, then. Aren’t you ashamed of calling yourself a man?”

The knight threw a backhand across Atmik’s face, knocking him off balance and forcing him to crouch low to keep himself from falling.

The arm holding the sword returned to a resting position.

“You…how dare you…” Rage rose in Freya’s golden eyes.

But Atmik didn’t let the blow get to him. “Stop, Maya!” His voice cracked across the square before she could move.

“Let’s not make a scene. These gentlemen are merely doing their duty. We must cooperate.”

He straightened, his bare upper body fully exposed, and then the indifferent smile returned to his face.

“After all, we have nothing to hide.”

Atmik’s words and act silenced everyone in the vicinity.

The look in the villagers had changed as well. Their suspicious murmurs died down as they became invested in the drama unfolding before them.

Atmik seized the opportunity before him, settling his gaze on the knight who had struck him.

Atmik’s sharp glare unsettled the knight. Though he was older and stronger. For a moment, he felt much smaller.

“I’ll forget your filthy remark for now, officer. But don’t mistake our goodwill for weakness”. Atmik paused.

“You know very well what sort of diplomatic scandal it would be if word of how you treat registered adventurers reached wronged ears. Especially adventurers of a valkyrian guild.” He let the words sit.

“You do understand that, don’t you? And if you don’t, I’m certain your superior does.”

It was a gamble, and Atmik knew it.

From the small bits of information he’d learned about this world from Freya and a few others, he’d guessed that adventurers in this world held a special standing.

Registered guilds were no less than foreign investment and with that came political leverage.

He’d gambled on the same leverage and threatened the knight. Since, the knights couldn’t know for certain whether his claims were true, they had to treat the pair as adventurers.

That meant they couldn’t do anything serious to them.

And as he had expected, the words hit their mark. Anger flared across the knight’s face, his fist rose, then–

“Stop, Sora. That’s enough.”

A man dismounted from one of the horses. Tall, with slightly tanned skin, he was draped in the same heavy red armor.

He approached the pair with nimble steps.

“Forgive my subordinate’s behaviour. His temper is rather short.” A haughty smile played on his lips.

“I have to say, you are smart.”

“Very well. I heard your reason. We’ll believe your words until we can verify them.” The tanned knight spoke calmly.

“But you’ll come with us. This village is a semi-autonomous zone under the Empire. Outsiders can’t remain here for long, even if you are adventurers.”

He turned his eyes around the villagers.

“But in your luck, as it happens we’re on a voidwalker-hunting mission”

His smile widened.

“If it’s agreeable, we’d like to purchase your services until the thing is dead. Obviously, we’ll pay you well. And you need the coin, don’t you? You have a long road back to your guild.”

Freya’s fingers dug into Atmik’s sleeve but she held her tongue. Atmik let the words settle before he replied. “I understand. We accept your request.”

“Wonderful.”

The captain stretched out a hand.

“Wijaya. Knight captain of the order of Penjaga Hijau”

“Well…you already know our names. Haha.”

“Haha. That’s true.” Wijaya turned back toward his horse.

“You can rest for tonight. We will head back as well and come pick you tomorrow morning. From there, we’ll head straight into search of the voidwalker. Is that fine with you?”

“ Yeah, sure,” Atmik replied flatly.

Just as he was about to return to his mount, he turned back once more.

“Oh I almost forgot. Are you fine staying in such a small cottage? If you’d like, you can come with us to Knight quarters.”

“Forgive me for declining, but I need to take care of a few things” Atmik politely told him.

“I see. That’s unfortunate. Until tomorrow, then.”

Wijaya said, returning to where his knights waited.

At the cottage, Candra tended to Atmik’s bruise, healing his swollen cheekbone with magic, while muttering about knights and their corrupt habits.

When she was satisfied, she gave the knights a long look and went inside.

Freya sat beside him on the step. For a while, neither of them spoke.

“Does it hurt?”

“If I said yes, would I get some extra care straight from the princess”

“You can really joke in any situation. It’s serious.”

“I know.” He looked at the leftover lantern before him. “That’s why I’m joking.”

Then, silence settled between them. Across them, the knights were still gathered, their heads bent close and speaking among themselves.

“I wonder what they’re discussing. They’re giving off a rather creepy vibe.”

“Probably how to kill me during the mission.”

“Uhh…You can’t be serious.”

Wijaya and two knights gathered around where the other knights of order waited.

Then Sora spat into the dirt.

“Why did you let them go? The brat was acting big for a rat. Someone should have shown him what it means to be an adult.”

“You're a fool, Sora. No wonder the boy got into your head.” Wijaya wiped the dust from his gauntlet.

“Did you forget what I told you before? Life is a chessboard. Make the wrong moves, and you’re fated to be checkmated.” He giggled as he said it.

The second laughed along with him before asking, “So…we’re taking them on the mission? Isn’t near to… that.”

Wijaya placed hand on the man’s shoulder and glanced toward the pair, still sitting on the cottage step in the lantern light. His voice dropped to a whisper.

“It’s fine. We needed bait for the fish and that cocky boy…” An ugly smile crept on his face.

“He’ll make one hell of bait.” His eyes narrowed.

“ And once the king is down, the queen is ours for the taking.”