Confined in the temporary prison, Kassel waited for the war unfolding in Normant to end. Perhaps due to the rain from the previous night, he started to feel feverish, and his head was dizzy. Amidst the cries of war, Kassel shivered uncontrollably.
“Allow me to meet with Count Lumerier. I have words for him.”
He had pleaded several times, repeating the same request, but the knights guarding Kassel did not budge. Kassel noticed their attire—their clothes, cloaks, and swords.
‘These men aren’t just ordinary jail guards or sentinels. They are the official knights of the Black Lion Knights.’
They acted as if they were deaf to whatever Kassel said.
Timing his words to one of their shifts, Kassel implored in a pleading tone.
“At the very least, can you provide me with a blanket? I believe I have caught a cold.”
“I am sorry, but I was instructed not to give you even a spoon. Especially to someone as dangerous as you!”
“Confined like this, in what way am I a threat?”
“You are the captain of the White Wolves!”
Kassel, exasperated, replied, “Are you holding some bizarre illusion about the White Wolves? Do you fear I might conjure some magic with just a blanket?”
His words, meant as a jest, backfired. The guards collectively glared at Kassel, and the speaking knight tensed up.
“Magic?”
The knight stepped closer to Kassel, though only to the point where Kassel’s hand could not reach him through the wooden bars.
“Today, Red Rose Count’s army of five thousand was unable to penetrate the fortress because of a single White Wolf, they said. If one of your subordinates is that skilled, how formidable must you be? Guarding you even like this terrifies me to death. Magic? That’s what I wish to know. What magic do you people wield?”
Kassel cautiously approached the bars, causing the knights to raise their spears in alert. He then carefully inquired, “Who was this one you mentioned?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only heard there was someone.”
“Then, how did he fight? Was he a man? What weapon did he use?”
“It was a man, and they said he used a spear.”
‘It must have been Sheyden.’
“How does the current situation look?”
“The Black Lion troops are cleaning up the remnants of the enemy. The war has been won.”
Kassel nodded and sank back down. With the changing of the guard, there was no one left to converse with him.
‘We won. There was no need for a desperate push to arrive in time. The fact that they won even without me proves it was a battle they could handle on their own.’
Kassel couldn’t even savor the joy of victory, but only sighed in a mix of relief and emptiness.
‘Let’s think positively. Misunderstandings will be resolved. I’ll be released from here soon enough. If push comes to shove, Gerald will appear and kick down these old wooden bars to save me. So, I should just wait patiently.’
Kassel resigned himself to sitting huddled in a corner of the narrow makeshift cell. Then, a realization struck him.
‘No! I must tell what I saw. It’s not over yet.’
Before he was imprisoned, Kassel had witnessed a strange sight. The moment of his capture had been so dramatic that he momentarily forgot, but he could not stay silent.
Half a day earlier, when Normant was under attack, Kassel, having finally arrived, could not enter the city. He didn’t dare to venture into the streets controlled by the Red Rose’s army. And with the fierce battles around the fortress, he couldn’t use the secret passages the Blackfoot used either.
There wasn’t any way to convey the news inside. That he had arrived wasn’t particularly monumental news anyway.
So, Kassel simply sat there.
Suddenly, he felt his sword grow hot, which, in retrospect, might have been some kind of signal. Startled, Kassel stood up, and before he could ponder why his sword heated up on its own, he spotted a knight in black armor approaching from a distance.
Kassel hurriedly hid behind a tree.
The black horse, having run for days to get here and having been drenched in rain, looked more exhausted than Kassel’s own mount. And the black knight riding it exhaled deep, white breaths, warmer than Kassel’s feverish exhales.
‘A Black Knight.’
The winged horse stood before him. However, its wings hung limp.
A bulky, dark armor. But it no longer emanated the terrifying aura it once did.
‘That must be their leader. And probably Count Johnstein.’
Kassel deduced this from the stories he heard from Falcon and Janie. He didn’t know what sinister demonic power he might possess!
Kassel waited for the Black Knight to move further away, carefully observing where he was heading.
From the direction the Black Knight was heading, other knights clad in the same black armor approached slowly. They too were heading towards Normant.
The two groups seemed destined to meet.
‘This isn’t good. They’re going to collide.’
Intent on warning them, Kassel spurred his horse to block the path of the Black Lion Knights.
“Halt!”
Seeing him, Count Lumerier’s knights quickly repositioned to protect the carriage. Other soldiers drew their bows and nocked arrows.
“I am the captain of the White Wolves. I have no intention to attack. But you mustn’t pass this way. Deviate your path.”
Kassel identified himself and gave the warning.
Then, from the guarded carriage, Count Lumerier stepped out.
“Even though I took a detour, you knew my direction, Captain Wolf. Have you come to assassinate me now?”
Kassel couldn’t comprehend his words and in his urgency, just shouted, “There’s no time, Count! The Black Knight approaches from behind! We must leave this place.”
“Black Knight? What are you talking about? It seems to me you’re just obstructing my mission to save Normant. First, you rescue the daughter of the Red Rose Count, kill Captain Bading, and now you’ve joined hands with Varda Johnstein?”
Kassel held up his hands in exasperation.
“What nonsense are you speaking of? Since the party, I’ve never met Count Johnstein’s daughter…”
Before he could finish, the Black Knight appeared behind Kassel. All the horses reared in fear, and the knights took a step back.
The Black Knight, who had been driving his horse erratically, spread its wings. Kassel thought the knight was about to attack him and flattened himself against his horse’s back. But in an unexpected turn, the Black Knight raced past Kassel, charging straight for Count Lumerier.
What followed was chaos. A panicked Count Lumerier shouted orders, terrified soldiers loosed their arrows, and one stray arrow whizzed past Kassel’s ear.
Multiple arrows found their mark on the Black Knight’s body and helmet. Yet, the knight managed to reach Count Lumerier, stabbing him deeply in the shoulder. The knights defending the Count thrust their spears into the Black Knight multiple times.
Count Lumerier screamed.
The Black Knight yelled something in an indecipherable language. No matter how many times the guards attacked the Black Knight, it proved futile. The Black Knight never once tried to withdraw his sword from Count Lumerier.
Soon, black smoke billowed from inside the Black Knight’s helmet. The Count, initially screaming from pain, soon shifted to pure terror as the black smoke seemed to engulf him.
To Kassel’s horror, the smoke resembled human figures.
Suddenly, the Black Knight’s armor exploded. The knights surrounding him were thrown off their horses, and the roof of the carriage shattered. The horses pulling the carriage collapsed as if succumbing to sleep.
As the black smoke vanished and a cloud of dust settled, only Count Lumerier stood intact.
In disbelief, Count Lumerier felt his body. There were no injuries except for the deeply embedded sword in his shoulder. Knights who’d fallen now looked around for the enemy, but after the armor’s destruction, there was nothing left.
Just an empty suit of armor.
“What in the world…”
The Count grasped the sword that had pierced his shoulder. As he did, the blade crumbled like ash, and the wind carried the remnants away. Holding his bleeding shoulder, the Count gasped in shock.
“Seize that man!”
The Count’s rage was directed at Kassel.
“I think there’s been some misunderstanding. Listen, Count. I…”
Kassel tried to explain, but it was futile.
“Everyone here is a witness. So, the Black Knight who tried to assassinate two of my sons and Johnstein’s daughter is affiliated with the captain of the Wolf Knights!”
Holding onto his horse’s mane, Kassel couldn’t refute the Count’s accusations. Faced with the approaching knights’ blades, he didn’t even resist. In less than a minute, he was disarmed of Aranthia’s Sword, dragged from his horse, and his hands were bound.
After that, Kassel was thrown into a makeshift prison, unable to even catch a glimpse of Count Lumerier.
He wanted to ask the Count. Wasn’t the attack of the Black Knight strange? If he intended to kill, why just stab the shoulder? Ignoring most of the knight’s resistance and only targeting Lumerier… He could have struck him with fatal blows, but only pierced the shoulder.
And what he saw after the armor shattered was inexplicable. Kassel had expected Count Johnstein to emerge from the armor. He thought maybe the latter had grown so bored with the war that he tried to kill Lumerier himself. But there was only an empty armor, and the shattered pieces vanished without a trace.
It was all so strange. When Gerald had cut one of the Black Knight’s arm, it had maintained its form for days, emitting a cold aura…
Many questions raced through his mind. Shivering in the cold, Kassel curled up. That’s when someone draped a blanket over him. Curious about who had given it, but too weak to ask, he wrapped himself in it. Looking up, he saw it was a Black Lion Knight. The face seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.
The knight whispered in a hushed tone.
“I have something to discuss. But seeing your current state, I’ll return tomorrow.”
“Who… who are you?”
Kassel tried to get a clear look at the knight’s face, but the helmet obscured it. The knight, seeming intent on concealing his identity, glanced around and whispered, “I’m Biang, a subordinate of Bading.”
If he was a subordinate of Bading, his status would be higher than any other guard present. Yet, he had chosen to secretly visit and converse briefly. Shortly after, the guards who were overseeing the temporary prison returned, and Biang was nowhere to be seen.
Wrapped in the blanket, Kassel wondered what Bading’s subordinate wanted to discuss as he drifted into unconsciousness.
☆ ☆ ☆
When he awoke, instead of wooden bars, iron bars blocked his view. Instinctively, Kassel knew he was in the dungeon beside the royal palace.
‘Even if Gerald comes now, just kicking these bars won’t be enough to free me.’
He had figured out his location, but without windows, he couldn’t tell the time. Was it evening? Night? Or had an entire day passed?
“What the hell? Do you even know who you’ve imprisoned here? Who is this swill meant for?”
A sharp voice, unmistakably a woman’s, yelled as she grabbed the jailer by the collar.
‘Azwin!’
Kassel recognized her voice and was so elated he felt like dancing. However, he still couldn’t move.
The plate the jailer was holding crashed to the floor.
“But, this is the standard meal…”
“A standard meal is something edible. Tell me, would you eat that? How about I knock you down and pull out all your teeth, then see if you’d lick it up?”
Another man nearby tried to calm the irate woman.
“Why are you berating someone who’s just following orders? Hey, go get some blankets and warm food.”
It was Sheyden’s voice. Then Azwin spoke again.
“Only the best! If I find that the meal isn’t fit for our knights, I’ll pull your guts out through your throat.”
The jailer waddled away, his chubby behind jiggling.
The sound of footsteps approached.
“He’s, he’s a prisoner without visitation rights…”
A guard stopped the two people.
Azwin’s voice now had a threatening edge.
“Let’s think realistically, guards. How long do you think it’ll take for me to kill all three of you with my bare hands and disappear without a trace?”
“But our orders are…”
Suddenly, the sound of a sword being drawn echoed, followed by the noise of soldiers hastily retreating.
Kassel managed to prop himself up and said,
“Azwin. Stop.”
Azwin sheathed her sword and gripped the bars of the cell.
“Ah, you’re awake. Are you okay? You looked like you were dead!”
“Do I look that bad?”
Kassel asked with a weak smile.
“Yes. Did these bastards do anything to you? Tell me. I’ll tear them apart. Sorry for showing you this miserable sight. But seeing you on that cold floor enraged me.”
“I’m fine. But an extra blanket would be nice.”
“Just hold on a bit longer. I’ll get you out. Apart from the Queen of Aranthia, no one can lay a finger on a White Wolf.”
‘But I’m not a real White Wolf. I’ve never even seen the Queen.’
Unable to voice his thoughts, Kassel simply nodded.
Sheyden crouched next to the cell and whispered,
“Kassel, can you see me?”
Seeing Sheyden’s face, Kassel felt like tears were about to pour. The last person he wanted to see him in this state was Sheyden. Ashamed, Kassel lay back down and clutched the blanket around him.
Sheyden remained silent for a while and then said,
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did.”
Kassel didn’t respond. After a long wait, Sheyden called his name again.
“Kassel.”
“I… I’m thinking. Could you come back later? I mean…”
Kassel avoided their gazes.
“I haven’t decided on the compensation yet.”
“Compensation?”
Azwin asked, sounding perplexed.
“You said you’d compensate me after everything was over. The mission’s done, so I should get paid. I’m not sure how much to ask for, so come back later. I’ll ask for a lot.”
Scared of the impending response, Kassel pulled the blanket over his head.
They left without a word, and Kassel covered his face with the blanket, gritting his teeth to stop himself from crying.
‘Don’t cry. It’s not over yet. You’re still Captain Wolf. Captain Wolf doesn’t cry. You can’t tarnish the reputation of the White Wolves until the end!’
☆ ☆ ☆
‘Kassel?’
Luchi jolted upright, overhearing a conversation between two White Wolves and a person named Captain Wolf.
“Ah!”
Suddenly moving caused the area where his severed arm was stitched to tear open. The intense pain was unbearable, and it took him nearly ten minutes to regain his composure. Luchi slowly made his way to the cell bars.
He was worried about when he might be executed. While he had managed to save his life by disguising his identity as a Red Rose Count’s commander and dressing like a common soldier, there was no guarantee of safety. But an unexpected opportunity seemed to have just presented itself.
‘I won’t miss this chance.’
Luchi quickly scanned the area. Thanks to the ‘female White Wolf’ causing a commotion, the guards were momentarily distracted, discussing prisoner treatment.
After ensuring no one was nearby, Luchi called out,
“Hey, Kassel. Are you Kassel from Luurun village? Hey!”
The figure wrapped in the blanket seemed not to hear, but Luchi didn’t need confirmation. Just the silhouette was enough.
It was definitely that weakling Kassel he used to bully since childhood. Although Kassel started to resemble his father as he grew up, becoming someone Luchi wouldn’t dare touch after turning twenty, he was still the same old weakling at heart.
Even now, he was shivering from the cold, pulling his blanket over his head and whimpering.
Soon, a guard returned with the first measure to alleviate his situation: two blankets. The guard threw them through the bars of the cell. It was as if they were dealing with a caged beast. However, the captain of the White Wolves seemed to have already fallen asleep, not even bothering to cover himself with the provided blankets.
Luchi asked the guard, “Hey, who is that person you just gave the blankets to?”
“Why does a lowly one like you want to know? Want a blanket for yourself?”
“No, I don’t need it. More importantly, who is he? It’s strange that the White Wolves came looking for him. Can you please tell me?”
Luchi asked with a feeble smile.
The jailer replied dismissively, “Didn’t you hear earlier? He’s the captain of the Aranthia Wolf Knights.”
“Since when was he the captain?”
Luchi’s question made the jailer look incredulous. “Damn, how would I know that?”
“Oh, alright. Wait, wait!”
Luchi stopped the turning jailer once more.
“Just one more thing! Do you know what crime he committed to be imprisoned here?”
“Why the hell are you so curious? He attempted to assassinate the Black Lion Count and failed.”
Luchi quickly calculated how he could use this shocking information to his advantage.
“Can you arrange a meeting with the Black Lion Count for me?”
“Huh? Are you crazy? How can a lowly one like me set up a meeting with someone of such stature?”
“I’ll offer the same information to the arriving Black Lion Knights soon. Once they hear it, they’ll release me immediately. And they’ll owe me big time. This is valuable information. Do you want to miss out on such an opportunity?”
The guard looked back, squinting, “What’s the information?”
“Will you allow me to meet the Count?”
“I need to hear it first, don’t I?”
“For you, I can disclose the secret rendezvous location where the commanders of the Red Rose are scheduled to escape. Isn’t that valuable information? You can pretend you found it on your own, I don’t care.”
The guard stroked his chin and asked, “Only that information for a meeting with the Count?”
“Yes. Just relay this message, and you’ll earn accolades. The Count will surely want to meet me.”
Luchi beckoned the guard closer and whispered, “Tell him this. There’s someone here who knows the true identity of Captain Wolf.”
☆ ☆ ☆
Upon Count Lumerier’s request, all the lords and the King began an emergency conference.
He boldly requested to be recognized as the royal family’s protectorate lineage. The King asked for a fortnight to consider this. Given that in the case of the Duke of Sheffield, a whole month was allocated, this was quite a rush.
Watching the meeting, Dunathan cursed himself for proposing to involve the Black Lion Count. They should’ve overcome the crisis with only the royal forces until the very end. Of course, without his troops, they’d be preparing for another war now, but it was better than inviting the lion inside. Now, instead of 5,000 Red Rose soldiers, there were 5,000 Black Lion soldiers occupying Normant. There was no difference.
Now Dunathan couldn’t oppose Lumerier being appointed as the guardian lineage. But the moment Lumerier suggested punishing Captain Wolf, he stood up in protest.
“How can you punish a knight of Aranthia with the laws of Camort?”
Even the lords who eagerly anticipated the words of the Black Lion Count opposed this.
“That’s right. He’s destined to become a hero of this country, not a criminal.”
“Songs praising Captain Wolf are already circulating in Normant.”
“To be precise, from the information I’ve received, Captain Wolf wasn’t among those who fought at the last moment.”
Count Lumerier arrogantly took a seat one step lower than the King and spoke.
“And even if that was the case, he sided with the Red Rose Count and threatened this kingdom. Moreover!”
Throughout his speech, Lumerier showed no change in expression, save for occasionally touching his injured shoulder.
“He killed my guardian knight Bading and my son Jacques, or at least conspired in their deaths. He also seemed to be involved with the Black Knights who recently invaded Normant and threatened Your Majesty. I saw it clearly with my own eyes.”
“According to the laws of Camort, the punishment for such crimes is execution. But Count Lumerier, even if all these suspicions are true, do you truly believe we can execute him?”
Dunathan tried his best to remain calm while speaking. His opponent was a man who, with a mere decision, could oust the King and sit on the throne himself. Dunathan was prepared for any consequence.
Fortunately, the Count didn’t dismiss Dunathan’s opinion rashly.
“Execution might be difficult. But releasing him would tarnish the reputation of Camort.”
The Count stepped back. Seizing the moment, Dunathan advocated further.
“Captain Wolf is the symbol and pride of Aranthia. What if a misstep leads to war with Aranthia? We should have been cautious even imprisoning him.”
The other nobles whispered their opinions among themselves, and the Count was silent for a moment. All he did was press down on his wounded shoulder.
‘I heard he was deeply stabbed by a sword. Shouldn’t he be in so much pain sitting here? To bear such a wound like this…?’
Dunathan pondered this as he awaited King Charles’s decision. The King seemed deeply engrossed in thought, unable to make any decision.
‘No, in this case, it’s better not to make a decision. The Count can’t do anything to Captain Wolf in the current situation!’
At that moment, a guard entered the council chamber and discreetly handed the Count a note. After reading it, the Count tucked it into his clothes and stood up.
“The meeting is dragging on. Your Majesty, may I take my leave for a moment?”
King Charles, seemingly relieved, responded with a weary face, “Let’s take a break. We will reconvene this evening.”
The Count left the council chamber with his knights. The remaining nobles murmured about the Count’s aggressive tendencies.
Dunathan was curious about the note the Count received but soon forgot about it. He cautiously approached the king.
“Your Majesty, you must not waver. Do you not know how much Captain Wolf has done for Normant, for you?”
“I am aware, Dunathan.”
The King replied, forcing a smile.
“I was just pondering how to persuade the Count. If necessary, I’ll even exploit my close ties with the Queen of Aranthia. As long as Kassel is the Captain of the Wolf Knights, Lumerier can’t lay a finger on him.”
☆ ☆ ☆
Lumerier walked slowly down the royal hallway. No one here dared to meet his gaze.
‘Ah, except one group. The White Wolves.’
Angry for their Captain’s imprisonment, they glared from a corner of the hallway. Lumerier didn’t even glance their way.
‘Your glares are useless. You are outsiders, guests who will leave soon.’
In the worst-case scenario, releasing Kassel to send them back to Aranthia would be a fair trade.
‘No. I can’t just release Kassel. He needs to die.’
At first, he thought it was vengeance. But it wasn’t. An unrelenting urge to end Kassel’s life kept boiling within. During the meeting, he several times felt an impulse to rush to the dungeons and personally strangle the whimpering captain. Whenever he felt that urge, the Count pressed on the wound in his shoulder. The pain seemed to distract him from the impulse.
Even now, he suppressed his urge by pressing on the wound.
It didn’t hurt.
“Huh?”
Before descending to the dungeon, Count Lumerier decided to unwrap the bandage and inspect the injury.
The bandage had been cleanly removed. One would have expected the wound underneath to be festering, reeking, and oozing blood, but all that was dirty was the bandage itself; there was no wound. In fact, the skin looked even cleaner than before it had been pierced.
“What the hell…”
As the Count touched the wound in shock, an attendant came to greet him.
“Ah, my lord Count! I’m the attendant who sent you the message. Would you like to come downstairs?”
Buttoning his coat, the Count replied, “You expect me to go to that filthy place? Bring up the one who promised information.”
A moment later, the obsequious attendant returned, dragging with him a prisoner named Luchi. An unpleasant smirk adorned the dirty man’s face. The Count thought, if the first words out of this man’s mouth were useless information, he’d gladly send him straight to the front lines to be executed.
“I know the true identity of Kassel,” Luchi said.
The Count, trying to hide his repulsion from the foul smell emanating from the man, asked, “You’re not about to tell me he’s some great knight from Aranthia, are you?”
“Do you really think I’d have brought you all the way here for such a dull jest, my lord?”
Luchi chuckled then whispered so that only the Count could hear, “He’s not Captain Wolf.”
Though the Count was inwardly shocked, he feigned disinterest. “So? What do you want me to do with that?”
It was easy for the Count to discern if information was genuine or fake by the reactions. Fortunately, this man seemed genuine.
“I’m not a greedy man,” Luchi, holding out his remaining hand, stated. “Just release me and grant me a small plot of land to farm. In return, I’ll tell you a story about a simple farmer from the village of Lurun, a tale from just two months ago.”
The Count’s eyes widened, “Consider it done, Luchi. Speak.”
Luchi went on, narrating a story that made the Count’s hands tremble. A dark mass in the corner of his mind took shape, compelling him. Kill him, it urged. Kill him!
‘All shall be according to your will!
After confirming the evidence presented by Luchi, the Count nodded, “Step back for now, Luchi.”
Obediently, Luchi retreated, moving with the grace of someone used to serving those in power.
The Count then summoned his guards, “Prepare to execute one of the prisoners immediately.”
As they gathered, one guard asked in surprise, “Yes, my lord. But who…?”
“There’s a man named Kassel down there.”
The guard looked horrified, “My lord? Him? But, hasn’t his trial not been concluded yet?”
The Count smirked coldly, “Do you really think the Black Lion Count needs a trial to execute a criminal of peasant origin?”
☆ ☆ ☆
Loyal sat on a stone staircase, munching on bread. With his unwashed appearance and a sword by his side, maids were too terrified to pass by him. Soldiers, aware of Loyal’s feat of slaying an enemy general in a single strike, greeted him with reverence, but no one dared approach closely. As a result, the staircase was essentially off-limits.
“You’ve done it again, Loyal. I thought you found your place, but I guess not?”
Without looking, Loyal responded to the long-haired middle-aged man who sat beside him.
“I heard from Azwin. When did you arrive, Meylumil?”
“Yesterday.”
“Both Azwin and Gerald were frantically looking for you, saying they wanted to thank you.”
“Oh, is that why they were looking? I thought they were after revenge from the way they were glaring. Scary. So, I hid.”
“They are frightening, those two.”
“Anyway, it’s been a while, Loyal. Has it been 5 years since we last met in Carnelock?”
“Probably longer.”
Loyal replied curtly. Lumil, resting his chin on his hand, inquired, “What happened?”
For a long while, Loyal chewed his bread and didn’t answer. For nearly an hour, Lumil patiently waited without urging or showing signs of impatience.
“There was a woman named Latilda.”
Loyal suddenly spoke of the events in Denmoju and Leang without any preamble. Lumil listened without interrupting until Loyal had finished.
“So, you came to Normant and found yourself sitting here, idle and edgy?”
“Not exactly like that.”
Loyal replied with a sorrowful tone.
“Then tell me your real concern.”
“I don’t know the purpose of the White Wolf’s fang I possess. Still don’t.”
“Only you would know that.”
“I failed to protect Latilda. Probably because I don’t have a fang yet.”
“You regret it?”
“Yes.”
“You think if you had been stronger then, if you could show the overwhelming power of the White Wolf’s fang, that you could have saved Latilda? That kind of regret?”
“Yes.”
Lumil faintly smiled and said,
“You’ve grown a lot, Loyal.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You, who once didn’t understand ‘people’, have now come to understand ‘love’.”
“I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
Lumil playfully ruffled Loyal’s hair.
“It’s not a joke. Reflect more on it. It’s okay to feel pain. The answer isn’t given by someone else; it’s already within you.”
As Lumil made to leave, Loyal called out,
“Master.”
“Hm? Is that title for calling me?”
“I’ve never thought of anyone as my master, except for you, Lumil.”
“That’s kind of you. But Quain would be disappointed to hear that.”
“Can I ask you one thing…”
Loyal hesitated, worrying about the forthcoming answer.
“Is it okay to do my best?”
Lumil laughed heartily.
“People would say you sound quite arrogant. But if your arrogant and magnanimous teacher could give one piece of advice, yes, it’s okay.”
“Really?”
Loyal asked, trying to suppress his excitement.
“I know what you’re afraid of. Are you afraid you might have to leave the newfound home again? Are you afraid that even within the Wolf Knights, as you keep growing stronger, your friends might become afraid of you? You don’t have to be, Loyal. I saw your two friends fighting against the Twelve Black Knights.”
Teasingly, Lumil continued,
“I don’t even need to see your sword skills. They’ve already caught up with you.”
“That’s not true!”
Loyal abruptly stood up, looking like he might draw his sword to demonstrate his skills.
“People say it’s because of me that we don’t have a captain. With such an amazing guy around, all the potential captain-worthy wolves refuse the position.”
Loyal shouted,
“That’s why I took up the captain’s role! To protect the place where I belong! But I don’t think I’m fit for such a task. And I don’t want to obey someone weaker than me. Wouldn’t that make me weaker too? I… shouldn’t I do my best?”
Watching Loyal’s voice grow louder, Lumil shook his head with a wry smile.
“It’s good no one’s around to hear. Seeing the potentially strongest man in the world cry out like a child would be just the encouragement some insecure guys need. Oh, you unfortunate kid!”
Lumil replied with a strong tone,
“Someday, a captain will appear who can wield you, the weapon, as he pleases. A captain who won’t have to bend his pride, and who doesn’t feel inferior to you. He will surely appear. Just be patient.”
‘When? After I retire?’
Loyal wanted to say it, but Lumil was already walking away into the garden.
Loyal sat back on the steps, his face not fierce this time, but blank.
“Aren’t you a White Wolf Knight?”
A soldier approached, initiating a conversation.
“Yes, I am.”
Loyal replied, momentarily distracted.
“I have important news.”
“Oh, if it’s important news, perhaps another friend would…”
“The others are nowhere to be found.”
“Right. My friends have probably gone to meet the captain.”
“It’s about the captain. I’ve just received news that Captain Wolf is to be executed.”
Loyal cocked his head.
“Executed?”
“He’s set to be beheaded. Only traitors face such a fate in Camort.”
Loyal’s eyebrows twitched upward.
“When is this?”
The soldier answered cautiously, “Tomorrow at noon.”
☆ ☆ ☆
The sights before his eyes and the thoughts inside his head tangled so much that Kassel struggled to discern reality from dream. Sometimes the bars seemed like a window letting in rain, and sometimes they appeared like writhing snakes. Waking from dreams of being buried under heaps of soil, he’d find himself pressed not by dirt but by a blanket.
Kassel had never felt pain this intense before. The momentary agony of a broken arm in his childhood, or the delirium during a fever, which he hardly recalled, paled in comparison.
Staring into the darkness, he even began to hallucinate. A horned bear strolled in front of the bars, and a drinking duck played chess with the bear. Waking from this dream, those figures turned out to be a jailer and a knight standing guard, but at a second glance, the duck seemed real as well.
Later on, he saw a cow doing push-ups while yawning. If he were awake, he’d have laughed heartily, but to Kassel, the sight was frighteningly strange.
“Checkmate. Hey, fool. Try to dodge this.”
The yawning cow spoke to Kassel out of the blue, but Kassel closed his eyes, ignoring it. After a while, he heard someone laughing.
Soon, the jail went silent.
“It seems he doesn’t understand.”
Three hooded men stood above him, their faces hidden in shadow. One of them resonated a deep voice. Kassel’s throat hurt too much to reply. The men discussed amongst themselves, asking the jailer for medicine and clothes.
“Captain Wolf. We’re here to help you. Do you recognize me?”
As one of them spoke, another shook his head.
“He didn’t recognize me yesterday either.”
“This is a problem, Fiorendino. If Captain Wolf remains like this, the information Biang provided becomes useless.”
“The trial is tomorrow. If things continue this way, Lumerier will become the royal guardian family, and if Captain Wolf is executed, it’s all over. Who made the decision to execute him? Surely not His Majesty?”
“I heard His Majesty was so shocked he couldn’t speak. The evidence showed that the Captain here is a fake…”
The three men left, discussing amongst themselves, treating Kassel as if he were already dead. He fell asleep midway through their conversation and didn’t recall how much longer they talked.
Annoyingly, someone else woke him up.
“Kassel, just speak. Rescuing you is no big task.”
The man was mountainous in size. Though Kassel couldn’t recognize his face, the voice was unmistakably Gerald’s. Beside him was Janie. Why was she here?
“You’re set to be executed. In front of the king, according to Camort law! How is that possible?”
Upon closer look, it wasn’t Janie, but Azwin. Kassel could only recall two women’s faces at the moment: Azwin and Janie. They seemed strangely similar, perhaps due to their personalities?
He half expected Janette to appear from somewhere, pining for Luchi’s embrace. But he hardly cared anymore.
“Kassel Noi. I’m sorry. But you should’ve lied better. Claiming to be the captain of the Wolf Knights was over the top.”
Luchi remarked.
‘I must be seeing things. Luchi too? Am I dying?’
Luchi laughed and, guided by the jailer, left the cell.
When Kassel opened his eyes, a bowl of cold gruel and bread was in front of him. He wasn’t particularly hungry, but forced himself to eat the bread. It felt like chewing paper. Exhausted from eating, he lay down, and Loyal appeared.
Having only seen him once at the party, Kassel was sure this wasn’t a hallucination. But Loyal, unlike the awkward man Azwin often described, spoke words of menace.
“Friends may have acknowledged it, but it’s different from what I thought. How can one be a captain when he doesn’t even consider himself as one?”
‘I was never meant to be a captain to begin with. It was you who imposed it upon me, not something I truly wanted.’
He wanted to say that, but the words wouldn’t escape his lips.
Instead, he managed to ask a short question.
“Where is Latilda?”
“She’s dead. The Black Knights took her.”
Kassel, drained of his energy, managed to ask, without a hint of surprise.
“Weren’t you supposed to be… protecting her?”
Kassel wanted to be like Loyal. A formidable knight referred to as one of the elite White Wolves. Yet, the very knight he admired was now leaning against a window, tears visible in his eyes.
“I couldn’t do it with my strength alone. Against magic, my swordsmanship was meaningless.”
“Magic?”
Kassel questioned.
Loyal tilted his head at Kassel’s words.
“Magic, you say? To someone like me… your swordsmanship is nothing short of magic. So, if you were to fight again… you would win.”
“How can you be so sure without seeing?”
Loyal asked, his voice suggesting that if not for the bars, he might have grabbed Kassel by the collar.
“It’s not that I’m sure. It’s just…”
Kassel responded with a faint smile.
“I want to see it… because I love the White Wolves.”
The strain of talking made him dizzy, and he closed his eyes, his voice barely a whisper.
“I want to see it… someday…”
When he opened his eyes again, Loyal was gone.
‘He probably didn’t hear that last bit. Good. It sounded childish.’
When he blinked, Sheyden was there, silently looking down at him. Kassel spoke up, as if he had disappointed his father.
“I lost… the sword. I’m sorry.”
“That’s not for you to worry about. It’s an object that will find its owner.”
Sheyden’s tone was devoid of warmth. However, to Kassel, it oddly sounded apologetic.
‘Am I misinterpreting things now? There’s no way Sheyden would feel sorry. He must be angry.’
Kassel nodded slowly.
“So, the sword left because it was its time to go?”
“Are you doing this again? Have you forgotten everything I told you in Ambrue?”
The reply came from Lumil, not Sheyden.
Kassel was immensely confused. Where had Sheyden, who was just here, gone? Were the two of them appearing together but being seen separately? Or had it always been Lumil?
Adding to the confusion was the sudden appearance of his father.
“You know, I don’t think we ever had a drink together.”
Kassel tried multiple times to regain his composure. Yet, in a blink, Lumil was replaced by his father.
“I’ve heard you’re asking for compensation as the acting captain. Can I ask on your behalf? Discussing money with friends is a bit awkward.”
Kassel felt the urge to state his demands immediately. He needed to secure a promise before his execution the next day. What would be a good amount? Would it be good to ask to deliver it to Emil Noi of Lurun Village?
He made up his mind to speak, but the words that came out were completely different.
“I don’t need any compensation.”
He didn’t even have the energy to lie. His true feelings spilled out embarrassingly and childishly.
“I’ve already received it. The memories of all the White Wolves being my friends are compensation enough. It’s more than I deserve.”
Nevertheless, after saying it, he felt relieved and happy.
“Thank you, all of you.”
Lumil vanished, and in his place was Sheyden. It seemed like Sheyden was smiling. But when he focused, there was no one.
Neither Loyal, nor Lumil, nor the duck and cow he played chess with, and not even his father. Kassel couldn’t distinguish between what was a dream and what was reality. Drenched in sweat, he brushed back his hair and took a ragged breath.
At that moment, someone opened the door, and a cold breeze swept in. Kassel shivered, trying desperately to wrap his cloak around himself.
Through tear-blurred eyes, he couldn’t discern who had entered. The figure seemed to speak briefly, but Kassel couldn’t hear any words. Still, he understood every word. The figure was communicating with hand signs.
‘Kassel, we’ve found out who tried to assassinate us.’
Instead of replying verbally, Kassel simply nodded.
The figure wrote a name on the ground.
Black Lion Count.
‘Anything else you’ve learned?’
Kassel asked through hand signs.
The figure informed Kassel that the Black Knight was Count Johnstein. Kassel had already known this but listened anyway. What followed was something Kassel hadn’t known.
After finishing, the figure signed another question.
‘What should we do? If you wish, I can help you escape. Anytime.’
Kassel replied with signs.
‘I’ll stay here. But there’s something you must do for me.’
With that, the figure withdrew. He disappeared so quietly, Kassel wondered if it had been an illusion.
Holding his cloak tight, Kassel lost himself in thought. The fears, hallucinations, and imaginations that had dominated his mind began to fade, replaced only by the image of his father. In dire moments, it was the most practiced skills, the most frequent memories, that surfaced, almost reflexively.
‘Perhaps the White Wolves display their sword skills from grueling training sessions when in real battle.’
Kassel realized he was doing just that.
‘Don’t stand at the center of a battlefield where everyone is killing each other. You’ll end up getting killed too.’
Currently, Kassel was in the middle of such a battlefield. And by noon tomorrow, he wouldn’t be at the center of a battlefield but at the center of an execution ground. Everyone would expect that, and everything would proceed that way.
With weakening strength, Kassel clenched and unclenched his hands several times.
‘I’ve not spoken in so long. At this rate, I might lose my voice.’
His throat felt raw after suffering from the fever. He started by drinking water. It didn’t go down smoothly and he coughed multiple times, but he managed to finish the entire glass.
He then began to eat the now-cold porridge. He could’ve asked for something warm, but consuming something cold seemed quicker and more beneficial at the moment. He also forced down the bread kept aside. He couldn’t taste a thing, but he continued eating.
“Lumerier. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the center of the battlefield.”
With fierce eyes, Kassel muttered while staring at the window bars.
“So, you better show up too!”
–TL Notes–
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