“What is Master Irene like, Mr. Jaymer?”
Jaymer slowed his pace slightly for the exhausted Kassel, but even then, Kassel struggled to keep up.
“Hey, Kassel.”
“Yes?”
“What’s with the ‘Mr.’?”
“Then, Lord Jaymer?”
Jaymer growled, showing an irritated expression.
“Just call me by my name. I don’t stand on ceremony, and neither should you. To be fair, I’ll keep calling you Kassel.”
“That’s a relief. I don’t have the energy for formalities right now.”
Kassel replied with a smile.
‘Foolish guy, can’t he see I’m mocking him?’
Jaymer then asked what he had been wondering earlier.
“So, was you pretending to be injured earlier intentional? Because of that, Suvel got confused during the chase, and for a while, it took me some time to grasp your intention. So, I mean, I’m talking about your intention.”
“Ah, that.”
Kassel showed his elbow while wiping away sweat with his sleeve. Blood had dried on the wound, but it had started to bleed again.
“I genuinely fell and genuinely bled. And in that moment, I thought it would be easier and more advantageous to fake an injury rather than pretending not to be injured and then getting found out.”
“Really…”
The fall must have been an accident. Strictly speaking, it was a mishap, and it could have turned dangerous. But he had made use of it. Jaymer, looking for the right words, finally spoke.
“You were lucky.”
“It was lucky that you found me. I’m really glad I met you.”
For some reason, Jaymer felt annoyed.
‘Is this guy mocking me now? In some sophisticated way I can’t understand?’
Jaymer changed the subject.
“Master Irine was curious too. Where did the other White Wolves go?”
“It will be a long story if I go into that.”
Kassel continued, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
“Well, we still have a long way to Gold Gate. It’s good we won’t run out of stories. Right? I’m curious about who you are.”
“I’m a hunter. Nothing more to say.”
Jaymer responded curtly. But Kassel laughed again.
‘Such a foolish smile. Not what I expected. At least I thought it would be as dramatic as when I met Irine.’
Jaymer was disappointed.
They decided to rest by the stream. With his swift skills, Jaymer caught some fish. Meanwhile, without being asked, Kassel prepared to start a fire.
“Should we light a fire? What if those chasing us see the smoke?”
“It doesn’t matter. No one will chase us any further.”
“I thought the same.”
Kassel lit the fire, and Jaymer brought more fish, and they began preparing them together.
“What is it?”
While gutting the fish, Kassel felt Jaymer’s intense gaze and asked.
“I just found it unexpected. I thought I’d have to take care of an exhausted and injured captain’s meals on the way to the Gold Gate.”
Kassel looked at Jaymer strangely.
“Did you want me to? Sorry, but I was so hungry I couldn’t wait for you to prepare the meal on your own.”
“I see. Want some salt?”
Jaymer showed a small bottle from his bag. Kassel reached out.
“Really? Give it to me.”
Kassel sprinkled salt on the fish, using it sparingly, like a thrifty old woman.
The view of the mountain from the stream was beautiful. There were many places like this in Carnelock, but the sight of rocky mountains and white peaks in the background offered a completely different scenery.
While the fish cooked, Kassel sat by the fire and briefly told Jaymer about his separation from his friends, his encounter with Barol, and then meeting Billy again. Jaymer listened quietly, then picked up a cooked fish.
“Hmm, you tell stories quite interestingly.”
Kassel took a bite of the fish and responded.
“That’s the second time I’ve heard that since I arrived in Aranthia.”
“Honestly. I don’t like talking much, but I love listening. Sometimes I even pay for stories. But I’ve never met a storyteller like you.”
“Think I should become a bard?”
Kassel asked.
Jaymer nodded honestly. At that, Kassel burst into laughter.
‘Why is this guy laughing again?’
After his fit of laughter, Kassel, biting the fish from the head, asked,
“Who is Master Irene?”
Jaymer took the fish out of his mouth.
When he thought about it, it hadn’t even been three days since he parted ways with her. But it felt like it had been over a month, and he missed her. Who was she? Jaymer wanted to ask the same question. Why did he long for her this way? He couldn’t quite recall the emotions that surged as they parted.
“A woman worthy of being my mentor.”
Jaymer swallowed the many other words that came to mind and responded briefly. Thinking too much was painful. But Kassel didn’t let the conversation end there.
“Did you not have a mentor before?”
“I didn’t.”
“You weren’t with Irine for long, right? So, she didn’t teach you swordsmanship.”
“No.”
“Then, who taught you? Given the way you handled those two fearsome men earlier, I thought you must’ve had a remarkable mentor…”
“I didn’t have one.”
“You learned on your own? Impressive.”
Jaymer, who didn’t socialize much, wasn’t good at reading people’s expressions. So he was easily deceived. He missed out on rewards after catching criminals and even after completing requested tasks. Of course, no one who tried to deceive him lived to tell the tale, but being deceived was still a reality for him.
He couldn’t discern whether Kassel’s apparent honesty was genuinely sincere. Kassel seemed too open about his feelings, earlier and now. Even when Jaymer tried to be cautious, he felt his guard dropping.
‘Is he trying to deceive me? He must be. Who gets friendly with someone they just met? So, what’s he trying to pull?’
Jaymer was on high alert.
‘Shouldn’t he be wary and afraid of others, especially after being held captive?’
Jaymer recalled rescuing a noble’s daughter.
When he appeared, sword bloodied, to rescue her, she became more terrified than when she was with her captors. Despite Jaymer’s assurances, she screamed, resisted, and caused a commotion. In the end, returning her to her home proved harder than dispatching her kidnappers.
His other experiences were similar. Whether he was rescuing someone or hunting a criminal, his approach was consistent, always starting and ending in bloodshed. Everyone, whether he was there to save or capture them, reacted similarly.
Kassel didn’t. Jaymer found it odd and suspicious.
“Don’t you find me strange… or… what’s the word… intimidating?”
Jaymer asked hesitantly.
Kassel stared at Jaymer for a long moment before nodding.
“If the circumstances were different, perhaps I would have. If you appeared as an enemy… yes, I’d have been scared. I wouldn’t be calmly eating fish in front of you like this.”
‘That’s not what I meant. Doesn’t he get it? How can I explain? Never mind.’
Jaymer gave up when no words came to mind. In times like this, he’d blame himself for his lack of eloquence. Fortunately, Kassel seemed to understand on his own.
“If you mean it in another way, I know another swordsman quite similar to you. He self-taught almost to the peak of expertise. His name is Loyal. He too had no mentor.”
“Loyal… Is he also one of the White Wolves?”
Kassel tossed away the fish bones and took a new piece.
“Yes.”
“Compared to him, I probably don’t seem that intimidating?”
Kassel rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“I can’t really tell from my perspective.”
“Why are you telling me this? Do you judge me to be trustworthy?”
Jaymer inwardly kicked himself.
‘Idiot! I shouldn’t have been so direct! I should’ve been more subtle, trying to coax the truth out of him!’
Jaymer grew increasingly frustrated.
‘Damn it, why am I overthinking this? Once I safely escort this kid to Nadium and meet Master again, my work here is done, right?’
Kassel’s face reddened as he spoke.
“Even if you don’t find me trustworthy, what can I do against someone who could easily kill me? From the moment I saw you, I thought of you as an ally.”
‘On what grounds? What if you’re wrong?’
Jaymer suppressed the rising questions. The longer the conversation dragged on, the more his curiosity would spike. Moreover, prolonged conversations would reveal his lack of eloquence, which made him uneasy.
“I’m getting sleepy from eating.”
Kassel noted.
“We can’t sleep here. If we move further, we’ll find a more comfortable spot to rest. We need to get there.”
Jaymer shouldered his backpack again.
“Understood.”
Kassel obediently followed Jaymer.
By the time they settled down for the night, Kassel inquired.
“Do you really think they’ve given up the chase?”
“If I were them, I’d have given up at the cliff. But we should still hurry.”
“Why?”
“They might be waiting for us at our destination.”
“They don’t know where we’re heading, right? With all these mountains and treacherous paths?”
Kassel exclaimed in surprise.
“Didn’t you think it through before? Aren’t you a bit slow now? We’re heading to the same destination they are, aren’t we?”
“The Gold Gate! Now that I’m relaxed, I’ve become a bit dull. I didn’t think of that. This is bad.”
“Why are you panicking all of a sudden?”
“The Gold Gate is in danger. It will be attacked.”
“By just those two? Isn’t the Gold Gate bigger than Red Gate? They probably have an army.”
“They might. 10 years ago, even the Excelon Knights couldn’t breach its walls.”
Kassel scratched his forehead, speaking in a worried tone.
“But that doesn’t matter. The forces of the Red Gate couldn’t stop Black. The Gold Gate will be no different. Normant, the capital of Camort, was defended by hundreds, but they couldn’t withstand about ten Black Knights. And Black is even stronger than the Black Knights I’ve encountered.”
“Oh, you’re going to the Gold Gate to lead the Wolf Knights?”
Jaymer asked with a hint of pride in his realization.
“No, the forces of the Gold Gate are beyond my command.”
“Why?”
“I haven’t been officially appointed as Captain Wolf. Therefore, I can’t give them any orders.”
“You’re a captain but not a captain?”
“It’s a complicated situation.”
Jaymer chose not to delve deeper into the “complicated situation.” He didn’t see the need. Jaymer desired simplicity.
“Let’s just head to Nadium. My master will be waiting there. We can tell her everything.”
“As long as they don’t capture us first.”
“They won’t catch up to us with my pace. But you might not be able to keep up. I need to think about that.”
Jaymer lit a campfire and lay down. Kassel also curled up and tried to sleep. Jaymer was tired, but Kassel was out cold in seconds.
Jaymer took off his cloak and draped it over Kassel. Even in early summer, the nights could be chilly.
‘He’s truly a peculiar one.’
Jaymer stared at the peacefully sleeping Kassel, feeling a flare of anger. The fact that Kassel rested so vulnerably in front of him was unnerving.
‘He’s been making me feel like a naive fool since earlier. It’d be easier if he just despised or feared me.’
Jaymer decided that from the next day, he would put on a more intimidating front with Kassel.
☆ ☆ ☆
The next day, Jaymer led the way with swift steps.
‘He’s so slow. But I can’t go any slower than this.’
Even though he was worried about Kassel, Jaymer couldn’t afford to slow down.
By midday, they reached a small village. The village, devoid of any restaurants or inns for travelers, was humble. Most of the houses were made of logs, and peculiarly, a few were constructed from red clay.
Kassel managed to barter with a village woman using a single silver coin, obtaining a few boiled eggs and a cup of milk. Perhaps because it was the countryside, they didn’t value the money highly. It felt more like he’d appealed to their kindness than used the coin’s worth.
The two settled beneath the shade of a large tree.
“When you consider that they are traveling on much better roads, we will need to be moving at least twice as fast as them,” Jaymer planned their route aloud.
“They have more numbers. Won’t they be slower?”
“I killed them all, remember?”
“Right,” Kassel spoke with a downcast tone.
Jaymer crossed his arms, lost in thought for a while.
“It would be good if they haven’t thought of waiting for us at the Gold Gate… but by my calculations, it’s impossible for us to arrive before them.”
Eventually, Jaymer leaned back against the tree, abandoning the idea of planning.
“I’m sorry. It’s probably because I’m slowing us down, isn’t it?”
Kassel apologized.
Jaymer lifted his face and closed his eyes.
“If I was going to blame you, I wouldn’t have protected you. But back at the Red Gate, why did you act so strangely?”
“Act strangely?”
“Combining everything I heard, you had no reason to reveal the truth to the gate soldiers. Yet you did. Why? If you had stayed quiet…”
Jaymer shrugged.
“You would have safely made it to Gold Gate, wouldn’t you?”
Kassel sat beside Jaymer, leaning against the tree and looked up at the sky. The two of them gazed in the same direction.
“Black… that Black Knight provoked me.”
Kassel revealed.
‘Why would he provoke someone like you?’
Jaymer swallowed the half-formed words.
‘Remember, act intimidating. It’s nothing for a frail guy like him to fear me.’
Having reminded himself of his resolve from the previous day, Jaymer prepared to adopt the cold and curt tone once more.
With a somber tone, Kassel added, “There’s one more thing! A wolf spoke to me. Told me not to send them to Gold Gate.”
“A wolf?”
Jaymer immediately recalled the wolf tracks he’d seen near Red Gate.
“After speaking to you, that wolf didn’t appear again?”
“No, not at all. Huh, you’re not surprised by a talking wolf?”
“A talking wolf is nothing compared to the horrors I’ve faced. But that wolf… It seemed to follow you right after you passed Red Gate. Calculating the time…”
Jaymer counted on his fingers.
“There’s a one or two-hour gap between where you were and where I was. So, the wolf should have been somewhere in the middle. Yet, I didn’t see any wolf.”
“How can you analyze where a mysterious wolf went?”
Kassel shrugged.
Jaymer, once again counting on his fingers, realized his calculations didn’t add up.
‘Wait a minute. If there was a wolf circling around Kassel and following him, it should have overlapped with me when I attacked them. But after a certain point, I didn’t see it at all.’
Several villagers walked by, casting curious glances at the two strangely dressed young men leaning against the tree. But as the duo seemed uninteresting, resting casually against the tree, the villagers didn’t linger for long.
Jaymer peeled an egg and popped it into his mouth. After chewing for a moment, he said, “So, you did what an unidentified wolf told you to?”
“It didn’t seem like a bad wolf. And I’m the captain of the White Wolves. When a white-furred wolf says something, wouldn’t it look bad if I didn’t listen?”
“You’ve read too many fairy tales. Was the wolf male? How old?”
“I’m not sure. It just conveyed the message; couldn’t really tell its gender or age…”
“You trust someone you know so little about? What if the wolf used you as bait?”
Kassel scratched his cheek.
“True, but… Look at the situation! A wolf talks, it’s a magical wolf that glows in the night, it knows about my friend… In such a complex environment, wouldn’t you usually just go along?”
‘Complex environment? That’s a useful phrase,’ Jaymer thought as he probed, “So, in such a complex environment, anyone would unknowingly fall for a lie? Like when some unknown hunter named Jaymer, mentioning a name like Irine, convinces you and you just believe?”
Realizing his own words seemed twisted, Jaymer shook his head, and muttered as he peeled another egg, “Damn, got entangled again.”
“What was that?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
Nonetheless, Kassel spoke up, “But why did Irine leave you and go to the Sky Mountain? She could’ve come with you.”
“That’s a long story.”
Jaymer recounted his journey and encounters, from meeting Irine at Blue Gate, discovering certain clues, encountering High Lord Talrund, and the story about Barol.
Kassel had eagerly asked about Barol, hoping he was still alive. The last story was about Red Gate. Although Jaymer had left out the embarrassing parts about his parting with Master Irine.
“Of course, Master Irine had no obligation to save me,” Jaymer admitted.
On hearing this, Kassel nodded several times, “But if she’s a grand White Wolf, why didn’t she confidently chase after and join the ambush with you? With your skills combined, even with their numbers, and even with Black himself, you could’ve tried. Look, you took out all their minions alone.”
“It’s not that simple.”
To be honest, Jaymer was also curious. Why didn’t Irine attack the Black Knight? He could understand avoiding a one-on-one battle with such a formidable opponent.
But with Irine? If she had unleashed her hidden power like she did against the gray-robed mage, would the Black Knight really have been a match?
As his thoughts spiraled, Jaymer found himself asking Kassel, “Just how strong is this Black?”
Kassel responded immediately, “Neither Billy, Suvel, nor I are anywhere near his level. And he has something more than just skills. Something so powerful that perhaps can’t be defeated by human strength. Actually, in the Kingdom of Camort…”
He suddenly trailed off, lost in thought, then waved a hand dismissively, “Nevermind, that story would take too long. Anyway, Black easily defeated Wolf Knight Barol. That alone shows he’s beyond anything I could’ve imagined.”
“And compared to the White Wolves? If they had to face this Black who seems undefeatable by human strength?”
Jaymer asked.
With a downcast expression, Kassel hesitated, then pretending his throat was dry from the egg, took a sip of water.
‘Look at him, avoiding the question like that! That’s so cowardly! Wait, that’s actually a useful tactic…’
Kassel swallowed his water and spoke.
“Yes, Black is quite skilled. But I can’t imagine my friends… the White Wolves losing to anyone else.”
He handed Jaymer the water skin, continuing with a sense of urgency.
“When my friends truly unleash their abilities, they say this: ‘Only a White Wolf can survive after seeing the fangs of a White Wolf.’ From what I’ve heard, they’ve never shown those fangs to each other. If that ever happens, one of them will surely die. Black might not be a living being, but I want to believe he can’t surpass that category.”
While Jaymer took a sip, Kassel softly added, “I hope so, at least.”
The tepid water reminded Jaymer of his initial reason for coming to Aranthia – the Wolf Knights.
Jaymer coughed. His throat felt rough, and a surge of desire to confront the White Wolves, renowned as the best amongst the Wolf Knights, welled up.
‘Are they really that strong? Do they seem unbeatable even to Black, who’s said to be beyond human level? What kind of ridiculous comparison is that?’
Regret washed over him, wishing he had taken care of Black in the wagon and followed Kassel. Then, he could’ve proudly stated,
“Oh? So, after killing Black, I guess I could also survive seeing the fangs of the White Wolves, huh?”
He refrained from expressing his thoughts, fearing it might sound petty.
“Lucky fellows, your friends. Having a captain who trusts them this much.”
“Thanks.”
Stretching, Kassel stood up.
“Let’s put thoughts aside and move. I’ll exert myself too. We need to reach Gold Gate before Black and his party and prevent them from reaching Nadium. Even if we’re slightly late to the Gold Gate, we might have some advantages. Damn, if only we had money to buy at least two horses.”
‘Two horses? That’s a good idea.’
Jaymer had the same late realization, but was somewhat reluctant to admit it. Instead, he countered,
“If horses were needed, they probably got some easily. They couldn’t before due to their numbers, but not now.”
“No, it would be difficult.”
Kassel shook his head.
“I stole their purse and threw it into the river. And even if they somehow get money, they can’t ride living horses. For some reason, living horses can’t carry Black. The fastest they can go is by cart with Black on it. So, if we have horses or money to buy them, we can get to Gold Gate faster than Billy.”
Kassel scratched the back of his head.
“In the end, it’s all about money.”
Feeling a bit defeated, Jaymer was about to retort when Kassel said something, making him hastily pull out his purse. Kassel’s eyes widened upon seeing its contents. Seeing his reaction, Jaymer felt a triumphant rush.
“I have plenty of money. So much so that I had to leave about a hundred gold coins behind because it was too heavy.”
☆ ☆ ☆
Even with ample money, finding horses in such a remote village wasn’t easy.
Jaymer managed to procure two horses from a farmhouse, paying nearly ten times the market price.
Kassel’s horse-riding skills were on par with Jaymer’s. With confidence, Jaymer pushed his horse to its limits, and Kassel kept pace. Had the road been straight, they could’ve reached Gold Gate that day. However, two mountains blocked their path and challenging terrains made horse riding difficult. They had to dismount, leading their horses down treacherous paths. The horses frequently grew nervous, further delaying them.
‘Should I abandon the horses? No. A rideable path will appear soon.’
On a night under a crescent moon heading toward its full phase, the two reached the gentle summit of a mountain. Beyond the mountainous area began the plains, and they could also spot a major road crossing those plains, running straight from the Red Gate to the Gold Gate. Jaymer thought using that road might still be risky, so he searched for an alternative path.
A bit behind, Kassel gradually urged his horse forward until he reached where Jaymer was. Chewing on a carrot he had been feeding to his horse, Kassel commented,
“We’ve probably traveled five times faster than if we’d walked. How do you feel?”
“Five times? Feels more like the speed I’d have if I ran on my own. We lost a lot of time leading the horses.”
“You really are a fast runner, huh?”
Kassel gave a short whistle and then offered the rest of the carrot to Jaymer. When Jaymer declined, Kassel fed it to the horse instead.
Jaymer silently watched the scene. He recalled someone saying that there were no bad people among those who loved horses.
‘Ewini loved horses too. She was sad she couldn’t own one because of her family’s poverty. Now, thanks to her wealthy husband, she must be riding any horse she wishes.’
Moonlit nights atop mountains always brought a flood of memories. Kassel seemed lost in thought, holding his horse’s reins loosely.
Similarly, Jaymer’s mind wandered to the past, but he had no pleasant memories. Before wielding a sword, he only remembered being beaten by his father. After taking up the sword, his memories were filled with the faces of those he had killed. One of the few decent recent memories was holding Irine on a rainy day.
Then, thoughts of the White Wolves Kassel had mentioned earlier popped into his head. He had mentally dueled with this unseen opponent, but the image of the White Wolves quickly morphed into that of Irine. He couldn’t even win in his imagination.
“Let’s camp here for the night. By tomorrow evening, we should reach the Gold Gate.”
It was darker below the mountain than on top. It was too hazardous to continue by horse. Besides, they had traveled a significant distance today.
“When do you think Billy will reach the Gold Gate?”
Kassel asked.
“If they’ve been speeding on the direct path, no later than… tomorrow evening?”
“We might cross paths then.”
“We should let the horses rest well. We might need to push hard tomorrow.”
After lighting a fire and having a makeshift dinner of roasted sausages, Kassel, who had initially laid down to sleep, sat up a few minutes later.
“I can’t seem to fall asleep. I should be used to sleeping outdoors by now…”
Jaymer looked up at the sky and responded,
“It’s probably because the moon is too bright.”
Kassel glanced at the sky too.
“It’s only a crescent, what do you mean?”
“Sometimes, even with a crescent moon, sleep evades me. Especially after years of this lifestyle. I have a feeling I won’t sleep well tonight.”
Kassel gave a long yawn and said,
“Well, let’s just chat then, shall we?”
The motion of stirring the campfire halted at Jaymer’s hands, his voice strained with tension.
“Chat? About what?”
“You know, the kind of talk friends have around a campfire. Hey, do I really need to explain that to you?”
One word in Kassel’s statement stuck out to Jaymer, making him furrow his brows.
“Friends?”
Kassel, while playing with his patchy beard, said,
“You don’t want to call us friends yet? I don’t mind. I don’t have many friends to begin with.”
“That’s not what I meant…”
‘He’s pulling my leg again!’
Jaymer grumbled,
“But from what I’ve seen, Kassel, you seem like you’d have a lot of friends. If it were any other person besides me, you’d be laughing and chatting by now, wouldn’t you?”
“It wasn’t like that for me. Back in my hometown, my only friends were books. The girls avoided me, and the boys shunned me for always reading, saying I acted like a girl. Ah, I diligently practiced swordsmanship and worked hard in the fields, but my peers never took a liking to me. The older folks, on the other hand, seemed to appreciate me. The village chief even considered me as his successor. Wow, I must be going mad under this moonlight, boasting about things that aren’t even worth boasting about.”
Kassel laughed awkwardly.
“What about you, Jaymer? I’d think someone like you would be quite popular. Reserved, handsome, tall, muscular, skilled with a sword…”
“I’ve never had what you’d call ‘friends’.”
Jaymer had always been surrounded by enemies, or at most, prey. And that had been his reality for eight years. The only person he had spent a night by the fire with was Irine.
‘But I can’t even call Irine a friend. And definitely not this guy. It’s an obligation, following the master’s orders.’
Sitting with another person by the campfire was undeniably a novel experience. Irine would always sleep early to prepare for the next day. She had never proposed they spend the night chatting.
“Alright. If that’s how you feel, I won’t press.”
Kassel said with a chuckle.
However, Jaymer found himself reaching out, “No, it’s not that…”
Unsure of what to do with his extended hand, Jaymer just clenched it into a fist. Kassel patiently waited for him to continue. Gathering some courage, Jaymer finally spoke.
“If you’re okay with it, would you mind sharing an interesting story? I do like listening. Maybe a tale from the past… or, well, anything.”
Jaymer felt awkward making such a request.
‘Why did I ask for this? What happened to last night’s resolve? I could’ve just told him to shut up and sleep.’
Jaymer tried to alleviate the tension by taking a sip from his water pouch, but the awkwardness lingered.
‘He must think I’m weird.’
Kassel looked at Jaymer and then picked up a long stick from the campfire. Narrowing his eyes and lowering his voice, he began,
“This is a story from when my father was young, about 20 years ago.”
Kassel didn’t pause as he delved into his tale.
“In the mountain behind our village, there was a grave. And every night, there were rumors of an unidentified woman digging up that grave. She was rumored to be a witch who had lived for over five hundred years. One day, my father and his friends decided to take a bravery test: to enter and exit the witch’s home…”
The story continued deep into the night. Even the horse dozed off. The tale didn’t conclude until the late hours.
Kassel yawned widely and settled down using a log as a pillow.
“Ah, I’m exhausted. I think I can finally sleep now.”
“That was an interesting story.”
Though Jaymer intended it as a genuine compliment, his words came out more as a formality. But in truth, he had never heard such an intriguing tale before. He felt the urge to take out a gold coin and give it to Kassel.
“Goodnight then.”
Kassel greeted.
“You too, sleep well.”
Jaymer replied, feeling like he was in someone else’s shoes.
Kassel, with his eyes closed, murmured,
“Tomorrow’s your turn.”
“My turn for what?”
“To share a story. I did it today. You have to do it tomorrow.”
Jaymer was taken aback. He hadn’t been this startled since Irine had come within striking distance. Trying to regroup, Jaymer cautiously said,
“What kind of story?”
Kassel was already drifting off to sleep.
‘I’ve been played again. I’ve been roped into this. I don’t have stories. Even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to tell them coherently.’
Jaymer sighed softly and worried about the next night until he fell asleep. Even when being pursued by hunters, he hadn’t been this anxious.
–TL Notes–
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