There were no screams, no crackling noises to sting the ears as fire spread. There was no smoke, no choking odors.
Latilda lay sprawled in the heart of a city engulfed in flame. Even the raging inferno appeared as black silhouettes. Despite being in the center of the conflagration, she felt a chill. The wind tore at her skirt, exposing her legs. She hunched her shoulders, clutching herself, but it was no help.
“Is there anyone?”
Latilda’s cry was swallowed by the damp darkness. No matter how much she called out, only her echoes answered. There was no one to help.
Eventually, her voice gave out completely. She wanted to hide, but she couldn’t. As she moved one step forward, space retreated one step back, and if she stepped back, space came one step closer. She was perpetually in the same spot.
The only sound in the silence, where she could not even hear her own breath, was the clatter of horse hooves. The echo of hooves and the fluttering of a cape in the wind…
She screamed and started running. Her voice merely echoed within her throat. She ran until her breath was tight and her consciousness started to fade. Yet the surroundings did not change, and the sound of hooves did not recede.
When she opened her tightly shut eyes, the same scene started again.
‘No. It’s starting again.’
It was the center of an intersection, tightly packed with houses engulfed in colorless flames. The huge golden bell in the church’s steeple swayed but made no sound. A nearby house, on fire, collapsed silently.
The sound of hooves got closer. It always appeared from the same place, and each time she was taken aback and looked around frantically. She looked up to the rooftops only after the sound of hooves had stopped.
A knight, half-concealed in the ink-like, sticky black darkness, leaped from the roof of the church. His cape fluttered like wings. She tried to run away but ended up collapsing.
The Black Knight, clad in black armor and wielding a large axe that seemed to leak black smoke, raised his weapon. White breath poured from the mouth of his burning black steed, terrifyingly cold.
The Black Knight raised his axe. She could not even let out a moan, paralyzed like a prisoner facing the guillotine.
The Black Knight did not swing his axe. Instead, from over his shoulder, a streak of light flew from the far-off and pierced her chest. A terrible pain shot through her entire body. She clutched her chest, but there was no trace left of the light that had already passed through.
Latilda fell to the ground, her face colliding harshly with the floor. She could no longer open her eyes, nor see anything at all. The only sound that echoed in her ears was the footsteps of the Black Lion Knight.
But that was not the end. Fully conscious, she was forced to endure an unending darkness in which everything had vanished. She couldn’t scream, nor could she see anything. She couldn’t breathe, and she couldn’t move her body. Not a single finger twitched, her eyelids immobile.
The only thing she could do in this darkness was to bear everything. It felt like a perpetual punishment she was condemned to face after her life had ended.
☆ ☆ ☆
Latilda woke up screaming. The curtain was gently fluttering in the breeze that slipped in through the slightly open window. The candle she had lit before falling asleep was now flickering nervously, burning its nearly spent wick. Never before had it felt so wonderful to behold moving objects.
‘Am I alive?’
Latilda felt around her body. Her entire form was drenched in sweat, and she was trembling, just as she had been in the dream. Breathing heavily, she wiped the sweat from her forehead. A spot in her chest ached as if it had been genuinely pierced.
“Are you alright, Latilda?”
Her maid, Anna, rushed in through the room’s door, gently dabbing Latilda’s face with a cool wet towel.
“I’m fine, Anna. I’m fine.”
“You had that dream again, didn’t you?”
Anna handed her a cup of water.
Latilda took the cup and drank the water, taking deep breaths afterwards.
“It’s just a dream, Latilda. Just a dream.”
Anna always spoke with an expressionless face. Sometimes, Anna’s blank expression was frightening. But at that moment, Latilda was relieved to see any expression at all.
“I tried to stay awake tonight, but I ended up falling asleep.”
The book she had been reading just before falling asleep had fallen beneath her bed. She remembered flipping the pages, but what followed was just the nightmare.
“Just relax and try to sleep. You’re probably having these nightmares because you’re exhausted.”
“It might not just be a nightmare. My dreams have turned into reality. You saw it yourself yesterday, didn’t you?”
From the next room, a man’s voice writhed in agony. Simultaneously, the two women turned their attention to the wall. As the man’s painful cries continued, Anna said:
“Yes, I saw. But those were the knights of the Black Lion Count.”
“That’s not it! Why would they attack me?”
“Well, because you’re the daughter of the Red Rose Count.”
“Does that make sense? They should have been protecting me, not attacking.”
Latilda, agitated, winced and rubbed her arm.
“Sorry for shouting. I’m fine now. Leave me alone for a while.”
“I’m sorry, miss. Call me anytime you need me.”
After Anna left the room, Latilda rose from the bed and went to the window. She hesitated to pull back the curtain. It felt as if another dreamlike black knight would appear from beyond the drapes. Her hands were still shaking.
Originally, she was supposed to board the carriage leaving for Normant tomorrow. The royal family held an annual event inviting the nobles, but they had decided not to attend this year due to the ongoing war. Suddenly, the plan was changed. Her father unilaterally informed Latilda to attend the party. And he himself departed again, citing the scouting of a garrison of the Black Lion Count.
Latilda was left to travel with just ten of her bodyguard knights. But soon after they set off, they were ambushed by knights in black armor. Just two of them had swept away Latilda’s knights.
Anna and Latilda managed to escape to a nearby village with only three injured knights lft. Unfortunately, two of the three knights died after failing to receive proper treatment once they arrived at the village.
‘That wasn’t a knight of the Black Lion Count. It wasn’t human!’
Latilda was terrified that the black knight who seemed to have walked out of a nightmare would storm into the village. She felt as if a massive ax-wielding figure was waiting beyond the curtain, ready to strike if she poked her head out the window.
‘Go ahead, try and strike!’
With a burst of defiance, Latilda flung open the curtain and the window. The dawn-lit village was visible below from the second floor. Silence filled the air. It was still the time when even the most diligent person would be sleeping.
After a while, smoke began to rise from the bakery’s chimney, and the jingling bell of a small cart carrying milk entered the outskirts of the village. Even this peaceful scene felt like an ominous prelude heralding the anxiety of the coming day.
‘What’s the name of this village? Or perhaps it doesn’t have a name. Maybe it’s just referred to as the upper village, or the lower village.’
Latilda sighed heavily, resting her chin on the window sill.
‘I probably won’t be able to get to Denmoju. But I can’t stay here either. If they attacked even with ten bodyguard knights, why would they fear a village like this?’
With weary eyes, Latilda picked up the remnants of yesterday’s wine. For such a small village, the wine was surprisingly good. It seemed that because some major roads to Normant had become more dangerous due to the war and bandits, some wine traders had started to pass through the small village.
‘Am I left with no choice but to sit here, drink, and wait for help?’
With a nearly resigned heart, Latilda did just that until late in the morning.
Anna had been asking merchants leaving the village to take her along. However, all her requests had been denied. The wine merchants only transported to this village, with the remaining journey to Normant carried out by soldiers. The merchants never personally transported to Normant.
Larger merchants could recognize and potentially help Latilda. But, they weren’t daily visitors to the village.
The presence of an injured person was another problem. Revealing one’s identity to strangers in such a place could be risky. Furthermore, they had no money. Even if they received help from some kind-hearted traveler, considering those nightmarish Knights might still be patrolling outside the village, it wasn’t entirely a situation one could ask help for.
‘So, we need an army to come.’
While she was lost in her thoughts, a carriage drove into the village. Seeing a grape motif on the cargo area, she recognized it as a wine merchant’s. Anna sprinted towards it. Latilda, resting her chin on the window sill, watched her and muttered,
“Give up, Anna. It’s not going to work that way.”
Five people alighted from the carriage. Two of them were young girls, not even ten years old. Two adults, presumably a couple. The fifth was a tall young man, his brown hair covered with a dirt-colored cloak. As he alighted, the hilt of a sword at his waist momentarily flashed into view. The young man descended first and gently helped the young girls down.
The merchant couple removed their hats and bowed repeatedly to the young man. The young man waved his hand, helped unload the wine crates, and then left.
‘So, they were not traveling together?’
Anna approached the merchant couple and asked for something. The merchant gave a puzzled smile, waved his hand, and explained something to Anna. Anna just listened quietly, nodded her head, and then gave up and turned away.
Anna lifted her gaze and found Latilda. She sprinted towards her. Latilda took a sip of her wine and muttered,
“Oh, another lecture coming.”
The door burst open, and Anna rushed in.
“Miss, how many times have I told you not to drink in the morning…”
“I’m just going to finish this.”
“No! Give that to me.”
Latilda handed over the wine bottle, about a third full. Anna snatched the bottle and said,
“I spoke to that wine merchant earlier.”
“Did he agree to take us? Give it up. You’re planning to involve that peaceful family in our mess?”
Latilda spoke with disinterest.
“Of course, I started by asking for that favor. But I knew it was impossible, so instead, I asked how to find a mercenary to protect us. They recommended the person who had just got off the carriage. He had guided them all the way from Koholrun and had actually encountered some bandits on the way. They claimed this person saved them.”
“Ahh, that’s why they were so grateful. But it would be better to just wait here for Father to rescue us than to rely on a stranger for protection. Besides, we don’t even have money to hire him.”
“Well, let’s see. It appears they tried to pay him several times for his services, but he declined.”
“So, we’re supposed to do the same? A mercenary’s pay corresponds to his skill. Let’s not get another person killed needlessly, and do as I say.”
“It seems you’re not considering the fact that we don’t have a doctor to treat Dalmar, who is dying in the next room.”
Anna said, her eyes full of anger.
Latilda thought for a moment, then looked surprised.
“Oh, I… I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Anna rushed off, and Latilda apologized even though Anna had already left.
“I’m really sorry.”
Latilda went into the room next door. Dalmar, the only surviving knight from yesterday’s incident, was still lying there, moaning in pain. The smell of his festering wound filled the room.
“I’m sorry, Dalmar. I’m always only thinking about myself.”
Latilda sat down next to him, taking his hand. But Dalmar could not even open his eyes.
Latilda went down to the empty dining room on the first floor and waited for Anna.
Soon, Anna returned, her face drenched in sweat. But she came back alone.
“So it didn’t work?”
Latilda asked as if she had expected it.
Anna wore a slightly complicated expression.
“No.”
“Huh? You mean he’s not coming, or he is?”
“He’s actually being overly helpful.”
While explaining, the wine merchant’s family from earlier entered the tavern and greeted Anna. Anna only slightly nodded her head in response. The two daughters kept complaining about their hunger.
“He’s a very fast walker. I rode a horse to follow him but still struggled to keep up. Just when I thought we’d strayed too far from the village and started to worry, I finally caught up to him. I went straight up to the man and bluntly asked for his help, wondering if he could protect us as he did the wine merchants. But he politely refused, saying he was too busy and that he could only help the couple because it happened to be on his way.”
“So, his destination was also Normant?”
“Yes. I offered a generous reward for safe passage, and he seemed to consider it. I was afraid he would ask for a lot of money. But he didn’t want any money, instead, he wanted to hear the circumstances.”
“And did you tell them everything?”
“Yes, the truth. That I’m a lady-in-waiting serving a noble, and we were attacked by the Black Lion Knights?”
“That’s dangerous, Anna. You shouldn’t go around talking about that.”
“I had no choice.”
“So? He agreed to help after hearing all that?”
“That was the odd part.”
Anna chewed her finger nervously as she spoke.
“Actually, I thought he would get scared and run away, so I downplayed the situation. But he seemed to not grasp the severity of the matter, so I ended up exaggerating.”
“Indeed, it’s difficult to explain what happened yesterday in words.”
“He didn’t seem scared at all after hearing the story. He was more interested in the fact that we had left our carriage behind. He asked where it was. I gave them a rough idea of the location and suddenly, he asked to borrow the horse I had ridden in on.”
Latilda let out a long sigh.
“So you lent him the horse?”
“Yes. He rode off immediately to find the carriage. He followed the route and I walked back to the village…”
“And you believed him?”
Latilda raised her voice.
“But…”
Anna closed her mouth as if to make an excuse.
“I see your point. I didn’t doubt him at the time. He seemed really nice.”
Latilda brushed back her bangs and sighed again.
“You trust someone you just met, that’s unbelievable. You’re usually more careful than me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Now we’ve lost the only asset we had left. What are we going to do about the inn fees? I was planning to sell the horse if our wait got too long.”
She wasn’t really worried, but she was frustrated, and Latilda sighed again.
“Excuse me, if I may…”
A wine merchant who had been eating with his family came over and spoke tentatively. Latilda looked up at him with half-closed eyes.
“What is it?”
“About the knight you were talking about just now.”
“A knight?”
The merchant awkwardly laughed as he said,
“Yes. He said he was just a mercenary, but his words were so polite and he looked so neat that we just call him a knight.”
Anna chimed in as if she had just remembered.
“That’s true. He was very polite when he spoke with me. He seemed too gentle to be entrusted with a job.”
Latilda urged him on.
“What about this knight?”
“I think you can trust him.”
“Because he safely brought you to this village?”
Latilda’s tone was a bit harsh. However, the merchant didn’t lose his kind smile as he responded.
“The first time I met him was in Koholrun. The journey here is so treacherous that merchants like us usually leave our goods in Koholrun and return, or hire mercenaries at a high cost for protection. However, hiring mercenaries just for five cases of wine wasn’t feasible, and not delivering the promised goods would severely harm my reputation. So, I was quite troubled.”
Latilda wanted to get to the point faster but left him be.
‘I don’t exactly have other things to do.’
Latilda settled in to listen to the long story.
“That’s when the knight came to my rescue. He didn’t even accept a reward. From the moment I met him, he was extraordinary. I was about to lose all my money and possibly my life to a gang of ruffians in the tavern when he appeared and resolved the situation.”
“Resolved, you say? That’s an interesting way to put it.”
Anna asked with a completely unamused expression.
“That’s exactly what happened. He didn’t punch or swing a sword. Two drunk guys stabbed at him from both sides, and somehow, they ended up on the ground, and he held their knives. No one could see how it happened. I was simply amazed, but most people present were overwhelmed by the inexplicable situation and fell silent. So that’s why I said ‘he resolved it’.”
The merchant chuckled and continued his story.
“He said he would meet again early in the morning if his friends allowed him to. And true enough, he did reappear, and we set off. Yes, I didn’t think he would return.”
The merchant laughed again. Latilda waved her hand dismissively.
“Yes, yes. So, you met again and set off?”
“The journey from Koholrun to here was far from easy. Perhaps it was a mistake to take the path less traveled, but we really ran into bandits. I don’t know how many there were. I was so terrified that I just kept my head down. I thought for sure I was a goner. Given the times, the bandits weren’t just interested in the goods.”
The merchant lowered his voice as if he was getting nervous. Anna appeared to listen more attentively, but Latilda was still uninterested. Merchants’ tales were always embellished, and she figured whatever was coming next would be no different.
‘He’s exaggerating. One or two people showed up, and he’s saying the carriage was surrounded. In the army of the Red Rose Count, there was the Rose Knight Order, and within them, a group of only the strongest knights called the ’12 Thorns’. My father, who knew no exaggeration when it came to the size of his army, used to brag that with the 12 Thorns, he could topple an entire army. But those knights of the Thorns, they might have a chance when donned in armor, but it was unheard of for an unarmored man to face off against a crowd that’s sieging a carriage.’
“I couldn’t count them all in the darkness, but I saw more than ten torches. Including those without torches, there must have been more. I heard growling as well, probably from hounds or something of the sort. Then he, from the backseat, calmed my daughter and my wife, approached me and said he would go outside the carriage alone.”
Latilda was a bit surprised. The story was too detailed to be an exaggeration. She found herself drawn into the narrative without even realizing it.
“Take care of the children in this situation, what could he possibly mean? I only understood later. He stepped out and shouted something like, ‘I understand how hollow my words may sound to you, but retreat. If you retreat, I will let you. But if even one of you falls to my sword, the rest of you will follow…’ Well, something along those lines.”
Latilda wanted to dismiss the tale, but she couldn’t resist asking.
“Was he threatening them? Alone against so many?”
“I might not remember correctly, but the atmosphere was… Yes, that’s correct. It felt more like he was the one making the threats.”
The merchant gave an awkward laugh.
“Anyway, my job was to hold my children and my wife close. Outside the carriage, I could hear screams. The barking of dogs, no, dogs howling in pain. Then, suddenly, silence. Shortly after, the carriage started to move again. Startled, I looked to find him back at the reins. When I asked what happened, he simply said it was over. That we could continue on our journey.”
There was a moment of silence. Latilda and Anna exchanged glances. Latilda shrugged, not quite wanting to believe the tale. The merchant looked at his family as he spoke.
“I understand how hollow my story might sound. It was dark, I might have mistaken a few people for twenty out of fear. But the indisputable fact is that our family made it safely to the village.”
“Kept mentioning ‘him’, ‘him’… what’s his name?” Latilda asked.
“Oh, his name was…”
The sound of hoofbeats and the rolling of wheels filled the air. Startled, Latilda rose from her seat, and Anna went outside the tavern to see what was happening.
One of the carriages left behind due to yesterday’s incident was entering the village, with a man holding a whip sitting in front.
“Ah, as you said, it was just left there. But I couldn’t bring one because the wheel was broken. As for the bodies… I had no choice but to leave them where they were,” the man said regretfully.
“You actually came back? I thought you rode off with the horse.”
Latilda spoke up before Anna could say anything, stepping out of the tavern. Despite Anna’s disapproving look, Latilda continued questioning him.
“Why did you return?”
“What do you mean by that?”
The man asked with a friendly smile, which made her feel even worse.
‘It’s hard to trust handsome men like him.’
Pointing at the carriage, Latilda spoke again.
“Just that carriage alone could fetch a fair price. There’s also a purse of a hundred gold coins in the carriage. If you sold the clothes and other items in the carriage, you’d earn even more. Why didn’t you just take all that and leave? Why did you come back?”
It took the man a while to understand Latilda’s intentions and respond.
“I’m not sure what you want me to do with the money, but regardless, I made a promise to Anna here. I returned as I had promised, and now I’d like to go to Normant as promised.”
Latilda wanted to argue that he would have reached Normant by now if he’d ridden off as she’d said earlier, but she held back. The more she spoke, the more it seemed she was the villain, and he was the honorable, virtuous man.
“Well, okay. I just wanted to test whether you were a man of your word before entrusting you with a task. If I offended you, I apologize.”
“No need for an apology. I wasn’t offended.”
“Can we depart immediately?”
“That’s what I’d like.”
Among the carriages brought from Denmoju, one was a luxurious passenger carriage that Latilda had ridden, and the other was a freight wagon with a roof. The one he had brought back was the latter. Latilda reached into the cargo compartment and pulled out a box filled with money and jewelry. Inside, there was a heap of untouched gold coins.
‘He really didn’t touch it. And he doesn’t seem involved with those nightmarish knights from yesterday either.’
Latilda scooped up a handful of the coins and handed them to Anna.
“Anna, give a generous amount to the innkeeper. And I’ll pay for all the wine from the trader who told us the interesting story.”
Counting the five boxes placed in front of the store, Anna said,
“Wouldn’t there be no space to hang the wine bottles if we attach a luggage rack behind the carriage?”
“Then just load one box and leave the rest at the inn.”
“Right.”
While Anna was negotiating a seemingly absurd deal with the innkeeper and the wine merchant, Latilda approached the man and extended her hand.
“My name is Latilda. And yours?”
The man firmly grasped Latilda’s hand, shaking it up and down in a hearty handshake.
“My name is Loyal. Nice to meet you.”
As Loyal released her hand, Latilda laughed in amusement.
“It’s clear you’re no knight. I didn’t request a handshake, did I?”
Taken aback, the man asked, “Oh, really? Then what should I have done?”
“No, it’s okay. I need your help. There’s an injured person upstairs in the inn.”
Loyal disembarked from the carriage, his head tilting in confusion.
Latilda’s suspicious thoughts dissolved instantly.
‘Oh dear. The men I tend to like are always a bit clueless.’
–TL Notes–
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