章節 12: Cold Reunion
"You really outdid yourself, dear friend," whispered Solitaire while looking at yet another house engulfed by the flames of my vengeance. I heard him perfectly, but I was unable to judge whether he was happy or furious. My eyes were locked on the highly regarded property that was now returning to dust, as all things do through time. All I did was simply speed up this inevitable process, witness its beauty, and honour those who were wronged by those nobles in the past.
It had been the fifth house that I burned to the ground over the past few days. I was moving swiftly across these lands with the help of my stallion. As it drank water in peace and consumed the highest quality hay that I found within the grounds of these mansions, I enjoyed the view and this tingling feeling that intoxicated me ever since I drew first blood with my flimsy hands.
But recently, I noticed that there was now a tail that followed the trails of my good deeds. Whenever I was mostly done with this vengeance of mine, I could hear a heavy clang far away that never failed to seek me, even within the deepest parts of the forest. Every time I heard it, goosebumps spread across my skin, and my instincts screamed to flee. So far, I had never failed to escape my pursuers just in time, and today would not be an exception.
After a few more minutes of breathing in the ash from the burning mansion, I mounted my horse, which did not yet have a name, and rode it further away from the scene of the crime. Although this time, it was all different. After missing for quite a while, Solitaire re-emerged from the gemstone and continued to follow me, even at the greater speed of the horse.
"If you do not like my methods of waging battle, then you are free to lock yourself up in that stone."
Solitaire chuckled. He was not as angry as I expected him to be, but there was still a slight undertone of disappointment in his calm voice as he spoke, "Waging battles? And against whom, may I ask you?"
"The nobles who have riches despite this society having no money."
"Is this truly the reason you are doing it, dear friend? I only notice your grin growing wider whenever you pierce their flesh with that dagger of yours. Are you sure you would not act the same way if the poor were the ones who wronged you instead?"
"Shut up! You do not understand anything!"
His comment was moronic, even worse than what I was told about politics back in the days of my life as Dusk the Snatcher. The poor already had their chins lowered to the ground; what would be the point of hating those who did not look down on me? If anything, I pitied them for giving up their own strength while living in weakness. No one should dictate how you live. If you want to not just survive but live the best possible life, then it is in your interest to be ruthless against those down your path. The world was not kind to me, so why should I be considerate of the world and its weak-minded inhabitants?
Despite this simple truth, Solitaire smiled yet again at my words and spurred even more nonsense that made me want to throw that gemstone as far away as possible.
"Well, this is not surprising in the slightest how you act. But I would not say it was a blunder to reveal your potential. You are young and prone to commit mistakes. Even if the world hates you, I will always forgive you. So better make sure to survive until the point when you will start regretting everything."
"I will make sure to get rid of that gemstone at the first opportunity I get. I do not need philosophers whispering bullshit in my ear!" I exclaimed, then added in half-whisper, "You nobles are all the same."
Solitaire sighed and shook his head, but ultimately stayed silent. After a short while of our adventure through the roads of the Schöltum region, I noticed a few drops of water falling onto my horse. Solitaire also looked up at the sky and observed the forming dark clouds with a soft smile.
"Rain, huh. Don't you think it would be dangerous to ride a horse in such weather?"
"Whatever, the clang is still getting closer to us. I can't afford to slow down now."
Solitaire only shrugged at my explanation as I sped up my horse. The metal clang was getting further away from me. Soon enough, droplets of water here and there overgrew into heavy rain, making it impossible to hear or see further than the length of my extended hand. I did not slow down due to the sense of uneasiness that I could not get rid of no matter how far I went.
Suddenly, my horse tripped with an agonizing neigh, and I fell onto the cold and wet ground. All my belongings and clothes were now covered in mud, even my face, which was quickly washed by the pouring rain. I tried to get the horse back on its hooves, but upon further examination of the moaning animal, I noticed one of its legs being bent unnaturally. I raised my gaze at Solitaire and swiftly narrowed my brows upon seeing his smug expression.
Help from him would be a futile effort, thus I began collecting my stuff from the ground. The shivers in my body and the weight of soaked clothes made it much harder than I expected. Despite the hardships, I succeeded, and as I was about to leave, the heavy clang once again hit my ears, but this time I could also see the source of this dreadful sound.
Several horses in chain mail and leather armour hopped out of the shadows of the rain. They surrounded me and my horse in quick succession, all riders' gazes directed at me. Although I could not see their faces, I knew perfectly well who they all were. The chain mail and colorful tunic with a white symbol of a cryptic fish was exactly the same as I had seen all the way back in Wülgenville. Their fists were clenched, making clear their displeasure to finally meet me in person. One of the riders dismounted his horse and came closer to me. As he took his helmet down, I recognized this face immediately. His once welcoming smile was hidden by the beard which had grown over time. Moreover, the brown eyes that were full of friendliness a while back finally showed the true nature of a stoic warrior.
"It has been a while, Heindrich," I said with a mocking smile, to which the man replied with a stone-cold expression, "Dusk, you are under arrest for a series of arsons and murders. Please, surrender now."
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