章節 6: Departure
In the early morning, a few minutes before the sunrise, Wilford, his family, his servants, and Kant were standing in front of the gate to the Krieger mansion, with the addition of two dark bay horses to the cast.
One of the human servants strapped two saddlebags to the hip of each horse before he tied a lead to one of the horses' halter, which he then connected to the other horse's saddle. He then turned towards Wilford with a gleeful smile plastered on his face.
"That will be all the luggage you, and young Lucas will need, my lord." Said the servant as he slightly bowed his head.
"Wonderful, thank you for your help." Replied Wilford.
Wilford then took a few steps forward and placed his right foot on the saddle's stirrup before he fully mounted the horse in a swift movement.
"Lucas, are you ready?" Wilford asked as he shifted his gaze towards Lucas.
"Sir...do I really need to wear this?" Lucas asked as he looked down at his attire.
Lucas's usual butler outfit was replaced by rugged and dirty, tattered clothes with the addition of a normal, unenchanted collar around the young boy's neck. Lucas really hated his current attire, but it's the only way he can travel with Wilford to the outpost.
"It's necessary, my boy. The royal knights will arrest us both if they see you collarless. But, if you don't want to wear a disguise, then there's always the option of staying here." Wilford replied with a smug smirk.
"Fine. I'll wear this embarrassing outfit. I guess this trip won't be so fun after all."
"It's not supposed to be. But, think of it more like a journey to train yourself for harsh conditions."
"And humiliation is one of them?"
"Dear God, that's the worst of them."
"Haha, very funny, sir." Lucas sarcastically stated with an indifferent expression as he mounted his horse.
"Alright then, it's about time we depart. The journey will most likely take two days; one day to arrive at the outpost, and one day to return. So, if we don't come back by then, something might have happened. But, do not worry. Even if the situation reaches its worst, it'll most likely be just a little ruckus or a shouting match."
"What should we do if you don't come back in two days, Wilford?" Kant asked, worry plastered on his face.
"In that case…" Wilford said as he opened one of the saddlebags and shuffled through them, pulling out a compass in the process.
Wilford closed his eyes and focused his mind as he held onto the compass. Suddenly, the compass flashed in a dazzling blue light that startled everyone with its beauty and brightness. He then extended his arm towards Kant, giving him the compass.
The elderly man felt a certain pressure press all over his body upon receiving the compass, which was no longer glowing or flashing in blue light.
"I've channeled my aura into that compass, it will now be connected to me. If I ever go missing, the compass shall guide you to where I am. If I ever get injured, the compass will crack depending on how bad of an injury I receive. And if I die, the aura will disappear and the compass's glass will shatter completely. However, there's no need to worry. I assure you that I'll be in no danger or harm for the duration of the journey." Wilford declared.
"Thank you, Wilford. Be safe, and please take care of Lucas, I would never be able to forgive myself if anything happens to him." Kant replied.
"Don't worry, Mr.Kant. Lucas is under my protection after all. Now, if that's all, we shall depart." Wilford declared.
After finishing his sentence, Wilford then pulled on the horse reins before he spurred him forward with his heels, which caused the other horse to move forwards as well.
Riding towards the town's exit, Wilford and Lucas turned around and waved everyone goodbye with the others waving back to them, before they continued their way out of the town, and into the horizon.
…
It was noon, with the sun being at its highest point in the sky. Wilford and Lucas were riding down an old and abandoned dirt road that leads to the warrior knights' outpost in the east. To their left were grassy plains that stretched towards the horizon, with a few trees spread around it. And to their left was a decently far hill chain that stretched from Liebenheit to wherever it ended.
Lucas was gazing at the chain of hills with a look of curiosity and wonder before he turned towards Wilford, clearing his throat before he asked.
"Sir, what's behind those hills?" Lucas asked in wonder.
"That's the 'Forsaken Land', haven't you heard about it?" Wilford replied.
"Of course, sir. But, we were only told to never go beyond it. None of us, not even grandpa Hans knows what's in there."
"Well, to be honest with you, neither do I. The forsaken land is a mystery to us, and the only ones that know the truth have already died. Only Ghaya, master of the mystic arts, knows the truth, but never spoke about it. The only thing known about that place is the fact that it's where the last battle of the great war occurred. A battle where all the Paragons fought together, side by side.
Some people speculate that the forsaken land is where the demons once conquered the world, others think that monsters have a world of their own, while some believe that a civilization of beastmen still exists there. Nevertheless, these are all just beliefs and speculations, none of them is true for all I know.
However, what we know is that Wilford Krieger, the founder, sacrificed the diamond of Aeneas and his life to create an impenetrable barrier that imprisoned said threat after he drove it to a corner, and ended the great war for good. He stayed inside of the barrier fighting whatever that threat may be. Some say he might be alive to this day.
Why the sudden question, interested in learning history?"
"Not really, sir. It's just that… I have a weird attraction to it. It's as if the land is trying to pull me towards it."
"Ah, that is actually not so rare, I feel it too. Actually, the alchemists studied this feeling that many people all over Traumiery feel. They concluded that people with a love for exploration and creativity have an unexplainable attraction towards the forsaken land. Although, many believe that this recurring phenomenon to be a bad omen. But, it hasn't been proven true till now."
"If it's that recurring, why hasn't anyone tried to explore the land yet?"
"Well, there is no evidence that disproves it. After all, people go missing near these parts very often, leading to some believing that they tried to enter the barrier, but never came back. We don't know if the people venturing inside is true, but it is true that anything that goes inside can never come back, which was proven by alchemists and mages after they sent animals as test subjects inside, only for them to never return."
Upon hearing those words, Lucas turned to gaze at the hill chain in the distance. That unexplainable feeling inside of him intensified whenever he directly stared at the border, yet at the same time, an ominous feeling accompanied it, causing him to be warry of the hills more than his desire to explore it.
"Anyways, switching topics. Lucas, why don't you tell me about your brother Hans? How is your relationship with him? Is he a wolf beastmen too?" Wilford asked in curiosity.
"Oh, um, not really. We aren't actually blood-related, big brother Hans is from the harpy sub-race, a crow precisely. We were just raised by grandpa Hans as foster brothers."
"Foster brother? Does that mean that Hans-"
"Yes, grandpa Hans is not related to us by any means. He just found us and raised us. From what he told us, he said that he found big brother Hans in a horse carriage on an abandoned road when he was still a merchant. Six years later, he found me on the ground next to a dead wolf-beastman while he was coming back to Liebenheit from a trading trip.
Instead of trying to explore our origins and see what happened to our families, grandpa Hans decided to take care of us on his own, and give us a peaceful and happy childhood while raising the two of us like brothers. And for that, me and my brother will forever be thankful to him."
"I see. Hans truly is a good man for doing all of that, and not fearing the consequences of his actions. He truly earned my respect. What about your brother, Lucas? How's he like?"
"Well, he's really charismatic and funny. Back at Liebenheit, everybody loved him, and he loved helping anyone whenever he got the chance to. He also loved reading, mostly about the history of Traumiery and how it was created. He respected the original Paragons and praised Wilford Krieger the founder as his hero and role model in life. That's why he wanted to visit the festival at all costs, to witness another Krieger making history with his own eyes. I'm thankful that you granted his wish, sir."
"I see…" Wilford replied in a shallow whisper.
Upon hearing Lucas's words, Wilford felt his conscious torturing him, eating him from the inside. He knew that the festival was a disastrous tragedy that he will always remember, whether he liked it or not. However, knowing that his actions caused the misfortune of such a kind and loveable soul while crushing its dreams was the lethal blow. Wilford no longer felt enthusiastic about his trip to save Hans, for he already knew that his actions will forever stay irredeemable.
"What about you, sir? What is your family like?" Lucas enthusiastically asked.
"Well, I don't know really. I don't really have a sibling, so I don't know how that feels like. My mother died when I was young, so I don't really have many memories of her. My father is a traitor who got executed, so I can't really say I had a fatherly figure in my life. And the rest of the family doesn't really like me, so I grew up as a lonely child… Well, except for my younger cousin Eric; he's the only one in my family who was good to me."
Lucas stayed silent after Wilford finished speaking. He didn't what to say upon hearing Wilford's shattered family life, so he decided to stay silent while internally regretting his decision to ask such a question.
"Oh dear, I'm starved! I think this would be a great spot to rest for a bit and eat lunch. What do you think, Lucas?" Wilford asked with an energetic and enthusiastic voice as he pointed at a branchy tree.
"Of course, sir!" Lucas replied with a simple smile.
And so, the two decided to rest for a bit under the sheltering shadow of the branchy tree while eating lunch, giving their horses time to rest too and regain some energy to continue the trip to the outpost.
…
The night fell as the moon shone in the sky, above the outpost of the warrior knights.
The outpost was a medium building in size made out of stone, which had three windows on each side, and compiled from two different floors, with the top being made out of grey roof tiles. The outpost was surrounded by multiple tents that acted as the knights' sleeping quarters, with those tents being surrounded by a stone wall that had only one wooden gate as an entrance and two guard towers as it's security.
On one of the towers, the guard knight was leaning on the railings with a sleep-deprived look on his face. He proceeded to rub his eyes and yawn before he shifted his focus back to guarding, albeit the knight being barely able to stay awake.
Suddenly, the knight saw the silhouette of something moving in the darkness, precisely, towards the outpost. The guard rubbed his eyes in disbelief before he focused his vision on the silhouette again, only to see the figure of a man riding one horse while leading another, with a slave accompanying him.
The knight clad in light armor scrambled for his bow before he aimed it at the approaching figure in a hurry, mustering up his energy to interrogate the approaching person.
"Stranger, state your name and business!" The knight shouted.
"My name is Wilford Krieger, and this here is my slave. I'm here requesting the service of the warrior knights to mail a personnel letter of mine to the Capital. May I enter, please?" Wilford declared in a loud and clear voice.
"Krieger? Krieger...? Oh, forgive me, my lord!" The knight said as he ran down the stair of the watchtower, and towards the entrance. "Open the gates!"
Suddenly, the wooden gate of the outpost was opened by two other guards clad in heavy, metallic armor, while the guard knight was slightly bowing his head in an apologetic manner to Wilford.
"My apologies, my lord. I didn't know that it was you."
"No need to bow, sir knight. I'm no longer a lord, nor a man of importance. I just need you to mail a letter to the Capital on my behalf." Wilford requested as he pulled out a white envelope from one of his saddlebags.
"Ah, yes. Of course, sir." The knight replied as he took the envelope.
The guard knight held the envelope in his hand as he jogged his way towards one of the bigger tents that surrounded the main building.
"Captain, we have another royal task." The knight said.
"Again?! We've been issued one just last month!" The royal knight captain exclaimed.
"We don't have a choice, captain. Lord Wilford Krieger is the one asking this directly of us."
"Huh?!" The captain shouted in confusion.
Suddenly, Wilford's eyes fell upon the sight of a middle-aged man, wearing a brown leather shirt, storming out of his tent, locking eyes with him upon seeing him.
"Dear God, royalty is going to ruin my life at one point. James, give me the letter." The captain ordered the knight, to which he responded by handing him the envelope. "I hope you don't mind me reading the letter, sir Wilford. It's a necessary procedure to make sure there isn't anything suspicious written."
"Not at all."
The captain of the royal knights proceeded to open the envelope and hurriedly read the contents of the letter. After a few minutes of silence, the captain looked at Wilford with wide eyes of surprise and astonishment.
"Hans, is it?" The captain asked.
"Correct."
"Well, we cannot mail your letter to lord Engel. You're no longer royalty, Wilford." The captain said as he handed the letter to the guard knight, "However, last month we were issued a task by his majesty himself, which is to receive a prisoner by the name of Hans Kant, who will be transported to our outpost. The order stated that we must keep hold of the prisoner until we receive a letter with the 'Engel Stamp' requesting his custody… I never knew his majesty could see into the future, but now I do."
"Oh, that's wonderful news. Where is the prisoner?"
"Well, he's still on his way here, so you're probably a day early. You can spend the rest of the night in the outpost if you want."
"Thank you for your kindness, I shall gladly accept that."
"Alright, then. You can sleep in that tent." The captain said as he pointed at a medium-sized tent at the back of the outpost, "Nobody really uses it, so you're free to place your luggage there."
"Alright then, thank you for your kindness, captain."
"Don't mention it."
Upon finishing their conversation, the captain of the royal knights made his way back into his tent while the knight guard walked towards his watchtower to continue his duty. Meanwhile, Lucas and Wilford were making their way towards the spare tent to finally get some sleep after a long and tiring journey.
In the end, at least their journey paid off.
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