The broken pieces of the apple fell to the muddy ground with a soft, wet thud.
Mario's back was arched back as he stood in absolute silence, using his hand to slowly wipe the sticky fruit juices from his face. Beside him, Loid looked on in completely stunned silence, his jaw practically dropping.
A soft, dark chuckle suddenly escaped Mario's lips. "Loid... don't you dare stop me," he whispered, his red eyes burning. "I don't care if it's you, Gabriel, or Alexander. It doesn't matter if she's the daughter of a tyrant or even an Ex-Arc Knight." He removed his hand from his face, glaring up at the rooftop with pure venom. "No one younger than me will ever disrespect me like that."
He uttered the words in a cold, low, menacing tone that made the air feel heavy. On the rooftop, Sky frowned slightly, her eyes twitching at the sheer intensity of Mario's glare.
Loid placed his palm flat against his own face, letting out a heavy, exhausted sigh at his partner's temper. "I know you're angered, Mario, but learn some control. We are on a mission—"
CRACK!
Before Loid could even finish his sentence, another crisp apple flew like a bullet from the rooftop, smashing squarely into the side of his face and exploding into pieces.
Loid's gaze dropped to the ground for a silent moment before snapping back up at Sky. He exhaled a sharp, heavy breath, actively forcing himself to remain calm and professional despite the fruit dripping from his armor.
Mario stared over at Loid, completely shocked, fully expecting his usually composed partner to finally burst into a blinding rage.
But Loid didn't snap. Instead, he simply reached deep into his pockets and pulled out a small, intricately carved identifier. He held the wooden block high in his hand, pointing it directly up toward her.
"There, you see?" Loid called out, his voice strictly transactional. "Loid Ravenscroft. I belong to the Order of Beasts, ranking at number six. The man next to me is Mario, who also belongs to the same order, ranking at number seven. We were sent on a direct mission by the king to deliver an urgent message to your father."
Mario frowned, slightly annoyed that Loid had just completely bypassed his dramatic declaration of war. On the rooftop, Sky raised her dark brow, her intense gaze drifting down to study the official wooden token.
These belong to the strongest knights in the kingdom, Sky thought to herself. Her eyes dimmed slightly, a shadow crossing her face. The exact place I have always wanted to be...
As she stood there, the remaining apple in her fist suddenly shattered, bursting into pulp from the raw, crushing force of her grip. She looked down at the two men, her dark eyes growing even colder as she bit her lip. A wave of profound frustration washed over her. Why? she pondered bitterly. Why do I have to go through all of this just to get a contract?
She exhaled sharply in an attempt to calm her racing thoughts, but the deep breath only slowed the anger consuming her rather than dissipating it.
Lifting her hand, she pointed a rigid finger down at Loid. "You may pass."
Hearing this, Loid breathed a genuine sigh of relief. Mario simply huffed, deliberately crossing his arms and refusing to look back up at the rooftop. But as they took a step forward to move past her position, another apple flew like a bullet from her hand, slicing through the air and missing Mario's nose by mere inches.
Mario snapped, glaring up at her as he roared, "Hey! You damn brat, what the hell is wrong with you?!"
Sky slowly raised her hand, ignoring his shouting entirely, and pointed her finger right back at Loid. Her eyes were dead, devoid of any warmth.
"I said he could pass," Sky uttered in a razor-sharp whisper. "I never said anything about you, you half-breed hyena."
Mario couldn't even bring himself to be offended. He just stood there, looking up at the rooftop in completely stunned silence.
"Half-breed hyena..." he repeated softly under his breath, testing the words out. He placed his hand flat on his chin, a look of genuine appreciation crossing his face. "Damn. That is one creative insult. I am definitely stealing that one."
Loid shook his head, looking back up at her. "Why won't you let my partner pass? After all, we were both commanded by the king to come here together."
Sky didn't even glance at Loid. Her intense gaze remained locked onto Mario's, burning with unyielding authority. "Because I said so," she ordered flatly.
"Tch. What a dictator," Mario retorted, rolling his eyes before gesturing for his partner to go on ahead without him. "Go on. Go see the captain."
Seeing this, Loid nodded understandingly. He turned on his heel and set off down the dirt path, to his destination.
The swift sound of a blade cut cleanly through the air before spinning masterfully and coming to a sudden halt. Mario stood casually, wielding his heavy sword and resting the flat of the blade against his shoulder.
"Cut the crap, brat," he said, a wide smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "I know you didn't keep me back here just because I didn't do as you said." He locked his red eyes onto her. "So, tell me the real reason."
Sky descended from the rooftop with quick, fluid movements, landing effortlessly on the dirt path before drawing her sword in a single, seamless motion.
"My reason?" she repeated coldly. She raised her arm, pointing the razor-sharp tip of her blade directly at his forehead. "My reason is that I'm angry, and I need to blow off some steam. You're nothing special. You just came at the wrong time, and you met the wrong me."
Taking up a fluid, free-form stance, Mario laughed loudly at her declaration. "I feel sorry for your future husband," he uttered, his voice dropping as he slowly began to circle her like a predator. "But sorry, kid... I hate to break it to ya, but you chose the exact wrong person to take your anger out on."
Mario stretched out his arms, a highly arrogant smile spreading across his face.
"Don't worry, little Sky," he said casually, spinning his heavy sword before pointing the tip directly at her. "I'll go a little easier on you since you're the old captain's daughter—and my Lady Snow's younger sister."
Sky's brows furrowed tightly. "You know my sister?" she asked. She shifted her weight, bringing her blade up closer to her face and gripping the hilt tightly with both hands as she locked into a heavy combat stance.
"Of course. She taught me a while back," Mario replied. Looking closely at her positioning, his grin widened. "Hold up... you're not taking that stance?"
But before he could even finish speaking, Sky exploded forward with incredible speed. Her blade sliced violently through the empty air right where his chest had been a millisecond prior.
"Hey now, no need to be so impatient," Mario called out playfully, having fluidly ducked and dodged her initial strike.
He's fast, Sky thought to herself, her eyes narrowing.
Refusing to let up, she struck again. This time, her steel collided with Mario's blade in a loud, ringing clash. With razor-sharp precision, she pulled her weapon back, stomping her boot heavily into the mud to launch herself forward in a deadly thrust. The point of her sword missed his flesh but grated harshly against his iron armor, throwing a small cluster of sparks.
Sky pulled her sword back close to her guard, looking at him with stone-cold eyes. "Why are you not attacking me? I saw your fight with that other guy. You moved way faster and fought significantly better."
Mario let out a loud, dramatic sigh. "Geez, you're an idiot, you know that? Did I not literally just tell you that I'd go easy on you?" He twisted his face, mocking her voice entirely. "'Or what, were you too busy thinking 'I'm angry and need to relieve stress' to actually listen?'"
Sky flinches slightly at his words, a rare flush of embarrassment hitting her. Oh yeah... he did say that, she muttered aloud to herself.
Quickly snapping back into her combat guard to hide her embarrassment, she glared fiercely at him. "Don't you dare insult me, you... you... you bugger-brain!"
Mario gasped loudly, his eyes widening in mock disbelief. "Bugger-brain?!" he repeated, his voice echoing through the open road. "What are you, a child? Couldn't you think of a better nickname, mutton-head?!"
Sky glared at him, a sudden flash of sharp annoyance crossing her features. "It is not a nickname, it's an insult!" she snapped defensively. "And I am not a mutton-head!"
"An insult," Mario repeated softly, staring at her with a completely deadpan expression. "You cannot be serious. Don't you have anything better to use as an insult?" He sighed loudly, reaching up to scratch his messy hair and hold his long ponytail steady as it whipped violently into the rising wind.
"Listen up, idiot," Mario continued, his tone instantly shifting into something deeply serious. "I've been trying to figure out what kind of crazy fighting style you're using."
He casually twirled his heavy sword in his hand, his eyes squinting slightly as he focused on her stance. "Your father and the two older sisters I've met and seen on the battlefield all used one particular fighting style—a very deadly and highly effective style. But the unique skill you just displayed is something I have never seen before. You strike with blinding speed, purposefully holding back your full strength, and before an opponent can even attempt to counter, your blade is already retracted and perfectly primed for the next attack."
Mario let out a soft chuckle. "It's a style that perfectly balances your current skill level."
Sky's gaze narrowed sharply at his deduction. He figured it out that quickly? "You have impeccable observation skills," she responded calmly, her voice hiding her surprise.
"It is my own fighting style," she uttered softly. She gripped the hilt of her weapon even tighter, pulling the cold blade up close to her face. "To put it simply, so your bugger-brain can actually understand: it is my own uniquely crafted style. And you are the very first person I am testing it out on."
Mario stared at her in utter disbelief. Not only had this young girl completely invented her own martial technique, but she was actively field-testing it for the very first time. He placed his gloved hand over the faint scratch on his breastplate where her sword had grazed his iron armor. And it was effective against me... he thought, his heart rate spiking. Against me, a captain of the Order of Beasts.
A soft, thrilled laugh escaped his lips. "What extraordinary talent," he whispered to himself.
Dropping his playful demeanor entirely, Mario stepped back and locked into a flawless, lethal combat stance. "Mario Watkins! Leader of the Sixth Lance belonging to the Order of Beasts shall face you in a proper duel! Name yourself, warrior!"
Sky's heart raced against her ribs as she instantly straightened her own posture, her dark blue hair blowing wildly around her. She raised her blade, her dark eyes flashing with pure fire.
"Sky Valenis! Fourth daughter of Ex-Arc Knight, Sir Adam, Blade of the Dawn, accepts your challenge, Mario Watkins!"
Loid continued along the path toward the house of Valenis, his heavy boots stepping off the muddy road onto the solid, dry dirt ground of the property. "Adam, the Blade of the Dawn..." he muttered softly to himself. "Old captain... I can't believe I am actually going to see you again."
As he kept moving forward, the sudden sound of distant laughter echoed through the air. Loid flinched, his boots freezing mid-step.
A sudden realization struck him. Wait... the village was completely empty when Mario and I arrived. Could this be where everyone has been hiding?
Quickening his pace, he marched along the dirt path. His eyes widened in utter disbelief as the layout of the homestead finally came into view. The entire village was gathered right there, sitting comfortably on handmade wooden benches arranged across the wide front yard of Adam's home.
"What the... is this some kind of celebration?" Loid uttered softly under his breath.
He took a few tentative steps forward, his eyes scanning through the massive crowd of chatting villagers until his gaze finally fell upon his old captain.
Absolute shock flashed across Loid's face. He stood frozen, watching Adam laugh heartily with a group of older villagers. This is impossible... Loid thought, his mind racing. In all the years I have known Sir Adam, I have seen him smile, yes. But never have I seen him completely relaxed and joyful like this.
Adam sat at a large, beautifully crafted wooden table with his close friends, laughing boisterously as they all drank fresh lemon juice together.
Just then, Noelle's voice called out from near the front door, cutting through the chatter of the crowd. "Hey, honey! Have you seen Niel? There are some more people here who want to see him. They say they brought him some gifts!"
Adam turned his head, shouting back over the noise of the party with a wave of his hand. "Niel went out for a walk! Tell them to wait around—let the boy get some proper rest first!"
Loid stood completely frozen, his mouth hanging wide open. He shook his head in absolute disbelief. What am I even seeing right now? He rubbed his eyes once, twice, and after a desperate third rub, the mirage didn't fade. Instead, he found Adam staring straight back at him, his warm expression instantly hardening into a familiar, bone-chilling gaze.
Loid flinched under the unexpected weight of that look before quickly correcting his posture, straightening his spine as he marched directly toward his old commander.
As he stepped through the dense crowd of onlookers, the entire atmosphere of the courtyard shifted. The lively, boisterous joy the villagers had been sharing just moments ago completely vanished, replaced by a cold, deafening silence. The only audible sound remaining was the rhythmic, heavy crunch of Loid's military boots striking the dirt.
Reaching the edge of the wooden table, Loid offered a respectful, disciplined bow and held out a sealed parchment envelope stamped with the crimson seal of the Beast [INDEX].
"Sir Adam," Loid announced, his voice tight. "I have brought an urgent message from the king regarding the current situation developing between our kingdom and the Dark Horse Kingdom."
Adam looked down at the letter resting in Loid's hand, a small glimmer of amusement returning to his eyes. "'Sir Adam,' huh? You don't consider me your captain anymore, do you, Loid?" he mused, before casually snatching the envelope from Loid's grip. He let out a theatrical sigh. "Sigh... these kids grow up, join the order, and suddenly they think they're tough guys now."
Loid flinched, a cold bead of sweat immediately trickling down his face as he hastily snapped his head up. "It's—it's not like that at all, Captain!" he stammered in a panicked voice, his professional armor completely breaking. "I just... I haven't seen you in so long that I didn't know how to approach you properly."
Adam chuckled softly, his tense frame relaxing completely into his chair. "Relax, I was just pulling your tail," he added casually, breaking the wax seal and pulling out the tightly packed letter.
He held the thin layers of paper, frowning as he tried to unfold them, but his calloused fingers kept slipping against the material. "What in the world is this?" he muttered in an annoyed tone, actively struggling against the intricately folded, thin layers. "Tch. This must be the work of that brat, Eleanor."
Giving up entirely, he tossed the letter back into Loid's hands and gestured forward. "Here. Open it for me." He shook his head, a small, fond smile finally tugging at the corner of his lips. "To think that child is still playing the same stupid pranks with the mail."
While Loid stood there, carefully maneuvering his fingers to unfold the stubborn piece of paper, Adam leaned back and crossed his arms. "Hey, Loid... is Mario still completely head-over-heels in love with Eleanor?"
Not even a single second after the question left Adam's mouth, Loid blurted out flatly, "Yes."
Hearing the instant, deadpan answer, Adam broke out into a booming, roaring laugh that shattered the lingering silence of the yard. "Hahaha! See? You're still the exact same as ever, Loid!"
Just then, Loid finally managed to snap the paper completely open, clearing his throat as he politely handed the revealed letter back over to Adam.
Adam's brows furrowed deeply as his eyes scanned the urgent contents of the message. The easygoing atmosphere around him vanished in an instant. He set the parchment down flat against the wooden table, exhaling a sharp, heavy breath.
He stared out into space in quiet silence, entirely swallowed by his own thoughts. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Loid took a respectful step back. "Now that I have officially delivered the message to you, Captain, my job here is done."
Hearing his voice, Adam snapped out of his trance. "You're leaving already?" he asked, his expression softening as he gestured toward an empty bench. "Stay a little longer. Have a drink with us."
Loid let out a soft, regretful sigh. "Trust me, Captain, I would have absolutely loved to stay longer. But Mario is currently being held back by your daughter, Sky. I need to head back, find him, and stop him before he does something incredibly stupid."
Loid's ponytail fluttered sharply in the violent gust of wind as he looked down the path. "Although, to be completely honest, I don't think my going right now will make much of a difference. Knowing his temper, he has probably already started an all-out fight with her."
Hearing that, Adam couldn't help but let out a knowing smile, completely amused by his daughter's predictable nature. "Loid, go on back and bring Mario with you. I want to see that cheeky little brat again anyway."
Loid nodded respectfully, a warm smile returning to his face. "Yes, Captain," he uttered confidently. He turned on his heel and began marching back in the exact direction he had come from. "I'll carry out this mission immediately."
Adam sat alone at the table, lost in a sea of dark thoughts. Suddenly, a massive, violent gust of wind swept across the yard, ripping the parchment completely out from underneath his calloused hand. The unread lines danced away into the air.
Adam didn't even try to reach for it. Instead, he simply tilted his head back, looking up into the stormy gray sky as the wind howled around him.
"A curse, huh..." Adam muttered bitterly, a dark shadow crossing his face. "How... just what kind of a horrific situation have you gone and put yourself in now, Duston?"
The End of Chapter 14