by TurtleMe
Assuming that really was the Arthur Leywin our leader had told us so much about, what was he doing here? How did he get here? Did he kill the S class mutant by himself?
I turned my head to Darvus and, by his furrowed brows and perplexed gaze, it seemed like he was also curious about the same things. Caria, on the other hand, had a goofy smile plastered on her face as she ogled the man surrounded by the Twin Horns—ignoring the fact that there was a giant pile of bloody and stinking corpses just behind them.
“While I hate to interrupt your reunion, there are more pressing matters at hand,” Dresh spoke aloud. “What exactly happened here? I had not been informed that anyone by the name of ‘Arthur’ would join us down here in this dungeon.”
“I’m sure no one had been informed since I arrived less than an hour ago,” Arthur replied, stepping out from the crowd of his friends that had surrounded him. “Even I was surprised to be greeted by so many mana beasts.”
“A-Are you saying that you, single-handedly, killed all of those mana beasts—including the S class mutant—behind you?” a soldier stammered.
“Do you see anyone else in there alive besides me?” Arthur tilted his head.
“That’s impossible!” another soldier yelled out. “How can a mere boy do what a whole battalion of mages had set out to do by himself?”
Arthur simply raised a brow, unaffected by the remark. “It really doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not. The fact is, the mutant that you guys were ordered to kill is now dead.”
More and more soldiers began asking questions and spouting accusations, but all were ignored by the mysterious man. He simply walked over to Dresh and extended a hand. “You seem like the leader of this expedition. Do you mind letting me stay at your camp tonight? I’m rather spent and would like a decent night’s rest before heading out.”
Dumbfounded, Dresh accepted his handshake and nodded wordlessly.
“What about all the beast cores?” a bearded conjurer blurted out, pointing at the mountain of mana beasts.
Everyone, once again, exchanged glances with one another in hopes that they would somehow find answers within someone’s eyes. Usually, the beast cores that were collected after a battle were split amongst the soldiers. Looking at the sheer number of corpses that had been stacked atop one another in that large hill of bodies, even the most humble man would drool at the potential to be gained.
“They’re all gone,” Arthur answered quietly. “Sorry, but my bond has quite a large appetite for beast cores,” he continued, pointing to the furry white fox still cleaning itself.
“Are you saying that that little thing just devoured hundreds of beast cores?” a burly augmenter retorted in disbelief as his hand gripped tightly at the handle of his sword.
“Yes,” he responded matter-of-factly.
“What about the S class mutant’s beast core? What happened to that?” Dresh asked, regaining his composure.
“I have it.” Arthur let out a sigh. “Any more questions? I’ll be happy to debrief later, but standing around answering everyone’s questions isn’t exactly the best use of our times.”
“We’ll escort him back to base, Leader,” Tessia spoke up as the members of the Twin Horns all nodded in agreement.
“Very well. For now, I want a few teams to stay behind to look for any stragglers and collect anything worth selling. The rest, we’ll go back to camp and wait for further instructions,” Dresh ordered, placating the dissatisfied soldiers.
The trip back to the main camp was almost as tense and stifling as it had been when we had first opened the dungeon doors. Caria, Darvus and I all kept silent as the sour mood of almost every soldier present weighed down on our shoulders. Even Tessia and the Twin Horns kept their conversations with Arthur down to hushed, indiscernible whispers.
Behind me, I could hear the conversations of soldiers, some glad that there was no battle, others disappointed at the fact that they would leave with no beast cores or other bounties. and some downright angry for not being able to battle a strong mana beast. However, despite the mixed feelings everyone had of the guy’s appearance, we all shared one emotion: fear.
Upon arriving back to the main camp, the guy named Arthur headed straight for the bathing stalls by the stream while Tessia and the Twin Horns followed Dresh into his personal tent.
“Well that was anticlimactic,” Darvus sighed, slumping down next to the smoldering remains of our campfire.
“I’d say that it was pretty eventful,” Caria countered. “Did you see that pile of mana beasts? And that giant mutant? I doubt that even with all of us combined, we’d come out from a fight like that unscathed.”
“Exactly!” Darvus exclaimed. “That guy, Arthur…How the hell was he able to kill them all—if he really did kill them in the first place?”
I shook my head. “What, you think the guy was sitting there, posing, waiting for us to show up to take the credit?”
“W-Well, I’m not sure about that, but I mean...it’s not natural. Tessia said he was around her age, which means he’s a bit younger than us. What kind of fiery pit did he have to grow up in to become a monster like that?” Darvus let out a sigh, looking down at the two axes he had been fumbling with in his hands. “If he really was able to singlehandedly kill all mana beasts along with that S class mutant, what are guys like us needed for?”
“Do I smell a hint of jealousy?” Caria smirked, lightly prodding Darvus with her elbow.
“You meant to say envy, Caria,” I corrected on impulse.
She turned to me. “What’s the difference?”
“Jealousy is what you feel when you worry someone will take something you possess. Envy is longing after something someone else has.” I shook my head. “You know what? Never mind; it’s not important.”
Caria just shrugged and placed a hand on her childhood friend’s shoulder. “Anyways, he’s just one person, Darvus. No matter how strong he is, it’s not like he can win the war by himself. You saw the state he was in. He wasn’t really hurt but he seemed pretty worn out!”
Darvus rolled his eyes. “Thanks. At least he was tired after wiping out an army of mana beasts and an S class mutant by himself.”
“No need to get snarky with me, Darvus. I’m just trying to help,” Caria clipped, her cheeks turning red.
“Well, don’t! I don’t need your pity. Besides, that guy isn’t natural. No point in comparing myself to a freak of nature like him.”
“I don’t know, he seems pretty normal to me,” I chimed in. “Putting his strength aside, he seemed like a decent person while he was talking to the Twin Horns.”
“Yeah, I even spotted a smile from him when he saw Tessia!” Caria added, her lips curling up as well at the thought. “Although I was expecting something more, like a passionate hug or something.”
“Please, you saw the way he talked to everyone. He was a snobby jerk,” Darvus continued, shaking his head.
“Well everyone was kind of a jerk to him,” I countered. I didn’t know why I was defending the guy, but it was times like these that Darvus really rubbed me the wrong way. Whenever a situation didn’t go his way, he always pointed fingers and made assumptions to feel better about himself.
Darvus’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you taking his side?”
“I’m not strictly taking his side”—I shook my head—“I just think it’s naive to base our impressions on the guy without even holding a conversation with him. You’ve heard how Tessia always talked about Arthur. Don’t you think we should give him the benefit of the doubt?”
“Tessia’s mind is probably clouded by her past memories of the guy,” Darvus scoffed. “You saw the tension between the two. Hey, maybe you finally have a shot with her.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. “Are you that petty? You sound like a child, bringing me into this. You’re drawing conclusions on this guy based on what, exactly?”
“G-Guys, let’s not fight,” Caria voiced, her eyes shifting from me to Darvus.
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br /> “I’m basing it off my instinct, twerp!” Darvus hissed, standing up. “Maybe that’s something you can’t do because of your deformed mana core.”
I could feel blood rushing to my head at that insult.
“Well, at least I don’t need to convince myself and everyone else that someone better than me can only be a monster just to keep his worthless pride intact!” I spat out.
Darvus’ face burned red as well as he shook in rage. Throwing the hatchet he had been white-knuckling down at the ground in front of him, he whipped around and stomped to our tent and slipped inside.
“Stannard…” Caria came over to me after watching her best friend go. “Y-You know he didn’t mean that, right? Come on, you know how he gets when he’s all riled up.”
Letting out a sigh, I mustered up a faint smile toward the girl who was just a bit taller than me. “I’m fine. It’s not like it’s the first time we’ve had one of these fights. I don’t butt heads as often as Tessia does with him but that’s mainly because I just hold it in. It’s when I can’t endure it that I explode and something like this happens.”
“You’re right, though,” Caria replied after a moment of silence. “Darvus is much better than he was back then, but being the prodigious son of noble blood, he was handed everything: wealth, resources, attention, and even talent.”
“A whole lot of good that does him if he’s still an ass.” I rolled my eyes. “Look, Caria, I’m not mad at you, and I’m not even mad at what Darvus said to me. I’m just tired of his narcissistic ego that pops up no matter how much you try to shove it down.”
Caria let out a small giggle. “Tell me about it. I’ve known him more than twelve years and I bet rabid mana beasts could mature much faster than Darvus. But ever since he’s met Tessia and you, he’s gotten a lot better. That’s a fact.”
“Yeah, I know.” I nodded, already looking for a way to break the ice with my egocentric teammate.
Caria and I talked for a while longer as we sat around the fire we lit up once more. As two shadowed figures approached, we stood up.
“Hey guys,” Tessia’s voice rang. As the two got closer, I could make out our leader and the guy next to her.
“I’d like you to meet my childhood friend, Arthur,” she said, putting a hand on the man next to her. When I stood up and approached them, I couldn’t help but notice that our leader’s eyes were a bit red.
His hair still damp from his bath, Arthur dipped his head. “Stannard Berwick and Caria Rede, right? Nice to meet you guys, and thank you for taking care of my friend. I know she can be quite a handful.”
This got out a giggle from Caria as Tessia jabbed an elbow to his ribs. Seeing the two like this made me doubt the feeling I had when I first saw the guy. Without the blood covering most of his face, it was safe to say Arthur was indeed the enemy of all single males. His features were sharp, but not overly so, with a subtle charm that went beyond just the textbook standard of handsome. His reddish-brown hair was a tad long, as if he hadn’t gotten a proper trim in years, but it only served to hide his looks—not dampen them.
He was a head taller than Tessia, which made him quite tall for his age since our leader was just a few centimeters shorter than Darvus. Even underneath the loose-fitting robe he wore, I could tell his physique was that of a fighter. The way Arthur carried himself, the way he walked over here, and the way his eyes seemed to gaze over everything around him indeed confirmed that the aura he exuded wasn’t just my imagination.
As Tessia and Arthur were about to take a seat around our fire, Darvus stormed out of his tent. When he passed by me, he shot me the look of embarrassment he always had when he was about to apologize, but I stopped him with a hand. Revealing a snide smirk, I mouthed, “It’s fine, twerp.”
Darvus scratched his head as he flashed a wry smile. However, his gaze turned rigid as he faced Arthur. Tessia, Caria and I all looked at him, worried at what he might say when Darvus lifted a finger and said loudly. “Arthur Leywin. I, Darvus Clarell, fourth son of the Clarell House, formally challenge you to a duel!”
Chapter 135: A Warrior’s Maiden Heart
TESSIA ERALITH’S POV:
The image of Arthur on top of that mountain of corpses, drenched in blood, looking down at us with a cold glare, had been burned into my head for hours now. I recognized him almost immediately, but my voice got caught in my throat. I couldn’t call out to him; I was scared to.
Even after gathering the courage to finally say his name, he stayed silent. The fear that something had changed in him during his training immediately came to mind as he faced us. When Sylvie popped out, I was happy, but even when Arthur finally spoke, I couldn’t get rid of the unease in my chest.
The sight of him stepping into the light made my heart feel like it had twisted into a knot. He was filthy and his eyes practically screamed exhaustion, but it really was Arthur. I wanted to embrace him right there, just as the Twin Horns were doing, but something in me kept me from doing so. Looking at my childhood friend, I sensed a clear distance that went beyond the few meters that separated us. And so I stood still, anchored, as I gave him a hesitant smile that didn’t even reach my eyes.
He smiled back, but it was only for a moment as the soldiers immediately began questioning him.
Throughout the trip back to the main camp, Arthur stayed relatively silent despite the chatter of the Twin Horns around us. They were all excited to have him back, despite the obvious discontent among the soldiers. Arthur smiled when spoken to, and he responded with minimal words, but that was it. Immediately after arrival, he spotted the stream and went to wash up with Sylvie. I went straight to the main tent with Dresh and the Twin Horns to try and help appease the tension our leader, along with the rest of the soldiers, felt towards my childhood friend.
Arthur came to the main tent after he had washed up, but even without the blood and filth covering him, he was just as unapproachable. He debriefed what was necessary, otherwise stating that the information was to be told directly to my grandfather. I stayed silent throughout the short meeting as Dresh and the Twin Horns bombarded him with questions.
Dresh left first to inform the rest of the soldiers of their next course of action. The Twin Horns reluctantly agreed to let Arthur rest only after being promised of a more detailed account later.
With only Arthur and me left in the tent, I remained tense, staring at my feet as I could feel Arthur’s gaze boring into me. I didn’t know what to say, how to act, or even how to feel. With Arthur suddenly appearing in front of me after more than two years, and him acting so… distant, I was at a loss. Whatever confidence I had left to approach my childhood friend went out the window as I looked at my pitiful state. Here I was, dressed like a man, layered from head to toe with grime and soot. Worst of all, my hair was a bird’s nest and I smelled like week-old garbage.
I could see him walking up to me, each of his footfalls making my heart beat just a little bit faster. However, I refused to look up. As he came closer, I could smell the faint aroma of herbs coming from him. Don’t come closer, I prayed, scared that he’d be repulsed by my stench.
His feet stopped just in front of mine but my eyes stayed glued to my feet as I squirmed awkwardly. For a moment, we were both silent. The only sound I could hear was the beating of my uncooperative heart.
“It’s been a while, Tess,” Arthur finally said. “I missed you.”
At those few words, the ice that had stiffened my body melted. My vision became blurry as I refused to stare anywhere else but at my feet.
I clenched my fists to keep myself from shaking. My eyes betrayed me as I could see the drops of tears darkening the leather of my boots.
Art’s warm hand gently touched my arm and I couldn’t help but notice how large it was. I had known him since he was shorter than me, but now, the simple touch of his palm filled me with a sense of protection. I tried my utmost to stay firm, but I found myself sniffling uncontrollably as my body began quivering.
I
didn’t exactly know what came over me to reduce me to such a state. Maybe it was finally seeing my childhood friend again. Maybe it was because his words just now confirmed that it was still truly him, not the cold killer that I thought he had turned into when I first saw him. It might possibly not have had anything to do with that at all; I couldn’t exactly explain the reason why every barrier I had unconsciously raised to endure these last two years had just come crumbling down. All I felt was this wave of relief that everything was okay now, that I didn’t have to worry anymore. All of a sudden, it felt like everything Grandpa, Master Aldir and everyone else had been worrying about would turn out okay now that Art was here.
It was funny how a person could do that—how one person could make you feel truly… safe.
“Art… you… idiot!” I hiccupped in between sniffles. I raised my fists to hit him, but by the time they reached his chest, there was no strength behind them.
I must’ve shouted every profanity I knew at him, blaming him for just about everything: his cold attitude, his tastelessly long hair that made him look scary, his lack of contact until now—down to how it was his fault I was in my current state. Art just stood there, silently taking it all as his large hand continued to warm my arm.
I was angry, I was frustrated, I was embarrassed, but I was relieved. That whole mix of emotions turned me into a lump of tears as I continued assaulting Art—mostly because I hated myself for how I was acting right now.
After crying out all that I could, I rested my head against his chest, staring down at his feet that had also been spotted with my tears, letting out hiccups and sniffles.
It was quiet for a minute and I finally worked up the courage to look at his face, only to see him staring right back at me.
I was about to whip my head away when his smile stopped me. It wasn’t like the smile he had when we saw each other at the entrance of the mutant’s lair. His eyes crinkled into two crescent moons as a warming sincerity tugged at the corners of his lips to create a gleaming smile.