For a while, I stood silent and listened as Tess and Sylvie talked. My bond had always had a deep fondness for Tess, even calling her ‘Mama’ at one point in her life. I could tell Tess was still trying to wrap her head around how the dragon and fox she had cuddled with like a pet was standing in front of her as a human.
From the conversation I overheard, Tess and her team had gotten back an hour ago after receiving orders from a messenger sent out by Captain Jesmiya and went straight to the inn to wash up and rest. Much like myself, my childhood friend couldn’t sleep and decided to walk around the market area of the Wall when she ran into me.
I let the two of them catch up, walking a few paces behind, when Tess looked back over her shoulder and raised a brow. “What’s so funny?”
“Huh? Oh, I didn’t even realize I was smiling,” I replied, touching my mouth. “It seems like Sylvie’s emotions are influencing mine.”
“Hmm, if I take that the wrong way, it comes off as you saying that you’re not happy to see me,” Tess teased.
“Unlike Arthur, I will wholeheartedly admit that I’m happy to see you,” my bond replied before her expression dampened a bit. “I just wish it was under better conditions.”
“I agree, but I’m glad I was able to see the two of you before I leave. You look much more charismatic in that sleek new outfit, General Arthur, but Sylvie! I can’t get over how cute and pretty you look in this form!” Tess comforted.
My bond’s chest puffed from the compliment as she replied, “Back when we were in Epheotus, my grandmother did tell me that I would grow up to be a very pretty dragon.”
“I’m not sure if you’d describe a pitch black twenty-foot dragon with gleaming yellow daggers for eyes as ‘cute,’” I responded back with a smirk.
“Is this how you two always talked inside your heads?” Tessia asked with a chuckle.
“We’d been getting along fairly maturely until you came, Tessia,” my bond replied. “Your presence must be affecting Arthur.”
I rolled my eyes. “And there’s that snide little attitude I missed.”
Sylvie simply shrugged as the three of us walked aimlessly around the lower levels of the Wall. Workers, blacksmiths, artificers and soldiers alike went out of their way to greet Tess as we passed by them.
“You’re looking prettier than ever, Princess! A sight for sore eyes in these parts!” a bald blacksmith shouted as he waved in our direction with a pair of tongs he had been holding.
“I’m going to tell your wife you said that,” Tess replied with a mischievous grin.
Sylvie and I chuckled as the old blacksmith paled and quickly got back to work on the set of arrowheads spread out on his anvil.
“Head Tessia!” a young girl covered in soot called out as she ran toward us. Catching her breath, she said, “My master has a new set of armor for you that she’s been working on in secret.”
Tess’ face visibly brightened at her words. “Oh! Tell Senyir that I’ll go visit her later tonight! Thank you for the message, Nat.”
“Anytime!” The little girl beamed, her white teeth glowing brightly against her blackened face. Seeing me and Sylvie, she tilted her head. Giving us a slight nod, she scurried off.
“As expected of Tessia,” Sylvie chimed.
“Since I’m part of the Trailblazer Division, I don’t get to spend as much time here as I’d like, but I still got to know a few people here and there,” my friend explained as we continued on.
Sylvie followed beside her. “Still, they treat you so kindly. Most of the people that we meet regard Arthur with either awe or fear.”
“Well, seeing the head of a unit is one thing. Seeing a lance as young as Arthur would elicit a different sort of feeling,” Tess chuckled.
“Still,” Sylvie sighed. “He can make do with some improvements on his interpersonal skills.”
“You know I’m walking right behind you two, right?” I cut in.
Tess laughed, and by the warm fuzziness growing inside me, I could tell that Sylvie was having as much fun as our childhood friend.
When we reached the steep set of stairs leading all the way to the top of the Wall, Tess stopped and stole a glance at me before turning to my bond. “Hey, Sylvie. Do you mind if I steal Arthur away from you for a bit?”
Chapter 212: A Promise
Hugging Tess one more time, my bond headed up the Wall as we waved her off. The guards let her through the gate to the upper levels, and she walked out of sight.
‘Don’t think about other things and try to have some fun while you’re with her, Arthur,’ Sylvie sent.
“It’s surprisingly easy to get used to Sylvie in that form,” Tess said, turning to me.
I smirked. “Well, if it weren’t for those huge horns on the sides of her head, she’d just look like an unassuming little girl.”
“Those horns are pretty adorable though. But anyway”—Tess pointed in the direction of the merchant area and gave me a warm smile—“shall we head off as well?”
I smiled back. “Sure.”
It was an odd feeling as we walked through the crowds of people. My legs that had ached and felt so heavy without the aid of mana were light as I trotted alongside Tess. I watched as her head turned left and right and her expression changed from curiosity to amazement to delight as she took in the sight of the various booths and stands that merchants had set up along the street.
It was a rare feeling where, next to this girl that I had spent so many years of this life with, thoughts of my responsibilities as a lance and general in times of war weren’t priorities.
That was when it struck me.
This role that I had accepted for the sake of Dicathen had been slowly turning me back into the man I was back in my old world. There were some differences, of course. I had people I truly cared for, but in a sense, that made it worse. I felt like I had to be better—to make no mistakes—if I wanted to keep them alive as well.
“Has being apart from me for so long finally made you realize how pretty your childhood friend actually is?” Tess teased, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Actually, yes,” I replied earnestly.
Not expecting that sort of reply, Tess blushed all the way to the tips of her ears.
“I-I see. Well, it’s good that you know now,” she said with a cough, her gaze avoiding me.
I surveyed the crowd around us, finding mostly adventurers garbed in chainmail or hard leather armor and the occasional off-duty soldier, still wearing the insignia of their rightful division. “Is it always this busy here?”
“Mhmm. Having so many mercenaries and adventurers here taking jobs and missions at the Wall brought about an influx of merchants and peddlers hoping to make money selling goods and services to them,” Tess explained quickly, grateful for the change in topic.
“This place really does have its own separate economy,” I uttered, admiring the bustling activities around us.
“Speaking of goods and services, there’s a place that I always wanted to try!” Tess pulled me by my arm and weaved through the tide of pedestrians until we arrived near the end of a line that wrapped around a single isolated cart.
Before I could even ask what could possibly warrant waiting in such a long line, a smoky scent crept up my nostrils. My stomach became almost as impatient as my watering mouth as the thick mixture of herbs and spices mingling alongside the savory aroma of grilled meat continued to bombard my senses.
“Doesn’t it smell fantastic?” Tess asked excitedly as she craned her neck to try and get a better view of the cart.
I nodded. “If it tastes as good as it smells, maybe I should make your grandfather hire him as a chef inside the Castle.”
“Tempting, but I’d feel bad for all the people here that look forward to eating here,” she replied.
That’s when I noticed the gazes of all the people around us. Some whispered to the friends they were waiting in line with while others saluted or bowed.
&nbs
p; Thankfully a disturbance ahead in the line caught the attention of the people around us. It seemed like someone was trying to make their way to the back of the line.
“Out of the way! Move it!” a gruff voice boomed.
Finally, a man a head shorter than Tess appeared through the sea of people ahead of us. He was carrying a small paper bowl filled with a steaming stew of meat and vegetables in each of his hands.
Locking gazes with Tess and then me, the stout man held up the bowls toward us. “It’s not much, but here. Even a lance shouldn’t fight on an empty stomach.”
“Thank you,” I said, reaching down for the piping hot stew while Tess did the same. “But how did you know we were even back here?”
The stand owner jerked his thumb back to point at the line. “It didn’t take long for news to travel all the way up to the front of the line.”
I let out a chuckle. “Regardless, thank you for the treat.”
The portly old man clicked his heels and saluted, which brought up his shirt to reveal a bulging stomach. “No. Thank you.”
His actions had a chain effect, causing all the people in the line to salute. Tess stifled a giggle and joined them, shooting me a wink while saluting as well.
After returning my respects to the people waiting in line, Tess and I went on our way to our next undecided destination.
“Looks like coming with you does have its perks,” Tess said as she used a wooden pick to skewer one of the charred meat dripping with sauce. “That place is always so busy, even the captains here don’t get that kind of treatment.”
After taking a bite, her eyes closed and a smile pulled at her lips. “Mmm, so good!”
“You’re probably the only person who’d regard a lance as a ‘perk,’ Tess,” I said, taking a bite as well. Needless to say, the stew was delicious enough to make the extravagant dishes served in the Castle pale in comparison. Despite my restraints, the flood of flavors on my senses were strong enough that even Sylvie felt my delight.
‘I hope you’ve saved enough for me,’ she sent with a tingle of curiosity laced in her voice.
Sorry, I don’t think I can promise you that, I replied while taking another bite.
Despite the constant din of people around us, I felt more at peace now than I ever had these past few months.
I was grateful to Tess, who kept me engrossed in the present. She pulled me aside toward every stall that interested her without a second thought. She laughed and smiled at the smallest things, but I found myself constantly looking forward to her reactions.
In a way, her bright and sometimes childish personality seemed so admirable. She had the responsibility to look after an entire unit. She spent days, sometimes weeks, out in the Beast Glades in conditions far from desirable. Yet, she was able to produce such a radiant smile that it infected those around her.
Tess’ hand slowly approaching the stew that I was holding brought me back to reality. “If you’re not going to eat that…”
I snapped the dish out of her reach just as the skewer in her hand attempted to fish out one of the few remaining meat cubes I had been saving. “You wish.”
Tess let out a frown. “As expected of a lance.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, because it’s imperative for a lance to learn how to defend his or her own food from treacherous allies.”
Skewering a meat cube with the pick in my hand, I held it out for Tess. “Here.”
My childhood friend’s eyes visibly brightened as she got on her tippy toes to snatch the meat with her mouth. “Sho good!”
I blinked as I stared at the empty pick in my hand.
“What’s wrong?” she said. “You’re kind of red. Do you have a fever?”
“It’s nothing!” I said, quickly turning around. “My body hasn’t been in the best condition these days.”
We walked in silence for a while. Tess looked a bit guilty because of what I said, even though I just said it to cover up a lie. Hoping to lift her mood, I pointed at a confectionery where several colorful dough-like desserts were displayed. While the line wasn’t long, there were quite a few people holding or eating the dough nearby. “That seems like a popular stall. Do you want something from there?”
“Oh! That’s a pretty popular dessert stand,” she said. “I’m okay, but Caria loves these. I’ll go by myself; just wait here, okay?”
“Okay.”
I smiled, watching her struggle with deciding which flavors to get while the old lady waited patiently on the other side of the stand.
Suspecting it would take a bit longer, I walked over to a smaller booth a few yards away.
“Interested, I see. You have a good eye, Sir,” the little boy attending the stand exclaimed. “What can I get for you?”
“I’m just looking around,” I answered, not taking my eyes off the display of trinkets and accessories laid out on top of the white cloth. “Actually, can I purchase this?”
“Of course! It’ll come out to be one sil—ouch!” the kid yelped, looking back. “What gives, Mom?”
“What do you think you’re doing?” an older woman huffing for breath chided. She looked at me apologetically. “I’m so sorry, General. My boy here is a bit ignorant of the world.”
“General? You?” the boy said, dumbfounded. “But you’re like the same age as my brother!”
That earned him another smack from his mother before she handed me the item I wanted to purchase. “Please take this as an apology for my son’s rude behavior. Again, I’m so sorry.”
I let out a laugh. “No problem at all, and please let me pay.”
She waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh no! Please, how can I possibly take money from a lance!”
“Since it’s a present, I’d feel more confident in giving it to the person if I actually earned it,” I admitted.
“Is it that pretty lady over there with the silver—ouch! Mom!” The boy rubbed the spot on his shoulder where he’d gotten hit.
Chuckling, I tossed the kid a coin and thanked the two of them before walking back toward Tess.
“Wait! This is a gold coin!” the mother called from behind.
Looking back over my shoulder, I held up the charm that I had just bought. “I just paid what I thought this was worth. It’s very well-made, ma’am.”
The lady stared at me for a second, stunned, before she bowed. “Th-Thank you.”
I walked over to the dessert stand just in time to see Tess devouring some sort of stretchy dough in one bite. She looked at me with a guilty expression before holding one out for me as well. “Do ooh wunt shom too?”
“What happened to just buying it for Caria?” I teased with a laugh.
As the sun quickly set, the streets began to empty. We made a quick stop by the inn, where Tess dropped off the desserts she had bought for Caria. Unfortunately, she—along with the rest of her teammates—were still asleep, so I didn’t get to greet them.
“When do you leave for your next mission?” I asked, almost afraid of the answer.
“Later tonight,” she replied with downcast eyes.
“There’s a place I want to show you before you go then. Is that alright?” I asked with a smile.
***
Tess let out a breath as she took in the sight around us. We had climbed to the spot on the cliff—the same place I had come to after fighting with my parents. With the sun inches away from the horizon, a warm light cast all over the Beast Glades.
“The view here is even better than from the Castle,” she said with another sigh.
“I agree.” I nodded. “Although I’ve only been here once before and found it by chance.”
There was a moment of silence as the two of us sat side by side, close enough where our shoulders just barely touched. Tess shifted her gaze away from the scenery below us and looked at me. “I wanted to say this earlier, but it’s been a while, Art.”
It must’ve been the way the red sun mixed together with her shiny gray hair or how sh
e was tilting her head slightly so that the nape of her neck was exposed, because my heart felt like it was about to break out of my ribcage.
Unable to meet her eyes for any longer, I turned away. “Wh-Where will you be heading off to for your next mission?”
You’ve led a country in your previous life and even in this life, Arthur. You have no reason to be stuttering next to Tess. I continued berating myself until she answered.
“My unit along with a few other elves from the Trailblazer Division are going to head off toward Elenoir tonight,” she answered.
“Does it have something to do with attacks from the Alacryans?”
“Yeah. We’ve been getting reports from the troops stationed on watch throughout the forest that there have been some recent sightings of Alacryan stragglers. It didn’t sound too serious but they’ve been requesting backup for a while now and Captain Jesmiya finally relented,” she explained, resting her chin on her knees.
“It must’ve been a hard choice, especially with the beast horde approaching,” I said. “Although I’m sort of happy that you won’t be here for this battle.”
Tess cocked a brow. “While I may not be a match for a lance, I have recently broken through to the mid-silver stage.”
I never thought to check her mana levels so her words caught me by surprise. “Congratulations. Truly.”
Tess’ shimmering turquoise eyes studied me for a moment before she let out a sigh. “I wonder when the mighty General Arthur, who is, in fact, younger than me, will actually begin to treat me as someone who can take care of herself.”
“You can take care of yourself. I’m sorry if my words came off the wrong way, but I really believe that. Spending time with you today made me realize how much older you’ve gotten,” I quickly amended.
Tess regarded me with an unamused expression. “Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?”
“Uhh.” I scratched my chin. “What I meant was, you give off a different aura now. I’m not talking about mana, although your core has improved, but more like—”
“I’ve gotten more mature?” Tess finished with a smirk.
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