Volume 3, Chapter 57: Gold and Scheme
Volume 3, Chapter 57: Gold and Scheme
That night was very quiet.
In the guardsmen quarters’ private room, Helot Stanley stared at the city’s lights through the windows with his golden eyes.
The lights were lively, but somewhat noisy. It was the indication that his homeland, Garoua Maria, was a prosperous city-state. Helot grew up watching these lights since childhood.
Somehow, Helot felt that these lights were fading away. He wrinkled between his eyebrows. His skin was also firm and he didn’t feel like sleeping. His eyes were frighteningly awake.
This kind of feeling continued for some time. Yet, contrary to his eyes, the city itself looked peaceful. Daily life continued without any problems, and everyone enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere in the city-state.
His alumni of the academy, Filaret, was supposed to be by his side. And yet, she remained with that untrusty man.
Helot’s fingers slightly touched his chin. She appeared in the Poor People’s cave out of nowhere and saved that man Lugis from his imminent death.
But, why.
Helot didn’t understand the reason why. The Poor People’s cave was the zone of sinners and outcast people. There was no doubt that Filaret meddled herself in a place like that because of Lugis. Even so, it was incomprehensible.
No matter what reason she had to go there, she didn’t return to the city-state since that event. So, she stayed with Lugis until now. Still, even if she agreed to take an oath with him, she would never harm the city-state with her sorcery powers. No matter what truth or justice. Nothing would persuade her to inflict damage on Garoua Maria.
A just or repulsive behavior. However, whatever it was behind the saving of that man, Helot showed a mixed complexion between self-hate and a small grin on his face.
The Heraldic rebellion broke out in the Gharast Kingdom. This urgent matter made Helot’s heart boil with worry. After all, he found out that an army of the Heraldic Order was hiding inside the ruins of an underground temple. There was no doubt that they were involved in this uproar.
Then, Helot thought deeply about his actions. If, at that time, he spoke to his uncle when he visited him at the academy, then this dire situation could have been prevented. This harsh fact clouded Helot’s heart in a bad way.
If it was true, then this was his punishment for violating his justice. These unfortunate results of an upcoming large-scale revolt was the punishment given by God because he disturbed his own faith. If everything proved to be factual, then Helot knew that he had to take full responsibility for his acts. Simple acts at first that backfired later on.
Speaking of which, what happened in the Poor People’s cave was another strange occurrence.
The Vice commander and his men reported nothing. They said that nothing happened in the Poor People’s cave during their inspection. There was no girl with a tattoo nor duel in broad daylight.
It was as if everything that happened was part of an illusion. Impossible. The Vice-Commander and that man engaged in a personal and selfish fight. Everything was out of discipline. Helot was even forced to engage in that unreasonable dispute. Actually, Helot believed that everything that happened back then should’ve been reported. In fact, Helot did submit a report to the higher-ups.
The results were announced immediately. The higher-ups got the report that said that nothing much happened during the inspection of the Poor People’s cave.
Helot felt puzzling feelings that clouded his whole face. He thought that it was insane. A very strange occurrence, indeed. Everything that happened was concealed so that none would know. The false report transformed into the truth among the guardsmen talk.
With an incredulous look on his face. Helot narrowed his eyes. The light of Garoua Malia reflected on his eyes was still dull.
“…Oh my, the Captain is capable of worrying like a normal human being.”
A voice entered his private room.
That sound startled Helot, who was confused staring at the windows. Then, he looked immediately at the door. He relaxed a little bit when he realized who spoke.
Caria Burdnick. The girl with silvery hair, which split on two pigtails, and big eyes of the same coloring. Her gentle appearance and swordsman skills were an attraction for the guardsmen. Even the Vice Commander respected her dearly.
「I apologize. No matter how many times I knocked at the door, I didn’t get any response. That’s why I opened your door and came inside.」
—
The Lizard, or the defeated Vice Commander, roamed through the corridors of the base with his distinctive reptile eyes. He was in a bad mood, and scolded the guardsmen that passed through him on the corridor. While he walked, a slight vibration sound was heard. That particular sound came from his broken jaw. This slight vibration caused him extreme pain. So, there was no wonder as to why he was in a bad mood.
From that day on, his jaw felt as if a thick nail had been struck into his skull. Whether he worked until exhaustion, or got symptoms of insomnia, or even slept deeply at night, he couldn’t wipe the emotion that crawled in his head.
That emotion was the humiliation he got. It was too strong that he almost broke his teeth because of his anger surges.
The eyes of the Lizard strengthened, and his strong eyelids approached his eyebrows. Every time the broken jaw hurt, his heart felt beaten. An inferior being who lived in the Poor People’s cave crawled out from the mud and inflicted severe damage on him.
Incredible, irrational. Unexpected treason. Too disrespectful. The overflowing emotions of the Lizard engulfed his entire body.
In fact, the Lizard didn’t even like his young captain. For him, that young man received that high position because of his family status and not because of his strength nor accomplishments. The Lizard didn’t like it that much, but he had no choice but to accept it.
At that time, however, Helot the Captain tried to pardon the deeds of those criminals. The inhabitants of the Poor People’s cave didn’t have dignity nor pride. The Captain’s pardon was a cowardly act. Was he thinking about something obscene or righteous? Why did he valued those lives more important than the honor of the guardsmen? The Lizard didn’t understand what the young Captain was thinking back then.
The inhabitants of the Poor People’s cave were not human beings.
They had no rights because their lives weren’t worthy. Their words had no weight nor power. They were just rats. The Lizard’s perception of the inhabitants of the Poor People’s cave didn’t make him unique. Greater or lesser, that was perception that all of the citizens of Garoua Maria had on their hearts. Therefore, the Lizard didn’t understand Helot’s behavior.
He felt extreme pain on his broken jaw once again.
“Ah, I want to see her.” The Lizard’s eyes shuddered slightly. Caria Burdnick. She was the admiration of all the guardsmen. She had dignity and beauty. She really looked like the Goddess of War that was depicted in poetry. Her grace and skills moved everybody’s hearts. Even her swaying silver hair was no different in that aspect.
But, the Lizard’s brain was conflicted. That beautiful woman wasn’t the only person that appeared on his mind. That rat, that lowly man also appeared on his mind for countless of times. His jaw hurt so badly every time he remembered that man. The hatred increased with the pain.
At the same time, the Lizard was ashamed of himself. He felt that he showed his weakness to the Goddess of War because of his miserable state.
It wasn’t supposed to be like that. The guardsmen shouldn’t be the ones hurt by the inhabitants of the Poor People’s cave. It had never happened before. Such disturbance only happened the other way round. The Lizard spoke directly to the Captain to counterattack, but he shook his head.
The response to that act of rebellion had to be prompt. To redeem the events that happened, the Lizard thought that he had to take the life of that wretch.
Black sparks gleamed on the characteristic Lizard’s eyes. Both of his hands shook with hatred. He clenched his fists to suppress the anger. Pain ran again on his jaw.
「I apologize. No matter how many times I knocked at the door, I didn’t get any response. That’s why I opened your door and came inside.」
Caria’s voice, the one that the Lizard worshiped as the Goddess of War, echoed on his ears as he walked down the corridor with that resolve on his heart.
—
「No, don’t apologize. I was distracted because there are many things that worries me.」
Helot responded to Caria with a bitter smile. Her standing was always the same. A figure full of confidence. How dignified she was.
「Why are you so worried? You are a very important and talented person as far as I can see. And yet, something is bothering you tremendously. Is it about the Heraldic Order?」
Half of those words were correct.
Caria also saw the Heraldic people at the underground temple. Then, it shouldn’t be strange for her to have the same concerns as his. The rebellion that happened in the Gharast Kingdom may reach this place and cause a “big fire”.
Yet, the other half was wrong. Helot opened his mouth slightly after he heard Caria’s words.
「There’s no mistake. Those people are a real threat to this nation. Of course, I am worried about the rebellion that happened in the other kingdom. Who knows what their plans are? But…There’s one clear fundamental piece in all of this.」
His words were expected, and at the same time unexpected. Caria stared at Helot with her silvery eyes and remained silent to hear what he had to say. For a moment, Helot’s brain was confused to whether or not his concerns were the real deal. His lips quivered for a short moment.
Helot felt puzzling emotions in his own heart. He didn’t want to believe in those concerns of his. But, he couldn’t help himself. He felt increasingly worried. He twisted his eyebrows. He only knew of one thing. One feeling was clear. Justice and goodwill. It was all that mattered to him. It was part of his nature. That was his truth. The only one of the Great Holy Church.
Until now, he had lived with those standards. He understood that his standards were the truth. The good of this world. He considered evil everything that fell out of his standards. What was the point to think otherwise?
There was no need to ask yourself. An adventurer with green clothes appeared in front of Helot in order to shake the foundation of his world.
Who was he? A righteous or evil person? Was he an ally or an enemy? It was hard to tell. Helot couldn’t understand. Helot never dealt with someone like him before. Never in his entire life.
This was interesting. Yes, interesting and odd at the same time. Helot thought, “why was he moving for personal reasons such as his own dark interests?”. It was rather strange and suspicious.
「That companion of yours, that adventurer called Lugis. There’s something going on. I can feel a mysterious atmosphere around him.」
Then, Caria’s silvery eyes became wide open. Helot continued to speak.
「I don’t know him personally to be honest. He behaves like an unholy person. He sure is wicked sometimes. And yet, he tried to save Filaret once. He even tried to shield the inhabitants of the Poor People’s cave. There’s neither justice nor evilness. So tell me. What kind of person do you think he is?」
Upon hearing those words, Caria moved her shoulders slightly. Then, she swayed her fingertips in the air while she responded to Helot’s question.
「He is a courageous man, an adventurous person and a fool. That hasn’t changed. But if you’re that interested about him, why don’t you go and see for yourself?」
His golden eyes blinked strongly. Caria slowly opened her tiny lips once again, while she smiled at Helot with a beautiful complexion on her face.
“…Don’t you feel that it’s quite amusing that everything that happened so far went according to his scheme?”.