“Would you happen to know where the spare saddles are?” I asked.

“If it isn’t the Brent boy.” The scar-faced knight looked down at me from his steed. “What do you need them for?”

“Sir Richter’s saddle strap broke. He asked me to fetch a replacement.”

The knight made a derisive smirk. “Did you come all the way here to be an errand boy? Figures. I heard you couldn’t fight because of an injury. Invalids don’t belong on the battlefield. Using your family name to learn under Sir Richter… What a disgrace.”

I gritted my teeth, silently enduring the insults. I had thrown the same words at Karius before, but I never realized how painful they were until now. I couldn’t deny the knight’s accusation. The reason I was allowed to join this mission was a secret between me and Master.

“I think serving my Master during his mission is part of the duties of a squire. More importantly, the saddles?”

The knight snorted loudly. “They’re in the second to the last wagon.”

I thanked the rude knight and followed his direction, eventually reaching a large wagon pulled by two ecuses. I pushed open the flaps covering the rear entrance and climbed aboard.

“Where was it?” I rummaged around, searching for the saddles.

It was hard to find anything in the mess of supplies. My mind wandered as I pushed wooden crates around.

Our party had been traveling for a few days now, but there was still no sign of Karius. We had already passed Harena, where the advance party had gone. Master had not received any word from the scouts, so he concluded that the fugitives had already left that city.

I had to find Karius. I wasn’t sure why, but the reason could wait. First, I needed to catch him.

I flexed my right hand but couldn’t exert any power, at least not enough to fight with a sword. I’d gotten better at using my left because of Master’s training, but I was still a far cry from my former self.

I noticed a pile of rags behind one of the large crates. Thinking the saddles could be hidden underneath, I pulled away a few layers. The pile was deeper than I thought. I kept going until I reached the bottom.

I didn’t expect to see an actual bottom, though. A cute one, at that.

A girl was balled up with her head down, butt facing me. She trembled on top of a bed of small crates like a cornered mouse. I felt tempted to keep watching a bit longer, but a sharp neigh from the ecus tied to the wagon pulled me back to my senses.

I scolded myself for thinking improper things and coughed to clear my throat. “Who are you?”

She didn’t respond.

I gently tugged at her skirt to get her attention. “You’re not hiding from anyone by doing that.”

The girl nervously turned around and saw my face. “Lucius?”

I forgot to breathe for a second. “Annabelle. Why are you-”

I held my tongue. Her reason for sneaking into the search party was obvious. No matter how much she pretended not to, she loved her brother. Lisa and the other girls never noticed, but I did. With all the time I spent watching her, it’d be stranger not to.

Annabelle looked lost for a moment but eventually stood up. We faced each other at eye level with her perched on top of a crate.

“Please don’t tell anyone I’m here.”

“Okay.”

“...That went easier than expected.”

“Just came out.”

“You didn’t mean it?”

I shook my head. “The opposite. It slipped out because I meant it.”

“Hmm…” Annabelle looked at me from top to bottom.

“...What?”

“I thought you were gonna be like ‘I’m gonna report you to Master right now! I can’t break the rules!’ or something.”

“That… does sound like me. But this is a special case.”

“Special?”

‘Because you asked me.’ As if I could say something that embarrassing.

I wracked my brain for a suitable excuse to no avail. She looked at me suspiciously. Whatever. Just go with the flow, Lucius!

In an attempt to stop my cheeks from twitching, I accidentally made an evil grin. “Karius is under suspicion for treason. If I told Master about you now, he’ll send you back. I won’t be able to use you as a hostage to catch your brother.”

...I wanted to punch myself for panicking and saying the worst thing possible.

“You don’t need a hostage. This is all a misunderstanding. Kari would never do something like that.”

Her unconditional trust for Karius ticked me off.

“Maybe.” I showed her my broken right hand. “But he definitely did this. He used Glacies on my hand. I can no longer hold a sword with because of it.”

Her expression turned dark. I felt guilty for being so immature. I shouldn’t be lashing out at her for defending her family.

As I was about to apologize, I realized I had just spilled confidential information. Karius using magic and being a traitor were supposed to be a secret. As I fumbled for a way out of the hole I dug myself, Master’s voice came from the outside the wagon.

“Lucius, what’s taking so long?”

I tried my best to sound natural. “I had a hard time finding the saddle! I’ll be right out!”

“Okay. Hurry up.” His footsteps faded away.

Annabelle pointed to a crate secured by rope netting. “The saddles are over there.”

“Thanks.” I quickly unfastened the netting and peeled off the cloth cover, revealing a stack of saddles.

“No big deal. Thanks for not telling Sir Richter about me.”

“That doesn’t mean much. Someone else will find you sooner or later.”

She put on a steadfast expression and stared into my eyes. “Then please find my brother before that happens.”

Then her stomach rumbled.

“...”

Her face turned beet red. “......Say something.”

“That would’ve been a cool parting line if your belly-”

“On second thought, shut up!!! And don’t say belly! I’m the slimmest in my group!”

I hurriedly held a finger across my lips. “Shhh!”

“It’s your fault for saying something like that!” She waved her arms around in panic. “I haven’t eaten in days! I didn’t think this journey would take this long! I can’t help it, okay!?”

“You were the one who asked! Anyway, keep quiet! I have to go back before Master gets angry.” I grabbed a saddle and hopped off the wagon. Before leaving, I peeked my head through the wagon’s flaps. “I’ll bring you something later.”

She showed a dumbfounded look. Without waiting for an answer, I rushed off to deliver the saddle.

After finishing my daily training, I packed a few pieces of bread, jerky, and a pouch of water in my leather bag. On my way to Annabelle’s wagon, a relatively weak sandstorm started up and peppered my light armor with dirt. Such things were common, so I didn’t give it much attention.

I carefully looked around before climbing aboard. The wagon had returned to the way it looked before I rummaged around earlier. She had likely fixed it to prevent anyone from noticing her presence. While dusting off my clothes, I walked towards the high pile of blankets.

I peeled off the rags one by one, but there was no bottom at the bottom. ...Not that I was looking forward to it. Where did she go?

Someone tapped on my shoulder.

“Gwoh!” While reaching for my sword, I turned around and hopped backward.

“Easy now! It’s me!” Annabelle held her hands in front.

“You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“That’s my line! Can you let go of your sword now?”

I did as she asked. “What are you doing over there?”

“I changed my hiding place. More importantly, ‘Gwoh?’”

“I-I was surprised.”

Annabelle put a hand over her lips and giggled, the waves of her hazel hair gently bobbing. “Sorry. I just didn’t expect the star of our generation Lucius to say ‘Gwoh.’”

“Don’t repeat it.” I sighed as I pushed my bag to her. “Here you go.”

She took it and peeked inside. Her eyes went wide open for a moment. Then she briskly took out the water pouch and guzzled the contents. After drinking her fill, she daintily wiped her moist lips and chin with a white embroidered handkerchief. She remembered her manners a little too late, but I didn’t say anything. Pulling on an ecus’s tail was never a good idea, unless you liked getting kicked.

She smiled in satisfaction. “Thanks. I ran out of water last night.” She glanced at me and then at the food in the bag. “May I?”

I nodded.

She scurried to a corner of the wagon and began nibbling on the bread like a squirrel. I sat down near the entrance flaps as a look out.

A smile naturally floated on my face as I watched her eat. I always enjoyed looking at her, but this time, half the reason for my wry grin was irony. I had accepted the possibility of never seeing her again when I set out on this journey, but we had ended up talking more than ever.

She caught me staring at her and stopped eating. “What is it? If you have something to say, go ahead and say it.”

I didn’t expect the sudden interrogation, so I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I-I was just wondering how you did your business while hiding here. You could sneak out at night to defecate, but what about passing water?”

She dropped a piece of jerky on her lap, her mouth agape.

Damn.

That took the prize for my most tactful line ever.

“Sorry! It just came out! I didn’t mean it!”

“...I remember someone saying that words which slip out naturally are meant.” She looked at me as if I were a piece of garbage in a filthy alley.

“This is different! I just panicked. I didn’t mean it. Really.”

She turned away in a huff before continuing her meal. I was a little surprised she didn’t complain about the tough jerky. A young lady of her standing surely ate the best meals in Arthas. Seeing such a hardy side of her was strangely satisfying, as if we were sharing a secret no one else knew.

Conversation completely died since then. I could hear powerful gusts blowing outside. The sandstorm had grown stronger in the short time I’d been sitting in the wagon. Fortunately, the leather flaps at the wagon entrance protected us from the sand.

She broke the deadlock between us. “I used the blankets and threw them out at night.”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t make me repeat it! That’s how I relieved myself! Are you happy now? Is this your way of getting back at me, Mr. Gwoh?”

“No! I was wrong for asking something so insensitive, but I didn’t force you to answer either.”

“...I figured people might get suspicious if they notice blankets disappearing one by one.” She turned around and crouched, covering her face with her palms. “It’d be easier for you to make up excuses if I don’t keep you in the dark. Like you said, I’ll get discovered sooner or later, but I don’t want you to get in trouble when that happens.”

My heart skipped a beat. Unfortunately, the cause wasn’t her endearing concern.

“Monster attack!” shouted one of the knights outside.

“Are we gonna be okay?” she asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Honesty isn’t always a virtue.”

“Right. Sorry.” I pushed aside the flap covering the wagon exit.

“Hey, I was just kidding. Where are you going?”

“Out to see what’s going on.”

“Please wait! Don’t leave me alo-”

I jumped off the wagon and drew my sword with my left hand.

Her request was tempting, but I forced myself to move. A large monster could attack this wagon from outside at any time. I couldn’t protect her in there.

I looked around after taking a few steps from the wagon. Knights scurried about, and sounds of battle came from all over, but the sandy wind made the enemies hard to see.

I heard a loud purring sound to my right. A fluffy brown cat the size of a donkey sat like a ball on the ground. Unlike a normal feline, it had short limbs that were almost hidden underneath its furry body. Its tail lazily waved around in the wind. The animal focused on me, its pupils dilated into round discs, but didn’t seem to be hostile. If not for the oddity of the current situation, I would’ve found it cute.

“Behind you!” screamed Annabelle.

I reflexively turned about face and blocked another cat, one with black fur, with my sword. Its long claws scraped against my blade. I almost lost grip of my weapon from the impact.

“Be careful!” Annabelle peeked from the flaps on the wagon. “Dust cats look adorable, but they’re very dangerous! Don’t get distracted!”

“Okay!” I swung my sword at the black cat.

The feline easily dodged my attack. My left arm didn’t have enough speed to hit it.

“How can I help!?” asked Annabelle.

I could barely hear her shout because of the strong gusts. “Just hide inside! If I fall, run to the leading wagons!”

“No! I’m not leaving you behind! I’m sick of running away!

I parried the cats’ attacks while backing away. They seemed to be toying with me. The sand entering my eyes made it hard to focus. Moreover, I was completely at a disadvantage without a shield. The fighting style Master taught me required one. That thought gave me an idea.

“A shield! Get me a shield!”

“Okay!” Annabelle’s face disappeared from the flaps.

There were no shields inside the wagon. I had asked her to bring one to get her away from here, but she seemed to have other ideas.

I sidestepped the brown cat’s pounce and faked a slash. It jumped to the side. I caught it with a kick to the gut. The cat rolled on the sand but quickly got back on its feet, taking no damage.

My guess was right. These animals were fairly intelligent, able to predict attacks instead of just reacting to them. Its initial docile demeanor was likely a trap to ambush me.

Fast. Smart. Tough. And they had the numbers. It was impossible to win in my current state.

The black cat circled around to my rear and pounced. I rotated as fast as I could and swung my sword at its head. The creature caught the blade with its teeth. Ridiculous. No wonder help hadn’t come yet. The Arthas knights were likely busy fighting against this cat’s friends.

The creature’s momentum pushed me to the ground. Before I could do anything, the cat climbed on top of me, pinning me down. It was lighter than I thought, but its sharp claws still dug into my light armor. With my sword still stuck in its mouth, I used all my strength to push its head away. However, the cat was stronger than I was. Its fangs drew closer to my face an inch at a time. I could feel its balmy breath on my nose, causing the hairs on my body to rise. The other cat leisurely circled around us, as if mocking my helplessness.

I had no way of fighting back.

But I would.

I had to.

“I won’t let you hurt Annie!!!” Squeezing out all the strength in my arms, I pushed the black beast off my body and kicked it away.

I rolled backward and got to my feet. I parried the brown cat’s attack, letting the creature pass by my right side.

“Lucius, catch!” Annabelle tossed something at me.

I caught it with my right hand. I stared at it completely dumbfounded.

It was a saddle. Why would she-

“Use it as a shield! I already prepared the straps!”

I checked the bottom of the saddle. The straps were tied up so I could wear the thing on my arm. While desperately dodging the cats’ assault, I managed to equip the saddle. I held the shield in front of me, keeping my right foot forward, just like Master taught.

Even though my right hand was broken, my arm, stronger than any squire’s, was perfectly fine. I used that strength to counter the brown cat’s attack with a backhand shield bash. The heavy wooden saddle hit the creature squarely on the head, stunning it.

The black cat grew wary and backed away slightly.

Taking that chance, I closed in on the brown cat while fending off its claws with my shield. “It’s my turn, vermin!” I thrust my sword from behind the saddle to prevent the cat from seeing my attack.

The blade’s tip sank into the cat’s shoulder. The animal shrieked in pain and backed off. I calmly pushed forward without pause, causing it to panic. The cat frantically swung its claws at me. I blocked each blow with the shield, slicing flesh off its legs as I did so.

The creature fell to the ground near the wagon. Its front paws bled into the parched sand, leaving a faint dark brown stain. My new fighting style, untested in real combat, was more effective than expected.

I recalled Master’s words when I started training my left hand.

“From what I’ve seen in your spars, your left hand is actually more nimble than your right even before it was injured. Use your right arm to block attacks, and use your left hand’s dexterity to inflict light wounds with precise blows. This method looks cheap and cowardly, but it’ll get the job done. Real combat isn’t about impressing anyone. It’s about killing. Keep training that, and you might become a passable soldier.”

And train I did, until I my fingers bled and I stopped vomiting from fatigue.

To be ready when I met Karius again. To regain my lost pride.

But right now, all I could think of was keeping Annabelle safe.

I turned my attention to the other enemy. The black cat circled around me without coming closer. I focused my full attention on it to counter its upcoming strike.

“Look around you!” Annabelle jumped from the wagon with a large blanket spread across her hands.

Below her was the wounded brown cat. It was about to attack me from behind. The black cat moved around me to set me up for an ambush again.

Annabelle covered the cat with the blanket as she landed, stopping its attack. The black cat made its move at the same time, but thanks to Annabelle’s support, I was ready for it. While sidestepping to the left, I parried its claws with my shield and then stabbed its flank once, twice, thrice. It was dead.

Annabelle’s scream grabbed my attention. I frantically searched for her figure and saw her on sitting on the ground. The wounded brown cat loomed over her. She scurried backward in an attempt to put some distance between them, but the cat easily caught up despite its injury.

“Annie!” I poured all my energy into running, but the loose sand slowed me down.

The cat’s fangs surrounded her neck. All the cat needed to do was shut its mouth.

I wouldn’t make it.

The brown cat flew upward. It floated about six feet from the ground before it split in two at the midsection. The bisected lumps landed by Master’s feet. Annabelle froze in place, staring blankly at the spectacle.

Master had kicked the monster into the air and chopped it in two.

Blood dripped from his longsword. Seeing Annabelle safe, my sprint slowed to a jog.

“M-Master!” I stopped a few steps away from them.

“Good job, Lucius,” he said with an almost bored face.

It was hard to hear him because of the bustling wind, but I could guess from his lip movement.

I shook my head. “I couldn’t protect her.”

“Of course you can’t. Not yet.” Master turned around.

Beyond the mist of sand, I noticed four shadows heading towards us. They stood too low to be humans.

Master readied his longsword as the first two shadows pounced at him. In one swing, he cleaved both cats in midair. He ducked just enough to avoid the third animal, which landed behind him. The fourth cat stopped in front of him. Master was now surrounded on both sides.

I was about to step forward when Master shot me a stern look, telling me not to come near. He cocked his chin towards Annabelle. I nodded and rushed to her side.

The cat behind Master took advantage of his distraction and lunged at his feet. Master casually stepped forward with the targeted foot, avoiding the bite. The cat in front leapt high into the air, aiming for Master’s jugular. With minimal movement, Master twisted his shoulders to the side to avoid the attack. The cat landed on the other side but immediately toppled to the ground. Pink innards spilled out from the large gash on its abdomen.

The other cat scurried backward and glanced at its death friend. With an arched spine and stiffened fur, the monster hissed at Master. Master calmly took a step towards it. Seeing no chance of victory, the animal turned tail, but Master had no intention of letting it go. He stepped on a dead cat’s skull to accelerate forward. With flawless timing, the tip of Master’s blade sliced the fleeing creature’s rear foot. The cat tumbled to the ground, kicking up sand. Master mercilessly dealt a deathblow to its neck.

I knew Sir Richter was one of the strongest knights in Arthas, but I’d never seen him in action until now. He exhibited unparalleled power, finesse, and speed in the short battle. I felt proud of having looked up to him and coming under his tutelage.

Master turned towards us. “Stay here. I’ll go help the others.”

“Yes, Master!”

He glanced at Annabelle. “I’ll deal with you later.”

“What did he say?” she asked. “The wind’s too noisy.”

“Master said prepare for a scolding.”

Annabelle groaned in displeasure.

Master dashed away, disappearing into the sand cloud. The dust literally settled after the sandstorm passed, causing the surviving cats to retreat. None of the knights were seriously injured. About twenty feline corpses were left behind. Master was responsible for half of them, while I could barely defeat one.

I had to get stronger.

Annabelle and I waited for Master outside the wagon. Curious about the creatures, I approached a dead cat and knelt down to check its body.

“Master’s sword is magnificent. This creature died with its eyes open.”

“You’re giving him too much credit. A dust cat’s eyes are never open.”

“What do you mean? It’s open. Look.” I twisted the cat’s face towards her.

“Gross! Stop that!”

“Sorry.” I released my hold on its fur.

“Geez. Anyway, a dust cat’s eyes are special. The eyelids are transparent. Dust cats hide in sandstorms when hunting, so they need protection. That’s also why they have short legs. They need to keep low on the ground to not get swept away by the gusts.”

“I see. You know a lot about these things.”

“Kari told me all about them. He read it in an encantus potion book. Dust cat claw powder is supposed to be a fairly expensive ingredient.”

“...He liked reading?”

“Loved it, especially books about magic.”

“So that’s why he was terrible with the sword.”

“No, there’s actually a different reason-” Annabelle covered her mouth with both hands.

“...I didn’t hear anything.”

She slowly lowered her hands and studied my face. “You know, you’re a lot nicer than I thought. I’m the sister of the man who stole your sword, remember?”

“That’s got nothing to do with you. And my sword isn’t lost yet. You saw my fight earlier, right? With more training-”

“You’ll be barely usable.” Master approached us. “Don’t get cocky from a little praise.”

I straightened my posture and touched a fist into my chest in salute. “Yes, Master!”

He turned to Annabelle. “You’ll be returning to Arthas with three of my knights. Really, I wish you wouldn’t trouble me like this.”

“No,” said Annabelle.

“You don’t really have a say in this, Missy.”

“Do you think your group of knights can defeat my brother and that Valmaz warrior?”

“Of course. Karius got the drop on me before, but that’ll never happen again.”

“Without casualties?”

Master fell silent.

Annabelle fearlessly stepped towards Master, who was several heads taller. “If you use me as a hostage, you can get him to surrender without a fight. At the very least, he won’t be able to attack you as easily.”

I had heard from Master that Karius could use powerful wide area magic. Keeping Annabelle around would prevent him from sniping our group with such a spell. However, I didn’t want Annabelle to be in danger either. I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to tag along, but it wasn’t my decision anyway.

Master shook his head. “There’s no proof that he’ll do as you say, and the Valmaz warrior with him won’t give a shit about you. You were almost killed by cats, for crying out loud. I can’t bring useless baggage on a mission.”

“I know this mission is an important direct order from mother, but I still want to go.”

“...How did you know that?”

“I know many other things. I’m a Corvider, Knight Master. So, have you changed your mind?”

“The poctus doesn’t grow far from the root.”

“I’ll forgive that insult in exchange for your generous consideration in allowing me to join your party.”

Master heaved a heavy sigh. “Fine. But you have to listen to everything I say during the journey.”

“Naturally.”

“You two make a good pair.” Master walked away, leaving us alone.

I didn’t understand the truth behind their exchange, but I couldn’t deny feeling happy that Master thought so. “I can’t believe you spoke to Master like that. Weren’t you afraid?”

Annabelle grabbed onto my sleeve, leaning her weight on me with trembling knees. “Does this answer your question?”

I stifled a laugh, not because of her sorry state, but because I felt exactly the same way when I forced Master to take me on this trip.

“It’s not funny!” she said.

I shook my head and smiled. “Thank you, Annabelle.”

She looked at me, curiously at first, and then nodded with understanding. “You’re welcome. You fought to protect me. Doing the same is the least I could do in return.”

I recalled the words I screamed out while fighting off the cats. “T-T-That was… I can explain… Um, er…”

“Annie.”

“Eh?”

“Just call me Annie. You already shouted it out earlier. No point going back.” She averted her eyes for a moment. “My mother calls me Annabelle. I don’t like it. ”

Still flustered, I couldn’t help but nod.

“I think I’m okay now.” She released my sleeve and took two steps backward.

I tried my best not to let my disappointment show on my face, but I had trouble doing so. To avoid being seen through, I pretended to look around. I noticed the blanket she used to distract the cat earlier sitting on the ground. I picked it up to return it to the wagon. It was heavier than it looked, making me appreciate Annie’s help earlier even more.

“Hm? What’s this?” I felt a strange dampness in the cloth. “Blood?”

No, it didn’t stain my fingertips, and the wet area wasn’t red. I dug my face into the fabric and took a whiff. A pungent, slightly acidic fragrance entered my nostrils. Unable to determine what it was, I inhaled much deeper. I sensed a bit of saltiness as well. What could it be?

With surprising strength, Annie snatched the blanket from me.

Her face, shaped into an adorable pout, looked redder than the sunset in the desert’s horizon. Her trembling fingers dug deeper into the fabric, as if trying to tear it apart.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, genuinely dumbfounded.

“Insensitive idiot!” She stomped away, leaving unexpectedly deep footprints for her size.