Chapter 16: Visitors at Night [2]

The last glitters of light carried by the moon and the stars receded like a tide. The patches of deep dark clouds slowly took over and veiled the entire night skies.

The tiny lamps in the knight’s mansion swayed and flickered, making shadows out of the soldiers. The warm flame kept burning, alighting the entire courtyard, rejecting the looming darkness.

Dry huffs reverberated in the stone courtyard as the soldiers stood in line. The soldiers’ nerves stood tout and alert as the tension crept its way to the hearts.

One after another, the soldiers arrived and lined up in a strict army formation. Though they had questions in their minds, they kept it in as they waited. With baited breaths, all they could do was wait for their lord. One thing was for sure… this night would be a sleepless one.

The first-timers, who recently joined the Knight’s troops, steadied themselves. They gulped in anxiety. Each of their backs straight as they wait for the Lord. They were the last batch to arrive at the village. They’re the second company that marched on foot.

This platoon was full of young men coming from various villages in Rutherford. Their aim was to at least get acknowledge as an esquire or possibly one day if lucky… earn a fief.

This was their first sortie after training camp, as well as their first official mission. It’d also be their maiden battle as part of the knight’s elite troops. The young soldiers strained their nerves like a strung bow, ready to be unleashed at any moment. Despite this show of discipline, the young lad’s palms were already sweating as they hold their weapons. The occasional jittery actions showed their lack of experience.

These young soldiers felt the choking atmosphere as they wiggled around in nervousness. The pressure made them feel like there were a bunch of butterflies playing in their stomachs.

Some had turned pale, like a ghost. A few even feared that their knees would buckle up because of stress. The scary-looking uncles beside them also didn’t help. These uncles were maniacally grinning as they played with their blades and swords. They appeared more like murderers than soldiers, especially with their creepy laughs.

“It’s been a long time since I felt like this,” one veteran hummed. “I want to slash something.”

“Pierce, pierce, then cut the fucking head!” Another giggled like a madman.

The battle-hardened veterans (uncles) continuously checked their equipment. Their faces showed no fear or anxiety. None cared whether they looked crazy or foolish. It was simply them being themselves. They do not even care about the stares of the young ones.

Instead, you could feel a calm edgy feeling building around them. Their faces carried a foolish grin, and peals of disturbing cackles echoed from them.

The occasional stupid smiles made them look like grunts, crazies, or madmen. It was what scared the greenhorns who were still wet behind their ears.

The efforts to hide the glints of passion and anticipation budding in their eyes were for naught. Their grins unmasking their hunger for battle. With each passing minute - their battle-honed bloodthirst appeared in plain view.

They knew that the swords on their waist were calling for blood to quench their thirst. In short, the old salts were already itching for more action. Their battle-hardened hands were already getting tickly.

Burning torches lit up the darkest of the evening. The grey clouds above veiled the light coming from the stars and the three moons. A bad omen. Some curious soldiers couldn’t help but rattle and guess who’d be their enemy for tonight.

“I wonder what kind of great monster will hunt tonight.” A goateed veteran soldier asked. The old-timer played with a sharp dagger on his fingers. The sharp metal spinning on his dexterous fingers. “After all, it’s rare to hear that grating roar coming from Lord.”

“If I were you, old man, I will simply shut my mouth and wait.” One of the old soldiers hissed at the guy. You better not jinxed it! Or I’m going to cut that lousy tongue of yours.”

“Haha! I’ll cut yers’ first oldie! The soldier with the dagger barked back. “I’m goin’ to make sure that your little tongue cannot wag anymore in front of me.”

“Oh yeah? Ya wanna' try me, little punk? I’m going to slash that wimpy whinny under your belt. Hmph.”

“Bahaha!”

“Stop that, fools! We got no time for that. Just look at our obedient baby colts, they’re already shakin’ like crazy.”

“Let’s play a bet, old coots!”

The word bet and play fished the attention of the veterans who were feeling a little bored. Since they were still waiting, why not bet anyway? There’s nothing wrong with having a little fun, right?

“Alright, men! We’ll go with how many greenhorns will pee their pants during the battle?”

“Bahaha.” [All the veterans]

“I’ll say three!”

“Bah! Too few! I’ll call for 13 greenhorns!”

“Ha! 17 newbies, I’ll bet for 17 newbies!”

“Okay, okay, calm down. Glen, go write all the gentlemen’s bets!”

The man named Glen brought out a paper, a quill, and ink as if he was already expecting that this event would happen.

“Alright!”

“Ladies and gentlemen! Throw your coins in!”

In a jiffy, a lot of old soldiers were successfully riled up to bet. A few had even thrown a part of their savings to the drain. All without knowing that the soldier bookie was one of Madam’s men.

They were taken advantage of knowing nothing at all. It was a flawless scheme. The Madam gave them their salary, then the Madam gets it again through her machinations. Well, a lot of old coots know it but who cares right? It's their money anyway, and they enjoyed betting as well.

On the other hand, the greenhorns couldn’t help but turn green and black. Their faces looking like the bottom of the pot after hearing that they were the subject of the bet. Looking at each other’s eyes, they made an oath. They wouldn’t be the one peeing on their pants later. Absolutely not!

Soon, rustling and clanking of armors and weapons echoed. The sounds forming a rhythmic manner. The other soldiers followed suit. They tapped their heavy armor, bowing their heads towards the knight.

“To the White Elk!”

It muted the lips of the noisy bunch as the soldiers gazed straight at the people coming out. After they saw the knight carrying the white elk sword, their eyes shone like a candle in the night. Their eyes brimming with respect and solemnity. If the Lord had brought that sword, it seemed tonight’s hunt wouldn’t be something easy.

The swaying light coming from the torch illuminated the figures of the Knight and the Madam. Auburn, Lady Leine, and all of their close aides and attendants following behind.

The knitted brows and drooping corners coming out from the knight’s men were bad news for those who knew them. For the looks of it, something dangerous had happened, making the older soldiers frown.

The Knight was not laughing and guffawing as he usually did when he sees them. So… it was serious.

Seeing the knight and the madam wearing their armors, the soldiers knew things wouldn’t be some training or drill, but an actual battle.

“Men! Salute!”

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Soon, a ringing silence loomed around the yard as the knight cast a serious gaze on each of his soldiers.

“Men, listen! It looks like your luck today is quite rotten.” The knight said, leering, as he looked at his soldiers in the wide courtyard. “Today, we have discovered tracks and signs of Death Wolves in the nearby forest. Ahem, not just one but a lot of them. A pack perhaps… or maybe more.”

Hearing the knight’s words, the soldier’s eyes grew three sizes. A lot of bodies turned rigid in merely a few seconds. The hands of the veterans who were holding the hilt of their weapons shook, then stiffened because of disbelief.

Some coins the soldiers were supposed to throw for the bet fell to the ground. The clinking sounds of the coins ruffled the stillness of the stone courtyard. Their earlier shining eyes twitched.

“Oh, what happened to your faces?” Knight Levo added, a smirk forming in his lips as he gazed at the paling faces of the soldiers. “Don’t worry, this will be perfect for your training. Haha.”

“…”

The knight wasn’t so convincing.

The soldiers had undergone the strict training methods of the Knight. To be part of the knight’s elite army, they’re required to study under the tutelage of the Madam and Lady Leine. The brutes even practiced etiquette as part of their lesson. Only shying away from using it in public. Calling it too girly for their taste.

Still, they learned it all since it was useful to appear like an enlightened, cultured man in the presence of the girls they like. When circumstances change, the brutes call for changes too. That’s the nature of good men.

Though the soldier looked like stupid men, they knew a lot about the history of the Eudoria. They spent hundreds of hours memorizing three thick volumes of the Monsters’ Almanac. So they know a lot. All thanks to Madam and Lady Leine.

It was one prerequisite to become part of Knight Levo’s guard or esquire. Thus, their reaction after hearing the word death wolves was not so unexpected.

The volumes of the Almanac of Monsters described death wolves as harbingers of death. They were even called blood drinkers, and black vagabonds on the continent of Eudoria.

Almost all the places they attacked fell in one night. Death wolves only left destruction, as well as dead bodies, in their wake. Their path covered with entrails as they painted the land in rosy blood.

There were even written documents about a certain big town that fell because of the Death wolves. A short narration of a survivor about the massacre of thousands of people in a single night. It sent horror to all the people of every kingdom.

Realizing that they will fight beasts capable of massacring thousands, the soldiers shivered. Some due to fear, some because of excitement. Well, each to their own.

Only monsters like the Knight and his elite soldiers could smile at a time like this. After all, they could probably tear those devils like nothing. As for them, especially the recruits, ahem, they were still not quite sure. They could only choose the wait-and-see approach.

The books had described Death wolves as fiendish wolves covered in steel-like furs. These monsters’ teeth and claws were always covered in old bloodstains and flesh. Their eyes were rose-crimson, representing the madness within them.

They were like a vermin and locust coming and killing with no warning. Scholars who studied a living sample of these Death wolves found out how cunning these beasts were. Death wolves could even hide their tracks smartly.

They also learned that the death wolves’ sharp claws were full of curses and poison. In a few words, it’s deadly. The scholars in that facility discovered it in a hard way. They even lose dozens of scholars along the way because of the mishandling of those sharp claws.

From then on, many of the smart ones shied away from the job, emptying the facility after killing the beast. Putting the empire-sponsored research to a dead end despite the generous rewards offered.

The scholars gave the ruler of the Eustacia Empire a thick warning. A report about what they found in their experiments. It was a hidden report only known to the higher-ups. The conclusions sent shivers to the nobles and royals in the Eustachian capital.

At the end of their written report to the Emperor himself - a few words were written. It was a small poetic warning for the emperor.

“These wolves were monsters of monster. They carry death in their wake. These monsters were just a few stairs away from the Esprite of Death. Courting these monsters is courting death.”