“Would you please heal him?” Becker asked Erhan who stood before the bed where Gregor lay unconscious.

Erhan looked at the hope-filled eyes of the two knights. He shook his head with regret. “I’m unable to use my arts right now.”

Disappointment filled the two knights and they lowered their heads. Samuel standing at the farthest corner of the room also shrunk back further, becoming smaller as if he wished to disappear into the wall. They had all expected this seeing Erhan’s condition, but it was their last hope.

Erhan bent down and placed his palm over the bandaged injury. He closed his eyes, sending his senses in as he had done during the fight on river Russet. it wasn’t a spiritcasting like spiritvision, rather, one of the abilities he’d gained after a long amount of practice, like his longevity. So he didn’t have to make sacrifices to use it. The senses seeped in through the skin of Gregor’s abdomen, poured in through his wound. It spread its invisible tendrils, prodding and probing, examining the state of his injuries.

After a while, Erhan opened his eyes. “He’s injured his spleen pretty heavily,” he said as he glanced at becker. “Have you contacted a doctor? We need to stop his internal bleeding, or he won’t last for very long.”

The chief maid Erina was standing at the door looking suspiciously at the bearded middle-aged man whom the knights brought. The man, Erhan looked like he should be resting in a bed himself. She didn’t understand how he was supposed to cure Gregor. Hearing his question, however, she stepped forward. “Doctor Herman checked his condition. He said he was helpless.”

“Doctor Herman… hmm…” Erhan rubbed the wrinkles forming on his forehead. He knew the doctor. He was the one who came to examine Rose. Morgan’s daughter. He said, “Call him again. Although I can’t heal him now, I can help the doctor alleviate the condition somewhat. That way he’d last for at least a week.” he looked down at Gregor. Although it’d still be a bit of a stretch, I should be able to heal him by then. But the other problem he had to deal with right now.

After Erina left to call the doctor again, Erhan said, “So, about Sena, What have you figured out until now.” hearing him mention her, the knights perked up.

Becker turned to look towards Samuel with scorn in his remaining eye. “The direction they took the lady to… an opening to the sewers below the city is in that alley. We think they have taken her through there.”

“And what about the pursuit.”

“For that, we have to ask the people who clean the sewers. But as you know, talking to them is…” Rick shrugged.

Erhan tilted his head as he stared at him. “No, I don’t think I know. What do you mean?”

“It’s…” Rick couldn’t find the words and avoided Erhan’s inquisitive eyes.

“Your leader is in danger,” Erhan’s green eyes were like a calm forest in the twilight. “And you are hesitating about… what exactly?”

Embarrassed, Rick lowered his head.

At this time, Erin’s voice came from the door. “The doctor is here.”

Erhan nodded. It was time to work.

“Why didn’t you fight them?” Gregor, who had woken up from his stupor held the collar of Samuel’s shirt and shook him.

Samuel bent over Gregor’s bed with an expression of shame, unable to utter a word.

“You should’ve fought them. You should’ve brought her back even if you died!” Gregor let go of his collar and fell back on the bed. His face pale and spiritless. “You coward. You should be ashamed of yourself,” he whispered.

Erhan couldn’t watch anymore. He’d been observing the other knights make Samuel miserable for a while, scolding and glaring at him. They had other important things to do. He came beside the bed and asked Becker, “do you think you would have survived a fight against them?”

The youngest knight shook his head slowly. Feeling even more guilty.

Erhan looked down at Gregor. “Do you think you would’ve lived on if Becker died there?”

The injured knight shook his head and said, “It isn’t about that. Whether we lived or not, we had a duty to protect Sena. We are her Knights.”

Erhan nodded. “Do you think Sena would’ve been happy if both of you gave your lives in a futile attempt?”

“It isn’t fu—”

“You think the youngest and least skilled of you would’ve survived a fight against three opponents of same skill?” Erhan scowled at Gregor. He turned gave Rick and Becker the same glare and said, “surely you all can’t be that naive?”

The other two knights lowered their heads but Gregor glared up at Erhan. “You wouldn’t understand a knight’s spirit. Even if we die, we can’t give up our duty. It’s our pride.”

“I’ve lived more than you, I’ve seen more than you,” Erhan bent down and stared at Gregor’s eyes. “And understand more than you. I’ve seen many knights performing great acts of bravery, honour and sacrifice. But what you’re speaking of isn’t bravery, it’s foolishness.” he stood up and looked at the knights one by one. “You haven’t had any sleep as of yet and aren’t thinking clearly enough. Go and rest. I'll talk to the cleaners and see to rescuing her.”

“No, we can’t do that.” shocked, the knights shook their heads.

Erhan gave them a calm stare. “That is my decision and you will follow it.” although his eyes and voice were calm, they felt an unprecedented amount of pressure from this seemingly weak man with poor health.

Erhan headed for the door, as he was about to exit, someone, blocked his path. Samuel bowed down in front of him. “I plead you to take me with you, sir Erhan,” he said with a voice full of desperate determination.

Erhan stared at him for a while. “You can come,” he said, nodding.

“Shut up!” a repressed scolding filled a room of a small inn at the outskirts of the city. Although the noon sun glared down above the rooftops, the room was still dark. Its windows covered with thick, heavy curtains that neither let light in or sound out. Only a flickering candle on a round table glowed pale yellow and gave the room some light. A dark room appropriate for dark business.

The hooded man wearing a cheap grey cloak was the one who had scolded right now. His garb was no different than any of the rabble recently flowing into the city, but his hazel eyes exuded an authority only present in a man of position. Although he had a bushy moustache over his lips, any experienced person can tell it was a fake one. He was Zack Banat. The man who had left the ball early yesterday evening.

His nose scrunched up in displeasure as he glared at the man sitting opposite him across the table. He was a tall, muscular man with a horrible burn scar below his left ear reaching his collarbone. His other defining feature was his flaming red hair. He was much larger than Zack but he still looked down at the floor.

Zack couldn’t help but feel furious. They had only wanted the Moras to blame the Sergel for not protecting Sena Moras’s security and sour their relationship. As long as none of the knights was injured and Sena returned soon after, the Banat house actively took part in rescuing Sena successfully, they could use the crack in the other two houses relationship to gain the powerful Moras family as their ally. In the city, such political manoeuvre wasn’t unheard of. But after the knight had gotten injured, things became more complicated. The commander of the city patrol, sir Dorian Kell had personally taken the case in his hands. And he was good at what he did. Very good.

He continued, “You made such a big deal of such a small task, nearly killing a knight. And you still have the gall to ask for more money?”

“But we also lost one of our own, besides, you promised…”

“I promised you the full fifty crowns if you complete the task flawlessly. But you haven’t done that have you?” Zack scoffed, “And losing a man against merely three brats, you think you deserve the rest?”

The red-haired man, Bruce, clenched his teeth. These capital nobles dabbling in politics all day had no Idea what border nobles like the Moros are capable of.

Zack glared at the man. “If even a hint of our name comes up, I’ll make the lives of your lot and the lives of those around you miserable. Remember that.” he stood up. “Go back and deliver the girl quietly in front of the Moros mansion. She must remain unharmed.” he couldn’t help fight off a shiver down his spine. If something happened to a scion of Moros, even her majesty the queen won’t remain silent anymore. And that would be a bigger disaster.

A few moments after Zack left the room, Bruce’s fist slammed down on the cheap wooden table, snapping it into large and small splinters. The candle fell and went out. Filling the room with darkness.