The Carriage and the Camp

Night had fallen, its heavy curtain drawn around the castle.

In the carriage, Heronie and Ilisia sat side by side, a delicate gap separating them.

Adrian sat opposite them.

He held a bag of jerky, mechanically stuffing pieces into his mouth and chewing each one with intense concentration.

The silence was deadening.

“You’ve never gotten drunk when you’ve had a drink with me, have you?” Heronie chuckled softly.

“I’m always careful,” Adrian said.

Heronie’s lips curved into a knowing smile as she watched him, her usually cold eyes now filled with a bewitching mirth.

“So what happened this time?” Heronie asked.

“I drank too quickly. Still, I never thought I could be…” Adrian trailed off, his gaze shifting to Ilisia.

Ilisia’s ice-blue eyes had been fixed on Adrian the entire time.

“The two of you have had drinks together?!” Ilisia’s brow furrowed slightly.

It seemed she felt not a shred of remorse for what had happened in the room earlier.

“This one’s an old hand at drinking,” Adrian said, glancing at Heronie with a soft sigh.

“Don’t make me sound so crude.” Heronie lifted a hand to brush back a stray lock of hair. “I drink to maintain my holy power as a saintess.”

“Let’s just go with that. But you could always drink alone, couldn’t you?” Adrian asked.

“Drink alone?” Heronie smiled. “I’d die of boredom.”

Ilisia watched them coldly, her cheeks puffing out slightly as she crossed her arms. “You two… seem quite familiar with each other?”

“We just communicate on certain matters…” Adrian began, trying to smooth things over.

“He writes me love letters quite often,” Heronie said, a smirk playing on her lips.

Her eyes held a trace of provocation as she looked at Ilisia with a half-smile.

“L-Love letters are nothing…” Ilisia retorted. “But you don’t know that Adrian begs me to spend time with him every week. If I don’t, he throws a tantrum.”

Adrian: “…”

‘Seriously? Can we not twist the facts here?’

“Heh, what enviable childhood sweethearts.” Heronie leaned back slowly against the carriage’s soft cushions. “It’s just that, after growing up, people tend to find someone more compatible.”

Heronie slightly raised her leg, the tip of her exquisite long boot brushing against the carriage wall with a faint whisper.

The boot hugged her long, well-formed calf, while black stockings clung to her skin, outlining the elegant curve of her thigh.

Adrian deliberately averted his gaze, the tips of his ears burning.

“Perhaps. But for some, no matter how hard they try, they can never change the influence of their original bond,” Ilisia shot back, unwilling to be outdone.

Ilisia unhurriedly lifted a hand, sweeping a lock of her silver hair to one side to reveal her smooth, slender neck…

****

The carriage finally reached its destination: the army’s assembly point in the outer city.

The aftershocks of the banquet still lingered in the military camp.

But the soldiers’ rowdy singing brought a sense of relief to Adrian, who had just escaped the “storm” in the carriage.

The three of them entered a section of the camp that stood in stark contrast to its surroundings.

Inside, a troop of well-equipped soldiers was assembled in formation.

None were drinking, and no one was shouting.

These soldiers were ready for battle, their expressions solemn.

A large portion of them carried bows on their backs.

These were not the simple self bows made from a single piece of wood, commonly used by archers in the feudal lords’ armies, but rather more complex composite bows crafted from wood, horn, and sinew.

A smaller number of soldiers were equipped with crossbows and a weapon resembling a long saber.

The soldiers wore not heavy metal plate, but lightweight leather armor.

“There are two hundred and thirty-two men in total, all with fine horses. The saddles have been fitted with stirrups as you requested…” Heronie said.

“It’s a small number,” Adrian remarked.

Duke Wenser had amassed an army of over nine thousand in the outer city; compared to that, two hundred was indeed a paltry figure.

“This is all the Order could muster,” Heronie said, a hint of resentment in her voice.

After inspecting the troops, Adrian gave a brief speech and checked the equipment of a few soldiers before returning to the two ladies.

“Finished your inspection? Come back with me,” Heronie said, her tone both gentle and suggestive.

Adrian glanced at Ilisia, then back at Heronie.

He hastily backed away, shaking his head vigorously.

‘Go back to that hell?’

Being in the same carriage with the two women had been sheer torture for Adrian.

“I’m staying here tonight,” Adrian stated unequivocally.

“Are you joining my father’s troops tomorrow?” Ilisia asked.

Adrian nodded.

“Since you both think so highly of me, I need to go and achieve something,” Adrian said.

“Actually… you could just marry into my family…” Ilisia blushed and lowered her head, staring at her fingers.

“I hope you still think so in a few years.” Adrian smiled and sighed. “It’ll be hard to earn any real merit. This rebellion is small-scale, and with so many forces gathered, it’ll probably be over before we even catch a glimpse of the enemy.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t go. You could stay here…” Ilisia suggested.

“There’s something in the rebel leader’s territory that I must retrieve,” Adrian said seriously.

Heronie nodded in complete agreement.

“Your Highness, what are you nodding for?” Ilisia asked, displeased.

“I’ve known his plan for a long time and I approve of his methods,” Heronie said, watching Ilisia with great interest. “Unlike some people, who are still being kept in the dark.”

Ilisia turned her head, looking at Adrian with a wronged expression.

“Alright, you two, it’s getting late. You should head back to the castle.” Adrian rubbed his forehead and said to Ilisia, “Miss Ilisia, I will explain the situation to the Duke later.”

“Y-You’re going to tell my father what?” Ilisia’s pupils contracted sharply.

“That you were just being mischievous tonight, and that we didn’t pledge our lives to each other,” Adrian said.

“Huh? Wh-Why?” Ilisia’s eyes widened, shimmering with unshed tears.

“Ilisia, do you really know me? What if I’m some kind of demon who plays with people’s hearts?” Adrian countered. “There are so many things about me that defy reason. Aren’t you afraid…”

Adrian stopped mid-sentence, simply shaking his head with a sigh.

He took a small box from his clothes and handed it to Ilisia.

“Inside is a lock of my hair. You can take it to the temple and ask about the convergence of our fates,” Adrian explained.

“If it turns out we’re fated to be together, you can’t go back on your word,” Ilisia said, taking the box with some reluctance.

“Mm,” Adrian hummed, his expression a little strange.

Heronie laughed and leaned against Adrian’s shoulder, asking in a lazy tone, “What about me? Is there nothing for me?”

Adrian raised a hand to her forehead and pushed her away slightly. “You can take those letters and ask the priests.”

With that, Adrian turned and walked briskly back into the camp.

He was going to find his jerky.