a.s.sembly
It had been the days since the doubtful news of Petersian army’s invasion reached the Knight Order’s headquarters, from a certain Knight Cadet.
If it were only a single knight cadet who reported it, the Knight Order headquarters may not have acted.
However, when a Duke’s daughter got involved, the significance of that Knight Cadet’s report changed.
And if that Duke’s daughter’s name was Leticia van Mavis, the Brave…
It took the army 2 days to prepare, and it takes a week on horseback to reach Nest Town.
When it was reported that the enemy forces were small, an advance party of 500 cavalrymen with high mobility was formed from the organization of the main body imperial army.
Among them, were Wynn and Locke.
Wynn was heading home to the Knight School dormitory after finding his day’s work at the Wandering Bird’s Roost when he b.u.mped into somebody.
“Woah!”
“Wynn, Wynn!”
“Who? … Abel!”
His whole body was smeared with dirt, his face was gaunt, and his eyes glowed with a strange light. He leapt at Wynn with enough force to push Wynn over, and clung to him. It was Abel, the second son of the inn’s proprietors.
His appearance had changed to the point that even Wynn, who had known him since childhood, didn’t recognize him for a moment.
“Wynn! Wynn! I’m begging you, help them! Help Riggs, help my comrades!”
Abel grabbed Wynn’s shoulders with so much strength that Wynn grimaced.
However, Wynn couldn’t shake of those hands.
From the shadows under his eyes, he could tell that Abel hadn’t slept for a long time.
Moreover, how long had he gone without eating, then?
Wynn recalled the last time they had met, when they duelled in the backyard of the inn.
Comparing his figure to that time, Abel’s body had become terribly emaciated, to the point that Wynn was lost for words.
However, upon seeing the strength in Abel’s grip and in his eyes, which was completely different from the Abel of that day, Wynn couldn’t brush him off.
“Calm down, Abel. What happened? I won’t understand if you don’t explain.”
“Da…. Dam… d.a.m.nit! It’s Petersia. It’s Petersia’s army.”
“Petersia? As in the neighboring country? You met the Petersian army? DIdn’t you go on a bandit subjugation mission with the adventurers?”
“Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds from the Petersian army disguised itself as bandits! s.h.i.+t… I ran away in order to deliver the news… All I could do was run away… I should have already grown up… Riggs-san and the others are still there… They definitely going to die… Why did I… s.h.i.+t… s.h.i.+t…”
Abel was clinging to Wynn while crying.
Riggs had also taken care of Wynn when he started visiting the Adventurer’s Guild.
He had guided Wynn and Leticia to become an adventurer when they were children; he was their benefactor.
Apart from Riggs, there were also other adventurers whom Wynn knew among those who went with Abel.
He believed that they wouldn’t die that easily, but against Petersian knights, even seasoned veterans like Riggs would be at a disadvantage.
In the worst case, the villages around Nest Town, and them would be—
“I’ll report this to the Knight Order. Calm down and start from the beginning.”
Wynn helped the sobbing Abel into the cafeteria of the Wandering Bird’s Roost.
“Wynn? What’s wrong with that drun— ABEL!?