The Foolhardies 72 A Knight's Tale Part 2

Aura pointed a pale and delicate finger at me. "This is Dean Dapper. The older brother of Luca. The new, um, indentured soldier Chancellor Kairon recently acquired."

Clearly, Aura wasn't keen on starting things out on a sour note. How unfortunate for her that there was no nice way to say, slave.

As expected, the atmosphere quickly darkened. It surprised me because I didn't expect any of them to look even remotely embarra.s.sed by what they'd done to my brother.

Take note that I wasn't aware who the heck Kairon was at this point and just thought they were all kidnapping b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. I was overwhelmed with fury when this whole fairy problem began. Not that any of that feeling has really gone away since.

Eventually, it was Orryn who broke the ice. And believe me, I was very surprised by how the child-like creature spoke in such an authoritative voice. Not something you'd expect from someone who appeared like he was just nine or ten years old.

"If he's the brother of the child we took then how exactly are we supposed to trust him?" Orryn pointedly asked Aurana. "Can he even be loyal to us after what the clan has done to his family?"

"He and I have—"

"—he can speak for himself, thanks," I growled.

I wasn't entirely sure why I was being combative. Possibly I just wanted to vent now that I was face to face with Luca's kidnappers.

"Aurana's filled me in on your problem. I'll help as long as she keeps her end of the deal," I answered quickly.

"Her end of the deal?" Orryn looked from me to Aura. His gaze finally resting on her quickly paling face. "Princess… tell me you didn't contract with a human?"

"and why can't I, Chancellor?" Aura asked while looking fl.u.s.tered.

"Because you're the sister of the patriarch! You have your position to consider before invoking the Rule of Equivalent Trade with some random boy," he lectured.

In other circ.u.mstances, it would have been hilarious to watch a child lecture the very pretty she-elf. Unfortunately, I was in a testy mood.

"Look, kid—"

"I beg your pardon?" Orryn looked mortified. "I am not a kid…" Orryn puffed his chest when he continued with, "I am Orryn Timbers, Chancellor of the Sun and chief advisor to the Patriarch!"

"I don't know what any of those t.i.tles mean," I pointed out.

I'd like to think that this first verbal spat between us wasn't the reason Orryn isn't very fond of me. Maybe it was. But I clearly remember Aura suppressing the laughter from bursting out of her. She was clearly enjoying the situation.

Things would have escalated for the worse for sure if Auranos hadn't stepped in himself.

"It is alright, Orryn," Auranos breathed. "I knew and approved of my sister's intentions when she left for Mudgard."

Orryn bowed his head reverently. "As you wish, Patriarch."

With his head still bowed, Orryn sent me a scowl that was reminiscent of a teacher warning a student not to cause any more trouble.

Auranos turned the deep blue eyes hiding behind his golden mask on me next.

"Tell me, Dean Dapper… can you be the strength my sister requires?" he asked.

Despite the softness of his voice, I couldn't help feel intimidated by the fairy who'd spoken. It might have been his eyes. The way they didn't falter or blink when he gazed at me.

My eyes were dry because I couldn't blink. I had the impression that blinking meant I would lose.

"Y-yes…" I squeaked. Sighing, I took a deep breath and tried again. "Yes, I can. No… I will. If you guys promise to give me back my brother when this is all over."

"I will honor whatever trade you and my sister made… if you prove to be the a.s.set she claims you can become," Auranos said.

He raised his hand palm-forward toward me.

"Come closer," he urged. "I shall give you our Trickster's Blessing and we shall see what kind of potential is locked inside you."

There was much more to this story but the weight that pressed against my gut had abruptly ended my flashback. Next thing I knew, I was back in the present and getting pushed kick away from a very injured Jimmy Jonas.

I tumbled away and rolled on my back until I was able to get upright again five meters away.

"Dean, are you alright?!" Luca yelled from somewhere in the crowd behind me.

I sent him the thumbs up, the universal sign for "Sure, I'm okay although I'm feeling bruised all over!"

"Way to go, Dean!" this time it was Qwipps' voice rising above the clamor. "Muds! You got him good!"

Qwipps tended to state the obvious a lot.

There was a grimace plastered on Jimmy's face. He was obviously in pain and yet his eyes stared back at me with a clear determination I could never hope to emulate if my right arm was dangling limply at my side like his was. Blood gushed out of the wound that was so deep you could see the broken cleanly cut bone inside it.

"Not that I've never needed it… until this moment but… I guess I shouldn't have looked down… on that Magesong regeneration trick, huh," he said through gritted teeth. "Still… I'm glad you saved those kids, Dean…"

Guilt racked me then. Jimmy wasn't a bad guy. Far from it. He might even have been the only good officer in the entire Magesong army.

"We don't have to do this anymore…" I offered. "Just surrender, Jimmy."

"I… I can't do that," he answered with a strained voice. "My reasons for being here are no less important than yours…"

"You can't wield a glaive with one hand. Definitely not without your dominant hand!" I reasoned.

But instead of surrendering, Jimmy planted the b.u.t.t of his glaive on the ground. Although he didn't lean on it for support. No, the stubborn fool actually stood up straight despite the obvious pain racking his body.

His eyes glanced up at his glaive's shadowblade. It was no longer burning. Then his steely-eyed gaze returned to me and I could see the determination in them.

"Earlier… you asked me if the flames on my glaive were my fairy gift," he reminded me.

I nodded slowly.

He grinned. This must have been very difficult to do considering his current state.

"Good… let me give you a present for injuring me," he said. "As I said, I no longer possess a fairy gift… Spellweaver replaced that with the Curse of the Morrigan on me…"

"The Curse of the—"

"—that's the official name of the binding ritual you saved me from enduring…" Blood coated his teeth while he spoke.

He raised his glaive and slammed it back on the ground. The result was that the flames reignited on its shadowblade.

"It's not a fairy gift... just a skill called Augmentare , the power to augment your weapon with elemental attributes… the only way humans can wield the elements like fairies can," Jimmy revealed.

With one hand, Jimmy raised the glaive's pole and pointed it at me in a feat of strength that defied his injuries.

"If you survive… you can ask your General Thors to teach you how to use it," Jimmy's voice was almost a whisper. "You'll need it next time you face Azuma…"

Just the mention of my rival brought chills up my spine. I sighed.

"We really don't have to do this…" Despite my words, I'd renewed my stance. This time, however, I'd opted for the high guard. I raised my falchion above me with both hands. "We really don't…"

"You're not a bad kid, Dean Dapper," Jimmy chuckled. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

There was no longer any need for words. No. This was most definitely a time for action.

In the seconds we each took to muster our full resolve, I recalled the words Auranos gave me as I knelt before him.

"I am Shärleden..." he had said. "And I have chosen you to uphold my will. Be—"

"—brave and honorable in your words and deeds," I whispered to myself. "And be fearless in the face of adversity."

Recalling Auranos' words filled me with renewed strength.

"So I bid you to bring forth your hidden strength and wield it for the good of those you serve and those who follow you… Rise, and inspire others to rise as you do," I finished.

The blessing of the Patriarch, spoken in the belief of the potential that lay inside me, is what brought Fool's Insight to me. And with it, the power I needed to finish this duel.

Jimmy, who was kind enough to wait for me to finish my recital, charged, and it was with a heavy heart that I followed him.

But I gave him no chance to show me what an elementally augmented weapon could do. For in the seconds right before he swung his glaive, I closed my eyes and whispered, "Oh, great fool, let my sight turn deathly cold that I might turn my foes to stone."

The warmth I often felt from Fool's Insight had transformed into a great and heavy pressure that I channeled through my eyes to render my opponent as heavy as stone.

Basilisk's Eye had done its job well. With Jimmy momentarily paralyzed, I sent all my killing intent into my falchion and using the strengthened shadowblade, pierced through his hauberk. Then I plunged my sword deep into his chest.

Immediately afterward, the onlookers went wild. Screams of anguish and roars of delight spilled out into the night in equal measure. But just as I was about to shut out all the noise and wallow in my regret, I heard an unbelievable sound—the roar of one who just wouldn't die.

I felt his one lone hand grasp my neck. Felt the fingers tighten on me. And as he began to choke me, I gazed into his eyes—and I just knew that this man, Jimmy Jonas, the Bear Knight, was a man who deserved to be called a general.