M1-Astray: You're quite late in reviewing, Atenean brother. You reviewed chapter 5: Blood when chapter 6: Into the Realm Eternal was up then filled it up with another. Thanks anyway.

Chapter 8: Records

"And he just let it pass by? And you're not doing anything about it?"

Necron stood up, causing the book in the table to fall on the floor.

"He's the grand high priest so we can't do much about it."

Salendriel looked at the turret outside the library windows. The throne room was empty except for Abraxil Sovivor who was walking around, ordering around his followers. The lord knight frowned in disgust.

Necron sat down.

"He keeps on weaseling out of things just by petty reasons. Even king Haldivas listens to them."

"You were charged with keeping an eye on the grand high priest, were you not?"

The raydric-knight remembered that well. He was watching Abraxil before getting himself injured for agitating a khalitzburg.

"I did. Right before those rotting scoundrels he sent attacked me. He was…well, having a talk with his priests before leaving."

"Did you learn about anything?"

"No. They were speaking in hushed tones…"

Salendriel beckoned Necron to move his head closer. The raydric-knight had a confused look before following.

"This isn't actually why I called you here for."

"What?"

The lord knight smiled.

"Look, about that girl you were…with a moment ago…"

Necron turned pale all of a sudden.

"Kathris? Look, we're just…she's not even a real raydric…"

"No need to hide anything." Salendriel cut in. "Because she already put you in a fine position, well not entirely because of her."

"Fine position." The raydric-knight mimicked. "She never placed me in any other except "Danger" and "Confusion"."

Salendriel's smile widened and placed a record book on the table and opened it. He scanned the pages until he reached one that had the name "Necron Lorthiras" labeled on it.

"Answer me well, boy. Why are you a raydric?"

Necron was taken aback. It was Salendriel that suggested that he be knighted but it was his choice alone to serve the church as a raydric-knight.

"Because I…"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Because I was taught to become one even before I was knighted…"

Salendriel turned back to the book. The lord knight's eyes narrowed as he examined another record.

"And now you are a high-ranking raydric commander of the 3rd division. Do you think you deserve this rank?"

The lord knight seemed to wait for the answer. He seemed to be interested. That was a slightly harsh thing to ask.

"I don't know…really. I was only assigned because I found Kathris in the forests of Payon. I brought her here for debriefing and by doing so; we acquired important information about the elves."

"And you found another admirer. She was acting shyly in front of you all the time."

"I admit she's a lot more…normal than the others."

The lord knight scanned the records for even more facts and goals Necron completed.

"You also did well in routing the reinforcements when we lay siege to Al de Baran. That saved us a lot of time and effort. Not to mention that you also managed to slip past the elven defenses and crept inside the commander's room, killing seven knight commanders and other important field officers. I still remember that time when there were rumors of kobold uprisings and before it even began, you were quick to slaughter those wretched beasts. They never knew what hit them."

Necron didn't expect that he had done so much. He was too busy getting his hands dirty that he forgot what he had been doing.

"I think I got what I wanted from you." Salendriel closed the record book. "You went far from my expectations, sir Necron."

The raydric-knight looked at his gauntleted hands. They were cleaned but still had bloodstains on several parts.

"Does this mean I'm getting promoted again?"

The lord knight looked around for any listeners. After finding no one else but the librarian, he spoke in a hushed tone.

"No. You weren't even supposed to be a high-ranking raydric commander. I found that you weren't…well, you don't have enough prerequisite. The only thing that made you into what you are right now is your "heroism" and the number of elven ears that belonged to commanders you managed to obtain."

"I see."

Necron looked at the zweihander that leaned on the table.

"So why am I carrying that…oversized slaughtering tool and charge into battle? Is it time for me to pick up and leave the raydric army?"

Salendriel thought for what seemed to be a minute then answered.

"It's time you stopped being raydric-knight and the commander of the 3rd swordsman division. Since your second-in-command has fallen to an ambush of bandits, you choose who will replace you. That is the decision the council made."

Necron stared straight into the lord knight's eyes. He knew it. He wasn't meant to be raydric in the first place. It was out of peer pressure that made him want to join the raydric army, not his devotion anyway.

"Then I must take my leave then…"

The former raydric-knight picked up his zweihander and started to make his way out of the library.

Salendriel also stood up. Necron didn't mind though.

"Leaving so soon? And I thought you were going to prefer being what I'm about to offer to you…"

Necron stropped abruptly. The former raydric-knight turned on his heel and faced the lord knight. Salendriel smiled at this sign of interest.

"You are still a knight of Glastheim and you will continue to serve it until the very end. This time, you will be under my wing. This is the reason why you were transferred."

"Lord Knight Salendriel…just what are you planning?"

Salendriel stood in his full height.

"I understand you to be lord knight."

……………………………………..

Kael stepped out of the council chambers and slumped into the benches in the waiting room.

"Commander of 3rd raydric division? Me? What's Necron thinking?"

The door opposite the council chambers opened. As if on cue, Necron came out of it, followed by Kathris and Salendriel.

The lord knight simply passed by him while Kathris giggled then whispered something to Necron before walked away the opposite direction Salendriel did. She was probably going home.

Kael stood up.

"What is the meaning of this? Are you actually ditching us now?"

Necron looked at him. The knight had both excitement and relief in his face.

"I am but I'm still in the Glastheimian army under lord knight Salendriel. He's making me…lord knight."

Kael looked as if a spear was thrown at him.

"Lord Knight? I knew it!" The raydric-knight exclaimed. "I bet he's been hardening you so that you'll be ready for a serious trashing!"

Necron wondered what he meant by trashing. Kael walked away in the direction of the library, leaving the knight alone in the corridor.

'Lord Knight Salendriel…it is high honor to serve you.'

……………………………………

Kathris put on a new shirt then bent down to adjust her boots. She had just told Necron that she would be going to Payon. The knight insisted that it would be too dangerous but Salendriel didn't mind.

"My Necron is transferred to the lord knight's unit. He might still be young but…"

The huntress looked at herself in the mirror. Her shoulder-length red hair was a little messed up ever since Necron ran his gauntleted hand through it that day.

"I wish he would feel the same way towards me."