Not long after, Laurence stood outside the lecture hall with Gehrman by his side, watching as Lady Maria organized the herd of riderless horses, with some help from Ludwig. Working together, the two of them set about connecting them with rope which they tied around their necks, all leading back to the captain's own steed.
"And you are certain you'll be able to lead them back?", the stablemaster asked as their work neared completion.
"Of course," she replied. "Siegward is among the eldest of their herd; they are sure to follow him."
"Then is all this really necessary?" In response to Ludwig's question, Lady Maria briefly stopped what she was doing and looked over to him.
"Perhaps not, but…I wish to ensure they return safely. It's the least I can do."
Despite the silence that followed, an understanding seemed to pass between the two of them. "Yes, I see," said Ludwig before turning his attention back to his work. "That is commendable." And with that, Laurence had to agree. Her men may be gone, but that didn't mean they had left nothing behind.
Once it seemed that they were finished, Laurence motioned for Gehrman to follow him and together, they made their way over to Lady Maria, who turned towards them as they approached. "Is there anything else we can do for you, my lady?", he asked her.
"No," she replied. "You've done more than enough." Through her sorrow still seeped into her words, he could nonetheless sense the faintest hint of gratitude, just as he had hoped.
"Well, then, Lady Maria. I suppose this is goodbye. It's been…edifying," he said before bowing his head slightly.
Despite this gesture, the captain remained silent, appearing almost…hesitant. Just as it seemed she would depart without a word, she extended her hand to him; her palm wasn't facing down, which seemed to indicate that she wanted him to shake it rather than kiss it, something that came as something of a surprise. After a few seconds, Laurence finally accepted her offered hand, during which the two of them shared a brief, but understanding look.
Soon after, Lady Maria let go of his hand and turned to mount her horse. Once she was safely in the saddle, she looked back down at him, which was when he saw the faintest hint of a smile appear on her face.
"Until we meet again, Professor Laurence," she said. "I wish you the best of luck on your research." Despite the general nature of this statement, he couldn't help but detect a hint of subtext behind her words; something…ominous.
Not long after, Lady Maria turned away and mustered her steed, galloping away with her company's horses in tow. Even after she disappeared from view, Laurence continued to look after her, his mind clouded by uncertainty. With the strange blood now in her possession, she would no doubt receive a rousing welcome once she returned to Cainhurst, in spite of the severe losses she suffered in the process of attaining it. And as for Matthias and the rest of her company, well…they would no doubt receive their fair share of honors as well, albeit posthumously.
Unfortunately, that was about as far as Laurence's foresight extended; what she would do next, he truly did not know. But somehow, he knew that their paths would cross again some day. He could only hope that it would be under more…pleasant circumstances.
As these thoughts swirled in his head, Laurence suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. "Come along then, Master Laurence," he heard Gehrman say. "The hour is late and you ought to return home."
"As should you," Laurence replied before turning towards him. "And after what's happened, I think I can manage finding my own way home."
"Oh, I have no doubt," Gehrman said with something of a smile. "But I think I'll tag along anyway."
Seeing that there would be no dissuading him, Laurence nodded in affirmation, but he by no means did so reluctantly. Even before learning the true extent of his abilities, he had found Gehrman's presence rather reassuring; he constantly smiled in the face of danger, acting as if nothing could possibly hurt him, an attitude that he now saw as warranted. Besides, Yharnam had no shortage of…unsavory characters that appeared around this hour.
"I don't suppose the two of you would like a lift?" Ludwig offered off from the side.
"Thank you, Ludwig, but that won't be necessary," said Laurence. "You and your men may retire for the night."
"We will…" he said as he looked back towards the line of carriages that still took up most of the street. "At some point."
To this, Laurence couldn't help but chuckle. "With any luck, it'll be soon," he replied. "But to make your labor a little easier, I suggest you keep a carriage primed for tomorrow. Master Willem will wish to see us."
"Indeed, he will," said Ludwig. "Until tomorrow, then."
"Yes. Until tomorrow."
With that, Ludwig turned back towards the procession of carriages, starting to issue orders to his patiently awaiting followers. Despite having been on his feet for who knows how long, he hadn't lost a single step, maintaining the same authoritative presence he always did. Yet through all the turmoil he'd been through, Laurence hadn't forgotten the strange level of familiarity he seemed to have with Gehrman, something no one – save for Master Willem himself – had exhibited. Perhaps he, like his acquaintance, was not as he seemed.
A matter for another time, Laurence decided.
Turning back towards Gehrman, who had remained silent until that point, he motioned for him to follow. "Come," he said.
"Lead the way, sir," Gehrman prompted.
From there, the two of them set off, with Laurence retracing his usual route home with the older scholar following not far behind. Yharnam's streets could be unnerving even on the best of days, but even so, Laurence had never found himself so alert while traversing them as he did now. His eyes were constantly moving, his ears somehow noticing even the slightest sounds; all in search of a threat a part of him was convinced lay just out of sight.
"You get used to it," Gehrman broke the silence by saying. "The labyrinth tends to have that effect on people, even after they've left it. It's helpful to be alert, but I wouldn't let it get to your head too much."
Even after getting over his initial surprise, Laurence was only able to muster a simple "Hmm," in response, keeping his focus squarely on the road ahead. If he was being honest, he hadn't been thinking of the advice itself, but more about how Gehrman had even known to give it. Was his unease truly that obvious or was he simply speaking from experience? Either way, it served to put Laurence's mind at ease… at least, somewhat.
"That is what's on your mind, no? Or do your concerns lie elsewhere?" Gehrman soon asked.
"Why would they be?" said Laurence.
"I can think of at least one reason," he replied. "After all, that was quite the gamble you made."
This made Laurence come to a stop, turning his head back towards his follower. Despite having not been present when Laurence had laid out his plan to his colleagues nor when he put it into action, he clearly knew what it was he had done. Yet at this point, nothing about Gehrman surprised him.
"One that will work in our favor," said Laurence. "You'll see."
"With that amount of confidence, I cannot bring myself to disagree," he replied, sounding rather amused.
"Well, surely, you must've thought something positive would come from this," Laurence said as he turned around to face him. "Why else would you have saved her?"
Gehrman didn't reply right away and instead simply shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I didn't think that far ahead."
"Somehow, I doubt that's true," said Laurence. Yet again, silence settled over them, with Gehrman offering no attempt at a reply. Yet at the same time, he didn't shrink away from him and even went so far as to smirk at him.
"And how about you, then? How far ahead does your 'plan' extend?"
Laurence was admittedly caught off guard by his question. It was by no means unwarranted nor did it seem mean-spirited in nature; in fact, the older scholar sounded genuinely curious. Yet in spite of that, it was his turn to fall silent, trying his hardest to think of an answer – not just for Gehrman, but for himself as well.
"Who can say?" was his eventual reply.
Despite the vagueness of his answer, it seemed to satisfy Gehrman, as his grin grew even longer. "Hmm, a scholar and a gentleman, are we?" he said while stroking his chin.
"I… don't know what you mean," Laurence replied in an attempt to maintain his established demeanor, all while hoping he wasn't blushing.
"Oh, I think you do," said Gehrman. "Perhaps a part of you feared that she would reveal the truth behind her survival and the consequences thereof, but there was no guarantee that Her Majesty would take action or even believe her at all. Now, if she knew you were in possession of what she sought, that would be a different story…but she didn't. That is, until you revealed it to her."
Yet again, Laurence found himself at a loss for what to say. The truth was, nothing Gehrman said had been inaccurate – it was all something he had considered when coming to a decision. He knew full well that simply letting her return to Cainhurst could've come as no consequence for them, but…well, he didn't quite know what.
"Lady Maria…" he started to say before stopping to take a breath. "She has been through much. And I needed to be sure she wouldn't do something she'll regret."
"Perhaps," said Gehrman. "Or perhaps, you saw something more in her, as I did."
This seemed to confirm what Laurence suspected all along. Gehrman had been under no obligation to protect Lady Maria nor her men, but he nonetheless had chosen to aid them or at least, had tried to. Whether this can be fully attributed to benevolence, he did not know for sure, but what was clear was that he saw in her something that was worth saving.
Perhaps it was her skill in battle. Perhaps her unshakable determination and loyalty to her companions. Or perhaps, he saw that despite having the heart of a warrior, she had not allowed it to harden, as her actions clearly demonstrated.
"Yes, perhaps so," said Laurence. "But I doubt certain others will see it the same way."
To this, Gehrman offered but a simple reply. "They don't need to."
Even with how little was said, a sense of understanding passed between the two men, culminating in Laurence nodding his head and turning around to continue on his path. "My thoughts exactly," he said as he walked away.
In almost no time at all, they found themselves approaching the steps to Laurence's home, a sight that now seemed almost surreal to him. He had long known that it was built over the ruins of a once mighty civilization, but actually seeing it for himself left him viewing the city that he had come to know so well in an entirely new light. If Loran had fallen so suddenly and so totally, who was to say a day would come where the same would happen to Yharnam. It was a thought on which he did not wish to dwell.
So lost in thought was he that he came close to opening the door without saying goodbye to Gehrman, who he had almost forgotten was following him. Regardless, he found the older scholar standing dutifully just a few steps away, his hands behind his back.
"Thank you for your service, Gehrman," said Laurence. "You are dismissed until tomorrow."
In response, Gehrman slightly bowed to him, tipping his hat as he did. "Of course, young master. It's been a pleasure."
After sharing one last smile with the older scholar, Laurence finally opened the door to his home and stepped inside. Soon after closing the door, he peered outside his window to see Gehrman calmly making his way through Yharnam's empty streets, hearing what sounded like a hum around the same time. Shaking his head in disbelief, Laurence turned away and made his way further inside.
After taking the time to light a candle on his table, Laurence took in the familiar sight before him, finding that everything was just where he'd left it. But why wouldn't it have been? All things considered, he hadn't been gone for very long, yet even so, the journey he'd undertaken made the feelings of comfort and safety he now felt seem almost unnatural. A part of him had feared that he wouldn't return and yet, he had.
If only others had been so lucky.
As his thoughts returned to the unfortunate conclusion of their expedition, Laurence reached inside his satchel and took out a small vial he had brought home with him from the lecture hall, within which was a sample of the strange substance they had discovered in the labyrinth. He had been lucky that Lady Maria hadn't questioned what he was doing in those moments he had left her alone with Gehrman; that her anger and grief left her none the wiser.
Or perhaps it hadn't. Perhaps she knew full well that the sample he'd given her was not the same as the one Matthias had given him. But even if she somehow did, it didn't seem to matter. She had gotten what she needed and that was enough.
The professor sighed as he wrapped his fingers around the glass vial. He hadn't been lying when he said that the blood intrigued him, but his interest didn't blind him to the potential consequences of keeping it to himself. But that is all they were – mere educated guesses. Either Lady Maria would irreversibly damage relations between their two factions or she would be disgraced, growing even more bitter as a result: a scenario that shouldn't be left to chance. And with one simple action, Laurence believed that he had successfully averted both.
Yet this, too, was mere speculation. In the end, the outcome of this decision rested squarely on Lady Maria's shoulders. But far from fostering greater uncertainty, Laurence believed – perhaps foolishly – that she would make the right choice or at the very least, that he had nudged her in the right direction. Though their partnership had been brief, he felt like he understood what it was that drove her – who she was behind the aloof, intimidating aura she projected. And from the looks of things, this belief was not entirely unwarranted.
But what's done is done. Loran, and the events that transpired within, were now behind them. And as it happened, its most prized secret now lay in the palm of his hand, just waiting to be unraveled.
And unravel it he shall.
...
Author's Notes: Boy, oh boy. Here we go.
For those of you still reading, thank you for bearing with me through the incredibly lengthy Loran arc. I know it's been going on a while, but now that it's out of the way, expect the story to pick up going forward. Personally, I'm really looking forward to what comes next, especially now that I've discovered that it is indeed possible to write shorter chapters. Only about two years late, but regardless.
On that note, I am actually publishing this chapter on my 21st birthday. I can't say this is something I foresaw myself doing, but it is what it is. Writing these stories has been keeping me going for a while now and I'm grateful for every single person who took the time to read my self-indulgent stories. And I can promise you that I'm just getting started.
Thank you once again for reading.