Thud thud.
"Hmm...loud…" Noel rolled around in bed, awakened by the rapping sound.
It's my day off… Leave me alone...
She hadn't slept too well. It had been a few weeks, but the incident at the graveyard still visited her dreams occasionally. She had told Flare, who suggested the figure she saw could have been a spirit, but she wasn't convinced. To this day, Noel still wondered who exactly the tiny green-haired girl had been and where she had gone.
Thud thud thud.
A voice came through the other side of the door, but the knight was far too sleepy for it to reach her ears.
They'll go away if I ignore them… Noel thought, pushing the covers on top of her head. She didn't know who it was, but today was her break day. Any business would have to be dealt with her knights.
"Lady Shirogane!"
Lady Shirogane? No one in the village calls me that anymore. I must be dreaming again. Noel turned around in bed once more, feeling her consciousness slip away.
The only ones who still do that are my knights…
"Lady Shirogane!"
My knights?! Noel suddenly rose up from bed. The knights were respectful of her to a fault, and they knew she would be sleeping in. The fact that they were at her door despite that could only mean something had happened. She quickly got to her feet.
"What is it?" she asked from behind the doorway. Her night clothes were hardly appropriate for the situation.
"Lady Shirogane! Excuse my rudeness in waking you up. A messenger from the capital has arrived, and they wish to meet with you immediately." the muffled voice of the knight made its way through the wooden door.
"...I see. Tell them I will be there shortly."
"Understood!" The knight's curt reply was followed by the sound of footsteps as they ran back.
A messenger… Why are they here?
She hadn't heard from the capital ever since she had arrived in the village, and the name brought back all kinds of unpleasant memories. As she put on her armor, all the reasons a messenger would be sent ran through her head, evaporating any remaining sleepiness.
Since this place is so far from everything, they wouldn't bother unless it was important business. Maybe the king has died? But then they wouldn't specifically ask for me…
It was common practice to send a missive to every village, no matter how small, whenever a new king was to be crowned. However, the fact that she was the one being called instead of the village elder refuted that idea.
Surely they wouldn't ask me to come back…
Noel felt anxiety welling up in her chest. There should be no reason for the higher-ups at the capital to summon her again, especially not after such a short amount of time. It was one thing in bigger towns, but village guards usually spent decades at their posts. And no matter how good she was, there were still quite a few swordsmen who exceeded her skill.
There should be no need for me to return… And even if there was, I can't go. Not now.
Thoughts of the friends she had made at the village came to her mind. Of those, the half-elf Flare was easily the one that stood out the most. She could talk with her for hours at a time, and every day she seemed to have something new to say. Their walks through the green and luscious forest, eating berries and bathing together in the river, their cozy star-gazing over a hot meal, all the times Flare had gotten too drunk on the villager's cheap beer and she had to princess carry her home, these were all precious memories. Despite their rocky first meeting, they had spent enough time together that Noel had come to wholeheartedly trust her. It was a feeling she had never known before, and it made the knight indescribably happy.
She wouldn't know what to do if it was suddenly taken away.
Having finished dressing up, Noel steeled herself.
No, I can't think like this. I'll just listen to whatever they have to say and make decisions after. With a decisive look, the knight hastily opened the door and marched to the village entrance.
The young man waiting for her had an annoyed look, which he promptly tried to hide with an awkward business smile as soon as he sighted the knight captain.
I guess even a courier would be annoyed at having to travel this far out. thought Noel.
The man's horse had been tied to a post and was drinking water from a large bucket. Its breathing was ragged, proof that it had been pushed to the limits in order to get to the destination quickly.
What could be so important… Noel pondered. She looked around. There was no carriage accompanying the messenger, which usually meant that whoever had sent him prioritized speed over comfort or safety. Three of her knights were standing close by, and she had seen the other explaining the situation to the village head while on the way here.
"Knight captain Shirogane Noel, I presume?"
"Indeed. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
The man let out a heavy sigh, filled with relief. His battered cape waved slightly to the warm wind.
"Oh, thank the gods. I was wondering what to do if I didn't find you after coming all the way here."
The messenger opened his leather bag. Its insides contained numerous bundles of parchment scrolls, neatly organized next to a pile of letters. He handed one of the latter to Noel.
"Here. I ain't allowed to read them, but based on the reactions I've been getting, I presume the contents aren't very pleasant."
Noel hesitantly took it to her hands, nervously breaking the seal.
She could only read the first few lines before turning pale. Her fears had been realized. This was an official summons from the supreme commander of the knights, signed by the king himself, to come back to the capital.
A mix of emotions took over the knight captain. Anger, resentment, sadness and dispirit, feelings so strong they rendered her almost unable to read any further.
A war had started. A northern country, lacking resources in its homeland, had taken over a neighboring kingdom and was looking into doing the same to this one. Apparently, the enemy's forces were numerous and as such, the capital had been calling up every knight they could. Though it was now reduced to a few remaining individuals, Noel was technically still the captain of a knight order and a powerful warrior. Someone like her was seen as essential in the upcoming fight.
Why? Why now? Why do the countries of this world always have to go on meaningless wars?!
Noel clenched her hands, crumpling the paper. She wanted to rip it apart, pretend it never existed. But she also knew that would not matter. Although it would only arrive in a week at the earliest, the letter mentioned that an escort had been sent in order to carry her and her knights to the capital.
Such nonsense... I don't want to fight.
She knew she was being irrational. When Noel had become a knight, she had been aware of the fact that she might find herself on a battlefield at some point, and although it didn't please her, she had eventually come to terms with it.
If it ultimately results in the happiness of the people, that's fine. Those had been her thoughts at the time she enlisted.
But now...
The image of Flare flashed through her mind for the second time that day. It was selfish. To ignore a plea to protect her country, only so she could stay with a half-elf. Her comrades in arms in the capital would surely despise her if they came to know. She understood that, but even so, the knight couldn't help but think that as long as she could protect her and Flare's calm days, she didn't really care about anything else. As long as they could stay together...
Noel looked up to the sky. She wanted to scream. Now faced with the prospect of losing everything gained during her stay at the village, the knight understood just how naive she had been. She had taken this slow-paced life for granted, a pleasant fantasy that would never end.
"Are you okay? You're making a lot of faces there, miss knight." The messenger's words didn't reach Noel, for her mind was overflowing with thoughts.
Do I have no choice? Would I even be allowed to come back at all if I went? They never wanted me here, after all… And what would happen if I refused? Would they come after me? I surely wouldn't be allowed to keep my knightdom...
She suddenly felt very dizzy.
"Lady Shirogane, are you alright?"
"Lady Shirogane, if I may ask, what are the contents of that letter?" The Shirogane Knights had approached her, and although their full armor did not disclose their expressions, their voices were clearly laced with worry.
"Yes, I'm fine. I just… need some time to think. Take this, please." Noel replied, snapping out of her trance and shoving the letter into the concerned knight's hands.
"Are you sure? We…"
The knight captain shook her head and stumbled back into the village.
LINE
Flare halted, out of breath. No sooner had she heard the news from one of Noel's gentle giant knights than she had come running to her house, the outside of which she now stood, supporting herself against the building's stone walls.
The half-elf ran her hand through her hair and knocked smoothly on the door, trying to conceal any traces of urgency from her actions. If what the knight had said was true, then Noel must have been quite affected by that letter. Flare didn't think of her as fragile, but something like that would be a huge shock to just about anyone.
Another war, is it… she reflected.
Although it had been a war that led her parents to meet, it had also been the cause of her father's death. She knew by the stories her mom had occasionally told her just how awful it was, and how these disputes were more often than not started by people who would never have to experience the ugly sides of it. Flare, too, despised such useless conflicts, and up until recently she had also despised the knights that fought in them.
She had, however, met Noel. The silver-haired girl shattered her prejudices, and in the time they had spent together, she had truly seen just how honorable and good-willed this knight captain was. Although she knew very well the great extent of her fighting abilities, she just couldn't imagine anyone as gentle as her on a battlefield.
The elf took a deep breath and knocked again. She wasn't sure what she was going to say. It was easy to simply insist that she stay here, but she doubted the kingdom would take that lightly. Even if they didn't bother about it whilst in the middle of a war, disobeying a direct order would eventually lead to huge trouble.
And yet, she didn't want to part ways. Flare undeniably enjoyed their tête-à-têtes. They were the most fun she had had in years and made her realize just how lonely she had been while confined to her own four walls. While she did have her familiar, she hadn't been as intimate with another person as she was now with this knight ever since her mother passed away.
Perhaps that was why, when the door opened and she saw Noel's humid face and bloodshot eyes, she felt a sadness beyond words welling up in her chest.
"Noel…" she mumbled.
"Ah… Flare." Noel rubbed her eyes, which looked glassy and distant. "Come in."
The pair entered and closed the door. Flare, after a moment's hesitation, leaned in and held the knight in her arms.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
The knight sniffed, softly hugging Flare. Minutes passed before there was any reply.
"Did the knights tell you what happened?"
"...Yes, they did." Flare replied in a small murmur.
"I see… Flare, what should I do?" Noel's voice had more than a tinge of desperation in it, leaving the half-elf feeling like someone had just punched her in the stomach.
"Do you want to go back to the capital?" she asked.
"No!" Noel dropped her arms, undoing their embrace. "Of course I don't! Why would you say that…"
"I don't want you to go either." Flare bit her lip. "But...is there another choice?"
Noel looked down, unsure of what to answer. Although she had had some time to calm down after running away, she still couldn't come up with anything. It truly felt like an unsolvable problem, one which threatened her life and the relationships she had built over the past years.
"If… If you do go there, do you think you could take me along?" Flare proposed.
"Eh?" Noel looked at the half-elf with wide eyes.
"It would be sad to part with everyone in the village, but it won't be forever. We can always come back. I can also hide my ears if that's a problem."
Noel felt guilt creeping through her as she heard Flare's words.
Ah… that's right. Flare has been here for so much longer than I have... I'm sure that her feelings for this village far surpass mine. What am I doing, worrying her to the point where she's considering going with me?
"No…I don't think that's good."
"Well, but won't staying in the village be worse? It'll cause the kingdom to search for you eventually, right?"
"Yes… Deserting during wartime is seen as a fairly grave offense. I would most likely have to flee the country to avoid getting fined or even arrested."
"Then…"
"No!" yelled Noel. She took a deep breath, grabbing her own hand in an attempt to calm down.
I truly have been selfish. I kept thinking that I wouldn't go, that I wanted to stay with her, but… If I really care about Flare, I can't allow her to put herself in this situation. I have to do this.
"I'll go. Alone. They called for me, after all. I can't have you abandon your life here for my own sake." Noel stated.
"I'll be fine! I was always ready for this, in any case. Plus, when it ends, we'll be able to come back, right?"
"I'm not sure." A pained smile found its way to Noel's face. "They might take this chance to remove me from my duties in this village. I'm not even sure how I managed to get the higher-ups to agree to me going here in the first place…"
"That's… There must be another solution!" Flare replied, growing nervous. The expression Noel was making reminded her of the one her mother had whenever she told stories involving her dad. "I very much don't want us to part."
"Me neither." Noel took the half-elf's hands. She wasn't wearing her usual gloves, allowing the knight captain to feel her soft palms. "But… as much as I don't want it, I really can't think of a way for us to keep our life the way it's been. Even if you were to go with me, there's no guarantee I'd be able to see you often."
"I don't mind! I just want to stay with you! I'll even go to the battlefield if I need to!" Flare argued, teardrops threatening to fall down her eyes.
"Flare, please. If something were to happen to you…" Noel trailed off. She wasn't sure what to say anymore. Seeing the usually cool-headed Flare like this had started to prick at her newly-found confidence.
If only things had gone a different way… If only I didn't have to do this. She mused. She did want to keep living with Flare, to look at the stars together, to banter with her, to have her taste more of her cooking. But, more than all of those things, she wanted to protect the girl who loved this village. And she knew that to do so, she had to make this commitment.
"I'm really sorry. I promise I will come back as soon as I can." Unable to look directly at Flare, Noel turned her head away, suppressing her own tears.
"..."
They both fell silent.
I don't want this. thought Flare, her tanned hand still stubbornly held on to Noel's, for letting go meant she accepted their separation.
Is there really no other way...
Flare did have an idea she hadn't mentioned yet, as she feared the knight's reaction to it.
To ask for us to run away somewhere together, somewhere that's neither the village nor the capital… I couldn't do that. It would just be selfish of me, she had reckoned.
It was not that she did not value her past in the village. Everyone there was dear to her, and they had been her de facto guardians after her parents passing. But, even though their time together had not been nearly as long, the connection she had with this knight from the capital was far stronger than the ones she had with the villagers. She would not mind having to flee somewhere if it meant she could be with Noel.
But she was afraid of asking that of her. Despite everything, she knew Noel still valued her knightly duties and had her own Shirogane Knights to take care of. To tell her to drop all of that would be irredeemably egocentric.
And yet… She didn't want to lose her like this. Half-elves, though not as long as pure-blooded ones, still did live relatively long lives, and the prospect of this minute portion of hers being the entirety of their shared times together was simply unbearable.
Flare braced herself. Even if Noel refused, even if she hated her, even if their friendship met a bitter end here, she wanted to try. She had to try.
"Noel, I-"
There was a knock at the door, muting her mid-sentence.
"Ah… I'll go get it." mumbled Noel.
Flare watched her open the door.
"Eh?" The knight appeared to have frozen in place, her mouth agape in surprise.
"Noel? What is it?" As Flare approached the entrance, the sight she was greeted with was one that she would never forget.
In the dirt street in front of Noel's residence stood the elderly village chief, supporting himself with a wooden cane. Alongside him were the four Shirogane Knights, clad in their usual ivory-colored armor. This in itself already made for a fairly unusual sight, the elderly figure of the man contrasting with the tall and robust knights. However, what was truly unexpected was that, behind them, stood what looked like half the village's inhabitants.
While there weren't that many residents, gathering this many of them on the same narrow road made for quite a loud spectacle. What's more, there were still some arriving at the scene, surely attracted to this commotion. It was, without a doubt, something unprecedented in the history of this rural village.
Flare was the first one to react.
"Village chief… What is this?" She wasn't speaking at a low volume, but her voice was nonetheless drowned out by the hubbub of the villagers, which had started right as the duo had come out of the house.
The village head struck the ground with his cane, causing the commotion to die down.
"Well, I heard about Noel's situation from the knights. To call you back for a war of all things… Those fellas at the capital really are shameless, heh."
"Maybe so. But even then, I-" Noel started.
"Ah, no need to worry about it. I and your knights over here have already devised a plan. They're really quick to act, you know. Before I knew it, they had brought all these folks to my house, and we held a meeting on how to deal with this."
"A... meeting?" Noel felt her mind go blank. Does that mean everyone knows I'm going away now? I wanted to avoid sad farewells…
"Right. And if there's one thing all of us here agreed on, it's that you girls don't deserve such a tragic fate. We all want to do what we can to help you stay together. After all…" The old man gestured to the people behind him "We are grateful for you two. Not only does it give us peace of mind to know our village is protected, you've also made life here much more lively."
A chorus of cheers erupted from the crowd, disappearing shortly after as the elder continued his speech.
"I guess this is our way of thanking you for everything you've done. We can't just let you go to this war nonsense, can we?"
"But I… I had already decided to…" choked Noel.
One of the Shirogane Knights suddenly stepped up front.
"Lady Shirogane, we sincerely apologize for getting ahead of ourselves and acting without permission. However, all four of us have come to the conclusion that this is how we should proceed."
A second Knight advanced.
"Learning of the contents of that letter left us devastated. We are soldiers of the kingdom, and we were taught that such orders are absolute, but…" The knight shook his head. "I think I speak for all of us when I say that I have never seen our captain as happy as she has been while in this village with Lady Shiranui. And to us, that happiness is more important than any orders, no matter how high up they come from."
The third one moved forward.
"Unfortunately, we quickly reached the conclusion that it is impossible for both of you to stay here. Sending away the escort that is coming to get Lady Shirogane would only delay the inevitable. We put our minds together and considered all other options, but it seems there is only one possibility. You must flee this country together."
The fourth and final knight drew closer, a roll of parchment in his hands. As they opened it, the rough contours of lands and seas were unveiled. It was a map of the continent they stood on.
"We had this in our possessions. Here," the knight said, pointing to a section of the map where some trees had been drawn, "is the forest adjacent to this village. And here-" they moved their finger to a location further north, where a sketch of a small castle was visible, "is the capital. To get to another country, the fastest way would be to go south and cross the forest, but the nation where you would emerge is a strong political ally of our own and was also involved in the war against the elves. As such, we believe both Lady Shirogane and Lady Shiranui would not be safe. Going east and crossing the mountains is also not an option, as it would be far too perilous for only two people to attempt. Since the northern nations are currently in disarray due to the war, the only option left would be to go west."
Noel followed the map with her eyes. The westernmost landmark was a port city, after which there was just sea, a couple of small islands, and, at the very edge of the map, a half-circle of land, along with a red star indicating a city.
"There doesn't seem to be much there, though." commented the knight captain.
There's no way such a careless plan will work… thought Noel.
She could barely believe her usually stoic knights had come up with this. Was it the influence of the hot-headed villagers?
"This western land at the edge of the map is the empire of Hololive. It takes almost three months by sea to arrive there, and so they have next to no political relations with our country, which is why it's so under-represented on this map. However, I do know some facts about it." The knight halted his speech for a moment, in a rare display of hesitation. "I had an acquaintance in the capital that had been there and back. Though we didn't talk much, she had nothing but good things to say about it. How it accepts every race, including elves. How the population was so happy that war had become a concept of the past. How their displays of entertainment are far superior to even the best jesters of our own kingdom. How their king was just and fair, treating the people equally and not tolerating unjust suffering. And, most importantly, how it was still a relatively new empire, and as such was in need of all kinds of talented people to help it establish itself."
The knight looked at Noel and Flare.
"I have to admit, at first I didn't quite believe such a utopian place could exist, but the truth is that the only reason my acquaintance had returned at all was to pick up her remaining possessions. After she boarded for Hololive a second time, I never saw her again. It does pain me that we can't confirm if it truly is like she mentioned, but I, nay, all of us believe that going aboard a ship headed there would be the best option."
"And there you have it. Not a bad plan, right?" said the elder, displaying a toothy smile. "From what I was able to get, it's almost a straight road to the port too. It should be fairly easy for the two of you."
"I… It makes me honestly happy that so much thought has been put into this. Even so, I can't force Flare to leave this village. This is where she grew up, and it would simply be too egotistic of me." confessed Noel, tearful eyes looking at the ground.
Flare remained silent, seemingly deep in thought. The elder stared at the pair and was once again reminded of the couple that had arrived at the village from the forest, so many years ago.
"Remember this, you two." he began. "Being too selfless will end up hurting the ones who care the most about you."
Noel was about to retort when she felt someone touch her hand. Flare was grasping it, her touch tender yet firm. The knight did not know this, but hearing the village head pronounce those words had steeled the half-elf's resolve.
"Noel… Let's do this." she declared.
"Flare?!" Noel looked at her in shock.
"I love this village. I really do. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for everyone's kindness. But even so, I want us to stay together. I don't think I could bear living here, not knowing if you were alive or would ever come back." proclaimed Flare.
"But…"
"It's just like the old man said. I refrained from asking you to leave with me, because I figured I didn't have the right to do that. You, too, didn't say what was in your heart because you thought it too selfish, right?"
"It really is, though…" replied Noel, looking dejected.
"Even if it is! I'm fine with it. I'll forgive your selfishness if you forgive mine." affirmed Flare. Her gleaming brown-red eyes were staring right at the knight.
"I… leaving all of my knights here alone, when they've been with me through so much is just…"
"Please don't worry about us, Lady Shirogane. We shall stay here and protect this place that is so precious to you." proclaimed one of the knights, their voice proud.
"See? Let's do it, Noel. Let's run away together, and start a new life somewhere else." pleaded the half-elf.
"Flare...You guys… Is it really okay?" Noel asked, between a curtain of tears.
"Yes, yes it is. Just look at everyone." Flare gestured to the crowd that had amassed in front of the knights' house. All of them had their own lives, and yet here they were, cheering these two on.
"They all thought of this plan just so we could stay together. Wouldn't it be rude to disregard it?" she beamed a smile at Noel.
"Flare...Flare!" the weeping knight practically jumped in for a hug, a multitude of emotions overtaking her. All of her worries, all of her doubts and fears, they all shattered like glass as she shared this warm embrace with the one she wanted to be with the most.
"You're right. Let's stay together forever." Noel murmured as booming cheers echoed from the crowd.
And so, in a tiny village just at the edge of a certain kingdom, the knight and the half-elf took the first step towards their Fantasy.