What the heck is this ? Two interludes in one day, must be a miracle !
:P
In all seriousness, I did do this for a specific reason that you will all find out soon.
Big thanks to Qinlongfei for beta reading this chapter and spotting important flaws that I didn't pick up on.
With that said, let's get it started !
Interlude 7: The Knight Watches
" Alright Ake, during the time of a Wave of Catastrophe what are the most likely items and goods to raise in price ?" His tutor asked him.
" Weapons, armor, food, medicine, ores and wood " Ake answered monotonously, the answer already imprinted in his mind.
" Excellent, now in order to beat out a competitor what must one do in order to be more appealing ? "
" Lower the price of your goods, have a better relationship with the customer or produce better quality goods in comparison " Ake telegraphically answered.
" Good work Ake, now I want you to work out the numbers and balance it all in this mock finance book " His tutor laid the book out in front of him, that already gave him a headache just looking at it. Doing these mockups were always the worst part of it all for him.
He took a deep breath and just got to it, no point complaining about it. His brain already at work picking out all the improper numbers and balancing them out in a few moments before moving on to the next page. Focusing down on inventory, prices, adding them all up, worker salaries and more, even though Ake had never quite liked the additional studies involving accountancy and business that his parents forced onto him, he did admittedly have a talent for it.
As Ake did the questions in relative silence, he couldn't help but glance out a nearby window. Hearing the bird chirping just outside and kids playing, made him ache to reach out and touch the freedom that was just beyond his grasp.
Ake had never quite liked being homeschooled,while he understood that he was undoubtedly luckier than his friends in the rest of Lute who didn't have anyone besides their parents to teach them complex things except the basics, he sometimes envied all his friends in Lute village who got to run around free, helping their parents do chores, learn to hunt, plow the fields or whatever. It was hard work definitely, but at least they could go home at the end of it and relax. Ake on the other hand had to deal with homework and constant lessons from his parents about how to run their business.
His home was not a home...it was just school or prison depending on how one saw it.
Ake let out a sigh as he turned back to his studies, managing to finish it in under an hour.
His tutor looked at his answers and was impressed at all of them being correct " Fantastic work Ake ! You may be a prodigy on the level of Lady Iris Amelia ! "His tutor praised and Ake couldn't help but feel like he was over exaggerating. He wasn't arrogant enough to believe he was on the level of Melromarc's youngest and richest noble lady.
Ake only nodded in response to the praise, feeling little accomplishment from it.
" I hope I'm not intruding on my son's studies " A familiar deep voice interrupted them and they both turned their gaze to the man in the doorway, dressed in fine clothing that would have made you think he was a noble.
His father, Walter Rorik.
He was dressed in fine clothing that would make one think he was of nobility, even if he was just a merchant. The clothes and assorted jewels like his favored gold wristband was probably worth enough to feed half the village for a year.
" No, as a matter of fact we were just finished " His tutor said in a tone of respectfulness to his father, like everyone.
" Good...how are my son's studies doing ?"
" Very good, he excels at accountancy, finance and has a strong business sense "
His father smirked at them " Excellent. Then Ake, might you join me for a talk for a moment then ?" His father suggested and Ake was immediately suspicious. His father wasn't the kind of man who took walks with his son regularly or even occasionally.
" Sure " Ake shrugged as he followed his father outside, his tutor packing up to leave already.
" So Ake, how have you been progressing through your studies about business ? " His father immediately popped the question.
" Good. I'm learning much from my tutor " Ake answered simply.
" Excellent, excellent...I actually wanted to show you something Ake, follow me..."
Ake followed his father outside the manor, where Ake could see a convoy of carriages lined up outside with several workers all loading up materials and goods, ranging from wood to textile, to wine and more. Ake could see his mother, Ella Rorik, shouting orders at the workers to get things loaded up quickly. She was always the more headstrong of the family. She too was dressed like father, in the clothes befitting nobility, along with some expensive jewels like her precious magical purple earrings that she said she managed to haggle for a great price from a merchant.
" Look at all this my son, when I first started I barely even had two silvers to rub together, but now I have all this..." His father smirked " We're setting up a new administration building to run everything in the capital "
" I see..." Ake said simply.
" This Ake...is our family's legacy. One that you will inherit one day..." His father said, looking more proud of himself than his accomplishments.
Ake didn't speak instead he merely...observed.
His father had done quite well for himself, his story practically having been told dozens of times to Ake in a bragging manner. His father started off with nothing but built himself up from a simple laborer to a highly successful and profitable merchant. One could argue that his father's story was far more inspirational than most nobles, who were usually only in power because they had Hero blood in their breed or had strong-armed their way into power. But not his father.
His father was a self-made man through and through, Ake could honestly respect that but...
Ake looked in his father's eyes and he could see it, the way he looked at their workers...they didn't quite see them as workers, but more akin to ants under their control. Believing himself to be above them in some stupid arrogant way, completely forgetting his roots and where he came from...
It pissed Ake off to be honest.
As the years went on and the prospect of taking over his parents business becoming more and more of a likelihood with each passing day, Ake seriously needed to start thinking about how to avoid it. There really wasn't many options available to him. He could run off and become an adventurer...but he quite frankly didn't trust his ability's to do without instantly getting killed...
So his only other real option was to join the knights. He had done his research, it wasn't a bad job. Serve the country and protect the innocent from monsters, that sounds right with him. It actually could serve as a good way to elevate his family's social status, since even though they were successful, they were still low-middle tier merchants at best.
The real question: How was he going to tell his parents ?
This question bothered him all the way to dinner.
The dining table was quiet, not because of any tenseness in the air but because this was usually how diner went for them. Little to no conversation to catch up, any words that were exchanged were usually just pertaining to the business. Any conversation directed towards him was centered mainly on how his studies were going and the usual filorial shit.
Carlyle was going around the table serving food and pouring water like usual.
" So Ake, we've been thinking..." His parents started in their usual tone. Ake already felt the annoyance mixed with trepidation set in as he already knew what they were going to say.
" That its high time you took a stronger role in managing the business " They explained " Its about time you started holding onto the reins and take some real responsibility in the business. We'll start you off simple of course, managing shipments and the basics, but eventually you will work your way up to being the leader of our business..."
His parents proudly smiled at him- looking more proud of themselves than him.
Ake didn't respond right away, instead picking at his food like he had done for the past 15 minutes.
So this was it, huh ? Do or die.
" Ake ? " His father asked when he didn't respond right away.
Ake took a deep breath as he let the words flow out of his mouth, feeling like poison was spewing out instead.
" Father...I've been thinking about joining the knights...I don't want to take over the business "
With that single sentence the dining table was put to silence and Carlyle stopped moving to watch the scene in bated breath.
"...I'm sorry Ake, my hearing must be going crazy, what did you say ?"
" I said I want to join the knights..."
His parents looked at each other for a moment, before smiling at each other.
" Looks like our boy is finally starting to be more proactive about building the family name, huh dear ?" His father laughed.
" Oh stop you, I think its wonderful that he's starting to try at last " His mother said playfully, but it honestly got on his nerves. They weren't even taking him seriously.
" Well, Ake...while I certainly admire your determination, there is no need for you to join the knights to elevate our status. Growing our business is much more important..."
I don't care about growing the damn business or family name. I just want to live my life the way I want.
" May I ask why ? " Ake said, barely keeping the hostility out of his voice. If his father picked up on it, he didn't mention it.
" Because the fact of the matter is my boy, is that while 'knights and lords' might have been a position of prestige a long time ago, that is hardly the case today. Now the merchants with coin like the Schnee's dominate all through their wealth and influence, that is what our family can become...do you want me to tell you a nice life lesson I learned when I first started ?"
His father didn't wait for him to nod, before pulling something out of his pocket and sliding it over the table to him. Ake saw that it was a single copper coin.
" That is power my boy...control the money and you can one day control an entire nation itself..." His father cleared his throat " But we're getting a bit off-topic here, you have no need to join the knights for prestige or what have you-"
That wasn't why he was doing this at all. He still didn't get it.
" I'm not doing this for the knights...or to elevate to family name " Ake blurted the words out before he even realized it. He himself feeling shocked at them before he continued "...I don't want to take over the family business..."
Silence washed over the room and Ake heard Carlyle gasp in shock.
"...Come again, son ?" His father said in a low tone as if he hadn't heard him right.
" I don't want to take over the family business. I want to join the knights or the army or whatever the fuck...just not take over the business..." Ake said bluntly, having gone too far to pussy out now.
" A-Ake, you can't be serious !" Mother sounded distraught.
" I am " Ake reaffirmed himself.
" My boy...you aren't seriously talking about throwing away YEARS of studying and training just to run off and play knight !" His father sounded agitated and shocked " You're talking about walking out on everything we've built ! Leaving a successful business behind! Everything you've been working towards and wanted ! "
Ake felt his last nerve snap at that. Everything HE wanted ?
When the hell has it ever been about what HE wanted ?
And just like that, all the years of bottled anger, resentment, irritation, annoyance and hate all came spilling out at once.
" You mean, what YOU have always wanted me to do. It has NEVER once in my goddamn ever been about me or what I want to do with my life " Ake said angrily " You pushed all those lessons on me since I was a child because you wanted me to take over your business, not because you ever cared about what I wanted to do with my life..."
Carlyle tried to step in to calm him down, but it was too late" Master Ake, maybe now isn't the best time to-"
" Fuck that ! I'm done tiptoeing around these greedy pretentious assholes !" Ake shouted back.
Ake was so fucking done. Done bottling it up. Done holding his tongue.
Done keeping it all in just so HIS family wouldn't get hurt. Well, he's done doing that.
" How dare you speak to us like that !" His father shouted in anger " We give you the best education possible, better food than most kids in this village, a lifestyle of nobility ! And this is how you speak to us !? "
" Oh please ! You did all that because you wanted somebody to take over your business when you're gone !" Ake shouted back " You don't see me as your son, you see me as your 'heir', somebody whose only purpose is to continue on your shitty legacy when you're dead ! Gods ! You're just like all those shitty greedy nobles who only care about filling their coffers ! And honestly ? You two are pretty damn close to those pieces of shit! "
" HOW DARE YOU !?" His mother shouted at him next " We built ourselves up from the ground up with nothing ! We succeeded where others had failed ! And you dare compare us to those bastards whose only defining trait for their success is that they were born with a silver spoon in their mouths or that one of their ancestors fucked a Legendary Hero !?"
Ake didn't back down, in fact he got even more angry" Oh sure, you did build yourselves up from the ground up compared to those bastards...but you have completely forgotten your roots !" Ake shouted back " We're not 'better' than the other villagers in Lute, you two were just a hell of a lot more fortunate and lucky than the probably dozens more poor bastards who tried their hand at making it rich as a merchant. You even try to pretend we're on the same level as real nobles !"
Ake stood up and glared at his parents angrily " If you don't treat me like a son and respect my decisions than I quite frankly don't NEED your permission to leave. I'm outta here "
" Master Ake, please..." Carlyle tried to plead with him, but it was in vain as he was already exiting the dining room and heading to the front door.
" You walk out that door and you are no longer my son !" His father called out to him in anger...and desperation.
That made Ake pause for a brief moment, before he turned his head to face his parents, his eyes full of hate.
" That's fine, I stopped considering myself your son a long time ago " Ake said coldly and he could swear he saw his parents recoil in either shock or hurt.
And for the briefest of moments, he felt a twinge of twisted petty satisfaction, knowing that he had managed to deliver one last emotional sucker punch to them. To hurt them in a way that they had hurt him...but it had faded just as quickly.
He turned and walked out without another word, his parents dead silent in shock.
Ake walked all the way to the capital, the entire walk there just thinking about what he had done.
He had done the right thing...didn't he ?
The next few months were more physically brutal for Ake than mentally. Joining the knights was honestly the easy part.
The hard part was really just trying to survive all the intense training and exercises that knights had to go through, even just to qualify you had to pass certain physical standards and tests like pushups, pullups and such. Thankfully Ake was no slouch since he had trained with Sir Rathos and Gaston in his spare time, so he managed to get past the physical test with relative ease and get formally accepted.
But that wasn't the end of it, not by a long shot. After officially becoming a knight and going through all the official training, most of his time was occupied by guard patrols, helping out people with menial tasks, settling disputes between people and a lot of other tedious things that almost made him wonder whether he really should have tried his hand at becoming an adventurer.
As Ake laid back down on his bunk bed, he couldn't help but think about all the time that had passed since he had last spoken with his parents. He kept in touch with Carlyle since she was quite frankly one of the only people who helped make his childhood bearable. Barely. They had exchanged letters often and swap stories about what was going in their lives, well Carlyle would mostly tell him about what was going on with his parents.
Apparently, his father had lost his shit and threw a chair out the window of the house after that night. Mother had started drinking more and didn't seem to be letting up. His parents clearly weren't taking his absence well.
Ake supposes that most would say that after cutting ties with his parents, he felt sad, hollow and without purpose. But quite frankly speaking...
He felt free.
For the first time in his life, he was the one calling the shots in his life. Sure, life with the knights wasn't easy sailing by any means...but at least he had choice going for him and that was enough.
" Letter call boys !" Jerge called out interrupting his thoughts, much to the pleasure of many of his comrades.
The letterboy went down the barracks, calling names and handing out letters- Some from parents who want to know how their kids are doing. Others from lovers who were missing each other. Some came from friends who were far from home.
" Hey rich boy ! Got a letter for you " Jerge called out Ake's hated nickname. " Pretty sure its from that maid of yours, ask her to she send those pastries again next time "
" Piss off Jerge, that was one time " Ake cussed but took the letter kindly anyway.
He sat up on his bunk as he unfurled the letter and read its content:
Master Ake, I hope this letter finds you well.
I don't know how to put this gently, so I won't waste your time by trying to dance around it but...
Your parents are dead.
They were killed in a bandit attack while transporting goods to the north.
Their bodies have been recovered. Please return to Lute for the funeral.
Ake didn't even feel the note fall from his hand and he stared at the ground in shock.
His parents are dead...they are dead...
He doesn't know how to feel about it all really.
Sure, he didn't exactly have the best relationship with his parents but...
Why did it still hurt ?
Ake was honestly glad Titan Storm had joined up with them on their quest, while the Shield Hero wasn't intolerable and quite friendly all things considered, his other party members which consisted of literally three kids and the First Princess herself who is a lot more of a bitch than people said she is. Having an experienced adventurer group that specializes in hunting bandits, especially demi-human bandits will give them a major advantage at taking down the Hound Lord.
Like his old captain used to say:" Experience outranks everything"
Training and books only got you so far, Ake knew that experience was by far the best teacher of all.
Over the past few days, Ake had been observing the adventurer party and noted quite a few things.
Alice may not look like much at first glance, Ake wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people underestimated Alice for her role as a priestess, but she had the determination and will of a leader, her mind was sharp and quick which raised no question for why she was the leader. Clarissa may be a cold customer, but she cares a lot more than she lets on. Nina preferred to observe rather than act immediately, a fitting role as the Monk of the party. Rufus isn't nearly as stupid as he looks...makes Ake a little wary of whether he pays a lot more attention than he lets on.
Ake glanced over at the princess who was busy cooking dinner with Naofumi. Their group had decided to take a stop to rest for the night and get going in the morning, which had become their usual routine for this trip. Titan Storm was busy setting up the tents, while the kids...were being kids. Well, Raphtalia was trying to help with setting up the tents but with one-arm, this made it especially difficult, Alice was kind though and allowed her to hold up some sheets that Ake was pretty sure had no real bearing on the situation. But at least Raphtalia was given the illusion of helping if nothing else.
Jun and Filo were sitting on opposite sides of the camp, both grumpily sitting it out after getting into another argument that almost ended in a fight.
The knight watched as Mein helped stir the pot as Naofumi instructed her in the manner of cooking. Ake was already preparing his stomach since this could be either really good or really bad.
His personal crude opinions aside, he had to admit that the First Princess was a hell of a lot more skilled than he thought, even without her heretical powers she was a force to be reckoned with...and the way she could kill people. Ake was no saint either, having gone through the experience before, but the way she did it was unnerving to say the least.
Ake had heard that most noble ladies were expected to learn some form of combat skill as a means to protect themselves either through some martial weapon or magic. But the princess was extremely skilled in both...and had skills and knowledge that one couldn't acquire without firsthand experience.
Did she learn that from her instructors ? Or the Shadow Demon himself ?
Both probably.
He had heard all the rumors and stories about Princess Malty, before he had personally met the bitch in person. A lot of the knights who were on duty at the capital or in the area had heard. Most of which surrounded her time as a hostage of the Shadow Demon herself. Some sounded flat out ridiculous like how the Shadow Demon may have replaced the real princess Malty with a lookalike or had turned her into an undead.
Others were...a little more uncomfortable, like how some say the Shadow Demon...violated Princess Malty during her time held hostage. Some even say that the Princess fell in love with her kidnapper, but Ake never quite got that impression. The princess almost seemed to worship the Shadow Demon...
And some even said that she was the Shadow Heir herself.
" Daddy ! Filo is hungry !" Filo's childish cry disrupted his thoughts as he turned his head to see Filo giving Naofumi puppy dog eyes.
" In a few minutes Filo, Mein is the one cooking " Naofumi said tiredly.
Filo let out a groan of annoyance " But Filo wants your cooking daddy !"
" Well, too bad you're getting my cooking tonight " Mein said gruffly.
Filo glared at Mein " Filo doesn't want to eat anything from the stupid Dragon Lady !"
" Well, you can find your own damn dinner then !" Mein shouted in retaliation.
" Filo will !" Filo shouted before scampering off.
" Mein, come on..." Naofumi gave her a soft look.
" I'm not going to be easy on her if she's not going to show any respect to me either Naofumi..." Mein grumbled " Honestly you're being way too easy on Filo and I'm not only talking about just now "
Ake couldn't really disagree and found himself reluctantly agreeing with the Princess. Filo was a straight up brat who just barely listened to only the Shield Hero and to none of them. Jun was more or less the same as Filo, but at least he was less impulsive and annoying about it.
" I know, I know but...Filo is just a kid. She doesn't know any better-"
" Well, she's not going to know any better if somebody doesn't tell her off and I'm not going to shy away from it..." Mein said with a hard look.
Ake silently agreed with Mein. The Shield Hero was being too soft, even kids back in the village would have gotten a harsh tongue lashing if they acted the way Filo did half the time.
He minded his own business though as he sharpened his blade and checked his equipment, he was taught to always take care of his weapons and equipment as if they were his second girlfriend. His captain had a really weird way with analogies.
" Alright Mein, now just add some spices to the stew " Naofumi instructed.
" Okay, I think this is just about done simmering..." Mein said, as she looked around " Where the hell is Filo-"
Mein turned her head and Ake followed her gaze, he could see the bird girl having picked some berries from a nearby bush...and was about to plop it straight into her mouth without a care in the world.
The sound of the ladle being dropped in the pot resounded through the camp as Mein moved faster than Ake could follow her with his eyes, moving with a speed that would have made Ake thought that she had Blinked over to Filo. Within a split second, Mein already ran up to Filo before the bird girl could put the berries into her mouth.
" Don't eat that Filo !" Mein practically shouted at the bird girl, smacking the berries right out of her hands.
" Hey! Filo was going to eat those !" Filo shouted.
" Mein, what's going on ? " Naofumi said in an alarmed tone as he ran up to them. Titan Storm also getting a closer look at the incident.
Mein didn't answer right away, instead picking up the berries and examining them, a grave look on her face.
" These are Nightlock berries, they'll kill you in an instant " Mein said in a serious tone.
" Nightlock berries...I didn't even notice these were so close to camp " Alice approached the bush that Filo picked the deadly berry from and very carefully pulled one " These are pretty hard to find in the forest...some bandit groups dip their arrows and weapons into crushed up poisonous plants and herbs for an added edge "
" Are they worth much ?" Mein asked.
" Not unless you're selling to a herbalist or poison maker who has the money for it although..." Alice pulled out a sack and started to pick the berries " Take as much as you can. These berries can be especially useful if you know how to use them right "
" Agreed, poisons can be especially useful if you know how to use them " Mein picked a few and handed one over to Naofumi to absorb " See what you get "
Naofumi absorbed the nightlock berry into his shield before transforming it into a dark shield that looked more like a fruit than an actual shield.
" Medium Resistance to Poison...nice " Naofumi shrugged at the new shield, noting that besides the passive effect it had no other skills or good stats. He took out a spare sack and started helping collect some of the berries.
" I'm surprised you could actually see what berries Filo was about to eat and know they were poisonous " Ake commented.
" I didn't" Mein answered cooly.
Ake was surprised " Wait, then how did you-"
" Because one of the most important rules about surviving in a forest is not to just eat random berries you find lying around like an idiot unless you know for certain they aren't poisonous " Mein aimed that jab at Filo.
Filo looked at the dirt angrily " Filo was hungry..."
Mein looked hard at Filo before sighing, before pulling out a few pieces of dry jerky out of her pouch " Here. Eat this first and behave yourself..."
Filo was surprised for a moment before snatching it out of Mein's hand and devouring it instantly.
Ake was mildly impressed. Maybe the princess was better at child rearing than he thought she would be or perhaps she's softer than she comes off as.
Ake being put on babysitter duty for the kids wasn't the worst thing ever. He had been given much worse menial duties when he was in the knights like guard patrols, standing watch, helping take inventory of the armory's equipment and so on. For once, Filo and Jun didn't instantly start a fight the minute Mein and the Shield Hero left, instead keeping their respective distance from each other. With Jun sitting in the carriage with Raphtalia who was sleeping, while Filo stood guard outside with him. Though she seemed more interested in playing with the dirt than paying attention to any potential dangers.
Sir Naofumi was right, they really are like siblings.
The knight turned his thoughts away and thought about the current quest that his party was on, to rescue the Schnee heiress herself.
When their carriage stopped and ran into the escort of the Schnee heiress, Ake couldn't help but be a little surprised for having run into them. It was honestly one heck of a crazy coincidence, like many he had heard the horror stories about how brutal Schnee mining camps could be and what the poor slaves the Schnee's used to fill them went through. From frequent beatings, starvation, abuse and even straight up branding. At least his parents never used slaves to run their business.
Although...Ake couldn't help but compare the Schnee's to his own parents. Ruthless, uncaring and greedy. Only caring about filling their coffers.
He still remembers the word his father said to him about workers.
'People are a resource. Don't waste them, use them efficiently'
The way he saw his workers was no different from how one would view a slave. Not even as a person.
Ake pushed the thoughts of his parents away as he heard the sounds of footsteps coming towards them from the forest, at first he thought it was his party returning...until he realized that there far more footsteps coming towards them than there should be. Ake instantly got into the defensive stance, prepared to fight to the death.
" You know, the smart thing would be to take the carriage and run to the nearest town to get reinforcements instead of fighting a large force single-handedly " The princess's sarcastic voice broke through the silence as she exited the forest with the Shield Hero, Titan Storm and two sisters in tow...
Following them was a large rugged group of what looked like refugees, along with a white haired girl who Ake assumed to be Weiss Schnee.
Ake needed a minute to process this before putting his sword and shield away.
" Okay, what the hell happened ?" Ake asked.
Sir Naofumi and the princess gave him the quick rundown of what they encountered and what had happened. How the bandits were really just refugees who got tossed out on their asses by Weiss's father and were just trying to survive by robbing people, and only kidnapped the heiress because they were hoping to ransom her off for enough to get their former lives back.
" So let me get this straight here, you found the bandits, kicked their asses, found out they are refugees who were forced to turn to banditry and instead of taking them to the nearest settlement to turn them in, we're letting Miss Schnee take them ? " Ake summed it up.
" Pretty much, yeah..." Naofumi shrugged.
Ake let out a sigh, he knew that a not so small number of criminals did it mostly as a means to survive. To be frank, he has some reservations about just letting them go with the Schnee heiress to one of their up and coming camps... this may or may not be a trick just to gain some more slaves.
" You sure this is okay ? "
" I assure you, that these people will be treated with the utmost respect and courtesy..." Weiss said in a regal tone.
" I'll believe when I see it " Nora said.
" Word of advice, Miss Schnee...don't let your father find out about these guys " Ake warned.
" Please, I'm not nearly as naive you think I am..." Weiss said and several eyes rolled, especially coming from the refugee bandits.
" We'll help Weiss keep it under wraps from her father " Yang commented with Ruby nodding.
" We will repair Miss Schnee's carriage and then we can get a move on to the camp " Port said as Ake glanced over at some men reattaching the wheel on the carriage.
" Shouldn't be too far a walk from here " Ruby said.
" Well, looks like our job is done here...I suggest we move and we can reach Rabier County before nightfall hopefully " Nina noted.
" Alright, let's get on with it " Naofumi said as Filo and Jun transformed much to the amazement of some of the refugees.
" Thank you again for your help in saving me Shield Hero..." Weiss said professionally " A Schnee always repays its debts, so let me know if there is anything I can do to repay you..."
" Please I didn't do this for-"
" We'll think of something you can repay us with at a later date, thank you Miss Schnee " Mein immediately shut Naofumi up before he turned down being owed a favor from the Heiress. Ake was thankful for her quick thinking.
Port laughed at that as he held out his hand to Mein " And thank you Mein, for giving us a second chance at life "
" Its no problem ranger..." Mein smiled sincerely as she shook his hand.
Their group got aboard their carriage with Ake driving and Naofumi sitting next to him. Mein actually riding Jun as they rode away from the group.
" Hey ranger kid !" Port called out to them, making them briefly stop.
Mein turned back to look at Port who had a big smile on his face " To the edge of the Void and beyond-!"
Ake saw Mein smirk back at Port.
"...May we cleanse the world of monsters !" Mein called back, finishing it.
" What does that mean ? " Naofumi asked.
" Its the motto of the Faubley Rangers...my father told me about it " Mein had a melancholic look on her face as she said that.
Ake couldn't help notice that very well, but said nothing.
There was definitely something seriously fucking wrong with the Princess.
Within the next few hours, Ake can see Rabier city appear in the distance. He had visited the city before once or twice in his youth with his parents, so he knew what to expect. The city walls were impressively high with guards standing watch atop of them, the buildings they passed by as they entered showing the prosperity the people who live under the Rabier's are afforded to.
" Wow, this place almost looks nicer than the capital " Naofumi commented from the back of the carriage, looking through the front flap." Find us a place to stop Ake "
" Got it " The knight nodded as he found a nice out of the way alley so they could access their surroundings, Ake pulled on the reins getting Filo to stop as the carriage came to a halt. Mein stopping with beside them.
" Finally...we have arrived in Rabier city..." Mein said as she took a step off Jun.
And fell flat into the Void.
So Ake's interlude...we honestly haven't seen much relating to his backstory in a while, so I hoped this was a nice consolation. I actually planned to include more scenes from Ake's backstory, but I cut it to save time and because I didn't feel like it was important because I wanted to focus more on his parents and childhood growing up, even if it was short.
I really wanted to show not quite his distaste for nobility and merchants, but more like how he lacked control in his life and the direction it was going. Which is why he left to join the knights in the capital. Only to be immediately sucker punched a few months later after burning his bridge with his parents and finding out they were killed.
This interlude was rough for me to write in all honesty. Since I wanted to portray something of a complex relationship between Ake and his parents, where things turned sour after years of bottling feelings up on Ake's side.
Though unlike Itsuki's interlude, I did have to cut into the present day somewhat because I wanted to show the meaning of this interlude's title of how Ake has been observing Mein, and perhaps have picked up on things that even she hasn't picked up on yet.
Also small sidenote for the previous interlude that was Itsuki's, his guidance counselor Genka Kunahito is actually a character I borrowed from Yandere Simulator ! Which I felt was fitting for his backstory in a cruel-ish way.
With that said, I will see you all in the next one.
Angel Out.