Chapter 186

Sharing a meal with others had a way of breaking down barriers that few actions could match. More importantly, when the knights started eating from the stew that Rhea made after requisitioning a cast-iron pot from the mercenaries’ supplies, they became bound to the laws of hospitality.The existence of such a thing in this world suggested it must be intrinsic to sapient life. The understanding formed through sharing a meal transcended space and time, allowing people of all social strata to converse with ease.

Sir Leon was still occasionally glancing at Elia after her near-outburst, but fortunately, it seemed to stem more from curiosity than from wariness.

Not that she could do anything to him. The man was dressed from head to toe in extremely high-quality enchanted armor, and even without that, Nick could faintly sense his power. The closest person he could think of would be his father, who was on the cusp of Prestige.

“Here, have some, birthday boy,” Rhea grumped, handing him a bowl. “Don’t think this is over.”

Nick rolled his eyes, aware she was acting more out of theatricality than because she was truly offended. It helped that the knights seemed to find it quite amusing, given the chuckles they barely concealed.

Anything that eased the tension was good in his book, even if he had to endure some teasing.

“This is really good.” The female knight who had been tasked with handling the corpse digging exclaimed as she slurped the thick soup, before handing her bowl back to Rhea with a pleading look. “I haven’t had anything but field rations for weeks! Fair maiden, I beg you, have pity on me!”

Rhea rolled her eyes but still took the bowl, ladling another generous portion. Thankfully, they hadn’t had to dip into their stores, as the knights had offered to hunt down some game for them to use.

Given that the surrounding area had been cleared of all monsters for miles, the fact that they tracked down a small herd of thunderhoofs and hunted them all, dragging them back to the temple in just half an hour, demonstrated exactly what those massive warhorses were capable of.

At the very least, they seemed content to graze on the tall grass at the edges of the clearing. Nick would have expected the knights to tie them down, but these horses appeared both smart enough not to run away and strong enough that any predator attempting to attack at night would be met with a powerful kick.

“Are you saying that the army’s rations aren’t to your liking, Dame Proust?” Leon asked, arching an eyebrow, while the woman sputtered, waving her hands in denial.

“No, no. It’s just. You know. Everyone likes variety. Right? Right?” She looked around desperately for anyone to agree with her.

In the end, Nick took pity on the woman and saw this as an opportunity to appear more likable, so he nodded. “Variety is the spice of life.”

“Yes!” she shouted, turning to him as if he’d said the smartest thing ever. “That is exactly right. Spice!”

“Are you saying that the rations supplied by the Royal Army, determined by High General Markus Emile Thorreson, lack sufficient spice for your liking?” a blonde knight with a braid immediately asked, sounding as serious as death.

The poor woman was left sputtering, looking around for anyone to help her. This time, Nick wisely remained silent, recognizing that this was a form of light-hearted hazing.

“Alright, enough.” Leon chuckled, waving off the groans from the surrounding knights. “This isn’t the impression we want to give to such bright young talents.”

He then turned to them, now showing greater curiosity. “I realize we've already discussed how you arrived here, but I need to ask: what brings the three of you so far from any town? I get that you want to prove yourselves, but it seems you can’t have received your class more than a couple of years ago.”

And there it was. The question was asked earnestly, and Nick didn’t doubt the man was genuinely curious, but it also probed something he had been deliberately vague about. However, Elia answered before he could try to move the conversation along. “They’re here to help me.”

Leon turned to face her fully, and Nick could feel that everyone else was listening now, even if they hadn’t moved. “Help you with what?”

“I am a foxkin, and as you can see, I have three tails now. When we left home, I had two. I wanted to get stronger away from my parents, who didn’t want me to take risks, so my two friends accompanied me.”

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Nick had to suppress his surprise. That had been quite smooth. She hadn’t lied at all, yet she still managed to make her situation appear as if it were the whims of a teenager rather than the desperate journey it truly was.

“I see.” Leon hummed. “I have to say, I do not believe this to be a good time for such adventures. While you three have proven beyond doubt that you are capable of holding your own against most dangers you might find in the grassland, you should still hurry back home. It is likely that things will only deteriorate for a time before they get better.”

Nick tilted his head at the admission. “Even if you and your men are here?”

Leon smiled bitterly, his lips twisting. “Even then. We are strong, strong enough to handle anything these dwarves are willing to send away from the mountains, but that doesn’t mean we can be everywhere.”

Surprisingly, the blonde knight expanded on that. “Most of the royal forces are still busy on the eastern coast, even if they are beginning to trickle back. It will be months before we can bring in enough high-level men to push the dwarves back in their mines, and even longer before we can fully pacify the mountains.”

As Nick looked around, he could see that the sentiment was shared. No one seemed to doubt that they would prevail one day, but they knew they were stretched thin.

It was a refreshingly honest assessment.

Then, before he could ask a few probing questions about what was happening in the north that required pacifying, Leon clapped his hands, startling him. “Well, no need to talk about that and bring the mood down. More importantly, given the power you demonstrated, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give you the recruitment pitch.”

Nick blinked, surprised by how quickly he had changed the topic.

He had known he would be scouted someday. Old Morris had said as much in the dungeon; may his soul have gone to a better place. But given how focused he had been on navigating the dangerous situation they had suddenly found themselves in, he hadn’t expected it to happen now of all times.

“You kids are still a bit too young to be recruited, but I bet in a couple of years, you will get offers from just about any corps.” His eyes roamed over them, stopping on Rhea. “I’m sure your master has already told you, but the alchemists who sign up with the army get double pay, both from the Guild and the Royal coffers. Even just a few years would be enough to earn a comfortable living or gather the ingredients for some truly spectacular brews if you are ambitious. Anyway you look at it, joining the Royal Army Alchemist Core would keep you away from danger while making you a very rich and powerful young woman. You’d even get to try otherwise forbidden brews that can give a significant boost in experience gain.”

Rhea leaned back as the deluge of words washed over her, her eyes widening as he kept going. But eventually, she sighed and shook her head. “Thank you, but I have a commitment to my master. It will be years before I’ve paid him back for all he’s done for me.”

“And yet he lets you roam around freely?” The blonde knight asked, and Rhea tilted her nose up.

“Master Ogden has no need for a dog on a leash.”

Leon shrugged, “Well, the offer will still be there when you are done with your apprenticeship. It will be even richer then.”

He then turned to Elia without hesitation, to his credit. “Beastmen are rarely present in the military, but some specialized units effectively utilize their racial traits. The criteria for joining these units are stringent, and I would typically recommend you spend a few years adventuring to enhance your skills. However, considering your current abilities, I don’t believe recruitment would be too challenging for you. If I were in your position, I’d skip Alluria and head straight to the Sunlands, where most beastmen units are stationed."

Elia regarded him silently for a moment, and Nick wondered if she was even considering the proposition. Given how hard she’d worked to gain the Miko trait, he didn’t believe so, but she could still surprise him at times.

“Thank you for the offer,” She murmured, shaking her head. “But while I left my family to get stronger, I intend to return.”

Leon nodded, seemingly satisfied with just that. He probably hadn't expected much, considering how rare it was for beastmen to join the kingdom’s service.

Finally, he turned to Nick, who greeted him with a raised eyebrow. Leon paused for a moment, evidently deep in thought, before shaking his head. “No, I can’t recommend you join up, in good conscience.”

Despite himself, Nick felt his iron grip on his expression slip, and his eyes widened in surprise. That was not what he’d expected.

“Not because you couldn’t pass the Mage Core requirements, heavens no. I’m pretty sure you could do it right now, as barely more than a child. But it’d be a waste. A young man with your talent… you’d be much better off finding a high-level master to guide you. Discipline is something the army can teach, but mages need a softer hand, and that doesn’t come easily to generals. You’d probably still grow into a great mage, but that sort of talent should be nurtured properly in a Tower.”

There wasn’t much anyone could say after that. Nick simply inclined his head, agreeing with the assessment even if he didn’t voice it, and the others returned to their meals.

In the middle of the night, long after everyone had already gone to sleep or settled in for their watch, Nick retrieved a package from his backpack.

Summoning a bubble of wind to ensure his privacy, he unbound the string and pulled the cloth away, exposing what was inside.

“Oho? Happy birthday to me!” He grinned, before concealing his mother’s gift and settling in for the night.

The following morning, they set off early, waving farewell to the fourteenth special company, which needed to continue their search for the infiltrators who hadn’t been at the temple.

Nick felt a sudden wave of relief that they had concealed the Hall of Healing so effectively, even if it had meant enduring a god’s whims once again.

If the knights found traces of active divine domains, they would have to report back. And Nick wasn’t naive enough to believe those reports wouldn’t inevitably reach the hands of religious factions, who might see them as a threat to eliminate, reigniting a war that should remain dead and buried.

No one spoke for a long time as they trekked out of the dead zone the dwarves had created, all too absorbed in their thoughts.

At last, Nick spoke up. "I have to say, I didn’t foresee you girls getting recruited while he ignored me.”

Twin groans of amusement greeted his words, and just like that, they were back to their old banter as if nothing had happened.

“You are sooo arrogant.” Rhea rolled her eyes, finally pulling her hand out of her pouch, where he knew she had been fiddling with the broken hilt.

“Sir Leon just had good eyes, that’s all,” Elia demurred with a wicked smile, causing Nick to sputter.

“I’ll have you know, I could have totally taken them all at once!” He shot back, earning laughter.

“I saw how ready you were. The moment Elia showed a little aggression, you went white in the face!” Rhea crowed.

“Oh, come on, we were surrounded! I totally wouldn’t have let them get so close if I had to fight. Bombardment from a distance would have ended them before they could reach me!”

Elia shrugged, a foxy smile barely concealed behind her hand. “I don’t know, those horses were so fast. You probably couldn’t have gotten through their armor in time, and then you’d be trampled.”

Nick sighed, defeated. The things he had to do to keep the mood up.