“It is a shame that our time training you did not rid of the wiess in your heart,” Sir James Greatwood said. “If we are doh this farce, let us step outside.”
“You really are suited to be in Aldishman nds,” Adam said, fshing a smirk towards his brother. “They pick a fight with us and then call us wicked for defending ourselves.”
“It is so,” Jurot replied.
“Careful now, young man,” the ander of the fort called out. “All the soldiers here are Aldish. If you speak so carelessly, you might find yourself in trouble.”
“If you ’t trol your men, that’s on you,” Adam replied, his eyes meeting the ander’s. “Speaking of which, you seem like you’re pretty strong. Are you about as strong as the Grand ander?”
“I’m a little too old, but he wouldn’t kill me so easily.”
“Hmmm,” Adam hummed, gng between the Grand ander and the ander. “Jurot, you have the Grand ander, but if it es to it, I want the ander.”
“Okay.”
“Nice.”
“…” Arthur gowards the Grand ander, who felt the gaze a, his own eyes full of fusion too.
“Do you have a crit prepared?” Jaygak asked.
“I don’t .”
“If it’s Blue Sword, you may,” Jaygak said.
“Well, we didn’t need any towers, so…” Adam stretched his neck. “I’m almost at full strength.”
“You will if you wish to face him.” Jaygak gnced across the group. ‘Since Laygak is watg…’ "It is unfair that you are fag both the Viander and the ander? I should face the Viander.”
“The ander isn’t fighting.”
“You know how Aldishmen are, he might want to e in when we beat them.”
“You’re right…”
“You stay out of the fight until he steps in.”
“What if he doesn’t step in?”
“You might not know the treachery of the Aldishmen, but I’m a Gak.”
“…” Adam cleared his throat. “Right, since your family is an expert at knowing that sort of thing, I guess I should take it into sideration. Still, there’s a ce I won’t get to fight.”
“You pick a fight with the ander ohe fighting is over.”
“I guess…” Adam let out a soft sigh. He had thought he’d be able t back a proper story. “I mean, I did beat up the…” Adam was surprised he had caught himself before letting slip his trash talk against one of the allies esc him. “Hey, Marshal Bck, do you want to cim the ander from me, or is it okay if I fight him?”
“I would prefer that you do not pick a fight with the ander,” the Marshal replied.
“Marshal Stone Sword?” ander Arthur called out. “You must be the young man who the Duchess raised to marshalhood.”
“That is correct,” the Marshal replied, his voice stilted. ‘I’m not that young…’
Arthur let out a sigh, which the Marshal uood to mean the ander uood his current position as a ourned high ranking official. “Would you ask the young man to step back from pig a fight with me?”
“Executive Adam, would you not start a fight with the soldiers?”
“Marshal Bck, you have to uand something…”
“What is it?”
“If I don’t fight someorong, then Jaygak’s going to tease me in front of my children,” Adam said. “I o beat someorong, otherwise my broing t back such a great story for our sister.”
“You are not an Iyrman.”
“My sister is.”
“…”
“Since you’ve spoken up, I’ll step back. However, you should warn the ander, if he ends up stepping forward, I’m going to step forward too.”
“I am standing right here,” the ander said.
“Yeah, but you won’t believe me if I say it, but if the Marshal says it, you might take him seriously. Hope Willow, could you please firm?”
“Adam,” a familiar voice called, and Adam froze still. “ander Arthur, Adam speaks the truth. If you step forward during the frontation, he will step forward.”
“…” Arthur remained silent for a long moment. The young woman, who was no doubt less than thirty, was already a Mother, and not just a Mother, but a Ray. It was borderline unbelievable, almost as unbelievable as her tone.
It implied Adam could beat him.
“The children will remain safe, and so you do not o step forward so eagerly,” Vonda said. “Lud Mara will not be killed.”
“ we be so sure about that?”
Vonda remained silent for a long moment. When she was travelling with Adam earlier, her order’s name was not enough to sway the Marshal of the East. The Marshal of the East, just like the Grand ander, were both great figures across the nd. When she was a Sister, she was uo stop the fight, but now she was no longer a Sister.
“If the Grand ander wishes to insist…” Vonda thought carefully. She could allow Adam to fight the Grand ander, but Jurot had already cimed him. However, if Jurot fought the Grand ahen could they risk both Lud Mara? Jurot’s greatest strength y in the fact that the was tough, but against a Paragon? Fifth Gate spells were going to be hard for Jurot to deal with, even Adam would struggle against them.
The fight they had pnned retty det idea, the only issue was that Lud Mara would fight too, and that olitical suicide. She uood that Lud Mara had to deal with their own pride and authority, but in this nd, such pride and authority would allow others to point their bdes against them more eagerly, and towards the name of Life’s Rose, which was currently esc them.
“I will fight too,” Voually said.
“…”
“With Manager Vonda by…” Adam began, before falling quiet. He felt a deep chill run through his body as the entire area fell eerily silent.
‘…’ Hope Willow held her breath. Now that Vonda had spoken the words, they couldn’t step back. ‘If a Ray is going to step forward to fight…’ She could already hear the talking to she was going to get once she returned back to the order.
“You will fight too?” the Grand ander asked.
“I will.”
“For the likes of demons?”
“The Mother watches all, and while the Hope is here to escort the children to safety, the demons are my responsibility,” Ray Vonda said. “If I ot plete the first task eo me as a Ray, I am not worthy of the title.”
Sir James Greatwood, Grand ander of the Order of the Thousand Hunts, had already acquiesced to the demands of the King, a shame which still marked him to this day. However, if he drew his bde against a Ray, the damage not just to his reputation, but to his order, would be irreparable.
“Why must you step forward?”
“I have sworn my oaths too, Sir Greatwood.”
ander Arthur finally cleared his throat. “It seems things have gone a little too far. What say the Grand ander send a letter to the Mother Priest of Life’s Rose and inform her of his iions to deal with the demons, and once such has been resolved, the Grand ander tinue his hunt, irrespective of the response from the Mother Priest?”
“We have sworn our oaths to defend the nd, and to rid of them of such evils,” the Grand aated.
“You are not Sir Robin, Sir James Greatwood,” ander Arthur said, smiling politely, finally stepping forroperly. “If you wish to tio press the issue, I will sign a letter of reprimand of your behaviour.”
“Even if you write such a letter, it must be done.”
“It will t against your plea to the King for his assistan establishing your order within his nds,” the ander said, his smile fading, his eyes darkening. “You are fortunate enough I am showing you more respect I have ever shown your previous Grand ander.”
“…” James gred at Arthur. He hadn’t expected the near meek ao stop so obviously on his authority. ‘Do you believe I will step bader your threat?’
‘Yes,’ the ander’s eyes seemed to reply.
“The King has requested I assist you within the fort, I am merely doing as the King has requested.”
“Indeed. You, Grand ander, are to assist me.”
“…” Adam gnced between the pair. ‘Stop fightiween each other a me beat one of you up, damn it.’
Jaygak grabbed Adam’s arm. He gowards her, noting the look in her eyes.
‘What? Really? They’re that strong?’
Jaygak nodded her head.
Adam gnced betweewo once more. He could still feel the pressure between them. ‘If Jaygak’s saying they’re that strong, maybe I shouldn’t be so eager to fight…’ Adam rubbed the side of his neck. ‘Right. The only reason I could fight the First Hope was because I had a crit in my back pocket. I probably shouldn’t pick fights with two guys who are about Paragon level…’
Adam pretending to be sensible is awkward.
I love how unassuming the chapter title is for something so crazy.
