Alesin ulled from her thoughts by the sound of hurried running behihough clearly not those of aorm Wolf, both she and Rolfun were immediately on guard, pivoting away from Krion to face the potential threat.

  The Watch Sergeant was rushing over, his squad in ragged ranks behind him. They were clearly trying their best to present a front of professionalism, but the way every single one of them was darting worried looks at the surrounding area, likely in searore Storm Wolves, showed exactly what dition they were in.

  The Watch Sergeant came to a halt in front of her, his eyes darting to her looming husband, then to Krion and the civilians still on the ground. A look of fshed across his face. Or was that anger she saw?

  “Is that ohe Watch Sergeant thrust out with his spear in the dire of Krion, “with you?”

  “Yes,” she responded politely, pushing down the remaining anger she had been feeling. No matter what city you went to in the Empire, it was always better to start off politely with the Watch. If need be, she had the strength and the noble bag to throw her weight around ter. Which she would not hesitate to do if this versatiohe way she was expeg. “Was there something you needed, Watch Sergeant….?”

  “Bale, Watch Sergeant Bale,” he crified befesturing for two of his subordio move over to Krion. Rolfun immediately stepped in their way, arms crossed and face set in a deep frown.

  The two members of the Watch stopped moving abruptly to face the rge half-ogre, and turo shoot almost helpless looks at their leader. Frowning, the Watch Sergeaured for them to wait, clearly not wanting to get into anything with Rolfun.

  “I will need you to release him into my care,” Watch Sergeant Bale tinued, again direg this to her. “That young man disobeyed a direct order from the Watch to stay back from the Storm Wolves. Doing so put us all at risk.”

  Alesily arched an eyebrow, staring at the Watch Sergeant. Slowly, she shifted her gaze, going from Krion to each Storm Wolf, clearly dead, and finally ing back to the Watch Sergeant.

  “I see,” she said, her voice carrying a hint of pt. And she did see. It looked like the Watch Sergeant was trying to make Krion a scapegoat to cover for his own ck of a against the Storm Wolves. She hated those supposed protectors who did nothing but get in the way.

  Her thoughts must have shown on her face because the Watch Sergeant’s eyes were ft with ahe spear in his hand creaked, and the members of the Watch behind him shifted uneasily. “Will we have to take you both in as well?”

  “Unfortunately,” Alesin started, a half-grin f slowly on her face as she stretched out the word. “As both myself and Rolfun are sworn bondsmen of the Imperial Archducal House Bcksword, we are above your petty authority while in the pursuit of our duty.”

  While the Watch Sergeant had opened his mouth after she said that first word, his face going red as a furnace, as soon as she stated that they were in service to high-ranking imperial nobility, he smmed his teeth shut with an audible snap. The way his red face immediately transitioned into an ugly, pasty white was so satisfying after having to sneak around for so long.

  “Y-y-you,” he stammered, looking at her. Watch Sergeant Bale’s eyes got even wider when he finally realized what that would make Krion. “That w-would…H-h-he is—?!”

  “Krion von Sturmwacht,” Alesin said with no small amount of relish, “a s of the Imperial Archducal House Bcksword.”

  With just those few words, the Watch Sergeant pletely ged his attitude, the fear almost radiating from him. Immediately, she began to feel a little guilty. Alesin knew from personal experience how so many nobles in the Empire puheir social inferiors for a fra of the treatment Watch Sergeant Bale had been about to insist upon. Luckily for the terrified man, Krion was not the type to react to his slight. If he even reized it as a slight.

  Watch Sergeant Bale swallowed hard and shifted his stance from angry defiao an almost wary subservience. “Lord Krion,” he said, bowing his head to Krion. “My apologies for nnizing your status… I hadn’t realized. I’d never have presumed to issue you an order otherwise. Is there anything we do for you, my lord?”

  For Krion’s part, he remained focused on the injured womao him.

  “There is no need for apologies to me, Sergeant,” he dismissed the man’s apology while giving the tour a slight tug to keep it tight. “Could you have your healer take a look at this woman?”

  Watch Sergeant Bale straightened, still visibly te clearly reassured by the ck of reproa Krion’s voice. Alesin realized that his approach to others showing subservience like this would bee ahing that would set Krion apart from the h imperial nobility.

  “Of course, Lord Krion. Most wouldn’t… I mean… thank you.” The Watch Sergeant clearly struggled to find the right words, but with no shing out by the young s, Bale focused on his one request. “Hurst, get over here aheir wounds!”

  A young woman in the ranks of the Watch stepped forward from where she had been leaning against a rade. Pale in the face, and with her hands slightly shaking, she nervously looked between those she had been ordered to heal and her Watch Sergeant.

  “Ah, Sergeant. I don’t have enough reserves to heal both yet.”

  “Then prioritze Lord Krion.”

  “Rolfun,” Krion interjected, “do you have any more of those minor healing potions?”

  “Of course, lord. Though this one should be the st for a while since you have been using so many in your training.” Rolfun leaned down to pull out one of the potions from his ste ring. Her husband ha to Krion, but the young lord refused to take it.

  “A sed one?” Krion asked.

  “Lord?”

  “I wasn’t the only one injured,” he gestured at the woman lying beside him.

  Watch Sergeant Bale cleared his throat, gng between Krion and the injured woman. “My lord, if I may… even if you wish to use the potion, our healer still tend to the woman’s injuries,” he offered, his voice deferential as he gestured the healer, Hurst, forward.

  “No,” Krion held up a hand, halting her before she could get to the woman. “Save your strength. We have extra potions, and if you e aore Storm Wolves, your healing will be hen.”

  The healer hesitated, eyes darting teant Bale for firmation. Slowly, the squad’s leader nodded. For Alesin, it was clear to see that both were fused. Nobility in the Empire just did not hand out healing potions, even those as retively inexpensive as the minor ones Rolfun carried, without demanding something iurn. But Krion hadn’t dohat. Instead, he was simply insisting that Hurst save her healing for if the squad of the Watch came across aorm Wolf.

  With no interruption, Rolfun handed over another minor healing potion. After drinking his own, Krion took the sed and gave it to the injured woman. Apart from a groan, she did not otherwise stir while the hole in her leg sealed. As her breathing eased, her daughters pressed in close, clearly relieved that their mother was going to be alright.

  “We’re in your debt, Lord Krion. Most nobility wouldn’t… I mean… thank you.” Watch Sergeant Bale visibly struggled to find the right words, eyes darting to his men, who looked on with a mix of awe and fusion. It wasn’t every day they found themselves in the presence of the high imperial nobility. Even rarer to see one who put their life on the lio prote civilians like Krion had dohat Alesin herself could attest to, given her past experiences.

  Krion waved off the thanks, “Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing really. I’m simply gd I was able to help in some small way before we head to the oint.”

  Watch Sergeant Bale’s posture softened, as did his grip on his spear. His eyes fixed on Krion’s blood-soaked back. “Are you sure you’ll make it to the oint? My squad and I escort you.”

  Alesin snorted in pt. Like those of the Wat the frontier of a border world on the edge of the Empire would be able to do anything should Rolfun and herself be overpowered. She almost said as much, before a sharp look from Rolfun caused her to shut her mouth.

  “I appreciate the offer, Watch Sergeant. But your people need you, and my panions are strong enough to ese there,” Krioly deed. “But I would appreciate it if you could do something for this mother and her daughters.”

  “We will make sure they get somewhere safe before we tiowards the wall.”

  “Then we leave them in your capable hands,” Alesin said. She leaned over and pulled Krion to his feet. As he stood, he winced. Apparently, the minor healing potion hadn’t been enough to fix everything.

  Before they could step away, both little girls stepped over and grabbed Krion around the legs. Mumbled thanks were spoken, to which Krion was not sure how to respond. He decided on patting them gently on their heads and whispered back reassurances. Upon his standing to his full height, the Watch Sergeant and his squad banged fists to chests in salute. She looked away with a smile as Krion clearly struggled to mimic the salute back. Ahing he would have to get used to, especially if he tinued engaging in these heroics.

  That thought brought a bit of her anger back, and when they finally were far enough away, she fronted Krion again.

  “I ’t believe you put yourself at risk like that. You don’t even have a css yet!” She growled at him as they broke into a jog, Rolfun leading the way again. “Please tell me you at least spent the stat points you earned from your level-up.”

  “Ummm, well…No.” Krion responded, increasing his pace to keep up. “I, ah, figured it would be smarter to use them when I have time to train, that I might get used to the ges.”

  While his admission of not having used the free stat points he had received on leveling up, Alesin had to admit that his reasoning at least made a little sense. A feoints added would have made a minimal difference, even this low in level, but if he had dropped all thirty into a siat, all at once… He probably would have had his bat ability through pletely off-kilter.

  “You have to admit that he has sound reasoning, Alesin,” Rolfun said from in front of them.

  “Alright,” she relutly agreed. “But make sure to use those stats the opportunity you get. You are too low a level, and too weak right now to keep your stats in reserve.”

  While she wao say more to Krion, she held her tongue as reinforts in the uniform of the City Watch came sprinting in their dire from deeper itlement. Not wanting to deal with any more interruptions to their efforts to get Krion to the oint, both she and her husband formed up oher side of Krion to guide him to the side of the street. It looked like the Watch Sergeant leading the squad was about to step over to them for a moment, but several howls from nearby caused him to call for his men to increase their speed. Even after they disappeared out of sight, the howls and sounds of bat tinued. In fact, it seemed to be ing closer.

  Given how much fighting was still going on in Thorn’s Reach, Alesin was beginning to suspeething more dangerous was happening here. The attack had been going on too long for it to simply be an aggressive pack of Storm Wolves. Given the numbers o pee this far into the settlement, a w possibility came to her.

  The Storm Wolves might be the leading edge of a Beast Wave.

  On worlds like Verdant VI, which were still predominantly wild, monstrous beasts were on and multiplied quickly. The settlement, and gradual taming, of these worlds would gradually put these creatures at risk. The dumber ones would quickly be culled. The smarter, more dangerous species, however, would begin to cooperate. They would gradually begin to probe for weaknesses and, if they find any, would work to wipe out the threats that settlements pose. With enough monstrous species involved, a Beast Wave would result. Those that gaioo muentum could wipe a world of all civilization. Perhaps she would ask Rolfun if they should e back to help ohey saw Krion safely through the oint.

  With no more reinforts in their way, Rolfun took off in the lead again. The few streets were empty. The sounds of fighting were barely disable this deep into Thorn’s Reach, but it was still loud enough that anyone who would normally be outside had already sought shelter. With n ears nearby, Alesin tried o time to impress on Krion the need not to put himself at such risk as he did today.

  “Rolfun, Krion, hold on for a moment.”

  They both came to a stop, though only Krion turo look at her. Rolfu his eyes roving over the street, looking for any potential threats. She could guess he already knew what she wao say to the young lord. Since he kept focused on their surroundings, her husband agreed that she o talk to Krion about his ret foolishness.

  “Krion, we are almost to the oint but there are a few things we o talk about yet.”

  “Like what?”

  “First, how foolish it was to put yourself at risk back there,” she held up a hand to cut off his response. “It was n to head off the fight, and that mother and her daughters owe everything to you. But it was still foolish. ”

  “Bu—”

  “No,” she firmly cut him off. “As well as you have been doing, you are still not fully trained. Nor do you have any bodyguards to watch your back. Until you have that, at the minimum, any intervention in a fight like that one will be nothing but foolish.”

  For a long minute, Krion was silent, staring down at the ground. When he finally looked back up at her, his jaw was set in a firm line.

  “I thought we had beehis, Alesin.”

  “Not enough, we haven’t,” Alesin said. “I will keep going over this with you until it finally sinks in. You. Were. Foolish. Don’t do—”

  “The strong should protect those who ’t protect themselves,” he interrupted her.

  “But you are NOT STRO!” Her even respourned into shouting by the end.

  “I will be!”

  “BUT YOU ARE NOT YET!” Her cloak of fme began to ma itself about her shoulders. How could he really not get what she was trying to tell him? She didn’t want him to stop proteg others; she just wanted him not to go about it foolishly. Like he clearly insisted on doing right now!

  “Krion,” Rolfun interjected, stepping iween her and the young lord.

  She almost shouted at him, but the look in his eye and a slight shake of his head brought her up short. She took a long, shaking breath, then released it.

  “What Alesin is saying, Krion,” Rolfun tinued, eyes focused on him. “Is to keep that focus on proteg others. Throw yourself into all the training you while at the Imperial Academy. Just don’t be foolish about it.” He held up heavy fists to cut off Krion. “I mean, don’t fet to put the same level of effort into gaining allies that you trust. And at least a few bodyguards.”

  “But wha—”

  “Krion, you ’t help anyone if you die heroically,” Rolfun said firmly. “And everything I have seen in training you to this point tells me you will have a massive capacity to help others. Don’t waste it because you are impatient to help.”

  “Even if it means sacrifig people now?” Krion’s jaw unched, and his voice got low. “Even if it means children would die?”

  “Even then,” Rolfun nodded grimly. “As hard as it is to say, the reality of life in an Empire stantly under siege from all dires, your potential is far too valuable, for far too many, to exge it for even a pce like Thorn’s Reach. Perhaps not for the whole of Verdant VI, if you work hard enough. So. we trust you not only to protect others but also to protect yourself?”

  Slowly, relutly, Krion nods his head.

  “Good, now let us get you to the oint.”

  They set off again. It was times like these that Alesin was truly appreciative of her husband. Without his intervention, she would likely have kept yelling at Krion, firm in the belief that shouting would eventually get the words to pee his thick skull. Thankfully, Rolfun had intervened. She would have to thank him ter. Her thoughts were cut off as they finally came within sight of their destination. Their mission ractically pleted.

  The oint was just ahead.

  Sorry for the dey, everyone. A situation came up at my work, which briefly set me back. Here is the chapter, which will be the st interlude for a while. Things are about to quickly take off as Krion arrives at the Imperial Academy. I hope you ehis one!

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