231 Side Story Chapter “I cannot believe he tried to pass his duties off to someone else. The man’s audacity is truly astounding!” Ursuline made the outburst as he warmed himself by the brazier, his voice dripping in contempt. “Does he think his daughter’s hand is so high an honor that he can justify such a brazen proposal? What arrogance!” “The duke has no sons,” said Gabel, who had been sipping wine nearby. “No doubt he is planning to put his responsibilities on a son-in-law. But why make this offer to Sir Riftan, of all people, instead of one of his vassals?” Ruth looked up from pensively staring into the fire. “He likely did not wish to antagonize anyone on his side. With a territory so vast, the absolute loyalty of his vassal knights is imperative. He could not risk earning their enmity. Many of Dristan’s western nobles are still waiting for the chance to take the duke’s land. A divided army would have dire consequences for him.” “And… he thought he could solve the problem by dragging the Remdragon Knights into it?” Hebaron snarled like an angry bear. “Does he take us for fools?” Elliot turned to Riftan, who had maintained a grim silence throughout the discussion. “How do you think the duke will proceed? Do you think he will make the offer to another feudal lord?” “He can scour the whole kingdom if he wants, but what buffoon would willingly risk his life for him?!” Hebaron bellowed. Riftan’s lips tightened. That buffoon would become Maximilian Croyso’s husband. Imagining another man by her side felt like a knife to the heart. In an attempt to shake off the dreadful feeling, Riftan spat, “He has no other options. He will send one of his vassal knights.” It was highly unlikely the duke would ever consider leading the Dragon Campaign himself, and the same went for Riftan. He poked the bonfire with a long stick as he spoke his thoughts aloud. “When that happens, he will be forced to rely on the crown even further for military aid. It will weaken his control of the east, just as our king wishes.” King Reuben had already put pressure on the kingdom’s western and northern nobles. No feudal lord would be willing to fight in the campaign in the duke’s stead at the cost of antagonizing the crown. Riftan smiled bitterly. The duke was certainly aware of this as well. It was why he had made the offer to Riftan, a man whom he looked down on. Any lowborn knight would be flattered by the generous offer, the duke had likely assumed, and would gladly risk his life out of sheer gratitude. I almost did. Riftan scoffed at himself as he rose to his feet. “That’s enough chatter. Regardless of what the duke decides, we have our own tasks to tend to.” “Are we to stay quiet after such insult?” Hebaron bellowed. “The man makes a preposterous offer, then has the gall to act offended when it is rejected? Yet we should show restraint?” “And if we do not?” Riftan snapped, shooting the knight a menacing glare. “Should I march an army into his duchy?” Silence fell over the group. Only then did it seem to occur to the knights that their commander was perhaps the angriest of all. Riftan left the rest area before the others could say any more. The dotted stars cast a dim light across the night sky. Exhausted, Riftan trudged to his tent while gazing at the full moon. With ill-boding prescience, he knew he would not be getting any sleep for a while. Still, even this feeling would one day fade. There was nothing more he could do now but believe that it would. The knights soon forgot about the visit from the duke’s messenger as an even graver danger reared its head. As the Red Dragon’s magic increased by the day, so did the number of monsters leaving the mountain. From dusk till dawn, they battled the fleeing creatures at the edge of the Misty Forest, leaving no time to fume over the Duke of Croyso’s arrogance. Adding to their woes were their insufficient manpower and dwindling supplies. Riftan rubbed his throbbing temple while writing a report for the king. It would be difficult to slay the dragon if the crown did not launch a campaign as soon as possible. Every cleric sent to investigate the barrier surrounding the mountain had reported that the dragon was recovering its magic far quicker than initially predicted. It would be a catastrophe if they did not hurry. After saying as much in his report, Riftan urged the king for more men and provisions before signing off with the order’s seal. Though he longed to rebuke King Reuben for waging a petty war of nerves with the duke at such a time, he knew that would only cause an uproar among the king’s advisors. He quashed the impulse and rolled up the report with a sigh. He was about to leave to find a messenger when Elliot Charon’s voice carried into the tent. “Sir Riftan, we found an urchin hiding in the barracks. What should we do with him?” Riftan frowned. It was not uncommon for vagrants to sneak into the camp to steal food. He did not see why Elliot had sought him when there were military protocols in place for such situations. “Do you ask because you cannot deal with a petty thief yourself?” Riftan barked irritably. “Er… the child was making a fuss about needing to see you.” Riftan narrowed his eyes. “See me?” “He says you would know who he is. Novan’s son.” A chill ran down his spine. “Where is he now?” he demanded, striding out of the tent. “Over there.” Elliot immediately led the way. The boy was kneeling near the defensive wall made of vertically placed logs. Though it had been years since their encounter, Riftan recognized the lad as his stepfather’s son. The boy’s face was set in a defiant glower as if to hide his fear. He leaped to his feet when he saw Riftan approaching. “That’s him! He’s the one I came to see!” “You dare point a finger at the commander?” a guard reprimanded, pushing the boy to the ground. Riftan immediately intervened. “I know the child. Let him go.” As soon as the guard backed down, the boy dusted his clothes and got to his feet. He raised his chin as if to say, I told you so. Riftan studied the boy’s bruised face with a frighteningly grim expression. “What are you doing here? Were you aware you would’ve been put to death on sight if you’d been caught?” “I-I came to see you.” The boy shrank back at Riftan’s harsh tone. Then, he shouted defiantly, “I had to! F-Father was sent to prison because of you!” “Insolent child! Keep your voice down!” The guard grabbed the boy by the head and forced him to his knees once more. At Riftan’s glare, the man flinched and hastily stepped back. Riftan helped the boy up and pressed him to explain. “What do you mean? Tell me what happened, in detail.” “H-He was accused of stealing… b-because of the gold coins you gave us… and…” Overwhelmed with grief, the boy began to sob. Riftan silently cursed. He did not need to know the rest of the story to guess what had happened. “Who brought the charges against your father?” “I-I don’t know. Men in armor burst into our house and dragged him off to Croyso Castle. They say he’ll be hanged within the month.” Tears choked the boy’s voice. “Father will be killed if you don’t testify for him.” A foreboding chill gripped Riftan’s spine. “How did you get here?” “Why does that matter?! Father is—” The boy cut short his teary outburst at Riftan’s menacing expression. Hunching his shoulders, the boy mumbled, “Th-The men in armor brought me here.” When Riftan looked up, the guards shook their heads. “We saw no one else besides the boy.” “I-I’m not lying! They told me I could find you here. They brought me to this forest and left.” The boy looked up at Riftan imploringly. ... “You’ll save him, won’t you? You know Father never stole anything.” 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦 Riftan clenched his fists, his stomach turning in rage. The Croyso messenger’s threat rang in his ears. Getting to his feet, Riftan motioned to a soldier standing to the side. “Take the boy and have his bruises seen to immediately.” “Forget me! It’s Father that—” “Nothing will happen to your father. I will handle the matter, so get yourself treated.” “R-Really? You swear?” the boy asked, rubbing his bloodshot eyes with his fist. Unable to meet the boy’s gaze, Riftan gave a curt nod and strode to where his horse was tethered. Elliot hastily followed behind him. “Who on earth is that child? Do explain what’s going on.” Riftan flicked a glance at Elliot as he saddled his horse. Even as the commander, he could not leave the camp without an explanation. “The boy is my stepfather’s son,” Riftan said in a heavy voice. “Stepfather?” Elliot repeated, stunned. ... Riftan nodded. “Yes. The man wrongfully imprisoned for stealing is my stepfather. I’m going to pay a quick visit to Croyso Castle, so I leave it to you to explain everything to the others.” Elliot’s face hardened as the realization finally hit him. “Do you think this is the duke’s doing?” “Most likely,” Riftan said through gritted teeth. As he mounted his horse, Elliot blocked his path. “You mustn’t go alone. Let us accompany you.” “This is a personal matter.” In a rare show of anger, Elliot retorted, “You are our leader. Your matters are our matters.” Gripping the reins, Riftan clenched his jaw. Though it did not sit well with him, he knew it might be better to bring men to protect his stepfather and his family. In the end, he folded his stubbornness. “Fine. You may come.” Elliot breathed a sigh of relief. “I will tell the others.”