Chapter 15

  Finglas

  After their fight with the black shuck; Ellyn, Rigel, and Olivia resume their way toward Finglas. They opted to remain out of the road in case bandits appear along the way, but at least stay within sight of it. Not just because to have a proper trail to follow, but also because they wanted to avoid anything like a black shuck from appearing in front of them again. Still, they worried their awkward place might have them spotted by bandits or monsters at anyway, but they would have to cross that bridge if they get there.

  Ellyn rubbed her eyes over and over again; not getting much sleep in almost two days was starting to take a toll on her. Yet before anyone could notice it, she pinched her thigh with brutal strength. That ought to wake her up for now.

  “Ngh... Much better, I think.” She thought.

  However, she knows that her heavy fatigue will drastically affect her performance in all areas. Considering she also needed to look out for Rigel and Olivia, as well as the money they have on themselves, she wondered if pushing it was the correct decision at all. It was a source of great worry for her. Rigel and Olivia were both inexperienced in both traveling and fighting, their battle against that ghoulish hound made it painfully clear to her that needed to be extra cautious from now on.

  She didn’t blame them for it; after all, it was a guarantee that they would make mistakes given their inexperience—and it wasn't like she was some expert either. Rather, what she cursed was her inability to make up for those mistakes, as she too, was inexperienced when it came to working with others. Ellyn was only confident in her ability to inflict injury, just knock out cold anyone. She wasn’t, however, so sure about her being able to protect others. She had relied on not getting into fights at all so they wouldn’t be in danger in the first place, but perhaps it was too much to wish for.

  “There’s Rigel, Olivia, the money to keep safe... As well as making sure the hired men stay true to their word... Making sure Marco, Maya, and the rest are safe when we return…”

  As they silently walked through the grasslands, feeling the mixture of cold air from the early morning, the thought did inevitably cross Ellyn’s mind:

  “Can I… really do this?”

  She wanted to believe that it all could work, that she could make it work. It was an opportunity to do right to her uncle, as well as the people of the village she so foolishly endangered. However, as much as she wanted to believe that things would work out, doubt crawled on the back of her head with no way to clear it. The plan was undeniably hasty and very likely to fail. Even if it did work it all hinged on hired swords clashing against the bandits at The Village, and that meant people will die. If those people were among those that reached out to her…

  …She truly wanted to believe it would all work out, somehow.

  Olivia felt increasingly uncomfortable as they all walked on. Ellyn had been dead silent after they killed the black shuck; Rigel also hadn’t said a word since. She knew she messed up by trying to kill it in order to look better in front of both of them. Such a course of actions left Rigel alone for a mere moment, a moment that almost kills him. She couldn’t believe herself.

  “This is terrible...”

  Their first encounter was almost a complete disaster. While it made sense to her that Ellyn knew how to fight, given what she knew of her background, she was barely capable of handling that creature. A little more and she would be mourning Rigel by now. What also weighed on her was how she could tell it was her responsibility to look after the boy. Ellyn had jumped ahead to fight the beast, while she was to make sure Rigel and herself were out of harm’s way. In retrospect, that much was clear to her.

  She messed up, and almost paid too heavy a price for it.

  “Ngh...”

  Still, she learned something important. Oddly enough she felt a bit better when thinking that she may grow as a result of messing up. Not that she wants to do it again. The first thing she realized was that none of them know how to fight as a group. No one communicated clearly with each other what they should be doing, in a matter of life and death, such aspect was the most important thing.

  “It’s going to be a real problem soon if we fight something again...”

  They would need to learn what each of them can do and figure out a basic strategy on how to approach a fight. Though there might not be a lot of opportunities to do so...

  The other thing that she had realized was how utterly ignorant she had been when it came to the concept of battle itself. The sword she wielded was long for its type, light, and well-balanced. It allowed her to swing and dash with ease and make great use of the little she learned from her late father. That was, naturally, when it came to practicing. When an enemy showed, and it was time to put her steel to test, her hand found it difficult to guide her blade to the enemy’s flesh. The strike she landed should have done more damage, it was something her father taught her, and it could deal serious damage to even a horse, but her execution could have been so much more.

  How lightly she had taken it all. She truly thought she could kill those bandits, rescue whoever was kidnapped in those caves, and jolt away to some safe location while the Wood Fang could only shake their fists in the air, as well as thinking her attack on the shuck was enough to lay it low.

  “Just what was I thinking? Putting you two in danger like that... I’m the worst. Rigel is supposed to be one of my childhood friends and yet I...” She bit her lip in frustration.

  That lack of power is what in turn, made her look at Ellyn with admiration. She didn’t feel like she worshiped her, but she definitely wished she had that supernatural strength for herself. A girl that looked just like her was strong enough to put the bastards that tormented her into the ground where they belong, what a nice fantasy to live.

  While she understood that she would never be able to have inhuman senses, speed or strength like that, she nevertheless found hope in the idea that she too could find power of her own and put on the ground all the vermin... It was a bit of a twisted source of joy.

  That being said, she did not understand why Ellyn looked so reluctant when the topic of fighting others was brought up, what does someone as gifted as she has to fear? She still didn’t get why she was so adamant at the idea that she would have to hurt someone, even take a life. That was just the way the world was.

  “Whatever power you have, it’s meant to kill people. The faster you accept the, the faster we can work together to truly save everyone…”

  Rigel wasn’t used to sleeping so little.

  While he had grown used to waking up early from his routine with Ellyn, he often got plenty hours of sleep and rest fitting for a boy his age. Then, it would be off to see Alan and have breakfast if he hadn’t had some yet. After that will be seeing Darius and Olivia after they are done training and spend the afternoon with them. Finally, he would study and practice his magic in the evening.

  In order to deal with this daily routine of his, he made sure to have enough sleep on his schedule. However, after all that had happened, he had only slept for three hours at most and the exhaustion was heavily affecting him. To add on to his worries: Olivia seemed troubled by something as she looked constantly from left to right. Ellyn, too, seemed lost in her own world, while also looking on edge as well.

  He himself struggled to keep his mind occupied and avoided dropping like a stone, even if a big part of him wanted to lay right there on the grass to enjoy hours of uninterrupted sleep—He guessed the girls would like to rest for a moment as well.

  “Ngh... Maybe we should stop… or at least chat to keep things lively? I don’t know…”

  To do the rest of the way on foot was truly a miserable experience, but there was nothing they could do about it.

  “Alright, let’s try...” He approached Olivia, who seemed too lost on the horizon to notice him.

  “Olivia!” He shouted.

  “Hya?!!” Olivia jumped.

  “What’s wrong?!” Ellyn said, being just as startled as the other girl.

  Olivia’s body stiffened like a stick; her high-pitch yelp is caught on her throat as her eyes go wide open. Rigel also noticed how Ellyn was already with her hands up ready to fight anything that came at them. Though, with the visibly, almost blue bags under their eyes, it was hard to think they were in top condition to fight.

  “Eeh... W-what do you need, Rigel?”

  “N-no, I- I just... thought you were looking a bit on edge, is everything alright?”

  “Ahaha... Is it really noticeable?” Olivia made a troubled expression at being called out.

  “You too, Ellyn, are you alright? You seem even more tired than Olivia.”

  Ellyn touched her face in surprise, “...D-do I?”

  “You do. Is there something wrong? We should still have hours before reaching Finglas. It worries me that the two haven’t slept at all... maybe we should stop and rest for a bit?”

  “I-It’s okay Rigel! I am feeling pretty good right now!”

  “Hm. I can also hold on. You on the other hand, seem more tired than us, we can stop here if you need to sleep some more.”

  “Yeah, you shouldn’t push yourself too hard.”

  “No, you guys-”

  Olivia placed both hands on her cheeks as if to contain her smile, “Hehehe~ thank you, Rigel, but we are fine. Come here; let’s sit on the grass so you can rest for a bit.”

  She then took his hand and pulled him to her side, a moment later they were both sitting on the ground—Rigel’s head pushed against her chest.

  “Ngh! Stop it!” He squirmed.

  Ellyn chuckled at the sight, “Don’t take too long. We need to hurry while there’s still light.”

  “Just let me go already!”

  The two older girls paid no heed to his complaints. To them, he was akin to their little brother, and so they would prioritize him above themselves. It was something he was keenly aware of, and it irritated him to no end.

  “Gheh!” After a lot of struggling, he managed to get out of her embrace.

  He knew they didn’t mean ill with their intentions, but that didn’t mean he took no offense in them. Despite taking him along, Rigel was only there for menial tasks anyone else could fill. It mattered not that he was capable of spell-casting, or that he was willing to face danger for his loved ones just as much as the other two. His place there could be filled by anyone else.

  Not even his attempt at looking out for his friends triumphed over his position as the protected child. So, why did they agreed to bring him in, then?

  At least, that’s how he felt it.

  Rigel walked away seething. He refused to direct any other word towards either of the two girls, who looked at him in confusion. The two girls exchanged glances, as if wondering why the boy acted so estranged from them.

  “...You stupid, inconsiderate, ignorant, condescending jerks...!” He thought, yet those words never even came out of his gritting teeth. The boy was furious, but he wouldn’t dare begin arguing when they had a job to do. Well, the girls had a job to do.

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  He could only let that frustration smolder inside him.

  After a few hours, the group continued walking through the open grasslands, not much was said between them and due to the road towards Finglas being mostly straight there was not even a need to talk about directions.

  Eventually, the group was forced to stop and eat. Bread, jerky and a small pouch of juice made with fruit, all from Maya’s skilled hands. Ellyn was used to bread and water, as she grew used to over the years, but by insistence of Maya, they would enjoy something better than the bare minimum. It was definitely for the better, however, as Rigel and Olivia found it more invigorating to see a complete meal after so many hours of non-stop walking, as well as two life-threatening experiences.

  The atmosphere was tense, however. Even the food prepared with maternal love tasted awkward when in front of the silent, uncomfortable expressions that the three of them wore.

  “Eh-... Mn.” Rigel mumbled.

  By now, Ellyn saw Rigel as a boy who made sure to voice his stance on most situations. Seeing him like this, struggling to make a conversation, was new for her and indicative of how awkward the situation was to her too.

  “Maya is a really good cook, huh...” Olivia said, her eyes locked on the food.

  “Yeah…” Rigel replied.

  The lukewarm response made Olivia look away dejected; it was now that she started to realize how much she had upset him a couple of hours ago.

  Having your mind occupied during moments of high stress can help a great deal to surmount difficult challenges. Ellyn didn’t want to let the mood get worse, so she decided to keep the conversation going over whatever topic comes by.

  “By the way... I have a question.” She said.

  Rigel tilted his head, “Hm?”

  “What is it?” Olivia replied.

  Unfortunately, Ellyn didn’t exactly know what she should ask about, “Uuh… What… kind of city is Finglas?”, So she went with the first thing that came to her head.

  “Ah. I keep forgetting you are not actually from here.” Rigel said.

  “Huh... That’s odd. I’d assumed you passed through it in your way to our village. It’s the only road that leads there, after all.”

  “N-no, I came from the south, from Lamiegal… we, uh, had to take a detour and missed the city.”

  Ellyn tried her best to not outright mention her and her uncle’s job of scamming people, as well as the event that got her to the village in the first place. She considered it something that was better left in the past entirely. It wasn't like it was going to change anything and she didn't felt too comfortable openly talking about how she helped scamming people and running away when they were found out.

  “I've never been to Finglas myself, but it has become pretty famous lately for being the epicenter of so much tension. The merchants at home have called the second-worst hotspot.”

  Ellyn tilted her head, “‘Second’?”

  “There’s a city at the northernmost of the whole kingdom that is said to be a fortress city that’s constantly fighting monsters. It’s called Dún Sneachta.”

  Ellyn nodded, “woah…”

  “Also, the name ‘Finglas’ is part of the reason the city is so infamous.” Olivia pointed out.

  “Right... I heard of it.”

  “Is the name so bad?”

  As they chatted on; Rigel, Olivia, and Ellyn all finished their meals and immediately resumed their walk. Before they knew it, the tense air that permeated their group not long ago was all but gone. What’s more, based on the way the boy looked at them, he decided to let go what happened earlier in favor of harmony among each other. That being said, despite their atmosphere getting better, Olivia wanted to let him know she meant no ill, even if she isn’t sure what exactly upset him to begin with. But, it would have to wait for a more opportune time.

  Olivia cleared her voice, “As I was saying: Apparently, the reason why Finglas is so troublesome is that it is currently being disputed.”

  Ellyn couldn’t hide her surprise “Really?”

  “Yeah, the Republic of Lamiegal from the south is trying to annex it, as well as the lands surrounding it, basically the whole south of Vigram.”

  Ellyn knew as much about politics as she knew of ship-making and the only yshe knew of ships was that they were made of wood and they floated. However, an event like the annexation of territory was something even she could understand the dangerous ramifications it could have between two nations. It outright spelled open conflict between everyone involved.

  “But these lands belong to Vigram, don’t they? Isn’t that an act of war?”

  “Well… They do belong to them, kinda.” Olivia scratched her head.

  “What do you mean by ‘kinda’?” Ellyn frowned.

  “Look, it is strange, and I also only know the basics of it,” She cleared her voice, “All during the height of the Father’s Famine.”

  “Ah, yeah, I’m starting to remember too.” Rigel said.

  The Father’s Famine, it seemed as if so much of this country’s modern history was being shaped directly because of that event. Just thinking about such a large-scale event that brought a nation to its knees was something that Ellyn struggle to imagine.

  But how could it not? From Akira's recount, Vigram was at the key player at the world stage before the famine. Their power and influence were strong due to their presence on something as vital as food & spices production and imports. The moment the famine hit, the supply chain was cut off and its effects rippled across the entire world and seats of power got shaken and reorganized. The country went into ruin at a dizzying speed. The economy collapsed, entire cities were thrown into crime and chaos, whole towns disappeared in the middle of migrations, and countless innocent people died due to numerous circumstances. In a way, she found it impressive that the country was still standing after going through that.

  “From what I know; Finglas, or how was it called before: Dún Uisce, fell into ruin during the famine and the governor was replaced by a man of Lamiegal nationality, who bought the city from his predecessor. A man named Finglaneon Hargrave. He apparently kept the city and some of the smaller hamlets around it that he kept fed through the famine. Albeit barely.” Olivia explained.

  “However,” Rigel intervened, “Finglaneon cannot buy Vigranti territory, I think. My mom told me any lord is still a vassal to the king, so that would make their deal both an act of treason from the former governor’s part and illegitimate from Finglaneon’s. Vigram then slapped a big ‘No’ on the situation and refused to recognize something like that... Did I get it right?”

  “Right, then, Finglaneon in response brought a bunch of soldiers and stationed them at Finglas. Vigram did the same by pulling back whatever they could to make their own pressure, leaving a lot of other places unprotected from bandits and monsters. Thing is neither seems to be in a position to start attacking the other because they don't have the resources to support any form prolonged fighting, but both are claiming ownership of the same place regardless. This whole thing is also why some call it the ‘Northern City’ because if it were to belong to Lamiegal, which many now support, it would be their Northernmost. That is from Lamiegi supporters, naturally.”

  “In short: a bunch of political nonsense!”

  Rigel barked with an annoyed face as he put his arm behind his back. Combined with his short stature, child-like features, and the stride he moved with, Ellyn and Olivia tried to hold themselves back on commenting that he looked super cute like that.

  “Ever since, and with the population split on which country they support, the city has been a hot topic for debate. That’s how we arrived at today.”

  Ellyn thought about, “You mentioned other places were left unprotected from this, does that means the reason Finglas is fit to hire mercenaries is because-”

  Olivia raised her finger, “You’re on track. A lot of those ‘mercenaries’ we are seeking are anyone who was fallen on hard times due to the famine and that conflict going on, yes. While there’s a disparity in quality from someone forced to take the sword and a professional, many find it hard to say no to a job that will keep them fed.”

  “So their situation helps us to resolve ours and in return, we provide them this money to help them keep going.” Rigel added.

  Ellyn was thoroughly impressed by the girl’s knowledge of the topic. Given the position that the village had been in for so long, it was surprising to see them so aware of the outside world that surrounded them. Or at the very least, their immediate surroundings. However, merchants from the village did made trips to Finglas to make a living, albeit with great difficulty, so it shouldn't be too surprising they returned with more information in their head than coin in their purse.

  “Uh- woah...”

  “Hm? Is there something wrong?”

  “No- I just didn’t expect you to be so knowledgeable about something like that.”

  Olivia gently flipped her short hair as a tinge of blush crossing over her cheeks, “Ahaha... I don’t know a lot, though. The merchants from the village and my mom were ones that taught all of it, mom in particular.”

  “Your mother’s the red haired lady that was with us when we left, right? She seems like a nice person.”

  “Her name’s Minerva.” She smiled, “I really admire her...”

  Ellyn tilted her head with a smile, “How so?”

  “Well, all the things she learned made me want to go out and see the world for myself, and her unfinished bestiary is a perfect way for me to do so.”

  “And yet you can’t close to any bug even with a twenty-meter pole. Amazing.” Rigel loudly intervened.

  “Hey that’s rude!” Olivia snapped.

  “Your mom is capable of eating a live worm and not flinch a single muscle, but you cry when a ladybug flies pass you, but go ahead and detail the nastiest creatures of the world.” He snickered.

  “Ngh!! You were just all offended just a moment ago! You shitty kid...!!”

  “Woah!”

  Ellyn observed as Olivia tried to wipe the smug out of the boy’s face and thought to herself how bright and happy Olivia looked when she talked about Minerva.

  It was as clear as day how much admiration the red-haired girl felt for her. Enough to want to finish the grand work she herself was never able to. It was a goal that would take decades to achieve, with a large amount of risk and commitment that would be expected on a constant basis from the moment she head out into the world.

  ...Now that she thought about it, Rigel also had an impressively large, long-term goal set for his future, one that required him to leave that tiny village and place himself high in the world of magic. No doubt, it was also an incredibly demanding task. Darius and Alan most likely shared similar thoughts about the future. Olivia was the latest one she just had become aware of.

  It was curious to her, how villagers who lived in a tiny and abused corner of the world still daydreamed about the future, even on numbered days.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t something she was good at understanding, ‘Making it to the next day is a far bigger achievement than a fancy office.’ That’s what her uncle Osman used to say, and in her opinion, he wasn’t wrong. That was exactly what helped the two of them live for so long as they moved from city to city, region to region.

  Besides, it wasn’t like Ellyn remembered the last time she had a dream like that. If ever.

  Even if she searched through her own memories, down to her earliest years. The only thing she recalled was the backs of her parents as they carried a small raven-haired girl to a place she couldn’t visibly make out. After that, she was with Osman, both moving along towards the next day, and the day after, and the day after that.

  No dream for the future could be found.

  There was nothing there.

  After walking for hours without much rest, the group saw at last what they have been seeking. While it may only be their first step, but it did not matter to them, after so much trouble to have that first step done, all three were proud to have taken it.

  The main gate was flanked by watchtowers linked by a defensive wall that barred anyone from entering; a set of small homes in varying conditions surrounded the city proper. Over to the sides, farms were visible in the distance as they stretched far behind the city.

  For something that wasn’t a dedicated fortified metropolis, it was rather obvious that the handiwork was being done to turn Finglas into one. Though it made sense to Ellyn, based on what she heard earlier from Olivia, the purpose of this city is to be a base of operations for the first line of defense that was the border. Now, it served that purpose for two countries at odds with each other.

  What called the most attention to Ellyn, however, was the tall castle that rose from within the city; it was rather elaborated, almost like a cathedral of, yet fortified with towers and walls of its own.

  Rigel sighed in relief as his eyes landed on the city. Olivia too, felt as if a weight was lifted off her when she saw the city. Even Ellyn, who heavily dislikes highly populated areas, couldn’t help but feel relieved to see the city at long last.

  “I can’t believe we made it,” Olivia sighed, “Although, it was pretty easy, don't you think?”

  “We almost died like twice in less than two days.” Rigel snapped.

  Olivia tried to look away, “Ahahaha… Still haven’t forgiven me about the shuck, huh?”

  “Or the nearly alerting all of the Wood Fang.” He added.

  Ellyn stepped forward, inadvertently saving Olivia from that conversation, “Now that we have arrived, we have to locate the man that Akira told us about. Olivia, what does he look like?”

  Olivia scratched her head, “Uuh... Orange hair, tall, and without an arm. He is named Owen and lives outside the city. Miss Akira left it on a piece of paper I have with me, as well as a letter for him.”

  Olivia pointed at the items in question inside a small pouch firmly attached to her waist with a thin roped. Rigel and Ellyn nodded in response. There was a moment of silence among them. An air of anticipation that made them as happy as they were nervous filled their chests. Their gazes locked into the city, where swords waited to be put to use for a few coins more. It was here where all their hopes of bolstering the strength needed to fend off the Wood Fang for good were placed.

  Rigel took a deep breath, “We are here…”

  “Hm...”

  “Everyone’s counting on us.” Olivia said with a wry smile.

  “And we won’t let them down.” Rigel replied and Olivia nodded to it.

  There was no other plan. This had to work no matter what. The lives of their neighbors, their friends, their families and themselves depended on it. The future they dreamed of, the one they had the right to wish for, resided within those gray walls, ready to be claimed.

  Ellyn walked silently as her power slowly awakened, feel the danger crawl into her skin.

  They had finally arrived at the city of Finglas.