Chapter 31: The Harsh Road

The Lady Valera made him walk through the dirt road. The snow has gotten a bit thinner since the day the war band left the City of Mesh. It was less hard to walk and the people in the carriage including him could only watch the foolish Magus get treated badly by the mistress that leads them. The people that followed the noble totaled for about five hundred men and women. In ten days a hundred left out to the overworld. They could not follow the inexperience noble lady.

The lady learned that there was someone who helped them. The foolish Magus who could not refuse allowed them to leave. Hence the foolish Magus was treated to march on the dirt road despite the carriages and horses available. None felt bad for the foolish Magus at first. But seeing him walk on the dirt road scraping his boots and not complaining at all made them feel sorry. Some offered water to the foolish Magus and let him drink. While the others didn’t dare to do anything fearing the lady will threaten them.

The Lady of Asmara was rather fickle. He saw her lose temper rather quickly and only her guards and the maid of hers can calm her down. Most of the band didn’t know what was wrong with the lady. The maid of her named Gisela explains that the lady had some trouble with the ritual, making her this way.

Of course, some didn’t believe such convenient explanation. They would have believed the maid if the Foolish Magus wasn’t walking for days while they were riding on horses and carriages. The Magus would only get rest when the night comes. And even with that he never stops being him. He was known in the Academy of Mesh as a yes-man, a man who could not refuse anyone asking for help. So when the time comes for the whole war band to set up camp. Most of the people would ask him to light the campfire. Prepare the food, ale, and any sort of things they could order to the Magus. He didn’t refuse or complain one single bit. He did so without asking and he could tell that Arden, the Magus, seems to find joy in serving people.

He didn’t know why a man like him would be like that. He continued watching Arden for days to come. In the fifteenth day since the war band left. Almost half of the band deserted out to the overworld the moment they saw the Lady of Asmara feasting her tent along with her guards. Her maid tried to appease the complaints but they will none of it. The lady hoarded all the fine wine and now they are left with cheap ales to warm themselves. Sometimes, the war band would go in disarray, there was no one assigned to various posts. Like who was the caravan master, who would feed the horses, who is the captain of the war band.

It was the case of just follow the road. So since no one would dare to take on the roles. They turned to the foolish one in the band. The Foolish Magus could not refuse so helped in everything that was needed to be done. Everyone acted like Kings and Royals while the Foolish Magus feeds the horses, butcher the livestock, and cook for them. He would get some help setting up camps or removing some logs for firewood. But other than that he was the most useful tool in the war band. Useful as in everyone’s total servant, hence, he believes that most of the people in the war band tolerate how things are because of the tool for a Magus.

The days continued peacefully so far. Surprisingly there only a few bandits that would get easily get crushed by the war band without effort. The war band consists of trained Mages of Mesh Academy and fighters. So the Mages firing spells at the enemies and wiping them out completely without remorse made for quite a show of force.

The war band didn’t encounter bandits for a while and arrive in an isolated village with wooden walls. The village had quite a large field. The peasants wore armor and the women carried knives on their belts as they till their land. The snow by the time the Warband arrive in this village was already gone. The village was rather remarkable with how it could arm their men with swords and armor. Seeing the banner of the Asmara noble made the villagers allow the war band enter the village without any problem.

When the village elder asked who is the Captain in charge was. The men and women of the war band pointed to Arden as if it was natural. Being pointed, the village elder went to Arden and told him to go and let him speak with the noble using the banner to pay respects. He took the village elder to where the noble lady was. The noble lady was rather fine talking with the village elder and took some a bit of the wine they had.

But she was displeased how Arden became the Captain without her permission. It was rather insulting even to him hearing the lady talk badly about the only guy who would smile at them and help without asking for anything. As punishment for trying to usurp power, he was sentenced with less bread and ration for the following days. He was disgusted by the act of the lady. So when everyone was eating food and he was starving alone watching everyone eat heartily with the food from the village. He took his own piece and gave it to Arden.

“No”

Arden said. But he forced him, telling him that doing so would help his conscience. Hearing help does the trick so Arden took the food and ate it with him. They talk for awhile and separated to avoid being seen him giving food. Arden appreciated him and he also took a liking to the Magus who he thought was foolish.

The rest in the village was quite long. The Warband took advantage of the hospitality of the village. Some men tried to woe the daughters of the village to please themselves. There were no whores in the Warband and the honorable house of Asmara doesn’t allow filth in the Warband. He too was feeling the lust but he endured it. He only drank wine and smoke pipes with a few men who he befriended.

The lady of the house took a liking to the village. But the village was clearly not satisfied with the Warband sucking up their food. The village elder had asked the Captain to leave already, convince the lady of Asmara to continue their journey. The Captain (Arden) could not refuse the plea so he went to the Lady and told her of the village’s situation.

He finds it fascinating that despite being a rather yes-man. He was not a coward who would put his ideals down. He saw him being coax by the men to help them woe the daughters of the villages. He refused out of justice. He might help but he will not commit a crime. He was clear on this that he even told those men that if he hears the daughters of the villager's plea for help. He would assist them without hesitating at all. This made the men understand that despite what he is. He was no pushover.

They saw him block the lance of the Lady of Asmara with his transmuted hand. They also knew that he was someone who could fight enchanted men without trouble just by relying on his skills alone. It was best not to fight him despite his crest being partly sealed. He was far better as a fighter. He could agree with everyone on that alone.

The meeting with lady went as expected. It was chaotic and the sneer of words he could hear in the tent alone made him despite the lady even more. The Captain went out of the tent with wine splash on his head. He told the village head that the lady would leave when she needs to. He could hear some of the words in the tent. So he was surprised how the Captain didn’t tell him about the hurls of insult and threats the lady gave.

The village head only lowered his head dejectedly. Faced with an Asmara, known as the house that has served as the royal guards for the kingdom. The village head understood his place and even patted the Captain for trying. The red wine was quite strong so the village elder could smell it on Arden.

After that, the captain went back to what he always does. He helped the folks around foolishly as always and did favors for the village. Most of the folks gave him the weird eyes but they wouldn’t know about the captain. He was like that and he could see that the Captain does it for his own joy. The captain wasn’t a good person or an evil one. He was merely someone that wanted to help.

No one would understand him. But he can appreciate him at least.

Then the night came from the village. After the whole affair, the Captain did what he always does. Cooking for the Warband and making him act like a tool as usual. He finds it disgusting that the Warband he is in was this shameful. But he held his tongue out of fear. He could only forgive himself by sharing his food to the Captain. He respects the captain.

Midnight came. The Captain who always helps around seems a bit weird. He asks around the village and only till the grim look that the Captain had made him realize that the village was acting weird. The village was isolated and was silent. But with how the Warband stayed for a while. The noise from the village and the smoke coming from the campfire made it a prime target for the bandits. He found it weird that there were no bandits that could find the village. And that the village was rather armed. But now he understood that the bandits were living in the village.

The moment the Warband arrived here. The bandits who take shelter in this village made it a priority to call reinforcements and now when he and the Captain went around the watch tower overseeing the village. They saw a hundred men and even more silently crawling up to the village, planning to take the Warband by surprise.

The Captain tried to warn everyone but before he could so. The rain of arrow came upon like rain to the village. The men and women who have forgotten where they are in the world got themselves pierced. Blood and entrails started flooding the village. And before he could stand up along with Captain after taking cover from the volley of arrows that came raining down upon the village.

The wooden gates of the village fell.

Men wearing boiled leather and steel rushed like thunder along with the iron in their hand.