Under the Oak Tree - Chapter 216 - Side Story Chapter 22

Riftan stopped and stared at the older knight. The commander’s expression was so serious that it almost seemed spiteful. Did the man see him as a gullible fool? Very few knights were ever granted land and a castle. Even those from noble households who were not in the line of succession often lived their whole lives as common knights. That being the case, what hope in the world would a lowborn with pagan blood have of becoming liege of a fief?

Riftan snorted as he slung his bag over his shoulder. “You lot enjoy your damn honor. As I said, I’m not interested.”

Confused, the commander knitted his brows. “Then, why did you compete in the tournament?”

Riftan felt the color rise in his cheeks. He could not very well tell them it was because he wanted to see the little girl from his memories. The glower he directed at Triton was a silent warning for the man to stay out of his business before he turned on his heels.

Hebaron, the scarlet-haired knight, had been quietly listening to the exchange. He blocked Riftan’s path. “If you let your pride destroy the chance for you to rise in the world, that makes you the greatest fool.”

“Move aside, or I’ll cut you down.”

“Why are you so bullheaded? Do you think you’ll find another order willing to take in petty mercenaries like us? Even if one did exist, they’d be the type to foist all the dirty work onto you and kick your sorry behind out the moment you’re no longer useful.”

“And your order is different?” Riftan retorted.

Hebaron opened his mouth as if to yell back before clicking his tongue. “What use are words? Come see for yourself. You said you have no plans. As for the part about mercenaries making more money — true, if you’re part of a company. But you know as well as I that no one with all their screws in place would entrust a high-paying commission to a rogue.”

The knight’s smooth way of talking hinted at his mercenary past.

“It would be hard to make a decent living without falling in with a group,” continued Hebaron. “And if you intend to anyway, the smarter choice would be to go with a knightly order. Come, stay with us a while. I guarantee you’ll like it there.”

“And why should I listen to someone who just attacked me?” Riftan said coldly.

There was not a shred of remorse in Hebaron’s grin. “I see you’re the type to hold grudges. I merely wanted to test your real skills. Tell me if I’m wrong, but I get the feeling you also have no fondness for duels.”

“I have none for ambushes either.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that for the next time.”

There will be no next time.

His nerves jangled, Riftan tore his gaze away from the knight. Doubt flooded him as he looked down the dark, fog-covered street. What exactly was he trying so hard to avoid?

The commander had been quietly observing them. Seeing Riftan’s hesitation, he took the opportunity to speak.

“Perhaps we have caught you off guard,” he said, taking a step back. “How about this? Stay with the Remdragon Knights for three months. You will be free to leave at any time if our order is not to your liking. Since one is required to train as a squire anyway before becoming knighted, you can join as a temporary member.”

“So you can exploit me all you want for three months?”

Losing his patience, the lithe knight next to the commander exclaimed, “For heaven’s sake, I’ve never met a man so distrustful!”

Triton raised a hand to silence his younger comrade. “You will not be given any tasks until you’ve become a full-fledged member. If you accept, you will serve as my squire and receive training in horsemanship and basic battle tactics. It is a squire’s typical training regimen before he becomes a knight.”

“Or,” the commander continued when Riftan did not respond, “you are free to leave before the three months are up. You may leave whenever you like if the arrangement does not suit you, or you can choose to stay to become an official member. What have you to lose?”

Riftan paused for a moment before asking, “Why all this effort to get me to join?”

“Let’s just say I’d hate to lose such extraordinary talent.”

An easy smile crossed the commander’s face as he stroked his neat beard.

“Our king taking a liking to you is another reason. You have a rare skill set. With proper training, I’m certain you will become a great knight. I assume His Majesty deemed it prudent to claim you for Wedon before any other kingdom tries to nab you for themselves.”

Riftan stared into the man’s hazel eyes as if that would reveal his true intentions. But, just like the fog surrounding them, the only feeling that washed over him was one of uncertainty.

Clenching his jaw, Riftan wondered why he felt so on edge. As the man had pointed out, he had nothing to lose. Had it not been his intention to leave Balbourne anyway? If these so-called Remdragon Knights proved to be bad company, he could simply leave.

“Fine,” Riftan said after a while. “I accept your offer.”

The commander’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. “You’ve made the right choice.”

As if on cue, a ray of sunlight pierced the clouds and began to dissipate the fog. Triton turned toward the basilica.

“Allow me to start the introductions, then. Come, I’ll take you to our lodgings.”

Riftan stared at the man’s back before making to follow. Ruth, who had been observing the scene from a safe distance, chose that moment to scurry over. The knights all turned to look at the mage.

“Are you with him?”

“I am. I’m his mage,” Ruth asserted, raising his chin.

Since when had this leech been his mage? Riftan shot him a glare. Just as he was about to mercilessly cut him off, he noticed a flash of dread cross the mage’s face.

Riftan clenched his jaw, annoyed at himself for the uncomfortable squirming in his chest.

Damn it.

He ran a hand through his hair. For what it was worth, he trusted the runt more than these three men who spoke of castles in the sky.

After a moment’s hesitation, he said curtly, “That’s right. He’s my mage.”

“Wonderful. It just so happens we were looking for one. I will arrange for him to stay with us as well.”

Upon hearing the commander’s jovial reply, Ruth launched into a monologue about his magical prowess. Riftan trudged along while trying to ignore Ruth’s prattling. The sky soon cleared, and when pale sunlight played over the path, Riftan prayed for it to be a good omen.

***

Time passed like flowing water. Riftan was leading the cavalry through Juda Canyon when he heard the sharp cry of a falcon. He reined in his horse. Agalde, the falcon his superior treated like a queen, gracefully glided down to them.

Riftan raised an armored arm high above his head. The falcon perched itself on the back of his hand, its sharp talons raking his gauntlet. He skillfully settled its ruffled feathers and untied the small tube attached to the bird’s leg.

As he was skimming the message within, Ursuline Ricaydo rode up to him. “How did it go?”

Riftan crumpled the scrap of parchment and said apathetically, “The remaining raiders in the northeast have been defeated. We’re returning to Wedon.”

“That means…”

“Victory.”

As soon as he said the word, the one hundred and forty or so knights erupted into cheers. A faint smile tugged at Riftan’s lips. After half a year of fending off raiders from Dristan along the border, everyone was elated at the prospect of returning home.

“We ride east!” Riftan cried over the cavalry. “We’re to meet up with the commander’s party as soon as possible.”

As though understanding the command, Agalde launched into the air. Riftan spurred his horse on through the harsh wind.

When they were finally out of the winding canyon, they found themselves in a vast wilderness. From a distance, Riftan could see a two hundred-strong cavalry galloping toward them in a cloud of dust. He sighed in relief at the blue banner fluttering above them.

“They don’t seem to have suffered heavy casualties.”

Ursuline, who was mounted next to him, said in a voice that oozed with pride, “If they were weak enough to be wounded by a bunch of bandits, they don’t deserve to call themselves Remdragon Knights.”

Riftan’s face was inscrutable. Four years had already passed since he had joined their ranks. Over that time, the Remdragon Knights had grown at an alarming rate to four hundred members. They had earned a reputation as the protectors of the eastern front, which, in turn, drew the attention of nobles. Their influence was such that even the second son of House Ricaydo, one of Wedon’s most prestigious noble families, had come knocking on the order’s door.

Ursuline gave Riftan a sideways glance. “I’m sure we’ll be allowed a few months’ rest when we return. Do you intend to spend time in Anatol again?”

“Possibly,” Riftan muttered vaguely.

“Why don’t you rest in the capital this time? His Majesty wishes to confer you with the title of baron. To do so, we must lessen the nobles’—”

“Are you telling me to cozy up to the nobles?” Riftan retorted coldly. “I refuse to do anything I can’t stomach for a meaningless title. I am a landed knight now. I’m content with that.”

“That land was only bestowed to you for formality’s sake, to make it easier for you to succeed the commander. You could receive a far superior land and title—”

“You don’t know when to give up, do you?”

Ursuline pressed his lips together, his face growing stony. Riftan ignored him and rode up to speak with their commander.

“Are you hurt?” Riftan asked as he approached Evan Triton and the knights following him.

“You offend me,” the commander grumbled, removing his helmet.

The falcon dove down from its aimless circling above them to perch on its master’s shoulder. The commander tossed Agalde a piece of meat with an easy smile.

“I’m still too spry for you to be treating me like an old man.”

“You haven’t fully recovered from your previous injury.”

“My word, this was hardly a challenge. It seems I’ll have to prove to you that I’m still as fit as a fiddle.”

True to his claim, the commander did not appear to have a single scratch on him. The tension eased from Riftan’s shoulders.

“Are we returning to Drachium?”

“No, we ride for Croyso Castle. The duke is holding a month-long victory celebration.”

Riftan felt his shoulders stiffen again. Although he had frequented the duchy whenever he was sent to handle disputes with Dristan, he had made conscious efforts to steer clear of the castle.

Not hiding his discomfort, he said, “I’ve left my estate unattended for too long. If our task here is done, I’d prefer to return to Anatol right away.”

“Who said our task is done? The duchy and Dristan will soon be entering negotiations to settle reparations. His Majesty has ordered that we remain on site to monitor the proceedings, which means we have no choice but to spend a month there regardless of the celebrations.”

Triton responded to Riftan’s falling face with a bitter smile.

“I know you dislike being around that man, but you are a knight who serves the king. If he ever treats you with contempt, I shall lodge an official complaint, so try to bear with him just this once.”

Riftan’s hatred for the duke was not the only thing that made him avoid Croyso Castle. However, since he had no intention of explaining the other complicated reason, he could not do anything but sigh.

“If that is your command.”

Triton grinned and patted Riftan on the shoulder. Their group immediately galloped through the wilderness toward the duchy. As they kept up the relentless pace, the lump in Riftan’s chest swelled until it reached a new intensity by the time they reached the gates.

Clutching the reins, he gazed up at the light gray ramparts. He had once visited the castle on his own shortly after his knighting ceremony. The moment he had stopped before the gates, an inexplicable sense of dread had flooded him. He was ashamed to admit that he had turned and fled.

To this day, he could not explain what had made him so afraid. Had it been the dread of seeing his stepfather stuck in a miserable life? Or was he afraid that the singular hope keeping him going would vanish like a mirage?

Riftan silently jeered at himself. The boy who clung to memories of the past was gone. He had long stopped calling up her image whenever he was lonely. In fact, he had no desire to see her.

Though he still felt a peculiar sensation akin to longing whenever the fields were in full bloom, it never went any further than that. He knew the thing he had so cherished was nothing more than an illusion.

It’s probably for the best.

Memories were bound to be romanticized. Perhaps now was the right time for him to wake from the dream. As Riftan led his horse down the wide brick road, farmers in the fields hastily dropped to the floor and bowed their heads. He was watching them intently when the commander turned from his spot at the head of the party.

“I know how much you detest aristocrats, but try not to be so obvious about it. As you well know, the Duke of Croyso is the de facto leader of the eastern nobles. It would be best not to make an enemy of him.”

“You worry for nothing. That man does not consider me a person,” Riftan replied dryly. “How could he acknowledge me as an enemy when I am not even human in his eyes?”

The commander turned to the front once more, his expression somber. The knights crested the gentle slope that led to the castle. The Croyso sentries, who had been awaiting their arrival, swung them wide open as the knights approached.