The instant that he processed what the female knight had said, several branches of veins swelled under the skin of Rehael Lamorak's temples. He then raised his hand, pointing a finger at the female knight, before beginning his outburst.
"HAA?! Why are you talking as if you were not a part of it?! You were there! You were the vanguard! I bet that your maniacal laugh is still giving those people traumatic flashbacks, you witch!"
Thereafter hollering his lungs out, Rehael gave his comrade a dirty glare, almost as if he couldn't bear to look at her. To his misfortune, instead of taking offence in his words, the female knight appeared unbothered considering her lack of reaction.
'I do not appreciate you, pointing your finger at me, Lord Lemorak.'
"I was trying to get away, you moron." The female knight uttered with a straight face, oblivious of the fact that she had just interchanged her thoughts with her actual speech.
Leliel Geraint, 8th seat of the Rounds, and Rehael Lamorak, the 10th seat, were the two knights sent to the southeastern barbarian territory. They only had one goal in their assignment -- To groom the savages into valiant warriors that the Empire could fully exploit. Arguably, in the perspective of the common men, it was a relatively daunting task for two individuals alone to accomplish. However, Leliel and Rehael felt otherwise. Both were beaming with ardour when they were commissioned to, as they labelled, tame circus lions.
They began to effectuate the change in the Barbarians' system long before the current Emperor ascended to the throne a little over an aethras ago. At first, the approach they utilized reflected that the task was all purely for their amusement.
Having said that, the Emperor had enough of their disarrayed practices, so he devised a concrete scheme that Leliel and Rehael were compelled to observe. The Barbarians' shift from mere toys to political tools happened over time as the enemies within the Empire of the reigning monarch incessantly increased their numbers.
"Is that even a valid excuse?!" Rehael raised his voice even more, abashed of solely being pinned down with a fault he only partially perpetuated.
On the other hand, Leliel blinked twice all the while the realization of her tongue-slip tardily caught up to her. The tips of her ears instantly turned red when she became aware of her blunder.
"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" With Leliel's tantrum came violence as she started to hit Rehael's right arm with her palms repeatedly.
"What are you doing?! It hurts!"
It was good to take note that this fight was being viewed as a petty squabble between two toddlers, courtesy of the other knights. Also, it appeared that there was another rascal who wanted to join in the fight.
"Your ineptitude almost cost us a hundred thousand cunias. The both of you should be repentant instead of having the audacity to bicker in our presence."
"Shut up Zelel. Why don't you mind your own business? The nobles are complaining of the unfairness of your budget allocation." Rehael shouted, openly showing disrespect to the Prime Minister by calling him out.
Yes, it was the Prime Minister who was staring at Rehael with a false look of concern. He made sure that the latter would sense that he was pitying him, because he knew that it was a sure-fire recipe to infuriate the knight.
Social hierarchy dictated that higher-ranking nobles were entitled to be called with their title preceding the name. In this case, Rehael Lemorak, who was previously a commoner, should have addressed Duke Zelel Claudas properly.
Nevertheless, the Knights considered themselves as a tight-knit family. A member's brashness to this degree would be tolerated, as long as the only ones gathered belonged to their clique alone.
"I'm surprised that you know the words budget allocation, you oaf. Don't worry, that's all sorted out. Now, go play with your barbarians like a behaved child." Zelel tried to speak without breaking his composure, yet he couldn't help but smile like a Cheshire cat full of mischievousness when Rehael's face scrunched up like he freshly ate a very sour lemon.
"What did you say?!"
"I said, it was fun seeing you punch a noble during the Rhemdal Banquet. It was quite a spectacle. You have my gratitude."
"Why are you bringing that up?! That pudgy old man smacked me with his filthy hands first!"
"Oh, wasn't it because you gallantly strode through their circle when they were having a conversation? You should've apologized, Barbarian King."
"What the-"
It seemed that nobody was willing to interrupt the bickering of the two people who personified oil and water, substances that shouldn't be combined in a heated situation. The rest of the knights refused to involve themselves in the pointless banter.
In the meanwhile, Leliel keenly mulled on the exchange happening in front of her, lost in her musings.
'I guess it's fitting to dub Rehael as the Barbarian King. He did teach those heathens the customary living of civilized people.' Leliel rashly had this random thought. Though when she connected the dots, shock registered on her face. 'Did Lord Claudas just imply that I am the Barbarian Queen? Did he?! Fine! I will embrace my inner low-breed self!' She wanted to protest, but determined it to be troublesome, taking the insult like the open-minded person that she was.
She decided to turn to Countess Lauviah Lukan, the 11th seated knight, for help. Regrettably, Lauviah simply murmured 'You can do it!' before avoiding her gaze. Leliel sighed heavily, reluctant to do the de-escalation on her own.
"You know that your intelligence is lower than that of average humans, right Sir Rehael? Why are you always so quick to start an argument with Lord Claudas, who is a lot smarter?" The woman uttered, throwing sympathy out the window. This remark earned her another unapproving glare from Rehael.
"Are you trying to take the side of this feeble hu-"
"Rehael, Zelel."
Rehael and Zelel promptly shut their mouths when their names were called, ire and joy dissipating from their countenances respectively.
"Yes, Lord Iophiel." This time, a meek response was heard from Rehael.
"I do not mind witnessing the two of you get along even if it lasted the whole dier. Withal, we have more pressing matters to deal with."
The Knights of the Round Table was composed of either easygoing youngsters or folks that were too stiff for their own betterment. In a sense, it was a way to change their pace and to keep them from being rigid.
"I apologize for our crude behaviour, Lord Iophiel. This incident will not happen again." Zelel duly asked for the man's forgiveness.
"Do not apologize if there is a chance that you will do it once more. For now, you're forgiven."
Duke Claudas let his head droop, bashful of the reprimanding.
Duke Iophiel Cynan held the 2nd seat of the Rounds, assuming the position of vice-commander. This man had the tendency to be an authoritarian to compliment the commander's unrestrained governance.
The Duke proceeded to face the Emperor, his mien communicating that an unforeseen circumstance had actualized. The ruler noticed the urgency in that instant. In accordance with his subordinate's concern-stricken gaze, the monarch began to address the situation.
"Iophiel, get rid of that illusion of yours."