There was a certain degree of confusion on both Sophia and Juda's faces at Noah's proposal, but both First-Tier Knights were quick to let it pass without a noticeable difference. After all, they were separated by a decade of experience or more compared with Noah, and they would not lose their bearings at an unexpected proposal.
"Well, aren't you a bold kid." Juda hummed, hiding his inner thoughts behind a gruff cough.
In truth, Sophia had never seen Juda so cordial with someone beyond his own peers. One could only stake a bet with a person if they had something of value worth the risk. Juda was doing just that by answering.
It all gave a window into Juda's intentions, and that was precisely what Sophia had hoped for.
Regardless, status was status, and Juda was a Royal Knight within the King's guard.
"Do you even know who I am?" Juda asked, thumbing his beard with feigned indifference.
Realistically, Sophia knew Juda would have agreed to grant any favour in a bid to soften Noah for his own request.
Look at him.
The shrewd old man was already trying to build bridges right in front of her.
All that mattered now, was how Noah would respond.
Sophia felt like she had a decent read on Noah, but she had to reconsider as she never considered him to be so proactive. She knit her brows, inwardly weary.
"Who you are doesn't matter as long as you come from the capital." Noah said, unflustered by Juda's demeanor.
"Oh, interesting." Juda mused, deciding to play along. "Let's hear it. What do you want?"
Here, Noah did not hesitate. HIs request was neither too big, nor too small, rather it skirted the imperial line.
"I need you to prolong your unit's stay in Amarnath for at least another month." He said.
Juda's expression tightened. He could tell that Noah was surely noble from speech, manner, and etiquette, so he should be able to understand what he was asking for. "We are on orders from the Royal Family. Our deadline is two weeks or the mission is considered a failure and another Royal Knight will arrive with a stronger force."
By failure, Juda meant a wipe out at the hands of a Blighted Duke Everbright whose strength would warrant at least two Royal Knights of the First Tier.
"Unless you deliver a messenger reporting a falsification of the Duke's Blight status." Noah replied. "We can sort out why the healers misreported later. What matters is that the Duke is in the midst of a treatment that I'm certain you have no choice but to keep an eye on."
Juda thought it over, but Noah was right.
Should a cure to Blight really be before Juda, he would have failed his obligation as a Knight if he just walked away without verifying it. The Royal Family would surely understand, but he couldn't send back an unverified claim. Fortunately, Noah's suggestion was exactly what Juda had been considering to buy more time ever since he saw Noah's treatment.
Unfortunately, Juda never considered that Noah might have been holding out on a full treatment to make the issue uncertain enough for Juda to stay.
Juda was convinced of his own thoughts.
Regardless, the basis of a negotiation was not to lose ground by revealing your true motives. Rather, it was best to appear hard pressed.
"Do you know what you're asking of us?" Juda grumbled, his voice rumbling in the room.
"That's why I proposed a wager." Noah replied. He shrugged, and stared at the face of a Royal Knight like it was no big deal.
Juda had already intended to stay, but it seemed Noah hadn't considered that. Still, it made Juda curious.
"What do you really hope to gain out of this arrangement?" He asked.
Aid and a contingency of armed Knights from the Capital, was what Noah wanted, but he had no need to say that.
No one would believe him until they saw for themselves what was to come.
Shrugging his shoulders, Noah met Juda's eyes and said something else all together. "A little training with capital knights would be nice. It's been a while since I've fought, and I've grown rusty."
Juda raised a brow, spreading his magic energy over Noah before a grin finally broke over his face. "Ah, you are also a Knight. Now I see."
Juda gave a subtle glance at Sophia, but said nothing as she balled her hands into fists.
"Then if you lose, you are to be immediately brought to the Capital." Juda offered his end of the wager should he accept the bet.
"I'll agree to those terms." Noah said with no hesitation.
Only Sophia was inwardly appalled, having no idea how long it would take Noah to cure her husband.
"We are agreed!" Juda held a hand out to Noah.
Noah clasped hands, and only then did Juda grow solemn.
"Now, what are we betting over?" Juda inquired.
Here, Noah paused, but in the end, he spoke his mind.
"A duel between myself and the strongest junior Knight of your unit." Noah said.
"Done." Juda wasted no time while Sophia's lip twitched.
Before Noah could take back his words, Juda bid farewell to inform his unit of Knights of the arrangement, certain of victory.
Left on their own, Sophia deflated, losing her tension as the only one who could threaten her vacated the premise of the room.
That left Noah to suffer under the silent scrutiny of Duchess Everbright.
"You're full of mysteries, aren't you?" Sophia scoffed, lips thinning from growing nerves. In the end, she sighed, recalling what happened before. "Regardless, I must apologize for my prior actions. I had not intended to cause you harm."
Surprisingly enough, Noah did not hold anything against Sophia. In the vision of the dream he saw in revelation, he had been petty and refused to heal the Duke due to Juda's presence, but this time was different.
In fact, he should be the one apologizing for taking advantage of them.
"Then may I ask you for a favor?" Noah said.
"Speak."
Noah did so.
Sophia raised a brow.
/-/
Letting out a sigh, Sophia felt conflicted for the first time in years. Her hard exterior shell was breaking bit by bit as she found refuge at her husband's bedside.
Inadvertently, the sight of him reaffirmed her decision.
It had been too long since she'd last seen her husband's complexion so healthy at the early stages of Blight…
Sophia would do what she must to keep Noah around until her husband was cured. Even if it was beneath her to follow the whims of a teenage boy, what he represented was something she could not let go of.
It was the first light of hope she'd dared to hold in years.
She refused to let it be snuffed out.
.
.
.
She'd been avoiding it but.
Hugh.
…she probably owed an apology to her daughter.