Noela and Aten are much more eccentric than Duran. Both undoubtedly, without attachments, don't care about reason, race, or status.
"Noela, since you are faster, go to Luguvalium and join Hector. The letter I sent from Eboracum possibly hasn't reached him yet."
Noela can travel even faster than a nightmare; I don't know how she does it, but she arrives within hours.
On the other hand, Aten is very slow, and animals are afraid of him.
"Aten, you will go to Corstopitum and join Marquis Costopim. If he says something odd about your smell, just stay aside."
By my Mother, Aten simply does it for fun. Seriously, Duran doesn't exude such a putrid smell, and Noela even smells like grass.
As if he didn't care, he even let out a small laugh.
"I would follow you, but my hands are tied with the situation here."
As if the wall were speaking, a voice traveled to my ears. And there he was behind me, Jacob, observing the ownerless axe.
"You have another job, Jacob. I will write some letters for you all, and I want you to finish the work this week."
I began writing the letters. Three letters were the orders for Noela, Aten, and Jacob. The other three were for the people they would be assisting.
"You can depart. I don't want any variants or setbacks this week," I reminded them.
I was about to dismiss them when Jacob handed me something. It was my newly acquired daggers.
"Have you named them yet?" Jacob asked.
"I've only had them for a few days. Any suggestions?"
They all stopped to think seriously.
Jacob was the first to speak.
"That dagger looks like it's for mutilating. Why not call it 'Ripper'?"
A good name, if only his weapon wasn't called the same.
"Good try, next."
"What's the point of naming them, aren't they just expendable weapons?" Noela asked.
Like enraged lions, we all looked at Noela. It seems she felt the pressure since she trembled slightly.
"I thought you, as a half-Banshee, knew a lot about men," Jacob said.
His insult wasn't overlooked and received a disdainful look.
I didn't have hopes for Aten and was going to end the topic here. This day, in particular, was going to be long.
"How about 'Love' for the black one and 'Mother' for the blue one?"
Wait, this is splendid, sublime!
Ignoring the strong stench that began to emanate from Aten and Noela's "Are you serious?" expression, I sincerely congratulated him.
"Oh Mother. Aten, that's a wonderful idea!"
I stood from my seat to hug him, but…
Dispatching the three individuals, I decided to prepare for what's coming.
Holding the newly named "Love" and "Mother" in my hands, I smiled contentedly.
.
.
.
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Winter is coming. The moonless night and the cold complement each other to give way to this deadly darkness.
"I had to be on duty today, for the spirits."
My name is Owen, I'm 16 years old, and I've been a soldier at the black fortress for 6 months. I'm on guard duty in the second-floor corridors. I'm a bit hungry; maybe there are still maids in the kitchen. And who knows, maybe a beauty is waiting for me.
"Hehe."
Ignoring my duty, I ventured towards the stairs. I took a candlestick, passed by the armors at the foot of the stairs, and looked down the corridor.
I think it's past midnight. The candle I had already went out, and the hallway candles are all out. Looking between my candlestick and the corridor, I thought.
They're out… Why are they out in the first place?!
The first floor without candles at night is simply a place to walk blindly. I'm sure even a ghost wouldn't see anything here.
Wind! Chills!
"What are you doing here?"
"UAAAAAAAH!"
"Hey, calm down!"
"Uaaaah! For the spirits, don't do that!"
Holding onto my assailant's shoulders, I felt my heart was going to burst. I even dropped the candlestick.
Who is the idiot walking around in the dark here?
Turning, I saw the smiling face of the maniac who just scared me. I must clarify some things… What?
Wait, smiling?
"I asked, what are you doing here?"
"Sir-!"
Sir Blackend!
In this darkness, I could barely see him well.
"I- I'm sorry! I was on my way to the kitchen, sir."
"Ah! We thought the same, eh?"
He let out a laugh.
"I see, I'll tell someone to bring you a snack. I was on my way there. So, go back to your post. Hmm… What's your name?"
"Ah, my name is Owen, son of Mariel, Sir," I replied.
"Good, Owen, go upstairs and wait calmly. Someone will visit you."
Taking the candlestick, I walked back to the stairs. I turned to see Sir Blackend, and there he was… Oh well, his feet. Only his feet touched the little light from the stair candles.
Then he waved at me, as if to let me know he was still watching. So, I left.
*Sigh*
Returning to my post, I sat down and felt the scare run down my back.
I thought I was going to die.
I put my hands over my face to calm my growing tremor. I'm even sweating cold. Looking at my trembling hands, I noticed something strange. It's… it's blood.
In the end, nobody brought me a snack.
When I woke up in the afternoon, I heard that a large group went to support the border.
.
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.
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"You have a visitor, Sir Blackend."
Maria greeted me in the office.
What can I say, and an unannounced visitor at that.
"Tell them I won't be able to receive them today, take them to a guest room, and attend to them, Maria."
"Understood, Sir Blackend," she replied.
Maria was speaking to me in a strange way. I couldn't tell what it was, so I assumed it was a fact.
Last night was a bit busy; even my shoulders are sore.
I spent the whole day filling out papers. Taxes, lands, payments, thieves. It seemed endless.
When night fell, I returned to my room and slept.
That was until midnight.
Getting up, I put on my leather armor, grabbed my daggers, and went barefoot to the terrace.
I approached the edge and jumped over the wall to then enter through my office window.
"What!?"
Here it is. A rat.
*Thud!*
The "ownerless axe" fell from his hands.
My unexpected entrance left a surprised face, but his expression didn't last long. Without a hint of doubt, he ran out through the half-open door, and of course, I chased him.
In the pursuit, we made no sound. We moved like shadows in a bonfire.
We didn't touch the ground either, just moved from wall to wall like the wind looking for a way to escape.
The rat ran towards the stairs. On the way, we passed by Owen, who was looking out the window.
Tsk, he didn't even feel our presence.
The fortress only has one staircase going down, and the second-floor windows don't have enough space for a man to pass through except in the office. So, his path is obvious.
The rat turned the corner and disappeared from my sight for a moment.
Then, when I turned the corner, I prepared to catch up with him. Or so I planned, but I stopped in my tracks.
In the middle of the dark corridor was a figure that made the whole corridor seem small.
The figure was a gigantic armor detailed in an impeccable manner, with nothing above its neck, just the hollow of the armor.
Holding a gigantic spear in its right arm, the blade of its spear was as wide as the rat's torso that it had just impaled from side to side while swinging from inside out.
With a quick movement, its left hand, as big as a man's torso, caught the body in the air.
The unfortunate one couldn't even scream.
*Gulp!*
I swallowed hard.
Mother, protect me.
"Is this how you spend your night, Leonhart?"
A harmonious voice reached my ears.
"And to think you would be the guest."
"I sense some discomfort in your voice."
"No, I…"
"Come on, say it."
"How long."
Looking between the green armor and its master at its side, I was left speechless.
With the appearance of a ghost, floating in the middle of the corridor was a woman of 168 cm whose black hair fell over her collarbones and rested on her distinctive "defenses." Dressed in a simple white nightgown, her fair skin and hazel eyes were well imprinted in my eyes.
Ylma, daughter of Titania, aka: The Green Wall, the Impregnable, the Unmovable, makes her presence known.