Chapter 30: Farewell at sunset
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[From that day on, chatting with Artorius became part of your daily routine.]
[He was always happy to see you and shared many things he had never mentioned before.]
[For example, he knew swordsmanship and often practiced with his brother. Another example is that he was actually very hungry when he entered the city.]
[You confirmed that he did not see anything suspicious about you initially.]
[You were glad you didn't kill him outright.]
[You found it very easy to get along with him, and you didn't notice the significant change in the way he looked at you.]
[Good times are always short.]
[It was time for you two to part ways.]
[As agreed, you arrived at the city gate.]
"Time flies, Artorius."
Ian sighed as he looked at the setting sun hanging over the mountain in the distance.
"Are you really leaving tonight?"
"Yes, Mr. Ian," Artorius responded politely. "If we don't leave now, we won't be able to return on time. If that happens, my brother and father will definitely worry about me."
"I see..." Ian nodded. "Okay, it's best if you have your own considerations, but the road is not easy to travel at night. How about this--"
Ian untied the long sword tied at his waist and handed it to Artorius.
"This sword is for you."
"This...?"
Artorius looked at the sword Ian offered and could hardly believe his eyes. He quickly waved his hand to refuse: "No, I can't accept this sword! This is your companion who has been with you for a long time, right? I absolutely cannot accept it!"
"There is no such thing as partners or no partners," Ian said with a smile. "The sword is a weapon, and swordsmanship is just a method to kill people. No matter how beautiful the words are, this is the truth. Would you treat a murderous thing as your partner?"
"This..."
Although he knew this was Ian's way of persuading him to accept the sword, Artorius was still hesitant.
Seeing this, Ian pretended to be a little angry and said, "Why, Artorius, do you dislike it because I used it?"
"No, no, no!" Artorius waved his hands quickly. "That's not the case! Mr. Ian, I don't dislike this sword at all!"
"In that case, why not accept it?"
"…"
Artorius had no choice but to accept the sword from Ian.
"Mr. Ian, I really don't know how to thank you for your help these days."
"No need to thank me," Ian crossed his arms. "I believe every knight in the capital would make the same choice as me. You just happened to meet me."
"Oh, and this."
[You carried out a large bag of rations.]
[You moved it to Artorius's cart.]
[In his astonished gaze, you smiled and rubbed his head.]
"We've prepared quite a bit this time. If you want to distribute it to the refugees on the way, it shouldn't be a problem. But the same thing applies," Ian stroked Artorius' hair, "Do what you can. Don't do things beyond your ability. If you go back hungry, your brother and father will probably think there is a famine in the capital. So, you know what I mean?"
"Uh, oh..." Artorius seemed to still be immersed in the impact of the large bag of rations and looked a little dazed.
"Well, you don't have to worry about the city wall. I've taken the responsibility, and it can't be held against you, so just go back without worry."
"Mr. Ian."
Artorius looked at the man who was stroking his head.
"Why are you so nice to me? We didn't even know each other before."
[Your mind recreates the image of Artorius, who looked somewhat similar to Morgan, after he let out his hair.]
[You know the answer to the question very well.]
[Of course, you will definitely not say these words in your heart.]
[You chose to use "apology for being rude during the body search" as your excuse.]
[Artorius has no doubt about you at all.]
[He seemed to have remembered something, and after saying "wait a minute," he turned back to look for something on his little wooden cart.]
"Found it!"
As Artorius said this, something appeared in his hand. Ian took a closer look and was stunned for a moment - it was a scarf.
Wait.
It doesn't seem to be called a scarf. Because where the threads intertwine, there are forks that cannot be ignored; the small balls of wool in various places indicate that many accidents occurred during the weaving process. The last and most unignorable point is that it is not finished at all.
Calling it a scarf is really too luxurious. A more accurate description would be a fabric similar to a scarf.
"What is this?" Ian asked.
"I knitted the scarf," Artorius lowered his head, looking quite embarrassed. "Well...I just learned it recently."
Ian couldn't help but smile a little. "Does this mean these few days?"
"Yes, it is."
"…"
Ian glanced at the "scarf" in Artorius's hand, then looked at him again, not knowing what to say for a moment.
"Well, Mr. Ian... is it that bad?"
"A little bit."
"Really..." Artorius pulled his hand back. "That's exactly what happened."
"Yes, so give it to me."
"Um... I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have done that... eh?"
Artorius looked up, a little unable to believe what he heard.
"Mr. Ian..."
"This is at least a token of your thoughtfulness."
Ian took the scarf from Artorius and wrapped it around his neck.
"But if possible, I hope you can consider whether a knight really needs this kind of thing."
"I'm… sorry!"
"Okay, no need to say sorry or anything. Be careful on the road."
"Yeah!" Artorius became happy again.
"Then, Mr. Ian, will we have a chance to meet again in the future?"
"Maybe."
[Without saying anything more, you watched Artorius disappear into the sunset-filled road.]
[You took off the scarf and turned around to walk towards the city gate.]
[You couldn't help but think about a question - will you see the day when Artorius becomes a knight?]
[But you never dreamed of it.]
[At some point, Morgan was already standing at the city gate.]
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