Riftan’s POV (Under the Oak Tree Side Story)

Chapter 42 – Riftan’s POV

“…will it be alright if the commander will not go there himself?”

Riftan clutched his horse’s reins, looking back at him with a dim light in his eyes. “I have a duty I need to accomplish from now on.”

A serious expression took over Gabel’s features. He parted his lips as if he was about to ask something, but instead it turned into an awkward grin, conscious of the stepfather’s eyes who was looking their way.

“You have nothing to worry about. I’ll explain to them clearly what the situation is and take them safely to the Viscout’s estate. Sir Triden will take good care of them.”

“…please do so in my favor.”

Gabel bowed his head once and strode towards the direction of the stepfather and his family. Riftan glanced at his stepfather’s raddled face and turned to head over to the camp. After hearing the reports of what had transpired during his absence, he wrote a letter addressed to Viscount Triden, then gathered the knights to brief them of what happened in Croix. Their reactions were restrained, as if they had predicted what happened after hearing that Riftan’s stepfather had been locked away in the Croix Dungeons.

“Then, what are you planning to do now?”

“Although it would be most appropriate for me to resign from being the commander of the Knights, given the present circumstances, there is almost no chance that King Ruben will give any one of you a title or a fief.”

Riftan gazed at the faces of around thirty knights gathered as he spoke in a heavy voice. The knights were ranked according to skills and those that had now gathered all had the right to voice out their opinions. After giving them a generous moment of contemplation, Riftan continued to speak in a subdued tone.

“I will use whatever power it is that I still have to help you be part of a knighthood. That would pan out better than becoming wandering knights.”

“Do you think those who will leave this knighthood in fear of facing the dragon will be welcomed?” Hebaron, who stood leaning against one of the posts, muttered cynically as he straightened his posture. “Those who join the Royal Knights will be branded as cowards and ridiculed for the rest of their lives.”

“…stop exaggerating.” Riftan’s lips grew stiff. “Even if that does happen, deal with it by keeping your mouth shut and letting your skills speak on your behalf. There is no reason for this fight to the extent of involving all of you.”

“If King Ruben had not put this subjugation on the western territories to bridle the Duke of Croix, the Remdragon Knights would have been ordered to be deployed for that mission.” Lombardo, who had been silent the whole time, spoke. “A knight is someone who shall risk his life to fulfill his duties to the monarch. If we feared death, we wouldn’t have become knights in the first place.”

“Risking your lives in a fight to fulfill the orders of the King and fighting in place of the Duke’s safety are two different matters.”

“We are not fighting for the Duke of Croix. We are fighting for the honor of the Remdragon Knights!” Uslin refuted in a harsh tone as he sat with his arms folded in front of his chest. “There’s no difference between leaving for an expedition under the command of His Majesty and following the commander.”

Riftan was a little taken aback since Uslin was the one who had utmost respect and loyalty towards the Royal Family. After saying those words, the weight in the room had significantly changed. After a moment of strange silence, Hebaron cleared his throat and tapped Uslin on the shoulders whilst quivering.

“It’s been a while since the young master had said something I agree with. I detest having to go on an expedition on behalf of a cunning man, but after all, it’s not a bad idea to go slay a dragon and make a name for ourselves across the continent.”

“…People like you are usually the first ones to die.”

“What?”

Riftan raised his hand to stop them from quarreling. “Enough. This is not a matter of taking your dignities into account.”

“What the hell do you see us as…!”

“I’ll give you time to think.” Riftan cut off Hebaron’s words and looked at them sternly.

“Everyone must have heard about what happened to the Holy Knights of Osyria, some of them have perished. There’s no knowing how things will unfold. That means we would be entering an unpredictable realm infested with monsters, which terrorize the whole continent, and then we will confront them. Contemplate carefully on whether you’re really prepared to risk your lives.”

The knights’ faces flushed as if they were displeased to have their courage questioned. However, Riftan shot out of his seat without giving them any chance to protest further.

“I’ll hear your answers in three days.” Then, he went straight out of the barracks.

The next day, Gabel, along with his companions, came to Riftan’s barracks, ready to leave for the Viscount’s estate. Riftan handed him a letter he wrote addressed to Triden and a pouch filled with gold coins.

“Give this to the Viscount.”

“As you wish.” Gabel took them and secured it within his armor.

Riftan went back to the seat behind his desk to write reports addressed to the King. Gabel watched him and carefully asked.

“How about the Duke’s daughter?”

Riftan’s whole body stiffened. Gabel spoke carefully as Riftan glared at him as if to ask what he was talking about.

“That person is now… isn’t she Sir Calypse’s wife now? When the lord is away, she must be the one overseeing Anatol.”

“I’m intending to leave Anatol’s management to the wizard.”

“But the wizard is planning to join the expedition.”

Said Ruth, who was sitting quietly in a corner reading a book about magic, and snorted audibly. Riftan shot him a fierce glare but Ruth continued to speak not blinking an eye.

“It’s ridiculous that you’re intending to leave me out. You have Lady Calypse now, so why in the world do I have to act as the Lord’s representative?”

Lady Calypse. Riftan felt a faint shudder as the words echoed strangely. His earlobes tingled, remembering her naked figure lying down on the bed. He licked his lips and pretended to busy himself with a parchment to hide his agitation.

When he did not come up with a decision, Gabel spoke stiffly. “I understand that she can’t be trusted because she’s the Duke’s daughter. However, if she remains in Croix Castle, Sir Calypse’s dignity will be tarnished. On my way back, I will take her to Calypse Castle.”

Riftan frowned at the knight’s stubborn demeanor. The castle repairs and the wall constructions had to be all been completed by now. However, it was nothing compared to Croix. He bit his lips, unconsciously concerned about her well-being.

He wondered if he was the only one who didn’t have the guts. It may have been a fleeting marriage ceremony, but she was his wife as declared by the church. Shall he not be able to make it back alive, she would inherit all his property, his castle and territory will be hers.

If only I had a child…

Riftan rubbed the corner of his eyes with his palms at the sudden flash of random thought. A mix of thrill and fear rushed through his veins. If she gave birth to a son, that child would become Anatol’s future lord. Also, he would grow up not knowing his father’s face. Riftan swallowed a groan that creeped up his throat.

I don’t want to leave. I really don’t want to leave like this.

He waited for the brewing emotions to settle, then slowly parted his lips. “Fine. Take her to Calypse Castle.”

Then, he immediately took out a new piece of parchment, writing instructions for Rodrigo to do everything he could to make sure that she would live comfortably, and handed it to Gabel. The knight secured the letter into his armor and headed out.

Riftan gazed down again at the reports piled up on the desk. Once he left for the expedition, one of the royal knighthoods or the duke’s vassals would be guarding the borders. He had to document the current situation in detail, but his anxious mind was hardly ever clear.

“Why don’t you at least say your farewells?” Ruth chirped, noticing that his quill was not even moving. “This might be the last chance you have. Don’t regret it later and see them off.”

He tried to dismiss it but hearing the word “last chance” got stuck in his mind. Riftan eventually rose from his seat, muttering foul language. As he stepped out of the barracks, he saw Gabel sitting atop his horse and giving instructions to his companions. The stepfather’s family sat side by side on the next idle carriage.

Riftan watch as his stepfather carried up his daughter, who barely reached his knees, up to the carriage and then approached him. The stepfather then hunched his shoulder and looked up at him with clouded vision. Although his wounds were completely healed, the traces of suffering were still intact on his face.

“I apologize for causing you trouble.”

A rough voice slurred with a dialect rang awkwardly in his eardrums. The stepfather, who was looking at him with a vague expression as if he was talking to a stranger, bowed his head again and loaded a package, not enough to even be called a proper luggage, onto the carriage.

“However, don’t worry about any matters that involve me. Someone who is the commander of knights must have a thousand other things to do.”

Riftan silently gazed down at his stiff, boney back and thinning white hair, then nodded slowly. However, the stepfather missed his answer as he stared at nothing but the ground. His stepfather’s words saying he had to live by looking only at the crumbling ground echoed in his head. Riftan stared blankly at the curved back of the man who had stared only at the ground all his life, then spoke in an emotionless voice.

“This will be the last time. There shall be no matters in the future that will require you to face me.”

A look of relief passed over his stepfather’s wrinkled face. The old man nodded his head once, then boarded the carriage and sat down.

Riftan closed the door of the carriage himself and gave a signal to Gabel. The wheels of the carriage then began to roll slowly forward at the knight’s signal.

Riftan stood motionless while watching the carriage move further away with a trail of dust. A cold wind blew past his neck. Riftan’s eyes frowned as he felt the shivers run under the pale sunlight.

I’m really alone now.

***

The knights moved in an organized manner as they immediately slashed down the giants who were climbing down the rock wall. The fierce roars of the ogres echoed one after another on the ridge. Riftan wielded his sword and swiftly counted the number of the creatures: they were around thirty. It was extremely rare for ogres to gather in a group such as that. He wondered for a moment if they were being controlled by the dragon, then stopped thinking about it and shouted at the troops in the rear.

“Ready the crossbows!”

While the knights obstructed the monsters, well-trained soldiers took the weapons out of the wagons and swiftly positioned them. As soon as the large crossbows were ready, Riftan signaled for the knights to go back. When the knights retreated all at once, gigantic javelins the length of over 10 kvets (around 3 meters) flew towards the monsters at a frightening speed. The long iron rods skewered the monsters’ heads and chest instantly.

Note – LF: Uslin and Hebaron always quarrel xD And Ruth always knows best ?