Chapter 1 (2/2)
Hal couldn’t say anything and avoided eye contact with Luke, who covered up his arain
“I a after five years on the field”
Hal stiffened up immediately as he saluted Luke Centurions were officers who commanded a hundred soldiers
“Ap- Apologies! I did not recognize you, Officer!”
“I a have you been in service?”
“A- A year and six months, sir”
Hal becas the second he found out Luke was a veteran officer of five years Although Lukehad a fair and young face, he was not sohtly at all
‘damn, of course, he doesn’t have any scars on his face He’s wearing a full helmet every time he’s on the battlefield”
An aard silence reigned the carriage
Thankfully, the coachuards arrived soon after the confrontation
“Sorry for the wait”
A guard looked over Hal and Luke’s paperwork, then sent the carriage off
Kererereung
The castle door opened, and the carriage began to speed off into the dark The carriage was pulled by four horses and was able to proceed at a decent speed
Dududududu
The guards and coach Luke and Hal in aard silence inside the carriage Hal picked his nose absentmindedly and asked
“Are you returning to your House?”
“Yes”
“My apologies, but could I ask of which House you hail from?
Luke had nothing to hide and so responded honestly
“I adom”
“Wahh, even a country hick like myself has heard of the faant… I suppose people froious House are definitely different”
Luke frowned slightly at Hal’s continuous compliments
From the sly look Hal had on his face, Luke suspected Hal was after so
“I have heard Esteban Earldom is a wonderful place to live! I have alanted to visit it”
Luke gave a cold snort after realizing what Hal was after
“Seems like you are reluctant to return home because of your crimes? Sorry to say but people of the Esteban Earldom do not like outsiders It’s a characteristic of Earldo histories”
Hal couldn’t help but sweat at Luke’s sharp words
“What cri squadron?”
Hal hesitated for a while, before replying
“I-I beat a person in a drunken stupor”
“You wouldn’t get drafted for so like that?”
“The person died while I was beating him…”
“A murderer Sorry, but the people of Esteban Earldom would not welcome a murderer Even one whose crimes have been pardoned by military service”
Hal’s face stiffened up at Luke’s clear rejection
A cold ain
Luke had met many different types of people on the frontlines and did not look kindly upon people like Hal
‘People like hi for favors To take hiood at all’
This was the reason Luke had been so cold to Hal
Dagadak Dagak
Luke and Hal ree
Luke was thinking of his fiancée, whom he had not met for five years
‘Wait for h letters for the past five years, but I am finally on my way to see you’
It was coes between couples who had never seen each other’s faces before
But Luke was different He had iven her his love He had successfully proposed to her He went throughapproval froement ceremony
After returning to his House, they would have a e ceremony and become husband and wife
However, his sweet dreams were broken by a shout from the coachman above
“The road is blocked!”
Luke’s cos and other obstacles to stop carriages or patrols and then a them, was one of the most common tactics used by the Orcs
“It’s the Orcs! An ambush!+ Keuk-!”
A pained scream came from the coachman, and both Luke and Hal scowled An ambush on the day they retired
“I should have worn my armor…”
Luke grit his teeth and unsheathed his sword by his pack Hal also armed himself hastily
Hal seemed too nervous and jumpy for a soldier who had been in the are door and ran outside, carefully scanning his surroundings
‘How many?’
As he counted the shadows he could make out in the dark, his complexion darkened even further At least twenty Orcs
Luke gripped his sword tightly, despair on his face
‘I’ my promise’
Luke pictured Isabelle’s face one last ti himself towards the Orcs