Chapter 11 Emperor's Name
“Here,” the man handed her a small white ball. “This is a small firework that will explode once it is thrown to the ground. If your carriage gets to the middle of the forest or when you see a big animal, make this thing explode so we will know your location.”
She found herself nodding as she looked at the small white ball on her hand. She never knew this kind of invention. It must be new. She looked at the man’s face and observed his appearance. And judging by his slightly wrinkled skin, it must have passed many years after she died as Lady Amara.
The man stood up and tapped her head. He then gave her a golden coin that is worth a month of living for a commoner like the young girl she was in.
“I will give you more if we see each other again, alright?”
She could only look at his gentle smile as if the intimidation she felt a while ago just faded in a second. Somehow, he looked like a proud father who was cheering up his child. It makes her happy to see that kind of expression. She nodded and smiled back, genuinely. She then took the pail with water and walked away to go back to work.
“This feels illegal, Captain.” A knight groaned as he walked back and forth. “You just used an innocent child and she is even a mute!”
“Leon,” the Captain stood up and turned his head to his subordinate, Leon. “That innocent girl just sensed us, Imperial knights.” He stated, looking serious. “We had years of training to not be caught and be sensed by the enemy but a young girl just sensed us when we were five meters away from her.”
Leon flinched, “T-That does not make sense to a young girl.”
“That girl is either a genius or a human being who had the power of the gods, Leon.” He sighed and crossed his arms. “Moreover, as we observed her during this week, she seemed to have no intention of leaving the mercenary even if we gave her a lot of money. However, if we make use of her and set her free from them, she might consider her choice.”
“Then? Do you want to take her?”
“I will adopt her as my daughter.” He immediately dictated.
“Are you crazy? You don’t even have a wife and you’re adopting a daughter?”
After hearing that, he got annoyed by the fact that he had failed to stop loving the person he had always admired. He glared at Leon, “How about you? You got a wife but you have failed to have a child because you have failed to be a man.”
Leon was struck straight to the heart. “Jeez, no need to personalize everything, Captain. I was just pulling your leg.” He shrugged off that painful truth.
The Captain clicked his tongue before commanding them to leave the place to go to their meeting place. They went deep in the forest behind the stable. There were just ten of them.
“Captain!” The other knights came to him. “We got a command from his majesty!”
Upon hearing the news, the captain’s brows furrowed as he received the rolling paper from the Emperor. When he opened and read it, the space between his brows got even narrower.
Dissatisfied, he did not even finish reading and threw it away. “What an unwise strategy,” he commented.
“What did his majesty say?” Leon asked while looking at the rolling paper he threw on the ground. “He was telling us to withdraw and have a full attack with the others.”
Upon hearing what their captain said, everyone sighed in frustration. “Just why did Emperor Esteban pass the throne to that Crown Prince-
“Watch your mouth, Leon.” A knight cut Leon’s bold comment, telling him that he could be punished for blasphemy.
However, Leon just could not bear it anymore. “Am I not right? Since the Crown Prince became the Emperor, the Empire became just like him, miserable and disorganized.” Leon thundered. “We fight with our lives on the line and he is just tossing us like toys or something? It would have been alright if we would die for our Empire but we will die for the Emperor! How I wish Emperor Darya could come back to life.”
Upon mentioning Emperor Darya’s name, they were all silenced. They still could remember that day when Emperor Darya bravely joined a war and defeated enemies more than the Captains of Imperial Knights. Emperor Darya was just nineteen years old at that time and they were just ordinary low-ranking knights. When she was the Emperor, the Largoth Empire was the best Empire of all the time.
“All of you, do you believe that Emperor Darya really died due to sleep paralysis?” Leon talked even more. “I’ve had sleep paralysis many times but I never died, you know. I believe that she was killed by someone really close to her—”
“Leon.” The Captain glared at him and he shrugged in response.
The Captain turned his back and started walking away. “Do not ever state her name again, Leon. Address her with majesty as she deserves to be called with highness forever.”
When the Captain left, all of them looked at each other in silence. The Captain really respects and values the late Emperor Darya until now.
A knight then spoke. “You should stop reminding the Captain about her majesty, Emperor Darya, Leon.”
“It’s alright.” Leon beamed, “I said that, out of waking him up.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Captain tends to become really sharp when he is triggered. And he becomes stronger in a battle so prepare yourselves to a life and death war, men.”
The night has then come when the mercenary will leave the Largoth Empire.
The young girl was just holding a small pouch where she put the small white ball in. As the carriage started their journey, she was only riding at the cart attached to its back where the luggage and foods were placed. Since this morning, she only had an apple and bread to fill her stomach but maybe because the body she was in was used to being starved that Darya does not feel bothered being hungry.
It was already dark when they left the Empire. They already crossed the river connecting the two continents and were on their way to the Hapra Forest. However, they did not come deeper in the Hapra forest. She was asked to carry some stuff outside as they decided to camp there.
