Invitation of the Crescent Moon - Chapter 85

The uneasy feeling grew stronger as they entered the town.

“It’s larger than I expected.”

“This is the most prosperous town in the Grand Duchy. There are quite a few abandoned villages, but this place is relatively better off.”

Drushia answered Ashika’s exclamation while looking around.

‘The atmosphere isn’t good.’

The stares that followed them from the moment they entered the town center were blatant. People kept glancing at them, clearly recognizing their clothing as that of outsiders.

The people’s wariness became even more apparent when they arrived at the inn building. The moment Drushia’s party entered the hall, the conversations at the inner tables abruptly stopped and all eyes focused on them at once.

“What brings you here?”

The owner who came out to greet guests spoke curtly. The question “What brings you here?” rather than “Where are you from?” was strange.

“Are there no rooms available?”

“Merchants?”

The owner responded to Drushia’s question with a question of his own. Anyone could see that Drushia’s party was far from being merchants. Their sturdy builds, disciplined postures, and armaments made it clear they were knights, even without visible family crests.

Seeing Drushia’s face harden, Mihail stepped forward.

“We need to get to Igraine territory urgently, so we’re passing through here. Do you have any vacant rooms?”

“No.”

The innkeeper cut them off decisively.

“Really none? There don’t seem to be many travelers.”

Mihail looked around the hall with the dining area with a bewildered expression.

“I have no rooms to spare for outsiders who aren’t merchants or here on official business.”

The owner left only that statement and disappeared inside.

Drushia’s party, rejected to their faces, was left speechless. Ashika had never experienced such treatment either.

“Let’s look elsewhere.”

At Drushia’s gesture, Nile and two knights left the building first.

However, it didn’t take long to realize they wouldn’t be able to find lodging anywhere in the town. With only minor differences, everyone was extremely wary of the travelers who had suddenly appeared and just repeated like parrots that they had no rooms available.

If they had revealed their identities from the start, no one would have dared refuse them. But having changed clothes to conceal their identities, they couldn’t now reveal that they were from Talion.

“It wasn’t this bad before. It seems news has spread that people from the Grand Duchy were murdered in the capital. It’ll probably be difficult to find lodging.”

Drushia looked back at Ashika with a troubled expression.

“Let’s go outside the town. It would be better to find a camping spot.”

“Will that be alright?”

To Drushia’s eyes, Ashika was a typical noble lady. The idea of her sleeping on the ground with strange men was unimaginable.

“It’s fine. This isn’t my first time camping outdoors. From the atmosphere, it doesn’t seem like staying at an inn would be safe either.”

Drushia agreed with that assessment. If he had known the atmosphere would be this hostile, he would have found another way.

“It might have been better to come with the merchant group.”

He belatedly regretted having sent ahead the merchant group that had been traveling with Ashika.

Drushia’s party eventually gave up on finding lodging. The persistent stares that followed them were bothersome, and they couldn’t relax their guard until they left the town.

Only after night had fallen deep were they able to find a suitable place to camp. It was inside a forest path, well away from nearby villages. The atmosphere was eerie, with not even the sounds of beasts or insects to be heard.

“The forest is rather spooky.”

“The atmosphere is indeed a bit unsettling.”

Ashika nodded at Mihail’s complaint. Only these two seemed disturbed by it; Nile and the knights looked around casually and gathered dry branches to start a fire.

“There’s a lot of dust in the wind, so the forest is actually better. Once we leave here, we’ll be covered in dirt all night while sleeping.”

Nile’s words didn’t sound like a joke, given how parched the ground was. Even in the forest they had entered, many trees had yellowing, withering branch tips.

Everyone moved busily, checking for dangerous beasts or nests in the area and setting up the campsite.

“Lady Igraine, please have some of this.”

What the knight offered was warm tea. He had brewed it for Ashika while the campsite was being prepared.

The knight who handed Ashika the tea was someone she had often seen in the capital. He had apparently considered both Igraine and Talion when deciding which house to serve as a knight, ultimately choosing Talion.

Perhaps because of this, he showed a favorable attitude toward Ashika as well. Thanks to this, she was able to feel much more at ease.

As night fell, the temperature dropped sharply. It was the season transitioning to autumn, so cold winds were blowing. Seeing Ashika shiver, Nile pulled a blanket from his bag and offered it to her.

“My lady, your sleeping area is prepared over here, so please rest while the meal is being prepared.”

The blanket Nile offered was snatched by Drushia before it could reach Ashika’s hands.

“Why would Ashika sleep next to you?”

His low, sunken voice was quite threatening. Drushia glared at Nile with piercing eyes.

“Because I’m responsible for the young lady’s safety.”

“With that body?”

His pale blue eyes swept Nile from head to toe.

Nile was of average height with a slender build for a man. This made him seem small compared to the knights with them. Compared to Drushia, who was particularly tall and sturdy even among knights, there was no comparison.

Nile’s face crumpled at the blatantly mocking gaze.

“I have a more useful body than knights who only threaten young ladies with their impressive size.”

“Are you insulting my knights now?”

“All talk and no action – they don’t even know how to swing a sword properly.”

“Are you talking about Aegonite?”

Two months ago, Nile had nearly gotten into a fight after thoroughly provoking Aegonite before it was settled. Drushia made no effort to hide his displeasure.

“Do you know that Aegonite is a knight commander of Talion?”

Talion, the sword of the Empire and guardian of the borders. Talion had five knight orders, and Aegonite was one of the five knight commanders.

However, Nile’s reaction was indifferent. He let out a laugh closer to mockery, causing the nearby knights to jump to their feet.

“Such an insolent fellow!”

Unlike the knights who were incensed, Drushia’s eyes showed interest.

“You’ve got nerve. If Aegonite seems laughable to you, I suppose I’m not frightening either?”

Nile’s previously indifferent eyes sparkled. Like a child presented with an unexpected gift, his monotonous face brightened considerably.

“Isn’t it Duke Talion who’s truly fearless, not me?”

‘Ha, look at this guy.’

So this is what he wanted, constantly picking fights and being provocative from the start.

He was already bothered by how Nile stuck close to Ashika and wouldn’t leave her side. It was even more irritating that Ashika didn’t seem uncomfortable with it either.

He had thought she was wary of men due to her poor relationship with her former fiancé, but it was the opposite. Unlike other ladies, she was close to knights, so she didn’t seem to see men as men.

“Are you trying to say that I live without knowing what fear is? The way you put it makes it sound like you want to show me something frightening.”

“How could that be? What standing would I have to challenge Your Grace?”

His attitude was polite, but his tone was insufferably arrogant. He was the type to gradually irritate you until anger rose to the top of your head.

‘No wonder Aegonite would grab the back of his neck.’

Even so, Nile’s eyes never left Drushia.

“So should I take that to mean you wouldn’t dare act up because you’re afraid of me?”

Nile’s face crumpled.

“Are you mocking me now?”

“Who started it?”

Ashika, who had been quietly watching, couldn’t stand it anymore and stood up. There was no real reason to fight, yet why were the two of them arguing?

“Excuse me, you two. Stop…”

“Shall we see who’s really fearless?”

“Sounds good.”

“Drushia!”

Ashika’s eyes widened like lanterns. Despite her attempts to stop them, Drushia and Nile wouldn’t take their eyes off each other.

“Nile, what are you doing, coming all this way just for this? Both of you, stop it.”

The flustered knights also dropped their work and gathered around. But when Drushia raised his hand to stop them, they halted with troubled expressions. He tapped the sword at his waist with his fingers and gestured to Nile.

“You, come here.”

“Drushia!”

Ashika’s face turned pale.

She hadn’t expected Drushia to actually fall for Nile’s provocation. Unlike others, he had been consistently relaxed, so she thought he would let it slide. But to make such a childish demand to actually draw swords and fight.

Nile didn’t hesitate to walk past Ashika. As if she wasn’t even visible, his previously angry expression had disappeared and the corners of his mouth were raised high.

When Ashika tried to intervene, Mihail blocked her way.

“I’m sorry, Lady Igraine, but I think it’s better to leave them be.”

“Look at those two! They’ve even drawn their swords!”

“His Grace is a knight, so it’s natural, and Young Lord Nedrov is also going into this knowing what he’s doing.”

“Why are allies fighting each other? You shouldn’t be stopping me – you should be stopping them.”

To Ashika, swords were terrifying weapons. Deadly weapons that harm opponents and take lives. Drawing such things against precious people came as a kind of shock to her.

“Don’t be frightened. This is what we do during training at Talion all the time.”

“But this isn’t training.”

“It’s the same thing. Surely those two aren’t going to try to kill each other? Don’t worry.”

Though he felt uncertain even as he spoke, he deliberately acted nonchalant.

While Ashika struggled with Mihail, trying to push past him, a metallic clang was heard. Both their gazes turned toward the center of the campsite at once.