Invitation of the Crescent Moon - Chapter 93

“…shika…”

She thought she was hearing things because she wanted it so desperately. From the corridor side connected by stairs, a voice came from beyond the pile of collapsed stones.

“…Ashika.”

It wasn’t a hallucination. Ashika quickly raised her head and confirmed the direction from which the voice was coming.

“Rushia!”

Suddenly the sound from the other side cut off.

“I’m here! Rushia!”

The interrupted noise immediately resumed. The murmuring sounds of people and Drushia’s voice mixed among them.

“Ashika, wait there!”

“Bring a lever!”

“Don’t touch that side over there!”

Suddenly she could feel bustling movement.

Clank, thud, thud.

The loud noise of clearing away the stone pile and the clanking sound of armor colliding. It was Drushia. Drushia had returned with the knights.

Ashika looked back and forth between the shaking pile of stones and Neoren.

‘This is dangerous as it is.’

She got up from her spot and put her hands under Neoren’s armpits to pull him. Having already lost consciousness, his large frame was as heavy as a boulder.

“Ugh, Old Duke. Please.”

She pulled with all her strength and put her body weight into dragging him to the opposite side. While dragging Neoren, Ashika didn’t realize it. The fact that her shoulder, where the arrow had been lodged, no longer hurt.

The distance she managed to move was barely about five steps. Her vision grew dizzy at the sight of the long trail of blood stretched across the floor for that distance. Ashika immediately sat down and pressed on Neoren’s wound again.

“Rushia, hurry! The Old Duke is injured!”

She heard the sound of stones falling away one by one, then crashing down to the opposite side. Bright torchlight poured in. Even though it was painfully bright light, Ashika didn’t close her eyes. She couldn’t even wipe away the flowing tears.

“Ashika!”

The large shadow rushing forward first was Drushia.

“Rushia, the Old Duke… quickly, his wound…”

Her throat was choked up, making it difficult to continue speaking.

Drushia’s gaze, which had been relieved to find Ashika, fell downward. Upon confirming the unconscious Neoren, his face turned pale.

“Grandfather?”

People poured in behind Drushia. Among them was Nile. Nile was delighted to find Ashika, then horrified at her blood-covered appearance.

“My lady!”

“A sword wound to his lower abdomen… He’s lost a lot of blood. Please do something about the wound first.”

Drushia handed the torch in his hand to a knight and bent down to Neoren.

“Bring a stretcher, immediately!”

The booming shout was familiar to her ears. The person rushing urgently through those holding torches was Aegonite. His gaze lingered briefly on Ashika’s tear-stained face before moving to the unconscious Neoren.

In the midst of the chaos, Drushia suddenly remembered something he had almost overlooked.

“Ashika, your injuries…”

However, Ashika was completely absorbed in examining Neoren’s wound. With her two arms moving freely. As if there had been no injury from the beginning. Though soaked in blood, it wasn’t her blood either.

Drushia’s eyes shook with confusion. The things he had witnessed just a few hours ago were not mere illusions. He had been certain of that.

“Your Grace, we must hurry.”

Drushia turned to Aegonite in surprise. Ashika was safe. So the urgent matters had to be dealt with first.

“There are still many of them left. Secure the route in advance so we can escort Grandfather, and seal the entrance to the Grand Duke’s Castle. We’ll deal with the remaining ones later.”

Murderous intent swirled in his low, sunken voice. Aegonite gritted his teeth and bowed his head.

Before leaving his position, Aegonite looked back at Neoren. Though he clearly wanted to stay by Neoren’s side rather than follow Drushia’s orders, he resolutely turned away.

Through the large window shattered by the earthquake, blue dawn light poured into the banquet hall. Due to the increasingly bright light, the devastated state of the Grand Duke’s Castle was revealed even more clearly. A somber silence descended upon the half-collapsed space, and no one could open their mouth.

****

The small building, the size of a villa, was barely visible, hidden by the forest. There was only a wooden fence installed to keep out wild animals, and the building didn’t look particularly sturdy.

The number of knights surrounding it exceeded twenty. The knights from the capital who had arrived last night and joined the guard couldn’t even ask why, given the murderous atmosphere, and just watched the situation carefully.

“Won’t you tell us what’s going on?”

“A gag order has been issued. Don’t go poking around here and there and get in trouble, just go patrol.”

“I just checked and came back a little while ago, and again?”

Dorian, the youngest knight, grumbled. The building was small, so there wasn’t much to inspect, and the surroundings were all forest.

‘At this rate, I’ll have to hunt rabbits for lack of anything to do.’

It was a remote place where there was nothing but forest outside, and the only threats to guard against were wild animals. A large shadow quietly approached from behind the knights gathered by the building.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, Commander.”

The person who had approached silently was Aegonite. Having stayed up almost all night, his face showed no sign of sleepiness and was irritable. His gaze surveying his subordinates was even sharper.

“Why are you all gathered here? Aren’t you supposed to be at your posts?”

“We’re sorry!”

Unlike his colleague who answered immediately, Dorian hesitated. He didn’t back down even at Aegonite’s murderous expression.

“Um, but Commander. Rather than knowing nothing, shouldn’t we at least know what we’re supposed to be on guard against?”

While reading the situation, Dorian poured out the curiosity he had been holding back since yesterday.

A surprised colleague poked Dorian’s side. Aegonite was already hot-tempered as it was. They expected harsh words to fall, but surprisingly, he responded calmly.

“You don’t need to know the details, but there was a threat. So don’t neglect guarding the perimeter against possible intruders.”

Dorian was about to ask more questions but closed his mouth after looking at his face. The face he was seeing again after barely a month looked haggard and quite hurt.

“The shift change is in two hours.”

“Yes, understood!”

Leaving behind the vigorous response, Aegonite moved on.

He hadn’t wanted to go to the capital. He had wanted to stay by the injured Neoren’s side. However, Neoren, who was being secretly treated at the garrison, ordered Aegonite to go to the capital. It was more precisely an instruction close to a request to guard Drushia’s side.

They didn’t know which of the two, Drushia or Ashika, had been the target. Perhaps it was both. Neoren wanted the most trustworthy knight to be with his grandson.

[Guard Drushia’s side. If you stay next to that guy, you might be able to find answers to your questions.]

His stubborn heart lost strength at those words.

Something big had happened. Though no one told him, it was a sense of crisis felt instinctively.

Still, he never thought he would end up guarding Lady Igraine. While Aegonite was trying to suppress his complicated feelings, the sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out from beyond the forest path.

“Outsiders! Everyone maintain alert!”

He reflexively drew his sword. His nerves, which had been tense since the Grand Duke’s Castle, stood on end. Hearing the sound, knights who had been resting in the storage building also rushed out.

The rapidly approaching party soon revealed themselves. Five armed knights. Those who had the family crest embroidered on their uniforms stopped their horses urgently in front of Aegonite.

“You cannot go any further. Identify yourselves.”

Even though the crest was clearly visible, Aegonite shouted fiercely.

The party that had stopped their horses looked around the area before Aegonite did. They looked surprised at the murderous level of vigilance.

“I am Pelburn Coltern, Knight Commander of the Igraine Capital Mansion. I’ve come to escort the young lady.”

Aegonite’s expression crumpled strangely.

It had been four days since they departed from the Grand Duchy. But he was amazed at how quickly Igraine had responded, wondering when the news had reached them.

“I don’t have the authority to answer that question.”

“I know the young lady is here. Let me meet her.”

“I said I don’t have the authority to answer.”

At Aegonite’s blunt response, Pelburn looked troubled. He dismounted and made another polite request.

“Then I’ll speak with Duke Talion. Please let me see the Duke.”

“His Grace is also busy.”

Pelburn frowned at Aegonite. He looked like he was thinking, ‘What kind of frustrating person is this?’

“Busy, you say? Here?”

The forest swayed in the wind and bird songs could be heard in the distance, peaceful. Except for the knights guarding the mansion, there was no noise or sign of activity.

Pelburn looked around and pressed again.

“He’s not chopping firewood or anything, is he busy guarding the young lady?”

It was half a joke. But he had chosen the wrong opponent. Aegonite’s face crumpled fiercely and his voice rose.

“Does the Knight Commander of Igraine not know manners!”

“Whoa, calm down.”

Pelburn quickly changed his attitude. He had been curious about the Knight Commander who had only stayed in Talion territory. He had heard that as soon as he came to the capital, he had gotten into fights with Igraine knights, and indeed he was a man with a fiery temper.

“If you didn’t come to pick a fight, why don’t you shut that mouth?”

Everyone’s attention turned to where the voice came from.

A loose shirt, wrinkled pants, and a haggard complexion. Drushia, dressed no differently from last night, was just coming out of the building entrance. Drushia frowned upon seeing Pelburn.

“Commander… no, Your Grace. You should have come out earlier.”

Among the hostile gazes, Pelburn was delighted to see Drushia. Seeing that, Aegonite’s eyes widened, and Drushia gestured.

“Put away your sword. Everyone return to your positions.”

At Drushia’s instruction, the knights who had rushed outside the fence quietly withdrew. However, Aegonite’s momentum showed no signs of subsiding.

“Do you know the Knight Commander of Igraine?”

“Of course I know him. So ease up on the intensity in your eyes.”

Strictly speaking, he had worked more with Pelburn, who had served in the same deployment area, than with Aegonite, who had only stayed in the territory. However, it was an awkward story to explain.

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Pelburn got straight to the point.

“I know the young lady is here. Duke Igraine ordered me to bring the young lady back.”

“On whose authority? Go back.”

It wasn’t worth listening to. At the firm refusal, Pelburn’s expression hardened.

“It’s not good for anyone that the young lady is staying out like this. The problem with Duke Igraine is also something the young lady should resolve, not something Duke Talion should intervene in.”

Drushia’s eyes narrowed.

‘Does he know nothing?’

The Knight Commander’s face, who had come to find the runaway young lady, was full of worry. He seemed completely unaware that there were more important issues at stake.

Weive couldn’t possibly be unaware of the information Drushia had tracked down. They probably knew that Ashika had gone to the Grand Duchy. But the events at the Grand Duke’s Castle were kept strictly secret, so there was a good chance they didn’t know.

‘I don’t know how long the secret will last.’

“I want to see the young lady. This is not something Your Grace should prevent.”

“If I say no, then it’s no. Go back.”

“I was told to bring her back even if it means using force.”

At Pelburn’s words, Drushia’s face hardened coldly. At the murderous aura pouring out, Pelburn and the knights accompanying him flinched.

“Really? You’ll use force? Then try hitting me and taking her.”

“Your Grace!”

Drushia’s expression became as fierce as a beast about to tear at throats. Pelburn was bewildered by the extremely sudden change in attitude.

“That’s what Duke Igraine wants. You know that.”

“I won’t tolerate anything that goes against Ashika’s will.”

“I’ll confirm what the young lady’s will is myself. Please let me meet her.”

Pelburn pleaded earnestly. He wasn’t an opponent he could win against in a fight anyway. Drushia’s fierce growling momentum was somewhat deflated.

“She’s sick.”

“Pardon?”

Drushia roughly rubbed his face with his hand.

“I said Ashika is sick. So not right now.”

Pelburn’s mouth opened in surprise. So that’s why Drushia was so on edge.

“She’s usually healthy, so how did she…”

It had been nearly a month since Ashika left home. The outdoor life during that time must have been very hard on her, he thought.

“So you can’t meet her right now, understand that.”

“Then I’ll wait.”

Drushia’s face crumpled. But this time Pelburn didn’t back down either.

“I can’t just leave with the young lady being sick. I’ll stay here until I can see the young lady.”

“Ha.”

From Pelburn’s standpoint, it was natural. Regardless of his relationship with Drushia, he was Igraine’s Knight Commander. Having received orders, he had the responsibility to follow them.

“Do whatever you want. Aegonite will feed and house you.”

“The Igraine knights?”

Aegonite asked with an incredulous face. However, Drushia didn’t notice his subordinate’s bewildered situation.

“They say they won’t leave.”

“That’s their situation…”

“Excuse me, Your Grace!”

The door opened and a maid rushed out urgently. Surprised to see the unfamiliar knights, she stopped midway and called to Drushia.

“Your Grace. The young lady…”

“Is she looking for me?”

“Yes. I think you should go in and see.”

Drushia’s face turned pale, and before the maid could finish speaking, he was already running toward the building.

“No, Your Grace, if you go like that…”

The Igraine knights had already disappeared from Drushia’s mind. Watching the figure disappear like the wind, Pelburn’s gaze turned to Aegonite.

“You heard His Grace’s instructions, didn’t you? We’ll also be staying here for the time being. Where should we put our luggage?”

At Pelburn’s confident request, Aegonite’s face crumpled completely.