Partnership

Listening to his words, Alessia started returning to her senses, but she was still angry with him.

Why would he dare to have a condition? She is noble!

"Whatever… Wah!"

Seth suddenly places his hand on her shoulder, then stares right into her eye.

Never before in her life seen such pure and unwavering eyes as his.

"Please, calm down. I don't want us to get off the wrong foot. Which choice do you want? I prove myself first, or you do?"

The straight and confident black eyes of his piercing into her heart calmed her emotion, making her feel assured, safe, and something more.

"It may sound rude for a noble like you, but we must work as equals. I am not your servant or your subject. We are partners, partners to help people. And to become partners, we need to trust and respect each other to develop the best plan possible."

"E-equal?!?! Trust?! Plan?"

Alessia stuttered from frustration.

Her heart starts to beat faster, and her face becomes a slight shade of red.

Someone always tries to push her down or kneel before her.

She had never met someone who wanted to be her equal, so this was a new kind of relationship for her.

"Yes. Will you accept my condition, or is our deal over?"

Seth pulled his hand off her after seeing she had calmed down.

"N-No! It's ok! I can show you today if you want! It takes to get to the village is 3 hours on horse. If you can get one, we can be there before the attack begins!"

Alessia tries to regain her composure, but her excitement from having someone she can trust makes her speak louder than usual.

"Are they strong or the same group that attacks me? If yes, I think we need reinforcement first."

Seth wants to be reassured that they didn't attempt a suicide mission.

He agrees to help, not to die.

"No, I don't think we needed them. This group is new and weak. They are just ordinary villagers that are breaking bad."

Alessia sees the worried expression on his face making her understand how serious he thinks of the situation.

She smiled and explained in more detail to reassure him they could take on the mission together.

Just the two of them, no one else.

"Ok… Then we should hurry back."

Seth sense something is going on behind her usual smile, but he brushes it off because now they have a more important thing to do.

"Wait!"

Alessia grabs his hand before realizing it and releases it.

She hides her act by sitting on the floor and creating a green magic circle around the broken table.

The table is repairing itself back to its glory.

After being smashed to bits, it is now back to being the lovely wood table.

"Wh—Wow."

The first time Seth saw magic, he fought for his life. That is why He didn't think much of it.

But it is very mesmerizing now that he can witness its beauty closely.

"Let's get moving. We need to be there before sunset."

Alessia stood up and spoke in a hurry.

"Yeah."

Seth agreed, and both quickly walked out of the tea house, leaving the waitress with a cup of flesh-lemon tea and water on the table.

'I guess I can put it on her tab….'

The waitress sighed and drank both cups herself.

After returning to the militia fort, Seth makes his way to the armory using instruction from Alessia.

The armory is located on the right side of the fort, opposite the jail. Here, they also have a barn to keep those horses and mules.

The armory is created with hard metal, concealing all the sides to protect from artillery in case of war, making it near impossible to penetrate or sneak in.

And the only man who stands against everyone and precious militia weaponry is one man.

"Can I have a horse and one set of equipment, please?"

Seth spoke to the giant old man with a body full of scars. He is sitting at a desk with a label [The armorer] placed on it.

"Mission?"

The old soldier asked coldly.

"Scouting and defending the village from the bandits."

Seth answered with a smile, trying not to look suspicious, or so he thought.

The armorer frowns at Seth's words and puts his hand forward.

"What?"

Seth is confused.

"The paper, where is it?"

The armorer explained and beckoned.

And it was at this moment that Seth knew he was in trouble.

"Come on, uncle. Just this once, please. I promise I will be back before dawn."

Seth tries to negotiate with the armorer, but the old soldier doesn't seem to care.

"Why would I believe you? You are not even wearing a uniform. Get out of here while I am still calm."

The armorer warned him and glanced back with a cold, emotionless eye.

"…Do you know Krista?"

Seth decided to try something, so he leaned down and whispered.

"I'm listening."

The armorer's eyes suddenly showed some interest in the topic.

"I'm the boy who came with her. Here is the proof. Have you heard of me?"

Seth tucks his plain white shirt a little, showing a scar in the middle of his chest.

"I do… but still, why?"

The armorer knows the news about the boys that his old captain is willing to risk her life so he can get a chance to heal and survive with a miracle from the fatal wound on the chest.

"I try to impress someone to create a way to help Krista."

Seth isn't sure he wants to bring up Alessia's name because her mother is the one who created all this trouble, and she, too, has a bad reputation around here.

"Can you help me, just this once? After this, I will do it properly."

Seth pledged with sincere intention, which showed his face, but will it show in his action?

The armorer closed his eyes and leaned back on his chair before leaving a huge sigh.

'Can't believe I am doing this, but for the captain.'

He opens the locker behind the chair, pulls out a wooden card, and places it on the desk.

"Here is the key to the barn. Pick any weapon you want, but don't touch the armor. This is the best I can give."

What he is doing is against the law. He can get charged with fraud and corruption for lending the militia's treasure without a proper paper.

"Thank you very much!"

Seth smiled and quickly grabbed a spear from the weapon stand.

"And this never happens, understood?"

The armorer quickly reminded Seth before he went to the barn.

"Understood."

Seth gave the armorer a bow and went to the barn to get the horse.

He didn't know how to pick a horse, so he likes a red one from his old motto of red going thrice at fast.

"You get the horse, impressive. But how? I knew the armorer was very strict. He will never let anyone bring anything from the armory without a paper, even my father."

Seeing Seth come back with a horse and a spear made Alessia so amazed.

She thought he would, at best, get a mule.

"I know a person the armorer trusted, so he let me borrow it, but we need to bring it back at all costs."

Seth simplified the explanation to hide the detail from her intentionally.

But it seems that he gets a horse is more interesting for her than how he gets it.

"Sure. Bring it back at all costs. Got it.

Alessia joyfully jumped on the horse's back and started rubbing it gently.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, she let out a big scream, making the horse scared and start galloping around, but with her animal handling skill, she quickly calmed it down before climbing off it.

"What's wrong?"

Seth asked her.

"Do you want to ride? My mother said men like to be a rider. And it's your horse..."

Alessia stared at the group, her hands clenching together and her mouth compressing from regret and fear.

Her mother taught her to accompany men's needs if she wanted to befriend them, making her afraid that her first equal relationship would go down the drain because she was disrespectful to him by riding his horse.

"It's ok. You can be a rider. Besides, I don't know how to ride a horse. Haha! I hope you are not disappointed that your partner can't ride a horse!"

Seth laughed to lit up the atmosphere. He can see that she is genuinely sorry for her actions.

But it is also saddening to know that the reason is the custom her mother teaches.

"Really? I can teach you later! But we don't have much time! Come!"

Alessia got back on the horse and offered her hand.

Seth smiled and grabbed her hand before she helped him get on the horseback.

After that, she rode off to the village with terrific speed.

And in "terrific speed," Seth means terrifying for someone who has only ever experienced smooth and comfortable modern world transportation.

To review the experience, he can conclude with a single word, "Hurt."