12 Memento Mori

"... What just happened?"

"Did he just kill a knight in close combat, let alone without magic?"

"...Who is this Fricn dude? Did he train this guy? He's a monster! Did you see how ruthlessly he handled Fisher? Eve have mercy"

Other whispers, murmurs, and shouts were not so…friendly

"MURDER! BLOODY MURDER! GUARDS! KNIGHTS! WHAT ARE DOING STANDING ALL SHELL SHOCKED?! ARREST THIS SCUM AT ONCE!"

"WAIT A DAMN MINUTE, I RECOGNIZE YOU! YOU'RE THE GUY WHO BEAT AXEL THE OTHER DAY WITH THOSE COWARDLY, UNHONORABLE TACTICS!"

Gasps all around.

"He beat a noble in one-to-one combat?"

"Not only that, he beat Axel! Have you seen him fight? He wields that Morning Star like it's a plaything!"

"Who trained this guy? And a commoner like us for no less?"

"ENOUGH" Salnus's voice thunders all around us, causing everyone to shut up immediately.

I spend half a second considering wiping the remaining blood staining Ardor on Fisher's corpse, opting to flick the blood free from the dagger. Ardor shrinks back to its dominant size at my mental command, the blade satisfied with it's hand in the carnage. I notice my crossbow hanging limp at my side, the hand holding the weapon uncontrollably shaking as the grip on the handle gets stronger and stronger until my knuckles threaten to turn white.

It never gets old for you huh?

I quickly put the conversation between me and past me on pause as I focused my attention on the potential battle brewing, tension fresh in the air. I glance at the corpse and then to Sanlus, our gazes interlocking.

"So do I qualify?" I question Sanlus smugly. Fisher was a valuable asset and we both know it. The point of my display of power was to send him(and by extension, the nobles) a message, and at least he sure as hell got it.

I got his back against the wall, and a warped sense of glee fills my heart knowing I'm controlling the strings here, at least momentarily.

"Yes you are, in fact, you're so qualified that you have to take Fisher's place as a tester for the rest of the precipitants." The first three words pain him to get out, but by the end of the sentence, he's struggling to contain a sneer.

Even after all these years, nobles and rich people are still horse shit at hiding their plans.

"As long as you pay me for my troubles and let me reside in the knight carriages for the duration of the expedition. If I'm going to step in for a knight, I expect to be treated as one. I also expect access to the healers whenever I'm damaged in combat. Finally, I expect at least one knight guarding the commoners and slumies."

His face wrinkled in disgust at my requests. He cannot force me to do his biddings, I have to not only give my consent but also give something worth my time. He knows my requests are perfectly in line for me to basically replace Fisher. But just because he has to do it, doesn't mean he likes it, plus a knight could easily "forget to watch over those carriages", or coincidentally "fall sick" during that specific shift.

"How much?" Sanlus questions bitterly, his nostrils flaring up as he presses his lips together tightly.

"Well, adding up endangering myself to test the nobles, commoners, and slumies alike, having to protect this "person of great interest" and finally the expedition as a whole, I say 50 gold is a perfect amount"

".....Fine. Just get in place and get ready to fight" Sanlus grumbles, his big fucking forehead furrowed into some crevice shape.

"Payment in advance if you will, anything could happen and I'll hate if you couldn't pay me because of something bad happening" I drawl, my matter-of-fact tone irritating him even more, especially coupled with the snickers and giggles behind us.

*Enough fucking games brat

Apparently, that was the tipping point for him as I'm suddenly brunting the full weight of his kamra, almost causing me to drop to a knee. Almost everyone else wasn't as lucky, however, as people all around drop like flies, sobbing and even throwing up as the feeling of hopelessness, despair, and other negative emotions spawned from either their deep-rooted trauma or worst fears cover them in their blanket of suffering. The stronger one's kamra is, the more amplified these emotions are. Of course, it's possible to build a tolerance to it, but that would mean forcing yourself to bask in mental suffering daily. Think about it this way, if you're expressed to physical pain daily, you slowly but surely gain a tolerance to it right? It's the same idea here, just emotional pain. But no one is insane enough to actually do that right?

Right?

Well…

I'm the only one standing now, stifling a yawn as I lock eyes with Sanlus, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Let's put an end to these shenanigans shall we?" My voice is a sweet whisper tickling the ears of everyone around.

SNAP

Salnus's oppressive kamra dissipates in an instant, a collective sigh of relief instinctively leaves the mouths of the teenagers around me as I swallow the blood and bile rising in my throat.

"Alrighty! Now that's over, let's move on to these "tests of strength" I say with a clap of my hands, the noise snapping everyone into focus. I walk to my place among the knights, distrust, hostility, confusion, and oddly respect filling the silence between us.

Sanlus blinks a few times before coming to his senses, clearing this throat before he continues as the last minute never happened.

"NEXT! We don't have all day"

Brief, awkward silence.

"I'll go!" A voice dripping with overconfidence, arrogance, and probably an inflated ego calls out. All eyes lock on a young man dressed in flashy golden armor, a small, circular wrist shield on one hand and a rapier on his other.

"Ah! Noble Unicus of the Germantias household. I heard many great things about you, I'm sure you'll easily exceed the already high expectations we have of you!" Sanlus praises. Unicus only nods and moves to the makeshift arena, where we look eyes. His golden eyes full of suspicion, anxiety, and misplaced confidence clash with my purple ones swarming with *lachesism, exhaustion, as *kuebiko finally starts to kick in.

"So! Who do you wish to challenge today Unicus?" Salnus asks, even though he clearly already knows the answer.

Grim determination crystalizes in his eyes as he stands proudly in the center of the arena.

"Tardabs Arclus. I wish to challenge Tardabs Arclus"

"Memento mori" I whisper as I walk into the arena, not needing to be told so.

How will you beg Unicus?

*This is Sanlus's thoughts.

*Lachesism-The desire to be struck by a disaster

*Kuebiko-A state of exhaustion inspired by acts of senseless violence"