Chapter 008

THIRD PERSON'S P.O.V.

Casa, with a slight skip on her step, initiate the walk towards the morning shadows of big sturdy trees that quickly engulfs the small group. She is surprisingly happy for the surely eventful day.

While her beaming face successfully beat the blinding light of sun, Casa started focusing not to trip on the uneven path that leads somewhere they can freely move. Until, of course, a glitter of light against metal greeted them halfway through their course. All their functional limbs halted immediately.

"Knights of Capital...", Casa whispered against the still air, bewilderment is very much clear not only on her tone but also on her pinch brows. "Wait—what? Why are they here?"

Curiousity dancing between the heads of them, a knight approached with its clanking metals and stopped in front of them.

"You can no longer continue your desired journey ahead, move out your foot in this area."

After the uttered words reached their ears, heads were unconsciously turned towards him after getting a look around just to have a peek on the Capital's Knight.

"Wh-what? Why?"

Rox bravely stuttered, fear contorting on her paling face that went unnoticed by the towering knight in front of her. He completely ignored Rox and looked on the girl standing with grace before him.

"Is there something wrong?"

Zero can't hear a slight quiver on her voice, not even a faltering word that tells him she's scared. Casa is clearly not intimidated by this knight.

"You are not worthy to know."

Zero's eyebrow quickly shot up from the immediate turn down but he let them handle the mishap and just silently listen.

Casa stands more firm after hearing those words.

"I am Knight Casa of Dura—a Class S rank", an air of pride seems to swirl around her whole and Zero can't help but shake his head with an unknown glee. "A worthy enough Knight to be entrusted with official job. Now, I am here to ask /and/ to get an answer on what is happening in this forest."

A second of breath before an eruption of emotion burns Casa—;

"Apology, but, I repeat, you are not worthy enough. Only we, Knights of the Capital, are the eligible one to know."

;her face melts into massive irritation.

"What the hell?! Show some respect! You—", a quick look of rage on his armour before Casa continued to throw daggers on the man's face, "—are a C-rank Knight! Tell me, why am I not eligible after knowing that I am a Class S rank?!"

Before Casa can turn more heads and make a more huge scene to gossip about, Zero crossed between them without moving from his stand and throwing himself in danger in case a fight broke.

"Obviously, this is a property of Dura. And as a citizen and an adventurer of this town, we are more than qualified to know what brings the lot of you here. Unless, of course, this is a secret job for the Capital."

The knight was late to mask the surprised on his face but surely bit his tongue in silence.

"We are looking for a monster that escaped during a fight in the dungeon. A stupid adventurer participated and let that happen."

All the attention are now eaten by another knight and Zero can't help but notice the authority he held even though he only spoke in spite of himself.

However, Casa and Rox was quick to their senses, folding their body in a perfect ninety degrees angle, they both bow after seeing him. Apparently, no one gave him a heads-up on what is happening when the others, including the C-rank knight, bent down on one knee as a glorious greeting to this newcomer Knight.

Zero, a scandalous cluelessness etched to his face, decided to copy them in great speed of reflex. After all, he doesn't want to stand out.

"Good day, Class S Knight Fox. We are the Knights of Dura. I am Class S rank Knight Casa and this is Class A rank Knight Rox."

He saw Casa stood up from where his head is bowed down, standing like a stiff pole as if she's in front of a king—which now makes sense to him when he saw the emblem of crown on the knight's armour and Tanus' mouthed word of 'prince!'—because Fox is the /son/ of the King. The knight appealed to them and waved his hand, dissolving all of them from the respect they gave.

"Why we are not allowed to go? Forced to stop...?"

Zero asked, peering between his group as he hesitates what to call their highness. But when no bursts of showing superiority, he talked himself against it and proceeded to cross his point.

"As an adventurer, we can help you search this escaped monster, right?"

He let, once again, his eyes to roam the area and not really got overwhelmed by how many adventurer there is standing like a bystander waiting for any proceeds on the bidding. Zero tried to fixed his posture and checked his tone when he caught Casa's bulging eyes screaming at him to show some respect before he face the prince.

"Are we suppose to turn our backs? Not look back and stay quiet as if we didn't see anything?"

Zero asked with a bit of curiosity, mild suspiciousness and great astonishment. The silence that met him is more disturbing than the grip that's murdering his arm.

"Zero, Knight Fox doesn't need us here. I'm sure you know who is he, right? It's just a matter of time, he can search it in an instant."

Not a single glance to her as Zero held the cold stare he now receives with no such thing as a barrier between them.

"A matter of time, indeed. Funny to see a small numbers of knights here managing this lots of adventurer. Look around"

The shifts of footing made its way to his ears. His comrades are looking around more closely than before. But Zero made no move in front of the Knight Prince who had his jaw clench with piercing eyes. Seemingly slicing him into halves yet Zero had no problem looking straight to it at all.

"How many do you think are there looking for the monster right now? A hundred? Less than a thousand, most probably"

There's clearly a hint of mischief in his eyes if not for the hardened face of the other. A mirthless smile is fighting against Zero's lips.

"You can say if not a half, we're close to their number. But, are we not strong enough to meddle with their jobs? I mean, we can easily search that 'monster' with the lot of us"

Zero by now have his lips curved into a small smile with his masked look of suspicion at the knight prince. He can see the resentment of the other from where he's burning holes to his face. More animosity from this lack of respect and questioning his decisions, Zero might dropped dead on the spot if the latter decides to swing his sword. Nonetheless, Zero continued to stare without blinking. Waiting for an answer he by now know wouldn't be uttered.

Soon, Zero erased his pleasant smile and bow a fraction without cutting their heated staring contest.

"We should go."

His flat tone effortlessly reached their ears after taking the liberty of ending the wordless fight between them two. Zero knows that there's something else there. He knew that this Capital's knight is hiding something from his folks.

"But.."

Came Casa's bothered voice. Zero can clearly see the doubt on her face as she looked around before stopping them a second to their royalty and soon looking at Zero with another pinched expression. Undeniably torn between leaving for their benefit of practice and staying to assure the safety of their place.

"We're being thrown out, Casa. Besides, we can't meddle in their job without any information to work on. Let's move out. We have something more important we must do."

Zero carried his words with finality, ordering his team mates as if he was the one assigned as their leader. With another glance from the royalty knight, Casa sighed and frees Zero from her tight grip. Without any more questions and another bow of respect, their team headed out from the area and quietly followed Zero.