Chapter 28

The man, saved by Lennix and the black knight, wore a confused yet relieved expression. Relief washed over him for the slayed forgebear, but confusion clouded his face as he witnessed Lennix grabbing the black knight's breastplate like a collar. Shaking the black knight back and forth, Lennix bellowed, "I was going to kill that thing, you damn kill-stealer!" His emotions, a mix of anger and sadness, played out vividly.

"I'm sorry, let me go," the black knight echoed apologetically as his head spun from the vigorous shaking. Just as things seemed to calm down, the man interjected with a polite, "Um, excuse me?"

Both Lennix and the black knight halted their antics, turning their attention to the man. "Thank you for saving my life," he said, expressing his gratitude. Lennix released his grip on the black knight, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah, you're welcome," he replied with a hint of embarrassment. *It feels weird to be thanked by a stranger,* he thought to himself.

The black knight, however, cast a regretful glance at the corpses. "If only we had arrived sooner, we could've saved your friends," he admitted.

The man shook his head, dismissing the notion. "Don't worry about that. It's not like worrying will bring them back," he reasoned. However, as his attention returned to Lennix, he was taken aback. "Why are you just standing there? You need help right now!" he exclaimed, panic evident in his voice.

Lennix, puzzled for a moment, then realized, "Oh, you mean these wounds?" He casually pointed at the various injuries on his body, even using his shattered hand. The man nodded vigorously. "Yes, those wounds! How are you so calm about this?"

The black knight interjected with a nonchalant shrug. "Don't worry about him. He's had worse." The man, clearly shocked, asked incredulously, "Worse than this?"

 Lennix waved him off nonchalantly with his shattered hand. "I'm a vampire, so all these injuries will heal in a couple of minutes. Don't worry about me, mate," he explained with a casual grin, attempting to reassure the man.

What Lennix said didn't reassure the man; if anything, it heightened his anxiety. "Y-you're a vampire?" he stuttered, fear evident in his voice. Lennix, realizing the impact of his words, hastily added, "Don't worry, I'm not a bad vampire, alright? I'm..." The man looked at Lennix, awaiting the rest of the sentence, but Lennix struggled to find the right words. Finally, he settled for a straightforward, "Look, I won't kill you, okay?"

"That does not inspire confidence," the man retorted, still visibly frightened. Lennix, realizing his attempt at reassurance had failed, found the black knight interjecting. "He's not an evil vampire... mostly, kind of, a little... actually, you probably should be careful around him." Lennix glared at the black knight, his mouth agape. "Are you trying to make him scared of me?" he asked, annoyed, before smacking the black knight in the back with his shattered hand. "Ow! Damn it! I forgot how long it took bones to heal!" Lennix exclaimed, holding his right hand in pain.

Turning to the man, the black knight continued, "But on a more serious note, don't worry. He's a good enough person not to do anything to you." The man, puzzled by their dynamic, nodded his head, gradually calming down.

"What's your name?" the black knight asked, while Lennix poked at the dead Forgebear. "I'm Elanor, Elanor Freed," replied the man in a timid voice. The black knight nodded in acknowledgement. "That's a girl's name," Lennix commented as if he made a groundbreaking discovery.

"I'm well aware of that, thank you very much," Elanor retorted, sounding thoroughly annoyed. It seemed this wasn't the first time he'd heard such a comment. Lennix narrowed his eyes at Elanor, making him feel uncomfortable. "Why are you staring at me like that?" He asked, clearly irritated.

Lennix was simply examining Elanor's appearance. Elanor stood at a modest height, around 5'5", and appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties. He had cream-colored hair that fell below his ears and striking sky blue eyes. His clothing was simple travel attire with nothing particularly notable.

"If you put on some makeup, you'd probably look like a girl too," Lennix remarked casually, causing Elanor's vein to visibly pop. "While I agree with you, Lennix, you should probably stop. It seems like it's a touchy subject," the black knight intervened, attempting to defuse the situation. (Not really.)

Elanor let out a long sigh. "It would have been better to be eaten by that beast," he muttered dejectedly, his frustration evident in his tone.

Lennix couldn't help but chuckle at Elanor's frustration before turning to the black knight. "Come on, let's go. The ladies are waiting for us," he said, motioning for them to continue their journey. However, he noticed that the black knight wasn't following him. "Why are you just standing there!?" Lennix exclaimed, turning back to the black knight.

The black knight shook his head. "I'm not just going to abandon this guy," he stated firmly, turning to Elanor. "Speaking of which, what were all of you doing here?" he asked, prompting Elanor to look down at the ground.

"We were passing through the forest to take a shortcut to Treasurehold, and, well, you know how well that turned out," Elanor explained, rubbing his arm as the stench of his deceased companions filled his nostrils.

"Treasurehold? Why there?" the black knight asked with genuine concern. Lennix interjected, "Isn't that place known for having one of the biggest Adventurers Guild bases?"

The black knight nodded in agreement. "Yes, and people mostly go there to get in contact with the guild," he confirmed. Turning back to Elanor, he asked, "Do you need their assistance?"

Elanor affirmed the black knight's question, "I do, and I need it soon. I don't know how much longer my people can hold out." Both the black knight and Lennix exchanged a glance, and Lennix shook his head while silently mouthing, "Please don't ask him more." However, the black knight ignored him and pressed Elanor further, asking, "Who are your people, and why do they need help?" Lennix facepalmed in exasperation as Elanor looked up at the black knight with hope in his eyes. "I'm from a village called Wolfdale, and we need help, or we're all going to die."