Chapter 24

Arkynn stood beside the King throughout the battle. He could not believe what was going on in front of him, just a while ago their enemies large numbers overwhelmed theirs. It's only been a few hours since the battle started and all Arkynn could see was the decreasing Seith's Knights.

"Is this why you saved her? Because she knows how to kill?" Arkynn asked the King

"No" Ryu answered

"Then why?"

The King sighed "To be honest I never knew she was like that, to begin with, I simply just thought because she killed the Marquis who I despised, she will not be executed but rather work in the palace as a slave. It's just coincidence"

Arkynn, "Or fate"

"Leon told you?"

Arkynn nodded "I trust he will hide it from everybody but not to me. So, do you believe her shadow is --"

"It's confirmed"

"What?"

"That shadow already confirmed to me"

"I thought he doesn't talk but why would he do that?"

Ryu, "That's what I wanted to know. As if he wanted me to know more, discover more about them"

"Then this is his first step" they look at the chaos in front of them.

"He's not helping but HE is guiding her, I don't know what he's planning but let's just play along"

"You trust him?"

The king went silent "I never trust anyone"

Arkynn gave him a lonely smile "Ah, right. You can't even trust an old friend, what's more, if it was a stranger"

---

[No, no, no, no, no this can't be happening] King Gayu slowly starts backing down from the sight in front of him

[How can this be!? I'm losing my men to a hundred palace knights!?? Not one of them was singly killed!] He looks at Catori who was pouncing and stabbing every Seith Knight she could find.

[Who is that woman!? Where did that bastard King get her!?] King Gayu noticed the reason why Etilania's Knights were not killed was that she was saving them. Every time his knight gets a hold at least one of their enemies he's suddenly cut into pieces by her.

[Where the hell is Lars and my other men!?] He looks around hoping to find Lars but he's nowhere in sight.

"D-did he betrayed me?"

"Your Majesty! We must retreat now! Our men -- we are losing! You might die your majesty!" An injured head knight approached him

[Die? Is that it?] The King of Seith remembered his extravagant farewell to his people and promise to win. His pride could not handle the humiliation that he was the one who confidently wages war but now he is losing.

"No"

"Your Majesty?"

"NO! WE SHALL NOT GO BACK UNTIL I HAVE THAT BASTARD'S HEAD!" he pushes over the head knight to the ground and held on to his rein. With a yell, his horse charges forward straight to the King of Etilania. When his Knight discovers what he was planning, out of loyalty they protected him using their bodies as shields.

"Oh My" Arkynn covers the King of Etilania

"How brave of him to suddenly come here, may I?"

"Do as you please" indifferently Ryu answered

"Out of my way Chancellor!" King Gayu threatened and he unsheaths his sword from its scabbard.

Arkynn gave him a smirk "I was pissed when you rejected my offer after all the efforts I did to make peace with your kingdom - and to think I got myself worried that we might lose today"

"Ha! You don't scare me! You are just a beautiful boy!" King Gayu taunted

Arkynn pulls out an orb from his small pouch and with a few chants water came right out of the object and goes to the King of Seith whose near them.

"A little water won't scare me, boy..." The King mocks

But it wasn't just plain water that Arkynn let out, the water immediately turns into something sharp like a blade that immediately pierced through the King's Body.

"Aaaargkkkkk!" King Gayu screamed and he fell from his horse and squabble on the ground in pain.

"That was easy," said Arkynn.

The King of Seith tried standing up using his sword as support. "I-I won't be beaten" he coughs up blood. His knights witnessed his fall and rush to aid him but Catori immediately sliced them dead.

Pleased by her actions King Ryu decided to get down from his horse and goes near to the other King fighting for his dear life.

"Your Majesty" Arkynn wanted to stop him but Ryu only gave him a glare in respond

"I won't do anything ..."

When King Gayu sees Ryu draws near him he put all his strength just to swing his sword in hopes it might reach the person in front of him but to his dismay, it did not even reach an inch on his face

Gaaaahaaaaahaahaahahh. He coughs down more blood.

"You're dying geezer," said the King of Etilania

"Hahaha, is that how Marcus taught you to treat your elders?"

"No, but he did teach me how to treat an enemy the proper way" Ryu looks down on him with his intimidating black eyes.

King Gayu already began to weaken for he has lost a lot of blood already. "Tst. I really hate those eyes of yours, in fact, I really hate every single one of your kind, if only we won the war then this will not happen"

Ryu's black eyes began to get darker as he listens to Gayu's words.

*COUGH* *COUGH* *COUGH*

King Gayu began to have difficulty breathing. "Haaaahaaaahaaaa"

Ryu can see the old man in front of him do not have enough time.

"What do you know about the creed?"

King Gayu looked at him and gave a proud smile "I see your grandfather didn't tell you everything the time he won the war" he stares at the dirty soil that was already spilled with his blood, his expensive armor, and beautiful sword cannot be pictured no more, despite this he still manages to smile

"Hahahaha - haaaahaaa - ahahahaha, maybe Marcus believes you don't deserve them that's why he did not speak about it. Hahahahaha! In the end your still a bastard King! You don't deserve this Kingdom and all it's secrets! Ryu Reiburn De Remiel, you don't deserve everything you have now!"

Arkynn was expecting an angry Ryu to end the King of Seith's life when he heard those words but instead, Ryu just walks past him. To Arkynn's surprise, the expressionless King went to Catori who was just standing in front of him.

"Are you done white hair?" He asks her.

Catori nodded.

Leon and Gin who followed Catori finally caught up to them.

"Your majesty" both men bow their heads

"This battle is over," he told them

Leon raises his sword to signal the other knights of their victory and once they saw him everyone went to a united cheer.

"Cedric! We won! We won! Isn't that amazing!?" Lian cheerfully approached Cedric but he was busy staring at the frail woman in front of the King, her armor covered in blood and finally, he can see from her that she was tired from the battle.

---

After the battle was declared over most of the surviving knights from Seith was given a chance by Arkynn to go back to their country and take their king whose barely breathing.

"Sir Arkynn, may I ask a question?" Gin asks the chancellor

"What if King Gayu will survive death and launch another war with us?"

Arkynn laughed at his question.

"Don't worry, I made sure I hit the vital parts and look" he points out a carriage brought by their knights

"Is that?"

"Their food and medicine supplies"

Arkynn was even more entertained to see the surprise reaction Gin gave him.

"I may be a chancellor of peace and justice but that's only to His Majesty Ryu, not to them" and he turns back whistling happily

.

----

Tired, in pain and hungry the Knights of Seith finally reach the border with King Gayu almost at his death with no medicine nor doctor to aide them

[Th-that damn King, wait till I--] his thoughts were interrupted when all his knights went to a halt as a person appears in front of them.

It was Lars.

"Oh my, it seems you are dying your majesty"

"Sh-shut up! You betrayed me! Where have you been and where are my men!?" King Gayu yelled

"They are all dead"

"W-what do you mean?"

"It seems Etilania's King has an unusual pet, there was one survivor who told me everything before his last breath, explaining to me that they've been massacred by a white monster"

[White Monster?] The King thought and flashes of Catori killing his Knights like a madman came into memory [Does he mean her?]

Lars smiled "Have you met such a monster, your majesty?"

"Th-that doesn't matter anymore, you betrayed me, Lars, if only you have arrived earlier then --- aaarrghh *cough* *cough* I would not be in this situation"

"Your Majesty!" A knight helps him as he was about to fell down

"Then you are no longer fit to be King, Gayu" Lars change his tone of voice

"W-what?"

"You deliberately put your men in danger in exchange for your greed overpower. You would have a greater chance if you've decided to retreat and come back stronger but no, instead you just yelled into their King's face how he doesn't deserve his Kingdom yet here you are now.." Lars paused and approaches King Gayu with his brown eyes who before looked gentle now became darker and darker as if the King stared into nothingness.

"Does your country deserve you?" He asks

"Wh--- ahaharkkkkkkkk!" King Gayu was surprised to see a sharp knife stab on his chest "Y-ou... Aaaggahhha! K-kill this madman!" He orders his Knights but the King's expressions turned grim when all his wounded knights have the same eyes as Lars.

"N-no!" The King fell on his horse and crawls towards Lars, grabs his foot "I- deserve to be served by them! Not Marcus and not that bastard King!"

"You are quite strong indeed your Majesty, to have come here with those wounds despite your age, for that I promise you, I will take good care of your Kingdom" Lars strips of a brooch from his armor.

"With this, it's like you appointed me to be your new heir" the Man in tux smile "Don't worry, I'm really not the King type" and he turns his back away from the dying King and all the wounded knights followed him.

"Farewell, Your Majesty Gayu"

---

Back into Corhall's camp, the Holy Trinity finally arrives but was greeted by a tired-walking Gin.

"Ah, you came" he greeted.

"What kind of a greeting is that to people who came to aide you!" Freda yelled

"Aide us? The battle is over you know, now won't you just let me go and let me sle---" his collar was suddenly grabbed by Freda

"Ha!? What do you mean the battle is over!???" She asked

Gin sighed "As I say, it's over - it only took us a few hours, we won"

Freda gritted her teeth "Oh? Why am I really pissed at you right now slave"

Akio and Ren stared at each other until Arkynn arrived.

"Ah, you guys are finally here," he said

The holy trinity bow their heads in front of the Chancellor "My Lord"

"Ahahaha, stop that, I'm really not worth bowing to" Arkynn shakes his hand and notice Gin who was still in the hands of Freda

"Might you explain why you are grabbing one of our knights by the neck?"

"Well, this Knight of yours My Lord told us the battle is over and that we have won, ha, what kind of a joke is that?"

"It's not a joke actually"

The three looks surprised.

"The battle's over"

"What? How is that possible my Lord? You told us there were more than a thousand enemy knights, don't tell me you lied to the Church, My Lord?" Ren asks

"Well, I was not lying about that, okay I'll explain the situation inside the war room, the King is waiting there so please come with me"

Freda lets go of Gin and fell to the ground.

"Ouch! What's up with you crazy woman!?"

The Pink haired woman turns her back and sticks out her tongue to Gin "Serves you right for disrespecting a woman" she ridicules him

"Ha?" Gin scratches his head [All I want is find a place to sleep] he sighed

"Sir Gin" Arkynn lends him hand and Gin accepted.

"Thank you My Lord"

"Hahaha, no need to be formal now, I came here to see you as well, the King gave me a message for you"

"His Majesty?"

Arkynn nods and smiled at him "He said, he wanted to see you tonight"

The boy's expression change "Yes, My Lord"

"Very well, please rest well, you have been a big help in today's battle, if you could, you can sleep there" he points to a tent near a big tree "Though, I'm pretty sure someone was already there first"

"That's alright My Lord! Thank you" Gin gave him a slight bow and runs to the tent

"My, what lively rookies we have this year" the Chancellor chuckles as he and the Holy Trinity walks to the war room together.

--

[Finally! A place to sleep!] Gin excitedly runs inside the tent [Where is that damn Catori anyway? I'm tired as hell because of that woman ordering me this and that for two days!] He pouted

[Well, I'll let it go today because we won the battle and I got valuable information as well] inside were two beds and one was already occupied, curious he goes near to look at the person and was surprised to see a familiar white-haired woman sleeping soundly.

"So this is where you are, Catori"

--- end.