Chapter 14

Keziah looked at the white walls of Avinea, now illuminated in an orange, morning glow, as he was leaving the city he had lived in for the past year. He had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, he came there to change who he was, albeit after the bet with Augustus that he couldn't do it. He had decent money, a place to live, and not many threats to his life, compared to life on the road. He had saved enough to open a small bakery in a small town somewhere in the gentle and green hills of Thabinat, as was stated in the bet between him and his sword. Augustus didn't believe that Keziah could settle for a quiet life, despite expressing the want for it all the time. Keziah wanted to prove him wrong, and he almost did.

On the other hand, he never felt more empty and simply bored in his life than in this one year of living in the Beautiful City. He was missing something, even more than when he was an active adventurer. He thought that the quiet life was that. He never knew what he wanted, or who he was. The closest answer was always 'an adventurer ' but it never scratched that itch at the back of his mind. He knew many things that he wasn't. He wasn't an honorable knight or paladin, he wasn't a simple peasant or boisterous noble, he wasn't a reclusive ranger, or a treacherous thief. He definitely wasn't a leader. Not anymore.

It wasn't something he would lose sleep over, but he was still determined to find who he really was. He hoped that when he did, then maybe… something would happen. He wasn't even sure what or why it would matter. Perhaps he was jealous of those with strong convictions, or maybe he just wanted peace of mind and not to have to worry about it anymore. He didn't know, and he was still looking for an answer. Keziah always knew being an adventurer would bring him closer to that answer, despite being in that profession for more than ten years now without results.

<Finally! We are doing something worthwhile at last,> said Augustus inside Keziah's mind. <I thought you were actually gonna go through with that ridiculous bet.>

<Shouldn't have said that I wouldn't do it. I was running on pure spite the last couple of weeks.>

<I knew you were stubborn, but to this degree! Seriously, who goes an entire year, taking quests and contracts like it's a normal job just to save enough money to open… a bakery, or whatever it was. There are limits to how stupid someone can be, you know.>

<What can I say, I was dedicated.>

<Is that what they call 'obstinate' in this century?>

<Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want. In the end, I won.>

<No you didn't! Where is the shop, bakery, stall, or whatever it was that you were supposed to buy, huh? >

<The bet wasn't about buying a shop, but about living a quiet life for a year, just to remind you. The shop bit was just an idea of what to do with the money. >

<Sure it was… >

Keziah smirked to himself, which Lucia must have caught.

"Have you been bonded to your blade long?" she asked with an easy smile, holding the reins of the horse that was drawing the spacious cart they were riding on.

Keziah's eyes went wide, but he schooled his expression back to that of nonchalance. "I'm not bonded yet." He sat cross-legged, with his ankle over his knee. "It's rare to see someone who knows that Unrotten Blades are meant to be bonded."

"I assume it's as rare as meeting an S-ranked adventurer." She propped her head on her hand horizontally.

"Touché." He released air through his nose.

"So you are not bonded, but you can talk to your Blade?"

"Yeah, I know it's something of a peculiar situation, but I've been able to hear him ever since I first touched him. But he never changed his shape, so I can't be bonded to him yet."

"It is curious indeed. I've met a number of Wielders, bonded and not, and your case is definitely the first."

"I've also never heard or read about anyone in a similar case to ours. And it's not like I'm complaining. If anything, it's a gift."

"Was she a gift, too?" She pointed with her thumb at the back of the cart, where Annette was sleeping. "I can see that you aren't family."

Keziah turned back to look at her. "Haven't decided yet if she is a gift or a burden. Known her only for a day, after all."

<Liar.>

<Shut up.>

"Okay, let me address the massive elephant in the room who's pretending to be a mouse, then." He turned back to face Lucia. "Why did you help us? And how did you seem to recognize us? I'm pretty sure I've never met you. There are only so many S ranks around, after all. I'm sure I would have remembered meeting one."

She took a good, long look at him, considering what to say. "If I was to say that I saw a lot of potential in you, would that be enough?"

"I'm afraid I wasn't born yesterday."

"Hmm, you are scared that I may want something from you, something that could turn out to be worse than what the little soldier wanted," she stated. "It's nothing of the sort."

"You don't?" Keziah asked, not fully believing it.

"The part about potential was actually true, if only partially. But no, I don't want any favors or payments from you."

"Are you just that good of a person, then?" asked Keziah with a scoff

"Would it hurt to admit it being a genuine possibility?" She chuckled.

"A little, not gonna lie." He crossed his arms. "You don't even know us. We could have been in the wrong there and the watchmen were in the right, just trying to catch a dangerous fellow who kidnapped a little girl."

"Were they in the right, though?"

Keziah took a side glance at her. "I mean… yeah, they kinda were, now that I think about it." He chuckled.

"Well, if it would ease your mind of worry," she offered, "I could demand a favor as a payment. To collect whenever I want."

"Just make sure that 'whenever I want' happens sometimes when we aren't in mortal danger and we have a deal."

The "we" didn't escape Lucia, but she made no comment about it. "Deal." She extended her hand, which Keziah shook.

"What are you planning to do now? I doubt you will be safe anywhere near Avinea, or in the whole Aldunis even," she asked.

"Travel to Minyth." He pointed at Annette with his head. "The girl's only family left is there, apparently."

"I suppose you are going to use a ship, swim along the coast to bypass the mountains?"

"That, and I want to leave Aldunis as soon as possible. I'd wager that bounty posters are being made and sent to all Aldunis already."

"Solid plan," she acknowledged. "I'm headed right now to a town that has ships sailing to Minyth that take passengers and could drop you off there. It's about a day and a half of following the Midarior's Rim."

Midarior's Rim was the biggest and most well-known road in the whole of Erythia. Encircling the inland sea of Midarior in the middle of the continent, it connected the 4 major provinces of the empire, now kingdoms. It is said that once you get to it, you could travel anywhere within the Erythia as all roads were in some way or another connected to it

"It wouldn't happen to be Sylio, would it?" Keziah asked, recognizing the description. "I was actually thinking of going there anyway to set sail."

"It would indeed be Sylio. I left the group that I mentor currently there, so I have to pick them up."

"My luck doesn't seem to run out these days, seriously," he said with a cheeky smile.

"Hopefully it remains that way…" she said quietly.

Keziah thought that she meant something more in it, but he just took it as a good luck wish and didn't mention it. He made himself comfortable, trying to get some sleep. He asked Lucia if she could manage on her own while driving the cart, but she gave him a look that said, "do you know who you are talking to?" so he rested his head on the deck of the cart and dozed off.