CHAPTER 87: SECRETS UNDER THE TENT

"Come in, Jeriq"

He walks inside my tent. As his eyes scans the empty tent, he slowly takes off his boots.

"What a comfy place you’ve got."

He says as he walks closer to my mat.

His spear hangs at the strap on the back of his uniform. He’s already dressed in his red uniform. A foot soldier’s uniform.

"Not exactly comfy, Jeriq."

He just gives me a soft smile as he walks toward me, and sits next to me on my mat.

"Hey. I never said you can sit, did I? Where are your manners, kid?"

He chuckles, holding his lips, "you know, you should really stop speaking that..," he waves his hand at my face in a rotating motion, "way. Like K."

"Ha! You’re the second one to say this to me today."

He takes off his spear from his strap and drops it on the ground next to him. "Whoever said that.. may Hubolt bless his soul."

Oh?

"Now you’re speaking like Laran."

He turns to look at me with widened eyes. Then his eyes return to normal as faces forward again, "I didn’t even realize. I guess you’re right. We’re both picking up bits of our mentors’ behaviors."

I scoff, "not me. You. You’re picking up bits of Laran’s behavior. And I’ve said this countless times; Me and K, we’re partners, he isn’t my mentor. Gosh."

"You say that but I bet you’re smiling under that mask of yours anytime he’s mentioned."

I suddenly realize that my lips are stretched.

How’d he know?

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

His lips widen slightly, "yeah, sure you don’t."

I let out a slow, resigned sigh, "you know, back in the wagon, you were such a good g–"

"Yeah, you say that because I was hungry, nervous, and easy to tease. I’m having my payback."

Goddamit this guy.

I rub my forehead with my fingers, "so, what brings you here? And don’t say you missed me. I don’t wanna vomit."

"Blegh! Miss you? As if."

This kid..

"So what brings you here?"

"Would you calm down? Relax. It’s not like I’m here to fight or anything." He picks his nose as he speaks.

I roll my eyes, folding my arms. "So?" My voice’s calm, and low.

"I wanted to ask you if you knew why both our mentors assigned us to this troop? I asked Laran. He just told me he sent me here because K sent you here."

Ah.. that Laran guy. A different form of headache.

"Did he also say that you being here is according to the will of Hubolt?" My tone drips with sarcasm.

He lets out a soft chuckle, rubbing his face as he tries to hold back the full laughter, "no, Blank.." he still chokes with his chuckle, "no he didn’t."

"I was just asking."

"Sure you were." He’s still chuckling, " ’according to the will of Hubo–’ pfft." His chuckle morphs into a low laughter.

"Can you stop laughing now?"

He’s still laughing, but he waves a hand to my face again, "yes yes, ahaha, ahe–! ahem!" He folds his hand and brings it closer to his lips as he clears his throat, "yes. I’ll stop laughing."

"So, are you a believer of the god of light, Hubolt too?"

"No. I’m not. I don’t believe in a god. If there was a god, then he’d have shown up during my time of need." His tone suddenly grows more stern.

"Then..? How do you even deal with Laran?" My voice’s still low.

"Laran.. my mentor, my master. He might not be as impressive as K. He might be a headache too sometimes because of how stubborn and hot-headed he gets, but I still stick with him because he’s good at what he does. He’s a master spearman, and he’s also a good man. I need to learn from him too, because I aim to become stronger.."

My eyes widen.

"To become strong enough.." he grits his teeth as he clenches his fist. "I want to rise and send those goddamn people.. every last one of them to hell. And for that, I need to get stronger. That’s why I aim to at least become one of the ten great lances."

Ho?

"Those same great lances that roam the Northern Continent of Nuncapor?" My voice spikes, not too loud, but loud enough to display my enthusiasm.

He nods, then he loosens his clenched fist, and his face lightens up with a bright smile, "you know them?"

Know them? Kid, I couldn’t stop hearing about them from K’s ramblings. Saying how he used to be number one but he’s now number two and all. Talking about his days back in Kafer and stuff.

Wait. Who’s the person at number one? The one person stronger than K? He— the over sharing mad man— never mentioned that person before. He only mentioned someone who he was on equal strength with. Who he fought for days with to the extent that the moon was cleaved.. wasn’t it the Emperor of the Kafer Empire, Delarus? But he killed–

No. He never answered the question when I asked him if he killed Delarus or not. He always found a way to dodge i–

"Uh, Cryst to Blank. Cryst to Blank, this is Jeriq–" He keeps waving his hands at my mask, trying to grab my attention as I’m lost in my musings.

A vein bulges on my forehead.

"What is it, Jeriq?" My voice’s still calm.

"Finally. I asked you a question; do you know the ten great lances?"

"Yes, I do. I do know them."

I roll my eyes.

"Oh? You do? That’s nice! Most of the mercenaries at the guild never even heard of them."

They don’t have a rambling K like I do. I’m surprised you even know of them.

"Ever since I heard of them when I was a kid; before our family got destroyed— I couldn’t help but admire them." He looks at the entrance of the tent as he speaks. "Those people are legends, Blank! And I admired the first lance the most; Kairo Rolerville! Back then, he was said to be the strongest swordsman alive, and on top of being a swordsman, he had mastered every other weapon in existence.. How cool is that?"

Mastered every weapon? That sounds like K.

"Then the second lance; The Emperor of Kafer— the warmonger, Delarus. He was a Grandmaster Swordsman before he disappeared for twenty years. Everyone thought he was dead, but then he came back, and when he came back, he dethroned my idol Kairo Rolerville, and he became the first lance. Now Kairo; he’s inactive. Nobody knows where he is, he’s been missing for over ten years now. But he’s still the second greatest lance after Delarus.. then the third.."

Wait.

My eyes hang on his blonde hair. Never leaving. But my thoughts wander far from here.

Wait a damn minute. K always rambled that he was the first lance before he was defeated and became the second. And now, I’m hearing that..

"Oh my goodness." I whisper.

K is Kairo Rolerville.

"What is it?" Jeriq asks with a low, mildly concerned voice.

"Oh, it’s nothing. You said Kairo Rolerville is your idol, right? You look up to him, or used to.."

"Still do."

"Right. So, do you know anything about him?"

"Do I? Oh my.. I know everything about him!" He yells.

"Tell me, then."