Chapter 344 (Patreon)

Kana woke to the smell of roasting meat and the crackling of bonfires.

The company had decided to make a brief stop in the middle of the night. After what happened the previous evening, nobody seemed eager to travel through the darkness without a chance to rest and reorganize.

Several campfires had been lit around the campsite, their orange glow pushing back the endless sea of darkness surrounding the desert. Suri, Chelle, and one of the knights had naturally fallen into their usual roles. The three were gathered around a pot of stew while strips of meat roasted over the flames. Their voices drifted through the night, occasionally interrupted by Suri's laughter.

Artin had transformed into a bird shortly after they stopped. He circled high above the camp, scanning the desert with a level of caution that bordered on paranoia. After the attack the night before, nobody complained.

Nearby, a group of knights sat together, speaking in low voices. Most of the conversation revolved around Rose Light. Their commander still hadn't regained consciousness, and while the knight with a [Light Healing] skill assured everyone she would recover, uncertainty weighed heavily on them.

Kana eventually wandered away from the campfire and found Ryle waiting a short distance from the others.

The two stood several meters beyond the edge of the camp. Close enough to see the firelight, far enough that no one would overhear their conversation.

The desert wind brushed against Kana's hair as she folded her arms. "Who were those people who attacked us last night?"

Ryle answered immediately, as though he had expected the question. "The Four Heavenly Jhings."

Even speaking, the title seemed to carry weight.

"They're infamous throughout the Empire," he continued. "Whenever someone becomes too dangerous, too influential, or simply inconvenient, they're the ones sent to deal with the problem. You could say they're among the strongest individuals currently alive within the Empire. People don’t really know their identity but everyone knows they exist."

Kana frowned.

The strength she had witnessed certainly matched that description.

The old man Suri fought had controlled an entire separate world. The shield bearer had nearly turned into an immovable fortress. And judging by Rose Light's condition, whoever she faced had been more terrifying.

"They're hired assassins?" Kana concluded.

The idea felt strange to her. People that powerful could have become military generals, nobles, or rulers themselves. It seemed odd that they would choose assassination as their main profession.

"Not exactly." Ryle shook his head,"They only answer to one client."

Kana raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Ryle sighed and stared toward the campfire for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts.

"The Empire isn't as unified as outsiders believe." He crouched and picked up a small stone before tossing it into the darkness. "There are essentially two major factions."

"The first is the Crown Group. The Emperor, the royal family, influential nobles, and most of the traditional power structure."

Kana nodded. That much sounded normal. 

"The second calls itself the People's Group." Ryle laughed quietly. "They like the name because it sounds noble."

He continued, "It's made up of wealthy merchants, influential local group leaders, financiers, and a handful of commoners chosen to make the organization look representative."

Kana immediately understood the implication. It was politics. Everything eventually became politics.

"My assignments always came from the People's Group which advocates peace in the continent," Ryle admitted. "And they're the only masters the Four Heavenly Jhings acknowledge."

For a moment, only the distant crackling of fire filled the silence. Then Kana frowned.

"Wait." She looked at him. "Aren't they the faction that wants peace?"

"Exactly." Ryle rubbed his forehead. "That's the strange part."

"The People's Group has spent years pushing for an end to the war. Publicly, they're the ones advocating diplomacy."

His expression darkened. "Meanwhile, the Crown Group, the faction everyone assumes would want conquest and expansion, is currently one of the strongest supporters of maintaining peace across the continent. They are curious and they are the one who invited you."

Kana blinked. That sounded backward.

Very backward.

Ryle let out a tired laugh. "The world of politics rarely makes sense."

"No matter how much time you spend studying it, eventually you'll find someone doing the exact opposite of what they claim to believe."

The campfire flickered in the distance. For a while, neither of them spoke. Kana considered everything she had learned. Two powerful political factions. Assassins capable of challenging Rose Light though she wasn’t sure if it was a one sided fight.

An Empire divided against itself. And somehow she had become important enough for all of them to care.

Finally, she shrugged. "Well."

Ryle glanced at her. Kana looked toward the stars.

"At least not all of them want me dead."

For the first time that night, Ryle laughed genuinely. Given everything he knew about the Empire, that was probably the most optimistic conclusion anyone could reach.

…

Kana woke to the sound of shouting.

Not panicked shouting. Not battle shouting. Just the vice captain being the vice captain.

She yawned and rolled onto her side, intending to ignore it and return to sleep. The wagon rocked gently beneath her, and after days of travel, the constant rattling had become oddly comforting. Unfortunately, the vice captain seemed determined to wage war against everyone's ears.

His voice boomed through the wagon once more.

Kana groaned and covered both ears. Still shouting.

How is he not tired yet?

Curiosity eventually won over laziness. She sat up and peeked through the wagon's opening. The sight outside immediately chased away the last traces of sleep.

The Empire really loved big things. That was the first conclusion she reached.

Massive red walls stretched across the horizon like a mountain range built by human hands. They rose from the desert sands, weathered by countless storms, their surfaces stained by the same reddish color that dominated the landscape. The Kingdom's capital had impressive defenses, but these walls felt different. Older. Heavier. As though they had been built less to protect and more to intimidate.

Beyond them stood enormous pillars supporting structures that seemed absurdly tall. Towers pierced the sky, dwarfing everything around them.

Kana stared for several moments. Strangely, the sight felt familiar. Not the city itself.

Just the scale. A faint sensation lingered at the edge of her thoughts, like a memory she couldn't quite reach. Something larger. Something impossibly larger.

The feeling vanished before she could grasp it.

What truly caught her attention wasn't the city.

It was the people.

The road leading to the capital had become a sea of wagons and travelers like ants. Merchant caravans stretched endlessly ahead of them, displaying colorful banners from dozens of organizations and noble families. Commoners stood in long lines beneath the blazing sun while imperial soldiers moved methodically between groups, inspecting cargo and checking documents.

The security alone was enough to impress her. At their current pace, they might not enter the city until nightfall or maybe this might take a few days.

"Wow." Chelle's voice came from nearby. "Their buildings look completely different from ours."

Several knights had apparently been thinking the same thing. They peeked through openings in the wagon, openly staring at the capital with wide eyes.

The vice captain noticed immediately.

"Attention!"

The shout nearly made Kana flinch. The knights quickly straightened. The vice captain pointed toward them with a look of utter disappointment.

"Could you please stop looking like countryside bumpkins?"

A few knights coughed awkwardly. One immediately looked away from the city. Another pretended he had been examining the wagon wheel the entire time.

"You are announcing our identity simply by acting impressed," the vice captain continued. "Control yourselves. Gentlemen."

The knights forced obedient expressions and sat properly once again. Satisfied, the vice captain crossed his arms. "Remember. We are not here for sightseeing."

His voice took on the tone of a man preparing a very long speech.

"We are representatives of the North Kingdom. We are here because of our mission. We must conduct ourselves with discipline, dignity, professionalism, awareness, vigilance, caution, preparedness, responsibility, and—"

Kana's eyes slowly lost focus. The speech showed no sign of ending. Even Suri appeared moments away from jumping out of the wagon just to escape it.

The vice captain inhaled deeply, clearly preparing another paragraph. Then a soft groan interrupted him. Silence immediately fell.

Everyone turned.

Rose Light suddenly moved.

The commander's fingers twitched first. Then her eyes opened halfway before immediately squinting shut again. She slowly pushed herself upright, one hand clutching her forehead.

Every movement looked painful.

The vice captain froze. The knights froze. Even Suri and Chelle stopped chatting.

Rose blinked several times, struggling to focus. Her gaze drifted around the wagon, confusion written plainly across her face.

Then she looked at her hands. She flexed her fingers. Touched her arms. Touched her neck. Her expression changed. Confusion became disbelief. The memory was clearly returning to her.

The wild swordsman.

The duel.

That final strike.

The certainty that she was about to die. Her death.

Rose stared at her own hands for several seconds before quietly speaking. "I'm alive?"

Nobody answered immediately. The question felt almost absurd.

The vice captain was the first to recover.

"Commander!"

The relief in his voice nearly cracked. He practically stumbled forward. Several knights looked equally relieved. One even muttered a thankful prayer under his breath.

Rose ignored them for a moment.

Her eyes slowly traveled across the wagon.

She saw the students.

The knights.

A few supplies.

The familiar desert beyond the wagon's opening. Everything appeared normal. Everything appeared intact. Which made even less sense.

Finally, her gaze settled on Kana.

Then Suri.

Then Boris, who remained unconscious nearby.

A faint crease formed between her brows. The expression was one Kana had never seen on Rose Light before.

Uncertainty and fear. 

For perhaps the first time since they had met, Rose looked completely lost. She gulped then looked around and was still confused at her surroundings. Her voice came out quieter this time. "I’m still alive?"

The wagon remained silent. They didn’t know the right words to say because at the moment, the seemingly untouchable commander looked so vulnerable and fragile.

Post note:

Hoping she will not get any trauma.. Fourth chap of the week!Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂

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