The Adrift Oath

Chapter XXVIII: Queen Sofia

The night passed on in a flash after Fae and Claude walked back to the encampment, finding Yulia asleep while their newly acquired metallic companion volunteered to help the guards in their watch for the night, unsurprisingly Avalynn still hadn't shown up, but just like an adventurous feline, she'd show up tomorrow morning Fae assumed

All the group gathered on the next morning as they prepared for their travel to Rose, Lucia thanked them yet again for being of help and Ser Knight for also volunteering for so many things

And so they went, Fae, Yulia, Claude, Avalynn and now accompanied by Ser Knight, they all walked on the road that would lead them to the capital of Flora, Fae was so close to finally accomplishing her Adrift Oath, and just that thought brought much gladness to her heart

"Ah, so that's why we're going to the capital" Avalynn replied to Fae explaining what she had in mind

"Yeah, after that we will discuss about our divine matters" Fae answered with a tone of sarcasm at the end of her sentence that prompted her Devil friend to chuckle warmly

"I like the sound of that"

Fae then could notice Claude in the back speaking to Ser Knight surprisingly, making her slow her pace while Avalynn was distracted

"Hey, what are you talking about?" She inquired, Claude with raised eyebrows looked at Fae

"Oh, I was just telling him about the current state of affairs" She said, pointing at an ever-so-small insignia barely visible on the Knight's chest plate

"This is the insignia of the Royal Guard of Aralia" Claude explained as they all walked together

"So I'm sure that Ser Knight here doesn't know about what happened to our former kingdom" She added on as she gathered his full attention

"Basically, the nation got split into two after a coup d'etat lead by General Sofia" She continued on while nobody could discern what the knight was thinking at those words

"It was so quick and executed in such an efficient manner all throughout the kingdom that King Kasper was obligated to negotiate with his former right-hand" Ser Knight was told

"It all ended in 24 days, in mere 24 days and the king was figuratively cornered, and the nation, split into two" Claude added

"She sounds like a capable General, especially on how she turned a country against itself" Fae spoke up, Claude looked at her with a small smile and nodded to those words

"That she really is, I served under her for most of my time as a knight so I can safely testify to that" Claude explained

"But well, with your request for an audience, Fae, I'm sure you can judge her character yourself" Fae shrugged alongside a quite exhausted shrug

"That is if she agrees to said request" She replied to Claude, who chuckled

"Don't worry about that Fae, you're in for a surprise" With those words, Claude increased her pace as that left a quite confused Fae

"Hey, don't you dare go away!" Though Fae chased after her soon, leaving Ser Knight with his own thoughts and the name of that General resonating within his mind

What Claude said yesterday was true, it only took the group a couple of hours until they could see the farmlands surrounding Rose and the giant walls of stone that embraced the capital with its firm protection

The wooden gates were huge and just passing by under the arch of stone took Fae's breath away, for a capital, it really did its best to live up to it, the busy townspeople passed by her and carried on to their daily lives, throwing glances at the knight of the group but apart from that no guards asked questions with Claude by their side