A Distant Reverie

Chapter 62

Duke Calon stared at the fading silhouettes of the princess' party. Slowly, their vestiges shrank as they inched closer towards Fort Nyak. The formidable fortress towered over the horizon of the open plains.

A missed opportunity. Duke Calon grimaced. His back was still dripping wet. His clothes were soaked in a profusion of blood and sweat. The wounds that Marine Houshou inflicted upon him burned—scalding with a vengeful buzz. He refused to let it get treated. Not yet. He allowed the pain to fester, forcing himself to relive every strike of Marine's sword and every exchange during their clash. Punishment. It was his way of admonishing himself for his failure.

This is just a minor setback. He glared at the imposing visage of Fort Nyak. Capturing the princess here would have made for a clean and swift resolution, but his failure to do so wasn't the end. Duke Calon planned to regroup his fragmented battalions and continue the march to Fort Nyak. A lengthy and grueling siege awaited them.

"You failed? Now that's a surprise," the wry, enchanting voice slithered into his ears. Duke Calon shot a glance to his side. Alice strutted towards him from the shadows of the forest. She worn her signature smile.

Duke Calon felt her fingers playfully tracing his back.

"Oh my, someone really did a number on you," Alice said with a genuine shock, eyeing the patch of red smeared on her fingertips.

"I must apologize. It seems like I didn't take your evaluations seriously," Duke Calon said, recalling his first meeting with Marine Houshou at the princess' banquet. His initial impression of the mercenary had been that of a competent and bold warrior. But he didn't evaluate her that highly—certainly not at a level that threaten him in single combat.

Appearances really are deceiving.

"What do you mean?"

"The expedition party appeared during our attempt to capture the princess. This wound came from Marine Houshou."

Alice frowned. The frivolous glint in her eyes disappeared, "Did you think I was lying?"

"I admit that I didn't take your words seriously enough. I won't make the same mistakes again," Duke Calon turned around to face the young lady, "Alice, I'll need to use you again."

Alice let out a long sigh, dropping her shoulders in resignation. Then, she suddenly glanced up. Her lazy expression morphed into a vicious sneer, "At your service, my liege. What would you like your humble Alice do?" she asked before taking an exaggerated bow.

"The seeds that you planted serving as the princess' agent, and your relationship with that mystic from the mercenary's team," Duke Calon said, "It's time to harvest them. Use it to sow as much chaos as you can."

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Kobo's party finally arrived at the foot of Fort Nyak. The old castle towered to the skies—a bastion of defence created in the aftermath of Mount Iya's eruption. Stone protrusions scattered along its walls, designed to distribute the force of attacks launched by siege engines. A large moat surrounded the perimeter, partially flooded with water to make any crossing difficult. Kobo waved the royal flag. Soon, the colossal doors of the Fort Nyak creaked open.

The first thing Kobo did was gather the royal knights that betrayed her. The squadron of infantry soldiers were immediately stripped of their weapons and uniform and forced to kneel under executioner's blades. Kobo assigned Marine's expedition team with the task.

"Your Highness, I beg you to reconsider!" the captain of the royal knights pleaded. Kobo eyed him coldly.

I think his name was Besar.