Suikoden VII

Chapter Two: Part Four

Chapter Two: Part Four

The group traveled slowly to Niebieska Brama, arriving a day after they fled Triona. Viktor obviously took position in the active party, bringing the number to six. In the front row he stood with Sigrun and Ferdinand, while Astraea, Denzel, and Musashi fought from the back row. His skills as a swordsman were just as great as Astraea had heard.

David however showed that he did not have combat skills; something that he unashamedly admitted to. "I'm an intellect like everyone else in my family," he said. "Silverbergs tend to lead from command posts and not the vanguard. The only person in my family known to participate in combat was my late cousin Odessa."

"You mentioned her before," Astraea said thoughtfully. "I-I think I heard a story of her fighting her way out of her own wedding...?"

"Oh yeah," Viktor confirmed. "Lady Odessa had a fiancé named Achilles who had been captured and set for execution. They got married under the guise of an escape attempt, but unfortunately Achilles died during the process. Lady Odessa picked up a sword and fought the soldiers off single-handedly. No defense or anything—just stormed out of there in a wedding dress."

"She battled soldiers in a wedding dress and won?!" Sigrun exclaimed, her eyes wide with awe. "That's incredible!"

Viktor smiled, though there was a hint of sadness there. "She was an incredible lady. I feel in part that Master Tir became as great as he did because of her."

"She died long before I was born so I never knew her," David said. "But I know I'm not one for combat like she was. If the need were to arise I would gladly fight, but I fight better with my words and my mind."

"Where did you study?" Astraea asked.

"The Soldedt Academy of Military Science in Crystal Valley."

The Soldedt Academy of Military Science. The place she had been fooled into believing she would be studying. Hearing the name of the Academy made her chest ache.

"You seem young to be a graduate of a military academy," Denzel said suddenly to David.

"Oh—ah—I was expelled," David said quickly.

Expelled? Astraea thought, but Denzel barked out a laugh and threw an arm around David's shoulder. "Now THIS I have to hear! How'd the likes of you get expelled from the largest military academy in the entire world?!"

"I-I would rather not talk about it, Your Highness," David said.

"I'm interested too how Sir Albert's cousin ended up expelled from Soldedt," Musashi said coldly, narrowing his eyes.

As if sensing the danger, Viktor quickly stepped forward with raised hands. "The kid's too embarrassed to admit it, but he broke curfew too many times. It's one of the "Three Strike Rules" Soldedt has. Right, David?"

"...Right," David said after a moment.

"You get into Soldedt and got expelled for breaking curfew," Sigrun said with a raised brow. "Am I understand that correctly?"

"Yes," David said, his gaze lowered. "I—this is why I'm traveling with Viktor. My cousins refused to help me for embarrassing the family like that."

"I'm not the type of guy who leaves people in a lurch," Viktor agreed. "Plus I had nothing else going on, so I decided to take the kid traveling with me. Get him away from his privileged environment and teach him what the real world is like."

David gave him a look, but Sigrun and Ferdinand nodded their heads in understanding. Even Musashi visibly relaxed a little. "That was good of you to do, Vagabond Viktor," Ferdinand commended him.