Chương 59: A Heavy Hand

"... Us?"

"The choice is yours. But you will also have to make an Oath." Their heads all snapped back to Enel to make sure he was actually looking at them, but he was. But before they could even utter a single word, he looked away and turned to the witch. The witch also looked back in return, a little confused. But then she gasped as she realized the situation, then immediately knelt.

"Yes, M'lord." Enel nodded.

"You will not use the blood of men. You will not use the blood of children. You will not worship the Veil, nor teach anyone here to worship it. You will not harm or hurt any of these people. And when you offer a remedy, you will tell them what it may leave behind."

"I… swear it," the witch said, voice trembling as she dipped her finger on the ground. The blood still dripping from her palm, touching it.

"Under the Urtmother and the Sovereign of the Seven Laws, I swear it." The air stirred as a circle formed beneath her. Enel then looked at the villagers.

"Now it is your turn. As I said earlier, all of you who will seek this woman's aid shall make an oath as well." The villagers shifted, and finally, they found the time to complain.

"H-huh?"

"What… nonsense is that?"

"We—" Enel did not let them continue complaining, however, as he raised his hand.

"You will not throw stones at someone who comes to heal you. You will not harm her while she keeps her oath. If you want her help, you will ask, and you will pay what you can. Food, coin, firewood. Anything. From what I have gathered, not once have you paid this woman her dues." No one answered at first, and everyone looked at each other. Some of them truly wanted to back away.

"The choice is yours. No one is forcing any of you," Enel said.

"And I have a feeling she would still help you even if you do not fall under the Oath. But… I suppose the only question then would be how shameless some of you are." They all looked at each other again, no one still moving. But then, Mara stepped forward and knelt.

"I swear it," she said. And as soon as she did so, the circle around the witch expanded to her. Mara's son looked at his mother for a moment, then also knelt beside her.

"T-thank you for healing me, grandmother," he whispered. One by one, others followed. Not all gladly, and some walked away. But those who knelt whispered their oath. And as the circle became wider and wider, tears began to flow from the witch's eyes. She covered her face, and her sobs could be heard along with the stirring air. Enel watched her for a moment, then bowed his head to the villagers.

"Thank you." Lamb stared at him.

"Why are you thanking them? These people only made an Oath not to hurt the old woman because you forced them to."

"They had a choice."

"After you told them how shameless they were?"

"They were, though?" Enel shrugged.

"And some people left."

"That…" Lamb looked at the people who were walking away.

"That is true." The air started to calm down after that. The villagers all stood up, bowing their heads to Enel and also nodding their heads to the witch. Some of the children even approached the witch, giving her pumpkin seeds. Their parents were still a little hesitant, but they thanked the old woman, too. The witch could not stop crying at their gratitude. Forced to or not, this was the first time the village had actually thanked her. The witch wiped her face with her sleeve and slowly stood.

"M'lord. Thank you… thank you." Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators! The witch gave them some remedies after that, and they returned to the inn where old man Bernard was drinking something called pumpkin beer.

"These… people really do drink and eat nothing but pumpkin?" Tiny said. He gave the remedy to Bernard, refusing to have it anywhere near his room. Nothing else happened after that, and they left the hamlet the next morning, with the witch and some of the villagers bowing to them. Back in Widow's Wall, the manor had gone completely quiet. The festive warmth from the coming-of-age ceremony had been smothered by gloom. The city outside still lived.

The workers continued bolstering the Outside Wall, carts rolled through the street, and those who worked with the refugees to officially make them citizens of Widow's Wall screamed, telling them that only those who worked could live there. But inside the manor… everything was quiet. The guests were gone, and even the servants hid in their rooms. As for Robert and Mira… they were in Robert's study, alive and well. The servants were in their rooms as Robert ordered them to rest earlier.

He stood over the map on his table. Mira stood beside him, arms crossed. Duke Gawen was there as well, sitting across from them with one hand resting on his shoulder.

"Are you sure?" Robert asked.

"Can Prince Orryn reach them?"

"With that steed of his?" Gawen exhaled through his nose.

"He probably already has." Mira looked up from the map.

"A horse with Breath. I have only seen one before, near the beastfolk ranges." She remembered how Orryn called his horse, which rammed through their door and entered the banquet hall. Her hand gripped the table as she saw her carpets stained from the prince's lack of decorum.

"Agh." Mira gritted her teeth.

"Who do they think they really are? How can someone like Duncan even follow rulers like that? Does he think he can just waltz in here after failing to send reinforcements to help us when we were in need?"

"Mira…"

"No, Robb." Mira looked at the map, staring at First Crown.

"Are you not tired of this?" Robert could not really answer that. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as he let out a long and very deep sigh.

"So, the royal family has finally noticed my son," he whispered. And Gawen scoffed at that.

"They noticed him months ago. They are only moving now," he said, shifting in his chair, then winced slightly as his fingers tightened over his shoulder.

"But considering Aldryc has not come himself, I would say this is the prince's interest. Not the king's." Mira's eyes moved to his hand that was massaging his shoulder.

"Does it… still hurt?"

"It is nothing."

"Gawen."

"Are you sure you are not Lamb's mother?" The duke clicked his tongue.

"The prince has a heavy hand, that is all." Robert slowly looked at him.

"Prince Orryn only placed his hand on your shoulder."

"Yes."

"And it left a mark?" Gawen did not answer, causing Robert's face to darken.

"Is he stronger than Enel?" For the first time since entering Widow's Wall, Duke Gawen did not laugh. He only looked down at the map, rubbing his thumb against the table's edge.

"Perhaps." Mira laughed softly, and both men turned to her.

"You truly do not know," she said. Robert's brows lowered.

"Mira."

"No." She shook her head, still smiling, though there was no joy in it.

"You have seen Enel lift stones, you have seen him break walls, and you even saw him lift Blakwud into the air. But neither of you have seen what happens when he truly forgets to hold back his strength."

"Mira."

"Robb." Mira backed away from the table, once again crossing her arms.

"Even you have no idea. I was the one out there every night, making sure our son does not accidentally destroy everything he touches." Gawen leaned back.

"The prince is a warrior of the Seventh Depth. I only know three people on Aldwyn at the same level. And unlike the boy, Orryn knows his Scripts. He knows war. He knows… how to kill."

"Since you have sworn allegiance to Blackwood, Gawen. I will tell you this…" Mira turned to him.

"His entire life… Enel had been walking on a road of sticks and withered leaves. I have taught him to walk as carefully and as gently as he could. If he ever forgets that, forgets us… it would take King Aldryc to stop him." The room fell silent again after her words. Then she looked back down at the map, toward the road that led northeast.

"So, Robb…" she said while not looking away from the map.

"No. That pompous prince is not stronger than our son… but that does not mean he is safe." And far northeast from Widow's Wall, right where Mira's eyes had rested on the map, Enel and the others continued their journey. But soon, days passed, and then more. Lamb still complained about the salted meat, but grew to like it again after another week. The villages grew fewer, then the road worsened until it completely disappeared. But after another week, a road led their path again.

And three weeks after leaving the pumpkin hamlet, they finally reached the northeast coast of Veyrmark. And there, soon, the narrowing road ended before a wall of pale fog. It was not as thick as the Dark Forest's. Enel could still see through parts of it. He could see the shapes of houses beyond the haze. Bernard was the first to step down from the cart, and his knees almost gave out beneath him.

"... Oak Coast," he whispered.

"That… is Oak Coast?" Tiny lightly gasped. The town was still there, but it looked only a few years away from becoming another ruin like the Outer Walls of Widow's Wall. Tiny swallowed, and he looked back at the others who were also stepping off the cart. But then, he noticed Enel looking in a certain direction with an expression he was already quite familiar with—he was using his god ears.

"W-what is it?!" Tiny quickly turned to the direction Enel was looking, only to see something move inside the fog.

"There are… people?! G-good day?!" A person walked out of the fog, slowly dragging one foot behind the other, then another came from behind a doorway, then another from the road near the docks. They looked like people… at first. But their skin was incredibly pale, almost as pale as the fog. Their mouths hung open, and gray patches pulsed beneath their skin. Lamb was finally able to draw her sword.

But she did not move yet as Bernard, the old man who had spent ten years trying to find his way home, fell to his knees in the dirt. The people of Oak Coast began walking toward them, but no one there was breathing. Guinevere placed her book on the cart, then moved behind Enel and whispered,"Veilwalkers."