Chương 58: The Rut of Blood — Part VI

As Galan's mind returned to the past, he once again felt the cold forest breeze and the steady weight of Aurelia in his arms. Lucilla walked beside him, her voice a soft, curious whisper in Latin.

"Hey, uh…"

"Just call me Gal."

"Oh, okay. Gal."

"Yeah?"

"Why did you decide to spare us?" Galan grinned.

"You don't like that?"

"N-no! I mean…"

"Relax, I'm just messing with you," he chuckled.

"In truth, I'm here to kill the bad guys. And you're not one of them."

"It's that simple?"

"Why would I kill the good guys?" he shrugged. Lucilla frowned.

"True. But… what do you think of Aurelia?"

"She's… different," he said, looking down at the unconscious woman.

"She did evil things, sure. But she did it because she believed it was the best thing she could do for them. Of course, she still needs to be punished. And I think my punishment is the best way for her to move forward in life."

"Do you… really think that?"

"Yeah. By tomorrow, she'll not only realize that her life with your master was akin to living in a golden cage… but also find a new reason to keep walking forward."

"I don't get all of that," she admitted.

"But I'll believe you." As they approached the outpost's dark, unburned back exit, Galan's tone turned serious.

"Lucilla, close your eyes. And don't open them until I tell you to."

"Huh? Why?"

"Just do it." She cupped her hands over her eyes. They stepped through the exit and into the clearing, Galan's mindcast shielding her from the sight and smell of the carnage. They then reached the carriage without incident.

"Alright, you can open your eyes now." This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. She looked around, noticing that the horses were sleeping peacefully.

"Huh. Did they sleep through all that?"

"Yeah, thanks to me," he smiled while entering the carriage, placing Aurelia gently on the large back seat.

"You want to stay with her?" Lucilla nodded.

"Think of me if she starts to wake up, alright?"

"I understand." She bowed. As she climbed into the carriage, Galan put on his shirt and cloak while heading for the ridge. Once he was outside, he noticed that Gaius and his mentors were gathering around a fire.

"Hey, wanna stay in my village?" he said, sitting down among them. The reaction was instantaneous. Marybelle squeaked in terror, Gaius put his arms up as he leaned back, and Noctavia clutched her chest, her heart lurching. Galan shrugged.

"Am I really that scary? I'm not even in my vampire form."

"Master," Noctavia breathed.

"Please don't scare us like that."

"Alright. I promise to announce my approach next time." Gaius sighed before he spoke.

"By the way, what do you mean by asking us to stay in your village?" Gaius asked, his annoyance overriding his fear.

"I mean, it's a place for you all to stay," Galan said, pointing to the two cooks sleeping against a nearby tree.

"I'm planning on giving them a place, too."

"I'm not sure if you're generous or have a more devious plan in mind," Gaius said flatly.

"You certainly are an odd one," Noctavia giggled.

"Maybe he's one of those people who always speaks his mind," Marybelle mused.

"I'm still here, y'know," Galan said.

"Master! We're done!" Aelia shouted from across the clearing. She, Lucius, and Tiberius approached.

"Make sure not to tell anyone what you guys did to Aurelius," Galan sent mentally.

"How's my father?" Gaius' voice cut in, sharp and cold. An awkward silence fell over the crew.

"Uh… can we talk about something else?" Galan said aloud.

"I don't think you wanna know." Gaius looked away.

"Well, if you say that… then he certainly got what he deserved." The crew breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Master, where is the girl?" Tiberius asked.

"In the carriage with her mentor," Galan replied.

"She's fine."

"That is certainly a relief," Tiberius sighed.

"Master, can you come here for a moment?" Flavia projected. Galan walked over.

"What is it?"

"It's this man," she said, pointing her staff at the sleeping Marcus.

"Who gave him that halberd?" Everyone turned to look at Galan.

"Oh, who could have done that?" he said, feigning innocence.

"Must have been a pretty reckless guy." Flavia and Aelia chuckled while the others shook their heads in disbelief.

"Oh, right. Speaking of reckless," Galan said, turning to Lucius. He summoned the assassin's knife.

"Here."

"Thanks, Master," Lucius said, taking it.

"By the way, maybe it'd be more useful to recruit the sorceresses instead of… you know…"

"Instead of what?" Gaius' voice was like ice. Lucius just chuckled.

"I just thought we could use them as allies, is all."

"Don't worry," Galan said with a hand on his hip.

"They're already part of the crew."

"So you remember," Noctavia said, her gaze fixed on Lucius."'Course I do," he said, sheathing his knife.

"I have a sense of honor now. And I always try to keep my word." Just then, the heavy creak of wagon wheels echoed through the forest. A large, plain wooden wagon pulled by four black horses came to a halt. The back opened, and a group of figures in dark robes and masks stepped out, approaching in a disciplined line. Galan rested his hands behind his head, a wide, satisfied grin on his face.

"Alright! Adest dies mercedis!" he shouted, declaring that it's payday time.