THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"Did I interrupt something?"

"Not really. So, what did you want to ask?" I sit on my bed and look at Cordel who is holding a handkerchief in his hand.

"Huh…Well, I just wanted to know if you had seen another handkerchief like this one."

"No, I didn't."

"I see. Well, if you do then please give it to Esteressa. She seems to have lost it."

"You use the same type?"

"Yeah. She was adamant about it.. Though she is the first to lose it so…"

"You would do anything for her, I guess."

"if you really care for somebody, you should at least do that, right?"

"Right." My own parents couldn't do even that, though.

"Then would you face a king or an army for her?"

"A king?"

"Yeah."

"Huh, is it a figure of speech?"

"Just answer me."

"Well, I don't really know."

"You don't know, huh…" Not knowing means you wouldn't do it. So you are just like them. A coward that will run away as soon as there is an opportunity. "Okay."

"Well, then. Later."

"Yeah." Cowards, the lot of them. They pretend to love people but when the time comes to proves it, they cower and hide like chickens from the thunder.

***

When the night falls, somebody knocks on my door.

"Yeah, it's open." However, nobody enters. I just hear the heartbeat decreasing quickly without any footsteps to follow it.

When I come out, I only find clothes in front of the door. Looking at the hallway, I see them in front of Peter's room as well. There is no need to think further. I take them and close my door. While putting the clothes on, I notice that the armor is now made of both leather and metal scraps. It is sturdier than before but a bit heavier as well. Its design is still the same though.

When I put it on, I don't uncomfortable at all. I don't have any trouble moving with it.

"Good. Frankher is really a quick worker." He had people designed a new armor even though he is handling other things as well. That guy must not have slept well for a while.

I put on the mask as well and when I get out. Peter is also present, already holding his weapon. Thinking about it…

"Ah, I didn't look properly." There is a new raizen lying on the wall right next to my door. It might be dark but I can discern its purple color. I take it and it is light. Almost as light as the raizen Demether gave me. It's a good one.

We both exit the mansion through a window then I take K'nor in the sables and we start running. Peter is the guide so we follow him for around twenty minutes. If we were on our own, I am sure we would have taken less time.

"They are there." At a distance, on a hill, I spot the ruins of a tower with the dim light of the campfire illuminating the top.

"So, you have a plan?" Aren't you the one who should have one?

"We go in and kick everyone's ass?" That's a bad idea considering how poorly I handled Romas's case. "But then they might flee and we will have lost a great opportunity, right?"

I cut off Peter while his mouth was opened and he just closes it silently. I nail it! Yeah me!

"And so? The plan?"

"Don't you have ideas as well?"

"I am not in the mood to think. Just propose something and let's get this over with."

"Yeah, you are just afraid of bearing the consequences."

"Kevin, please, not now."

"Tch!" Coward.

Anyway, the plan is to at least capture one or two members of the Flolerl's order and deliver them to the mansion before morning. So, there is no need to actually kill people. Now, the problem is to recognize them. If only they were my comrades, I could probably recognize some of them even now.

"Okay. Let's see. If they are cooperating with bandits, then there is a large chance that they will be staying in a different space. Like the top floor of the ruin or a tent a bit isolated."

"And why is that?"

"Come on man. Knights and bandits, staying under the same roof? Drinking and eating the same things?"

"Well…Yeah, it makes no sense."

"Exactly. So, I will go first and identify the most probable place where they could be resting. After that, what I propose is that you and K'nor go in while I will distract the camp and nab one or two of them quickly."

"Doesn't sound like a good plan."

"You have something better?"

"No."

"I will see you later, then."

I walk through the night, leaving Peter to his grumblings, and then fly to the tower. Looking below, I can spot three tents around it. There are three lights moving around in circles around the whole place. Among the three tents, one bigger than the others again. If I had to guess, I would say that they are there but judging from my previous experience. It must be the smaller one right next to it.

"Fufu. You won't fool me this time, guys."

I go back to Peter and land.

"So you can really fly. Incredible."

"There are three tents around the tower. Three patrols as well. The top of the ruin is just a simple fire. There is nobody around it."

"It must be a diversion to make people think there are more people there."

"I think so as well. Among the three tents, the bigger one is on the left side from here. But don't bother with it. Reach the smaller one next to it. I am sure you will find knights there."

"and I knock down two of them at most and run away, right?"

"Yeah. Meantime, I will distract them as much as possible."

"Okay, got it."

"Good. Let's go then." It's showtime!