CHAPTER 274: REDIRECTING (CASTLE BONUS CHAPTER)

Was she taken aback by his audacity or merely unable to handle a compliment after hiding as a boy for such a long time?

Irene wasn’t entirely sure, so she muttered a slightly confused "thank you, Captain" before pulling back her hand and stepping away so that Felix could handle the man who was so full of compliments.

In that moment, Felix wondered if he ought to tell the man that he was decades older than Irene, who was still a child. Even if it was actually only one decade between them, Felix didn’t particularly like someone fawning over one of the knights he felt responsible for.

Instead of verbalizing his critical thoughts, he offered a tight-lipped smile, happy to see that Irene was giving him the reins rather than speaking up herself. She had no desire to explore that side of men anyway. It made his life a lot easier.

"I understand the two of you have something for me," the Captain continued as he took up his seat once more and reached for his mug. "Or is it I who has something for you?"

"We do indeed need your help, Captain," Felix relented. "Do you mind waiting for us to take our loads off, then we will join you?"

"By all means," the man responded, not bothering more than that. He was clearly wanting to enjoy his beer rather than getting to business, but no one could blame him.

Felix and Irene went to the upper levels where their room waited for them. They had asked for another knight from the innkeeper just in case it called for it, but it would entirely depend on what the Captain had to tell them.

The two reappeared in front of the Captain wearing tunics and traveling pants, but they seemed far more relaxed than when they donned a full suit.

The man laid his eyes on Irene once more, but he pretended not to notice her appearance as much as he did before. He even offered them drinks, pointedly offering some for the two of the knights rather than only Irene. It was clear she was cold to advances like that.

"Wine?" The man asked as he got the attention of the barmaid.

"Ale," Irene responded, and Felix nodded along uncommittedly. He simply liked alcohol.

When the three were finally with their drinks and the barmaid said she would bring food in a while, they could finally begin their chat.

"Tell us the state of the Eastern side since the war, please," Felix requested. "We will bring it up to the other knights and see if more forces can be sent in this direction. There will be knights hailing from the East on this side for winter as it is."

"The monster patterns changed after the war," the Captain explained. "Even those with no intelligence behind their eyes can recognize when their own is being brutalized. They avoid the plains entirely and travel in the forests. Some from the East, but most from the North. The South and Central areas are still the safest because of Sir Arthur’s contribution during the war. I suppose you did a good job of wiping goblins clean out of the Duke’s personal lands, but the rest of us suffer without such a strong force behind it. Every day, if not two days, we’re faced with more monsters, and we merely don’t have the manpower to fend them off ourselves."

"A maid has sent word to the South," Felix explained. "She reached someone who can likely make a difference and has close ties to Commander Lothian."

"As if the South has ever been worried about the North’s affairs," the Captain scoffed, then he cracked a wry smile.

It seemed a bit of his true thoughts had fallen out without much control.

So the man wouldn’t feel bad that he was revealing too much, Irene couldn’t help raising her glass in agreement.

"The south is far more laid back than we are up here," she explained. "I don’t believe they take urgency in what we deem to be serious enough to call upon them. No matter what, the King still has to approve of every movement of one of his vassals."

Felix felt that the conversation had gotten a bit out of his hands, and he reeled it back in.

"What would you prefer us to do in this situation, Captain?" he asked. "I will send letters to the south and to a mage to see if they can lend us their hands."

"Mages?" the Captain questioned.

Irene hoped that he wouldn’t say something that would further push away any chance that she would respect him. She stiffened up just a bit.

"Yes," she confirmed. "They have been helping us heal knights since before the war began. Mages also took a vital role in turning the tide of the war in our favor."

Even though the Captain was a bit stiff, he didn’t disagree with people who had experienced the war firsthand.

"I sense a change coming to us in the north," he muttered. "Mages seem to be more involved than ever before."

"Would you prefer they stay away or help the people where they can?" Felix wondered, candidly.

"I’m not so hung up on that, but someone who stands above even me is," the Captain admitted. "Forgive me if I seem to have sounded opposed. If they can keep my knighthood in good shape, I will accept all the help that I can get."

"I’m relieved to hear that," Felix admitted, and Irene nodded along in agreement. "We’ll need to use a mage to send a letter then."

"Shall we go to my father’s lands?" she asked. "He has a healer there all the time. He sends and receives letters for my family constantly. That will be the fastest way to send a letter unless you want to go two more days of travel to find Stanley once more."

"No, that’s perfect," Felix responded. "We will set out first thing in the morning. Thank you for all of your valuable information, Captain Isaac."

"Anything for fellow knights." The man raised his glance once more and couldn’t help adding, "Anything for a pretty girl as well."

Irene’s smile was tight-lipped and polite, but Felix noticed the rage behind her gaze and he merely directed her to keep walking forward by pushing on her firm shoulder.

"Go to the room," Felix directed Irene.

She nodded and continued on, not thinking much of his orders.

On his way out of the pub, the second in command stopped the barmaid by her wrist and she gave him a flirtatious smile at that. He slipped a couple of coins to the barmaid. "The food to our room please," he requested.

"Yes, sir," the woman responded quietly, as if she were whispering him a secret.

Felix merely appreciated her agreement before he made himself scarce. As he walked up the steps to the upper levels, he couldn’t help sighing and shaking his head.

Women who were interested in him became so much easier to talk to now that he realized he didn’t want any of them. The one he wanted he couldn’t have.

He then went back to his shared room with Irene, the little sister he never had who could pull him from those thoughts easily. They would have another busy travel day ahead of them.