Alaric beckoned to Fredrinn and the other two. “Come here. We need to get those things off of you guys.”
When they heard his words, they were flabbergasted.
Looking at their stunned faces, Alaric chuckled. “Stop dawdling and come here.”
Fredrinn nodded to his wife and whispered. “We can trust him.”
His wife hesitated for a moment, but she still chose to listen to her husband. “Alright.”
She walked nervously towards Alaric and bowed to him. “Greetings, sir.”
Alaric nodded to acknowledge her greeting. “What’s your name?”
“M-My name is Elaine, sir.” She responded without daring to look at him in the eye.
Alaric used the key given by Roy to remove the locks on her chains.
Clang!
As soon as the chains were removed, Elaine felt like she could finally breathe again.
“Thank you, sir!”
Alaric beckoned to the man standing beside Fredrinn. “What’s your name?”
The former hunter was a bit nervous. He didn’t know what kind of person his new owner was. His only hope was that he would be treated well.
“My name is Mark, sir.”
“Not bad. You managed to become a Knight Apprentice. Did you receive formal training from someone?” Alaric asked while observing the man’s expression.
“I live in a small village, sir. We were only taught how to hunt. As for Knight training…” Mark shook his head.
Oh? He managed to become a Knight Apprentice without formal training?
He couldn’t sense any falsehoods in his words so it was most likely true.
“Do you want to become a Knight?” Alaric asked with a smile.
Hearing this, Mark widened his eyes. “Absolutely! That’s my longtime wish, sir!”
Alaric grinned at his enthusiastic response. “Alright. If you’re willing to follow me, I will have someone train you to become a Knight.”
Without hesitation, Mark kneeled on one knee and muttered. “I’m willing to follow you, sir!”
Alaric tapped the man’s shoulder and said. “Get up. There’s no need for you to kneel before me. Let’s get those chains removed first.”
Click!
A clicking sound echoed as soon as the key was inserted into the keyhole.
After having his chains removed, Mark felt light as a feather. Unknowingly, tears streamed down his cheeks as emotions welled up in his heart.
Finally, it was Fredrinn’s turn.
Henry who was standing behind Alaric stared intently at this beggar-looking man.
If Fredrinn revealed a trace of hostility, he was ready to pull out his sword.
On the other hand, Alaric remained calm. He knew Fredrinn’s personality very well. He was a man who would never break his promise. That was the kind of person Fredrinn was.
“I will do as I had promised. I will follow you, sir!” Fredrinn solemnly uttered.
Alaric nodded and smiled faintly. “Let’s get this over with so we can get something to eat.”
He glanced at the chains tied to Fredrinn’s limbs.
They really used mithril chains to restrain him.
Mithril was a rare metal that can only be found deep into the earth. Only a Transcendent Knight can forge something using this material. That was how durable it was.
After his chains were removed, Fredrinn bowed to Alaric. “Thank you, sir!”
Alaric waved his hand. “You don’t have to thank me. Now go to your wife. I know you’re eager to hold her.” He chuckled.
Fredrinn cupped his fists and jogged to his wife. The couple hugged each other and exchanged a deep kiss.
Alaric looked away and shook his head. “Let’s do the introductions later. Leave them be for now.” He tapped Henry’s shoulder.
The old man was still worried. “My lord, are you sure about setting that man free? He is an Elite Knight, a powerful one at that.” He whispered.
He could sense it just by looking at Fredrinn.
“You can rest assured. I know what kind of person he is. Trust me on this.” Alaric muttered reassuringly.
“Alright, but I’ll keep an eye on him just to make sure,” Henry responded cautiously.
An hour later, they gathered for their meal.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward with the presence of three more people in the group.
“You guys should get to know each other since you will be colleagues soon.” Alaric broke the silence.
Upon hearing his words, everyone stopped what they were doing, glanced at each other, and exchanged friendly nods.
Alaric didn’t push them. It would take some time for them to learn how to trust each other.
“Give this to your wife. She needs to eat more meat for the child in her belly.” Alaric said as he handed a bowl of boar meat soup to Fredrinn.
The latter sent him a grateful look before he gave the bowl to his wife.
Elaine bowed to Alaric. “Thank you, sir.”
“Since you guys will be serving me from now on, allow me to reintroduce myself.” Alaric scanned the three former slaves.
“My name is Alaric Silversword, the heir of House Silversword. Starting today, you are no longer slaves, but my people!”
The three were stunned. They thought that he was just a rich young warrior. It turned out that he was actually the son of a noble!
“Greetings, my lord!” They stood up simultaneously and bowed to him.
“Relax. There’s no need to be nervous.”
Although he tried to make them feel comfortable, the three became more restrained after knowing his identity.
After eating their meal, Alaric told them about their destination.
“We are heading to the Enchanted Woodlands.”
Looking at their shocked faces, Alaric continued. “I know that it’s dangerous, especially for Elaine so there’s no need for the three of you to follow us.”
He grabbed a stick and drew a box on the snow.
“There is a fortress city close to the Enchanted Woodlands. The three of you will stay there and wait for us.”
“My lord, I’m willing to go with you to the Enchanted Woodlands!” Mark expressed his desire to go with them.
However…
“No.” Alaric shook his head.
“It’s too dangerous for you to be there. I’m sure you are aware of the dangers within that forest.”
Mark nodded apprehensively.
Almost everyone in the empire knew what kind of creatures resided within the Enchanted Woodlands.
“You guys get ready, we will head out at once.”
***
Three days slipped by, and on the afternoon of the 4th of January, the group finally arrived at the fortress city called Turtle Fort.
It got its name from the turtle-like forts that surrounded the city.
This fortress city was Astania’s first line of defense against the monsters that come from the Enchanted Woodlands. It also boasted a huge number of warriors who were ready to protect the empire’s borders.
At this moment, the group had just passed by the heavily fortified gates. The huge ballistas sitting at the top of the walls made them feel safe and secure.
They had to constantly keep a lookout when they were traveling outside. Now, they felt that they could finally rest easy.
The group traveled for another hour to find a suitable inn. They didn’t choose a famous establishment and selected a relatively unknown place. This was to keep their identities hidden.
At the inn’s dining hall, the group gathered for an afternoon snack.
“We should get some rest tonight and resume our journey tomorrow,” Alaric said while looking at Yvanna.
Her face was still covered with only her eyes and mouth visible.
Yvanna nodded. “I’ll listen to you.”
She was excited to return to her home. She has been gone for a long time and she missed her family and friends.
Just a little bit more.
She muttered in her heart.
She was grateful to Alaric and the rest of the group who came to accompany her, especially Alaric. If it weren’t for him, she might have frozen to death a long time ago.
Thinking about this, she looked at his side profile, her gaze softening.
As if sensing her eyes, Alaric turned his head. “Why are you looking at me like that?” He raised his head and chuckled.
“Thank you. I wouldn’t have gotten this far on my own.” The elf responded while staring straight into his eyes.
Alaric almost fell into a trance. He quickly looked away and muttered. “That’s what friends do.”
Friends?
Yvanna’s lips curved upwards.
That’s right. I have a human friend now.
Alaric was the first human she had fully accepted as a friend.
Sensing the unusual atmosphere between the two, the others could only pretend like they were statues.
Alaric realized what was happening and immediately cleared his throat. Ehem!
“You don’t need to feel embarrassed, my lord.” Henry tapped his back and sent him a knowing glance.
Alaric ignored his teasing glance and opened the cyan screen to check his progress.
Alaric Silversword [Knight] EXP: 444/500
Potential: B
Traits: Horseback Riding (C), Swordsmanship (SSS), Close Combat (C), Archery (F), Hunting (E), Tracking (F), Sixth Sense (F)
Strength: 100
Stamina: 34+
Agility: 43+
Vitality: 27+
Endurance: 42+
Mana: 48+
Battle Points: 3140
Stat Points: 47
(Requirements for next advancement: 500 EXP, 100 in all attributes, and 5000 Battle Points)
I still have a long way to go.