Regaleon: The Forgotten Knight

Valmyr wasn’t the only one left gobsmacked. In fact, several stunned gazes spread across the circle as...

Caelestra’s emerald eyes widened noticeably, her fingers pausing halfway through stirring the simmering clay pot. She had been quietly expecting an answer measured in weeks, perhaps a few months at most, but six years completely shattered those expectations...

Beside her, Veyrath blinked several times in disbelief. The roasted skewer in his hand stopped halfway to his mouth as his amber eyes remained fixed upon Aelric, almost as though he were silently wondering whether the green-eyed youth was joking...

Even Kaeloris, who normally remained composed and analytical regardless of the situation, couldn’t hide his astonishment. His lips parted slightly while his brows slowly climbed higher, the failed Gnost staring at Aelric with the unmistakable expression of someone whose understanding of reality had just been challenged...

However, despite the shocking revelation, Aureleah herself remained perfectly calm...

Truthfully, she hadn’t asked that question simply because she wanted the answer.

Rather, she had wanted to see how Aelric would answer it.

And surprisingly, the green-eyed youth hadn’t hesitated. He hadn’t attempted to evade the question nor had he tried diverting the conversation elsewhere.

Instead, he had answered it plainly and truthfully. And that alone told Aureleah everything she needed to know.

At the very least, it seems he believed what he had said. But still, that only made her want to probe him even further.

However, just before she could open her mouth again, Sylveris’ voice beat her to it...

The fourteen-year-old’s silver eyes were wide with astonishment as she stared at Aelric. But more than shock, curiosity filled her face...

The young girl simply couldn’t imagine how someone could survive for six entire years inside a place most people described as a living purgatory...

”How...?” She asked softly, her voice barely louder than a gasp. ”I mean... Did you really live in the Nether Lands for six whole years?”

Aelric turned toward her before smiling gently. His voice was gentle as he gave his response.

”It’s actually not as terrifying as you make it sound...” He casually took another bite from the roasted meat in his hand before continuing.

”In fact, when I first arrived, it certainly wasn’t easy.” He shrugged. ”But eventually, you grow accustomed to it. The Nether Lands is dangerous;no one can deny that... But after living here long enough, the danger becomes routine. It stops feeling unexpected and start feeling like an habit.”

”I don’t think that’s something people are supposed to grow accustomed to.” Veyrath suddenly muttered from where he sat.

His amber eyes briefly lowered toward the skewer resting in his hands before he sighed.

”Personally, I’d much rather have a place where I can sleep peacefully than spend every waking moment wondering whether something is about to jump out of the bushes and kill me.”

Aelric chuckled softly.” I suppose you’re right. But hey, everyone with their preferences, isn’t it?”

His smile lingered for another moment before Regaleon suddenly spoke...

”So How do you know about the Sauryeans?”

This question earned Aelric’s attention as he gave a side glance in his direction. However, the silver-haired knight leaned forward slightly before speaking.

”Back when we were ambushed, I noticed something. You understood every word that the assassin spoke...”

His golden eyes remained fixed upon Aelric.

”So I doubt that was your first encounter with them. I’m curious; just how did you come to know about the Sauryeans?”

”Hold on.” Kaeloris suddenly interrupted.

His eyes shifted toward Regaleon as he spoke with surprise colouring his tone. ”Did you just say that Aelric speaks the Sauryean language?”

”More or less.” Vaelorin answered before Aelric could.

”Honestly, it wasn’t really Aelric doing most of the talking. The assassin... Or rather the Black Stalker as he called it, was the one speaking. But Aelric understood every single word it said and he even replied.”

Kaeloris’ eyes immediately lit up. ”Whoa...That’s incredible.”

”Incredible...” Aureleah calmly corrected.

”And quite unexpected.”

Her silver eyes settled upon Aelric once more, a faint glimmer flickering within them as she spoke further.

”As a matter of fact, I wonder how exactly you managed that.”

Aelric met her gaze with the same relaxed smile, but inwardly, he was anything but that.

Somehow, ever since arriving at the camp, Aureleah had been giving him a rather peculiar feeling.

The silver-haired Assassin wasn’t openly hostile nor did she seem particularly suspicious. Yet every question she asked seemed carefully chosen; like someone patiently peeling away layers to uncover what lay beneath.

And surprisingly, the girl wasn’t even attempting to hide it. Not that he particularly minded anyway.

After all, it wasn’t as though she could uncover anything he wasn’t willing to reveal...

He released a slow breath before answering.

”Actually, I’ve already told you quite a bit. But it’s not everything.”

He rested one arm across his knee. ”You see, when I said I’d spent six years in the Nether Lands, that doesn’t necessarily mean I spent those years wandering around alone like you thought me to.”

As he spoke those final words, his green eyes briefly shifted toward Regaleon...

”What exactly are you implying?”

Caelestra asked quietly. But truthfully, inwardly, the failed Merchant already had a vague idea where this conversation was heading.

Aelric smiled. ”You asked how I came to know about the Sauryeans.”

He gave a light chuckle.

”What if I told you that I’ve known about them ever since my very first year in the Nether Lands?”

Confused expressions immediately appeared around the campfire. And upon seeing that, Aelric decided to elaborate.

Setting the half-eaten skewer aside, he adjusted his seating position before continuing.

”By now, I’m sure you’ve already realized something. You aren’t the only intelligent beings living in the Nether Lands. In fact, you probably discovered that the moment you found the Breeding Nest. Didn’t you?”

”We did.” Valmyr answered with a nod. ”I mean, it has been pretty obvi...”

He abruptly stopped. Then his eyes widened as he pointed accusingly toward Aelric.

”...Wait. How do you know about the Breeding Nest?”

Aelric merely chuckled. He had just opened his mouth to answer when Regaleon suddenly spoke once more.

”You were there...”The silver-haired knight’s golden eyes narrowed. ”Weren’t you?”

Several members of the group frowned in confusion as they didn’t immediately understand what Regaleon meant.

Aureleah, however, seemed to grasp something. Her silver eyes slowly narrowed as they shifted between Regaleon and Aelric...

Aelric simply smiled. Then, he gave a small nod... And that single gesture answered everything.

Regaleon’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly as the realization struck him.

So that was it! No wonder... No wonder Aelric had seemed strangely familiar the moment they met...

Back when the green-eyed youth appeared during the ambush, something deep within Regaleon had insisted that this wasn’t their first encounter.

But at the time, he had simply dismissed the feeling as mere imagination. Now... Everything finally made sense.

This was because back at the Breeding Nest, while they were pursuing the Wights through the Crimson Forest, he had repeatedly experienced the unsettling sensation that someone was watching them.

This caused him to search the surrounding forest several times. Unfortunately, he found nothing. In fact, part of the reason it had taken them so long to reach the Breeding Nest wasn’t solely because they had encountered that strange scorpion-like creature.

Instead, it was also because Regaleon had repeatedly stopped to search for the source of that persistent feeling. But each time, he had found absolutely nothing.

Eventually, the silver-haired Knight had convinced himself that he was simply being overly cautious.

Then even after arriving at the Breeding Nest, that feeling had remained. Yet with everything happening around them, he had ultimately ignored it and forgotten.

Until now. Because now... Everything seem to fit together as the pieces finally formed a complete picture.

In truth, there had indeed been someone following them through the Crimson Forest; watching them from the shadows and watching everything they did.

And as it turns out, that person had been Aelric...