Chapter 9 - I - Lilyhaven's love advices

 

Life in a remote village like Hagena was quite pleasant, but it was rather dull.  Someone who grew up in a city would find themselves delighted on the first few moments of arrival in such a place, though in the end, they’d want to come back to their urban lives due to lack of something to do.

 

“Seriously, Miss Knight?” Mariya exhaustedly asked, “The job is to remove the scales of the fish, not create a mush of…what in the world is that?”

 

Lily’s face was red in embarrassment.  Back in the Holy Palatial Gardens, while she did some cooking, preparing fish was a work she entrusted to someone else.  She did not know how to do it.

 

“Alright Mariya, you’ve seen how your friend does things…” the fisherman said, “Now I’d  appreciate it if you’d just get out of here before you turn all my precious catch into that disgusting stuff over there.”

 

And so, job application no. 1 failed.

 

 

Job application no. 2…

 

“Uh…are you sure that she can swing an ax?  I mean, I don’t question her skills in combat as you say, but with those thin, delicate-looking arms, I don’t think she could even properly carry our tool!”

 

“Well, why don’t you try her, Mister Huntley?” Mariya told the lumberjack.

 

The man reluctantly gave to Lily the ax for cutting trees.  And indeed, he was mistaken!

 

Lily could carry the ax with the littlest effort possible…

 

…only if she could stand up straight.  The crutches were a big problem for her employment.

 

“Yep, Mariya.  Just as I expected.  Now get out.”

 

The lumberjack showed them the door and signaled for them to walk away.

 

For short, this second attempt failed too.

 

 

Job application no. 10…

 

“Can your friend smooth out the head of this wooden carving?”

 

“Sure thing!  It’s so easy that Miss Knight is raring to try it!”

 

**Smoothing-out in progress…

 

“So, what do you think?”

 

“Mariya…if I hired your friend, I might as well close my workshop.  I told her to smooth the rough surface, not to grind the carving to dust.”

 

Application no. 10 was a colossal failure.

 

 

Job application no. 24…

 

Mariya and Lily’s stomach almost turned upside-d the moment they smelled something foul emanating from the apothecary’s house.  They even heard a sinister laugh coming from the inside.

 

“With this, I’ll make every man worship me as their goddess!  Hihihihihihihihi!”

 

“Uh, Miss Knight, I think we should look for work someplace else…”

 

“Yes, Mariya, I think so too!”

 

Potential job no. 24 failed even before Lily applied.

 

 

“Gah!” Mariya let out an exhausted sigh as she and Lily sat by the beach to rest, “I didn’t know that you’re such a high-quality noble, Miss Knight!  You can’t even do a single thing here!”

 

“I’m sorry about that…” Lily sadly muttered.

 

“Well, it’s no use crying over spilled milk, I guess?” the girl replied dismissively, “Makes me wonder how did you survive wandering?”

 

“I just don’t know or used to do those jobs we tried to apply to.” Lily desperately tried to defend herself.

 

“Ahh…if there’s anything I could say, it’s just, whatever that you’re doing before, I think you just need to get back to that.  Here at this place, you’d end up starving!”

 

Lily fell silent once again.  She wanted to apologize but couldn’t say a thing to the young girl beside her.  Mariya’s understandably upset; she had been walking with her since they woke up and ate breakfast, and those rejections and failures must’ve gotten into her head by now.

 

“…”

 

Lily felt dejected and useless.  If possible, she’d like to disappear immediately, but she could do nothing about her situation.

 

So, this is what Maddie must’ve experienced back then, when she ranted all her frustrations to her friend…

 

“Ahh…it’s all my fault.” Lily whispered to herself, “I  did nothing right!”

 

“Hm?  Are you saying something, Miss Knight?”

 

“Ha?  Uh, oh!  Maybe I’m just tired as well…” she answered, deliberately diverting the topic.

 

“Ah, in that case, do you want to head back?”

 

“Err…shall we?”

 

Mariya hopped up and grabbed Lily’s hand to help her stand, “Why not?”

 

 

Meanwhile, not too far from where Lily and Mariya were, was a young man named Roland, vice-leader of the guard of the lord of Hagena.  For quite some time now, he had just been sitting around at the beach watching the rolling waves frolicking with the white sand.  His companions had left to do something else; preferring not to focus on their guard duties assigned to them.  After all, the lord himself seldom appears to check on things.

 

“…”

 

When he worked in service of Hagena’s local aristocrat, Roland did not expect that he’d be given a job as a ‘beach guard’.  He expected the lord was about to go to war some place else; the recruiter told him so.  Roland only learned the horrible truth when he had already taken an oath of fealty, and by his honor, he could not rescind it anymore.

 

So, the sword that he inherited from his father lay rusting inside its scabbard.  The spear that he was given was never used in combat, so it was also in awful condition.  And he had to burn his time sitting idly watching the waves on the beach.

 

Roland had always pondered on the need to watch those shores when there’s not even a trace of pirates, highwaymen, and even bandits in the area.  His squad would only be of use whenever the fishermen would arrive with their catch, and they will enforce the lord’s tax on those.

 

They can hire someone else for that work…not an aspiring warrior.

 

“Damn it!” he abruptly stood up and started stretching, “My fighting skills will become dull if I stayed in this position any longer!  All of my girls and castles are waiting for me!”

 

He had heard it from his father, who was a mercenary in the past.  The wars in old Chersea before gave glory and fame to those daring warriors, and along with those, power and women.  After all, his father told him, the girls were always in need of someone strong to protect them, to make them feel secure.

 

“A real man should show to everyone that he’s reliable and powerful!” his old man’s words were etched in his mind, and it had always been his guiding principle in living his life.

 

For short, he had to be strong and famous if he wished to have women going head over heels for him.  And being a guard in such an obscure village like Hagena wasn’t his way to glory!

 

Buoyed by his recollections, the vice-guard took out his sword and simulated a battle in his head.  His father had told him a lot of war stories that he still fancies, like that battle where the armies of the Confederacy fought side by side with the soldiers from Nerfes.  That one ‘Iron Princess’ was something that piqued his interest, having single handedly defeated a thousand men in that certain battle.

 

“…”

 

If he’s in that situation, he’d double on that thousand men.  And then, after that, he’d marry the Iron Princess and become a king!

 

“And that’s what a good life is all abo—”

 

“Hey!  Take it easy there!”

 

“!!!”

 

Roland’s train of thought was interrupted the moment he gave his sword another swing.  The momentum got blocked, and he almost hurt his sword arm.  

 

Nevertheless, just like as his father told him, “Never let go of your sword even if it means they’d have to cut off your arm.”.

 

“What are you doing, Roland?” an annoyed Mariya asked the guard, “If you’re trying to kill someone, then at least, do it someplace else!”

 

“Hey!  Hey!  It’s the little squirt!” Roland countered, “Well, I think it would not harm you, since you lack the height to be hit by my sword.”

 

“Oh ?” Mariya’s face was smug, “You’re an idiot!  Don’t you think that I’m the only one in this place?  How about you use those eyes of yours for once?”

 

Roland then realized there’s another person behind Mariya.  A beautiful, well-endowed girl with a pair of crutches supporting her.  Lily only smiled and bobbed a curtsy—what she could manage despite her injury—before him in respect.

 

The guard was flabbergasted, “Ah!  I didn’t notice…”

 

“That’s right, moron!” Mariya sarcastically quipped, “I have someone with me, so be careful with that rusty sword of yours!”

 

“Err…who’s the pretty lady?”

 

“Mind your words, tin head!  She’s a knight; much better than you are.”

 

Roland stared hard at Lily, who was hobbling around and looking for something to sit upon.  After all, standing on a pair of crutches sure takes a toll on one’s arms, especially on the armpits.

 

“That lady is a knight?” he asked.

 

“Don’t believe me?  She blocked your dangerous sword-play, and you’re still a skeptic?”

 

“What happened to her?”

 

“She got into a fight in the capital and got injured.”

 

“Eh?” Roland was surprised to hear that, “Got injured?  That’s pretty stupid!  A knight couldn’t possibly get injured; she’s supposed to be encased in armor!”

 

“Enough with your idiotic assumptions.  I don’t know what happened, but I was there to witness it.” Mariya snarled, “Now, we’re here because I’m taking Miss Knight on tour around the village looking for work.  If you’ll excuse us, we got our well-deserved rest, and would like to go home for now.”

 

But the guard tried to keep the conversation going, “Oh?  She’s looking for work in this pathetic place?  If she’s a good knight, then she’d always be employed by a lord!”

 

“She IS a good knight.” Mariya countered, “And in the first place, I claimed nothing about her skills.  You’re the only one who said that!”

 

“Heh, come on Mariya, don’t bluff me now.  You couldn’t possibly befriend someone of high status such as a knight!” Roland chuckled, “Anyway, watch me!  That pretty girl will soon be charmed by my fighting skills once I show her that.”

 

“Hey, what the hell are you going to do?  Stop!” Mariya asked as she helplessly watched the young guard approached Lily, who eventually found an ideal resting spot.

 

 

With her armpits sore from putting her body’s weight on the crutches, Lily decided to wait on her companion as she sorted some things with the guard who approached them.  She sat a few distances away but monitored Mariya, who looked like she was arguing with the man.  From what she was hearing, she could only make out the words ‘idiot’ and ‘stop’.

 

“…”

 

Well, it’s not like she has anything to do with those two, as long as Mariya’s life is not in danger.  It can be that he’s an acquaintance of hers, anyway.

 

“…”

 

Err…why is that guard coming over to her with a smug smile on his face?

 

“Hey there, lovely!”

 

“!!!”

 

Lily was surprised by the brazen attitude of the guy who came before her.  He just casually approached and did not even give a bow.  But then again, Lily thought, this was a place where the common folk lived, so it must be that it’s their way of greeting others like her?

 

“Hello, there Mister Guard!” she maintained her composure, even though Lily didn’t like the way he spoke.

 

“Ah, please, my name is Roland!” Roland took Lily’s hand and kissed it, “I heard that you’re new to this place.  Did you, uh, come from Sekhtem?”

 

Flustered, Lily didn’t know what to say.  Fortunately, Mariya was running after Roland, as she tried to prevent him from talking to her.  

 

The guard, however, was unfazed.

 

“I-I came from Sekhtem…but I was wandering, see?” an awkward Lily explained, trying to keep herself calm, “Before arriving at the capital, I lived in another place.”

 

“Ah yes.  So, in that case, would you like to live here?”

 

Putting up such a question emboldened Lily.  She immediately answered his question with a sincere smile and proudly said, “Yes, I plan to live here.  It’s a beautiful village.”

 

But the guard didn’t mind her words, “But not as beautiful as you, my sweet lady.” he quipped, “If that’s your plan, then how about having a little drink with this dashing young man before you?  There’s a tavern down by this road leading to the capital.  Let’s talk about your plans together, hm?”

 

“Ahahaha…well, that’s won’t be necessary Sir.  I’m exhausted already, and would like to rest for now.”

 

“I see.  Then please, let this gentleman escort you back to your place.”

 

“Err…that’d be imposing on you.  My little companion here would be enough.”

 

“You still have your duties, Sir.”

 

Mariya could feel the awkward tension rising as the knight and the guard kept on their stand-off.  Roland was going in for his offensive while Lily was skillfully blocking his advances.  Though she found it amusing to watch them with their word-spar, she knew she had to break them off, or they’d keep doing that forever!

 

“Alright!” Mariya pulled Lily’s hand, “Show’s over!  We need to go back home now, Roland.  Bye!”  Lily was quick to go along with her and said goodbye as well.

 

“Ah yes!  Sorry for taking your sweet time, lovely!” Roland called after them, “I’ll be always here to help you know!”

 

“That won’t be necessary.” Mariya and Lily chuckled.  At that moment, the two girls reached a mutual understanding.