Robert stiffened as his mentor’s gaze fell on him. He didn’t know what expression he was making but it made the older man sigh. The knight straightened up and grabbed the chair behind the desk, setting it in the center of the room. He waved for Robert to sit. “I’m sorry you had to see that. It was unbecoming behavior for a knight.”
“You…must have had your reasons,” Robert said slowly. The sudden attack was unsettling but a small bit of violence wouldn’t shake his belief in his mentor.
“Reasons.” Sir Quintana undid the ties of his gauntlets, setting the pieces of armor on the table. “Her report said that she revealed her status as an agent of the crown?” Robert nodded. “She was your minder, yours and Sebas’ more than the others. An assignment she was given because she has the strength to complete it. Something she proved by killing Sebas’ attackers. For him to have died is a failure of epic proportion that points to negligence, whether intentional or not. Somewhere, someone fucked up. That is obvious.”
He rubbed his brow. “The problem is where the blame lies. Yemen, Orphelia’s father, is doing everything in his power to put that blame on anyone other than his daughter and himself. He is making…insinuations.”
“What kind?” Robert asked, offended on his mentor’s behalf.
Sir Quintana stared at him. “We’ll get to that. First, I need you to you tell me what happened from your point of view. Every detail. Start from the beginning and leave noting out.”
So, Robert told him everything, starting from the time he and his team entered the Sanctuary. How the first morning started so simply, his team taking to the air after showing Thorgood a picture of their targets. How they landed after discovering a pile of dead mamaroons. How he lost his mount, though his words came haltingly as he retold his encounter with the strange monster.
“Your report said it could be a slime.”
“I’m not sure. Lanston said the creature closely resembled one but there were also several strange characteristics. If it was a slime, he thinks it was a rare evolution.”
“Mm. And you challenged this creature for its kills?”
Robert fought the urge to hang his head. He had messed up. Sulking like a child wouldn’t make up for it and wouldn’t garner him any sympathy. “I…I initially tried to scare it off, hoping a larger predator would intimidate it. When it turned hostile, we attempted to bring it down.”
The knight rubbed his brow. “What are the three rules when it comes to monsters?”
“…never underestimate them, never chase ones that run unless you have no choice, and…never engage an unknown if you can avoid it.”
Sir Quintana sighed. “It sounds as if you broke two out of three rules at the same time.”
Robert swallowed. “Sorry, sir.”
“What were you thinking?”
He didn’t want to say that he didn’t think it would be that strong. It was a blob of ooze that didn’t even reach his waist. How was he to know that it was magic resistant and hit like a mountain? “It had Thor.”
The knight frowned. “Could you defeat a roc in single combat? Kill one in a matter of moments?”
Robert mutely shook his head.
“Then what in the abyss gave you the idea that you could defeat the creature that is capable of doing such a thing?” his mentor snapped. “The second you saw a being several times your weight and strength being wrestled down and your first spell didn’t work, you should have ran like your ass was on fire! Saints, it’s a miracle you all didn’t die right then!”
“I’m so—"
“Stop. I don’t need you to keep apologizing. Keep going, what happened next?”
Robert continued, retelling the painful march as they searched for help. He took his time recounting meeting Ethor and his team for the first time, trying his best to recall every detail. It was difficult as the future murderer of his friend hadn’t made much of an impression. They had declined to offer any aid and Robert had stopped paying attention to them, needing all his focus to keep moving despite the pain of his injuries.
He couldn’t stop the scorn from seeping into his tone as he spoke of how they sought shelter from the degenerate woman.
“Lourianne Tome,” Sir Quintana mused. “There is a lot of discussion surrounding that young woman right now. What can you tell me about her?”
Robert paused. While his first instinct was to hurl insults, he recalled Orphelia’s words about ruining someone’s reputation. He knew his mentor was a powerful man. He personally knew the king, having served directly under him as a royal knight. If Sir Quintana himself targeted the woman, her future in Harvest was basically over. He had to question if his personal dislike for her was reason enough to actively seek her destruction and if he had legitimate reason for his negative feelings.
In the end, he decided to simply tell events as they happened and let his mentor draw his own conclusions. He trusted his teacher and his judgments. If the knight saw fit to condemn the degenerate, then he could rest assured and set aside Orphelia’s words as more of her manipulations.
“She is a summoner with two succubi. I don’t know much about them except that one of them healed my wounds. She invited us to share her shelter once promised a suitable reward from Cecile.”
“So, she acts for gold.”
Robert’s mouth opened but he held back, reminding himself to stick to the facts. However, his mentor noticed. “Don’t hold back. I want to hear your impressions.”
“I don’t want to…muddy any waters.”
The knight scoffed. “You think you have the ability to twist my head, huh?”
“No! It’s just…”
“Speak, boy. I didn’t come here to listen to what you wrote on that piece of paper you sent me. I want your experience, including whatever is making you so uncomfortable when it comes to that woman. That’s an order.”
Robert felt the last of his resistance melt away. “I don’t think she is motivated by gold. It wasn’t a hard negotiation. Cecile gave her a vague promise. Merchants always want hard numbers, right?”
“Mm. Seems you paid attention to some of your lessons.”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, she didn’t care. She was…flippant about letting us stay around. Like…” He thought on the proper way to frame her dismissive attitude for his team. “Her ‘kindness’ felt like someone feeding birds pieces of bread. There was no empathy behind it. It was a whim for her amusement. She barely spoke two words to us.”
“This is why I told you to speak your mind. If one simply reads the reports, Lourianne Tome is a saint. She took in an injured team with no immediate benefit to herself, healed your wounds, fed you, and sheltered you. Actions all deserving of praise. And yet, the picture you paint of the events turn it into something very different. Was she hostile toward you?”
“No. Well…” Again, he had to pause to find the right words, making sure he wasn’t letting his own perceptions color his words too much. “She does not like being challenged. We were discussing sleeping arrangements. Or rather she told us where we would be sleeping. Sebas was unhappy being allocated to sleep outside the shelter and made his opinions known. She assaulted him.”
Sir Quintana perked up. “She injured him before his death?”
“Yes. I think she broke his wrist and little finger but both injuries were healed before the fight later.”
“Did you intervene?”
Robert started. “Ah, no.”
The knight’s eyes narrowed. “Why not?”
His apprentice swallowed heavily. “She moved too fast. I couldn’t track her at all. One moment, she’s lounging and the next she’s in front of him with her hand on his throat. I couldn’t have gotten between them and didn’t want to start a fight between our teams. Both Sebas and I used a lot of mana and we were all exhausted.”
“You didn’t think you could win.”
Robert flinched. “No,” he forced out.
Sir Quintana stood from his seat and laid a hand on Robert’s shoulder. “It’s a hard thing to admit one’s weakness but never shameful.”
Robert nodded sharply and his mentor stepped back. “Keep going.”
“Ah. Well, when we woke up and entered the shelter for breakfast, we witnessed Orphelia, um.” He cleared his throat, fighting a blush. A part of him felt guilty speaking of the women as he was about to. Then he thought that he barely counted Lou as a woman and Orphelia certainly wouldn’t hesitate if their positions were reversed. “I witnessed Orphelia being intimate with Lady Tome.”
Sir Quintana paused, eyes widening in shock. “That was not in the report her father shared. When you say intimate…”
He waved for Robert to elaborate. “I mean, they got physical…in a sexual way. Then Lourianne slept with their guide. She had a, ah.” He vaguely gestured toward his crotch, his blush intensifying as the memories came unbidden. “A sword sheathed between her legs,” he said finally, smiling bitterly as he recalled Sebas’ words.
“Yes, that was mentioned.” The knights face remained neutral, giving Robert no indication on how the man felt about the information and he was too embarrassed to ask. “There was no mention of Lourianne Tome in Orphelia’s report besides raising the question of her supposed fertility.” He bowed his head in thought for several long moments before turning a piercing gaze on his apprentice. “Do you know what her interest is in Lady Tome?”
“She only said that it would benefit us and the kingdom to have cordial relationships with her.”
“That isn’t wrong but this is too suspicious.” He huffed. “Continue.”
Robert swallowed. “We spent the second day at the shelter.”
“You didn’t try to complete the objective?”
He winced, hoping his mentor would let him gloss over the details. “No. Orphelia received five mamaroons from Lady Tome.”
“For what price?”
“…I was told it was a gift.”
“Mm. With her team’s points, I suppose they could spare twenty-five for a gift. Do you know how she managed to accumulate so many points?”
“I never spoke to her about it…but I have a theory.” He didn’t need prompting to know his mentor wanted him to continue. “The creature that killed Thorgood had a pile of mamaroons beside it. A pile about the same size as the pile at the back of their shelter.”
“You think that the creature abandoned its original meal after eating Thorgood and Lady Tome discovered the bodies, claiming them for herself. Reasonable. Monsters naturally seek out mana as it aides in their evolution, be it mana dense areas or mana dense food. It’s why casters are far more likely to be attacked than non-casters.” He chuckled. “That girl has the saints’ luck.”
Robert didn’t share his mirth. He tried not to feel bitter as he continued. “Once the qualifiers were over, we made to leave. That’s when Ethor and his team arrived.” The knight’s smile vanished, features coming down in a stern mask. “Ethor questioned whether we were allied. Once he confirmed we were not, he offered Lady Tome’s team fifty gold crowns to stand aside as he robbed us of our points.”
“He bought her? You are on a team with a branch member of the royal family and a Guiness daughter. Why did you not outbid him?”
“Originally, we did. Ethor realized that he couldn’t win with gold so he called Lady Tome to his side. They had a conversation. Afterwards, she announced that they would stand aside for the fifty crowns and a ‘favor’.”
“Did you inquire what this favor was?”
“No.”
“No? Is that where negotiations ended? I’m sure if all of you tried, you could match any offer this Ethor was able to make.”
“…we didn’t try.”
The knight let out a deep sigh. “I am at a loss, Bobby. This man was threatening you. You didn’t have Thorgood and you lost your sword, putting you at a disadvantage before the fight began. Then you let him negotiate away five allies that could have meant the difference between him fighting or turning around. I’ve read Orphelia’s report on the fight. She claimed that you refused to attack him?”
“With lethal force!” he hurried to explain.
“Is that supposed to make it better?! What were you thinking? Answer me!” he snapped when Robert hesitated too long.
“…I didn’t think it was a battle to the death,” the young man replied haltingly, his throat bobbing as he swallowed back his rising emotions. “He claimed to be the disciple of a knight, an acquaintance of yours. He didn’t seem threatening. I didn’t negotiate further with Lady Tome because it didn’t seem worth the price of doing business with that woman. I can only imagine what favor Ethor promised, especially now. I didn’t think that another initiate would have so much more battle experience. I didn’t think he would use lethal force. I…didn’t think the Sanctuary and the instructors would let someone be killed by another initiate. I didn’t—"
“What you’re saying,” Sir Quintana interrupted, voice stern, “is that you didn’t think at all.”
Robert flinched and lost the battle to keep his head high, dropping his gaze to the floor. He couldn’t face the clear disappointment of his teacher and his throat bobbed as he struggled not to show any more weakness by becoming emotional.
This chapter really makes me realize that Robert is riding on a very thin line between a character that could be really interesting or a disappointment (Character-wise, not writing-wise). I was really worried that, after the blows he suffered in the last arc, he'd flip to being a villain. He's certainly no hero, and I respect him for removing himself from the situation and giving an objective report on things, but...
He, as a character, is riding a fine line between protagonist and antagonist. I can't tell if he's going to turn out to be a great character that learns and grows from all this and becomes a force for good, or if he'll become twisted and start lashing out. I don't really care for him as a person, but I am very interested to see what becomes of him because, honestly, I have no freakin' idea lol. I can't predict his future at all, and I don't know if it's me not seeing a pattern or if I'm just lacking information, but I'm very curious.
My current theory is that he's being set up as either an antagonist or a rival for the next arc. Maybe learning that Alana's finally taken the plunge with Lou will be the straw that breaks the camel's back and he becomes jaded and bitter and tries to get back at Lou during the Winter War or something.
But I could also see a redemption arc for him. He's clearly got a lot to learn, and he could become a really likable character if all of this pushes him to become better and smarter. I have to see what his mentor does though.
I dunno. Thanks for the chapter lol.
There's also the possibility of him having a mini-redemption arc, where he is antagonist for a while, before realizing his mistakes and finally, FINALLY, starting to grasp the larger picture. Half of Lou's actions are based on utter disdain for the political machinations of nobles, and a desire to just do her own thing unmolested. Robert's wrapped up in those machinations right now, and sees her more as a (bad) disrupter of the status quo. Given a bit of time and loss, he could switch to realizing she's a disruptor because the status quo is broken.
That makes sense. He hasn't really done much to require "redemption" yet (from our perspective, anyway, his mentor and/or investors might think otherwise), so he has room to fall further without being irredeemable. He doesn't seem like a bad person, but I feel like he doesn't currently give much thought to what he's told by those above him. It probably wouldn't take much for them to goad him into working against Lou and making him think he's doing the right thing.
I suspect he is gonna get manipulated by Geneva. If I had to guess he will be turned into a shield of sorts to protect her from accusations.
Imagine this: This guy, seriously influential simply because he has the potential for great strength, has an unreasonable grudge against Lou because she stole his girl and is pretty far from being chivalrous but in those harmless ways (at least as far as the public knows). Any time Lou is accused of something you can say that it was instigated/blown out off proportions by him. And despite being influential among the riffraff the ones who matter see him as a tool, a weapon, his opinion doesn't matter much
"...I didn't think that another initiate would have so much more battle experience. I didn't think he would use lethal force. I…didn't think the Sanctuary and the instructors would let someone be killed by another initiate. I didn't—"
"What you're saying," Sir Quintana interrupted, voice stern, "is that you didn't think at all."
This feels like a very dangerous reprimand. While Robert starts each with saying "I didn't think..." he actually means "I trusted...". To reprimand that, is to reprimand Robert for trusting in his mentor's training, in the honour of fellow knights, in the abilities of the Academy and the instructors. Is Sir Quintana's goal to make Robert insular, untrusting, paranoid, and a lone wolf that cannot rely on his own allies, while grooming him for a military career?
Once that seed of doubt is planted, many mundane things can cause it to grow through misunderstanding and it could have a great impact on Robert in very subtle ways, just by shifting the nature of his assumptions and biases slightly.
That is true.
But it's also true that blind trust without thinking is dangerous too.
@DocteurNS indeed. It's not a binary thing: either trust or distrust. Everything is nuanced and Robert needs experience to learn how to judge each situation and person accordingly, but until he develops that experience he is a kid that needs guidance. Instead of guiding him, Sir Quintana completely dismissed Robert's "excuses" and implies Robert should have treated all of those things - fellow initiates, the honour of a fellow knight apprentice, the academy and the instructors - with suspicion and is a thoughtless fool for trusting any of them.
in the end it is likely he is beyond furious and not thinking too clearly at this point. There are numerous points where he makes a wrong decision that can easily be explained by anger.
His handling of Orphy is definitely the wrong approach of he wishes to get some information it was made clear she has been thoroughly trained to resist interrogation grabbing her and glaring at her will get him nothing. Making that snipe about her not returning from her questioning could clue Mr. Fantastic Four on just how cutthroat the kingdom is etc etc
Grilled. I must say, It's nice to get this angle. this... foundational perspective.
Bobby's getting a real rimming for being a tool. Good.
Weirdly it comes across that Quintana actually cares about Bobby.
Thanks for the chapter!
Quintana has the power of hindsight here. Not very fair. That being said he could have forced a duel instead.
Little Bobby is SUCH a failure
thanks for the chapters! interesting as always!
Thx for the chapter!