Chapter 42

Fortuna Virgo

 

“Look out!” A guard’s warning echoed through the air, making Lansius’ heart pound in his chest.

Oh, shoot!

Lansius was closest and almost directly beneath her, so he swiftly urged his horse forward with a press of his thigh. But the lady tumbled headfirst and he misjudged her trajectory. Their heads collided with a sickening thud.

“Kyaa~”

“Uwaa-“ Lansius’ world turned pitch black, yet his arms reached out instinctively, desperately grappling in the air. Suddenly, a weight crashed into him. Blindly, he snatched at the flailing form, pulling her close into a tight embrace.

The sharp jolts of pain from her flailing limbs were yet to register when his mount surged forward in panic. “Waaa!” Their cries of surprise merged as the destrier was startled by the unexpected burden.

“Easy, girl, easy!” Lansius fought to control the terrified horse, but she galloped a considerable distance before he could calm her down.

“I got her... My Lord, is everyone alright?” Sterling gasped, his breath ragged.

“Well done, Sterling,” Lansius praised, still clutching the woman tightly to him. She reciprocated the hold, her hands latched onto his coat and arm.

Clothes, frills? And what is this softness…?

The woman beneath his hold was panting heavily. “My lady, are you hurt?” asked Lansius, still without his sight.

“Eh umm, no. I don’t think so...” Despite their precarious fall, her answer was surprisingly coherent.

“My apology, I couldn’t catch you safely.”

“No, no, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have climbed that tree. Ouch~” She whimpered, no doubt feeling the aftereffects of their collision.

Lansius suddenly became aware of their awkward embrace. “Sterling, can you help... um... adjust the lady’s riding position?”

“Of course... my lady, please excuse me,” replied Sterling.

“Oh... Oh! Right… thank you,” the lady responded, shifting in the saddle as Lansius carefully withdrew his hands.

After a bit of readjustment, she finally sat securely in the saddle. The destrier could easily handle two unarmored riders but voiced her dislike openly. Lansius patted the horse’s neck while trying to open his eyes. His sight gradually focusing on the beautiful golden blonde before him.

A golden blonde in Korelia?

“Earlier, did he refer to you as ‘My Lord’? Are you Lansius, by any chance?”

Eh, she knows me? Hang on, I’m the local lord, so that shouldn’t be surprising.

“Indeed, I am,” he replied, squinting to get a clearer look at the woman who was curiously peering back at him.

“Oh, it really is you!” Her voice was filled with excitement. “Lans, it’s me, Felis!”

“Fe... Felicity?!” Lansius exclaimed, his voice echoing with surprise. Felis, Lord Arte’s betrothed, was the last person he’d expected to meet here. Her giggles floated back to him, as lighthearted as he remembered.

“Why on earth are you here? Am I hallucinating?” Lansius muttered, half to himself.

“Haha~ No, you’re not. I’m really here.” There was a certain joviality in her voice.

“But why- Wait, what were you doing up in that tree?” Lansius asked.

“Oh, I was searching for some fruit. But first, let me reassure the children.” Felis called out to the children gathered around the base of the tree, “Kids, it’s alright. He’s an acquaintance. Thank you for your help.”

The children waved their farewells enthusiastically. She was just as merry as Lansius remembered.

Meanwhile, Lansius’ vision gradually cleared.

“I’m sorry about falling onto you. Are you alright?” Felis asked, her gaze filled with concern.

“No, it’s fine. Just a bit tender.” He touched his forehead, wincing at the slight sting.

“Just a bit of redness, but no bleeding,” her instinct from her days as a labyrinth explorer took over.

“And you? We hit pretty hard,” Lansius asked, worry lining his voice.

“Ahaha, I’m fine. Calub always says my skull is pretty hard.”

Her light-hearted response drew a chuckle from him.

“So, Lans, where were you headed?”

“Just out stretching the horse’s legs. Oh, I can ride now,” he said, beaming with a sense of accomplishment.

“Yeah, I noticed. Are you sure it’s well for me to share the ride?”

“No problem. And I couldn’t possibly leave you here. You have a knack for getting lost. So, where are you staying in Korelia, and who’s accompanying you?”

“That can wait. Right now, I’m on a mission to find Costard fruit. Do you know where it grows?”

“Costard? Can’t say I do. Sterling, do you know anything about this fruit?”

Sterling, who was not a local, turned to the other riders. One of them rode forward. “The Costard fruit is a local delicacy, My Lord.”

“Is it in season, and do you know where we might find it?” Lansius asked.

“Yes, My Lord, it’s currently in season. You should find some in the forest. Generally, the ones hanging low taste the sweetest. The ones on the high branches tend to be a bit sour.”

“What?!” Felis squealed in surprise.

“So, your little tree-climbing adventure was for naught, huh?”

“Huhu~ There’s no need to rub it in. You used to be so sweet, Lans.”

Felis’ dramatic antics sent Lansius into a fit of laughter. “Well, you’re lucky... I mean, you always are. As it turns out, I’m heading into the forest. Let’s go find that elusive fruit of yours.”

“Lucky~,” Felis sang out happily.

Guided by the Korelia-born rider, they set off towards the north.

 

***

 

Their destrier trotted energetically across the open plains, barely burdened by the extra weight. Soon, they reached the edge of the forest. Due to the challenging terrain and tall vegetation, they moved carefully.

“So where are you staying?” Lansius asked as they slowly ventured into the forest.

“At the inn. I arrived just yesterday.”

“Did you bring any guards? The journey to Lowlandia can be dangerous.”

“Hey, I’m quite the explorer, you know!” she protested. It wasn’t an empty claim.

Felis had spent her teens exploring ancient dwarven ruins, each a labyrinth teeming with deadly creatures. Despite her delicate appearance, she was a monster in her own right, even more so than Audrey.

Calub once told a story about a time when young Felis was trapped in a ruin. She had run out of crossbow bolts and her dagger had broken, forcing her to resort to wrestling, biting, and even using her hair as a garrote against goblins.

When her comrades finally located her, her armor was in tatters, her nose and fingers broken, a few teeth missing, her jaw damaged, and her skin marred by bloody cuts. Yet, she didn’t shed a tear. All she requested were bandages, a dagger, fresh quivers for her crossbows, and a lion’s share of the discovered treasure.

Thankfully, this world’s humans, although similar in appearance, possessed some unique traits, one of which, as Lansius had discovered, was the ability to regrow teeth.

Despite her fearsome reputation, Lansius knew Felis enjoyed being treated like a normal girl. “So, where’s your trusty crossbow now, expert explorer?” he teased.

“Ah, erm… I left it…” Felis admitted nonchalantly.

“Where?”

“In Midlandia~” Felis answered innocently.

Lansius let out a chuckle.

“But I didn’t travel alone. I don’t know the way, either,” she admitted innocently.

“So you joined a group of merchants?” he guessed.

“Bingo! We tagged along with one. They were happy to have us,” she said proudly.

She looked every bit a noble.

“So, who’s the unfortunate guard leader?”

“Guard leader? No, I only brought Hannei with me.”

Lansius swallowed hard. “She’s here!”

“Lans, don’t tell me you’re still afraid of her?”

“I am, she’s dangerous.”

“Haha~ you’re overreacting. She’s my adorable friend.”

Lansius felt a shiver run down his spine, but the lack of guards raised an important question. “Why did you come to Korelia? Aren’t you supposed to be preparing for your wedding? Don’t tell me you ran away!”

Felis sighed before answering. “Archie isn’t around, so I’m bored~”

That was expected. Her fiancé, along with Sir Peter, Anci, and Thomas, were visiting the Capital, trying to gather support for the occupied Arvena.

“Felis, you’re the one who wanted to marry into nobility. We supported you, but it’s not all roses. There’s a lot of boring stuff and little freedom,” Lansius ended up repeating his words from the previous year.

“I know, I’m just bored... I don’t mean to run away from it. After all, it’s my dream.” Felis smiled angelically.

“That’s good to know. But seriously, traveling this far just because you’re bored.”

“Why not? Calub and you are here. Also, I heard that you got a castle.”

“So that’s your real intention...”

She’s probably going to act like a princess. I must protect my staff from her... But then again, probably they’re going head over heels for her.

“Eh, there’s also another issue... I’m not sure, but I think there’s a problem back home,” Felis dropped an unexpected bombshell.

“What kind of problem?” Lansius asked anxiously. He couldn’t afford a crisis in Midlandia while Korelia was still under threat.

“I’m not sure. You’ll have to ask Hannei about that.”

“Mmm, let’s invite you two to stay at the castle then.”

“Ah~” Felis turned to face him, her voice dripping with allure. Her deep blue eyes were truly mesmerizing.

“W-why are you looking at me like that? I’m innocent,” Lansius protested in advance.

Being this close to her, sharing a ride, his heart pounded fiercely. Her hair’s fragrance and her natural scent enveloped him.

“Sleeping under the same roof again, are we?” Felis teased.

“N-No, no, no! That’s taken out of context- I wouldn’t dare. I’m with Audrey now!”

“Fu-fu-fu~ so you confessed already? Oh, I can't wait to see Audrey again." She had met Audrey last spring when Lord Arte visited Lord Bengrieve, and since then, she had been rooting for them to get married.

“Y-yeah, she’ll be thrilled to see you.” Lansius was grateful for the change in topic.

“She’s not riding with you? Does this mean that she’s pregnant?”

Preg-nant...

“Eh! Don’t start rumors like that!” he blurted out once he regained his senses.

This drew the other riders’ attention, but luckily, Sterling was there to wave it off as nothing.

“Ah, not yet then... That’s a shame,” the audacious lady lamented.

She’s actually serious about that?

“Felis, maybe you hit your head in the fall, let me check,“ Lansius’ sarcasm was at its peak, but...

“Sure, sure,” Felis agreed enthusiastically.

He ended up examining her head. There was no bruise. Her thick hair or her luck must have cushioned the impact.

“Find anything?”

“Sadly, no... It must be a birth defect that allows you to spout nonsense like that!” He tickled her waist, which sent her into fits of laughter.

“Ahaha! Stop it, ahaha~ stop it! Or I’m going to tell Audrey,” she gasped between laughs.

Then, out of nowhere, a small branch fell squarely on Lansius’ head. “Gahh!”

Felis laughed at his misfortune. “See, even the forest is against you. No more tickling or something worse might happen,” she warned playfully.

Lansius had nearly forgotten that Felis wasn’t ordinary. She carried with her an aura of peculiar fortune—be it a curse or a blessing.

Despite all the dangers she had faced in her exploring days, including the time when she was trapped, luck was always on her side. This led several individuals try to rely on her.

Calub had relayed to Lansius the stories that circulated about Felis' previous group. They had depended on Felis as their scout, and she had discovered a new section of the labyrinth, which led them to unspoiled treasure. However, when the labyrinth collapsed, she was the only one fortunate enough to escape.

Such incidents seemed to trail in her wake, prompting other adventurers to approach her with a mix of awe and caution. The lesson was clear: Felis’ presence was a serious matter.

It was only out of sheer desperation for wealth that Calub and Hannei welcomed her into their team.

Calub had once said that proximity to her could drastically change a person’s fate, though not always favorably. He even jestingly suggested that if Felis were to be involved in a war, it could lead to a crushing defeat, only for her to miraculously survive and capture the attention of the victorious leader, potentially her ideal partner.

Back then, Lansius had brushed off such stories as exaggerations. However, Felis had indeed captivated Lord Arte, using nothing more than her golden hair and blue eyes.

In a sense, Calub’s words rang true, making everyone who knew her background nervous. Her luck could bring about the best or the worst of situations, as unpredictable as a roll of the dice.

Lansius suspected that her presence had significantly altered his destiny. After all, meeting Felis was the reason he went to the inn where he encountered Thomas, Anci, and Hugo. This led him to Sabina Rustica and the young Lord Arte.

Felis was also the one who directed him to Feodosia, where he received an invitation to Toruna and later met Audrey and Lord Bengrieve.

However, Lansius was also aware that this fortune was a double-edged sword. For example, in the aftermath of Sabina Rustica, the real winner wasn’t Lansius or the Arvenians, but Felicity, who secured a future with a high-ranking noble.

Now, she had appeared once more, unannounced, on the eve of a war. A wave of apprehension swept over Lansius. The arrival of Felis was like the raising of a curtain, a signal that the upcoming events would be monumental. The forthcoming summer held the promise of something grand and unavoidable.

 

***