Thibault nervously patrolled the forest, supervising the perimeter of the hunting tournament. The woods were difficult to navigate; tree roots jutted out of the ground which unexpectedly sloped here and there. Thibault had never been the athletic type, and just putting one foot in front of the other demanded all his focus.
“Phew, this is tough... I’m really impressed you all can walk so fast,” he said to the rest of his group, comprising the other men posing as new recruits. There was the noble and dignified Char, the enigmatic twins Fouet and Barre, and the peculiar Ves, with whom Thibault hadn’t yet exchanged a single word.
Why are they so obstinate? Are all mages like them?
He was grateful to them, as they had pulled him out of more than one tight spot, but it unnerved him to witness their habit of causing full-blown chaos to resolve issues when things could’ve been dealt with quietly.
I hope we can get our hands on some concrete proof of the Faith’s wrongdoings soon...
With each passing day, his urge to pull back from the Royal Knights grew stronger. He struggled to perform even the simplest tasks and had drawn the captain’s ire on his very first day—Thibault didn’t think he could keep this up much longer. To stay out of trouble, he decided to stick close to the strongest rookies. He couldn’t quite understand why, but Gahariet never interfered directly with Char and the others.
Suddenly, he realized he had been lost in his thoughts. Jerking back to reality, he looked up and yelled, “Wai— Don’t leave me behind!”
Char and the twins were hiking through the forest as if they did this every day. Ves was just one step behind them, like he was used to this environment as well. He might actually have been, since he was a lumberjack.
They managed to get even farther away while I was lost in my thoughts. I’m doing my best to walk as fast as possible here...
Unfortunately, there were some gaps that couldn’t be bridged through sheer effort alone.
Would Thibault even be able to expose the truth about the Motar Faith? The more information he learned, the more anxious he grew. Lam and Char were just here to help him investigate—once they were gone, he would be fighting this battle all alone. With that gloomy thought in mind, Thibault chased after Char and the others on shaky legs.
I... I can’t do it. I can’t keep this pace up.
Completely out of breath, he came to a stop in the middle of the woods, a stitch in his side. The forest around him was well maintained, and there was even a fairly wide path for horses to traverse.
If I head this way, I’ll catch up with them eventually. After a quick break, I’ll push on.
Taking a seat on the ground, Thibault leaned against the trunk of a large tree. There was still time until the hunting tournament started, so no one else was in the forest. At least, no one should have been.
Suddenly, the presence of another approaching caused him to instinctively duck into a thicket nearby. Gahariet and his posse appeared.
I would’ve been in a terrible pickle if they had seen me strolling through the woods leisurely. Thank goodness I had the presence of mind to hide, he thought, setting a hand on his chest in relief.
As he knelt forward on the ground, he peered through a gap in the short bushes. The earth was damp, and he could feel the water soaking into his pants.
Disgusting... But I don’t have a choice. I’ll suffer an even worse fate if they find me here.
With Char and the others so far away, he was the only one who could protect his own hide. Completely unaware of Thibault’s presence, Gahariet walked right up to his hiding spot and stopped directly in front of it.
Why did you stop here?! I can’t leave like this...
Thibault tried to shrink into himself as he held his breath. Luckily, Gahariet didn’t notice him.
“These impudent rookies will get what’s coming to them today! I can’t believe they dared to disrespect me this entire time. I’ll make them regret crossing me. Mark my words!” Gahariet declared, seemingly in high spirits.
Thibault unconsciously released a gasp at the mention of the word “rookies.”
“They’ve made my legs so short that I struggle to walk. From what I’ve noticed so far, it seems that they’ve cast a spell that makes my leg shrink every time I say something ‘improper’ to a woman. Good grief. Sexual harassment isn’t real! It’s just a persecution complex invented by delusional women! I refuse to entertain even the thought of it. We all know they secretly like the attention!”
His underlings nodded at his words, rubbing their hands together.
“It’s just as you say, sir! Everyone knows that, when a woman says no, it means yes. Just look at our female knights. Jeez, women are such annoying creatures!”
“They are!” Gahariet crossed his arms, a scowl settling on his face. “Anyway... We can’t let these damn mana wielders keep doing as they please. They need to disappear. No one will miss a handful of mana wielders.”
I knew they’d get themselves into trouble! Thibault lamented.
Gahariet’s understanding was formed out of several misconceptions. Mana wielders were pretty much considered the bottom of the barrel in Hanche—a result of the Faith’s influence. People felt free to treat them however they wished, knowing there would be no repercussions for their actions. And heaven forbid the mana wielders tried to rebel; most of the kingdom’s citizens would retaliate. The kingdom’s knights didn’t even consider them a threat because regular mana wielders weren’t as proficient with magic as the Mercures.