Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

Chapter 257: A Matter of Duty and Promises ( Liam & Timothy )

Not everything revolved around a Princess.

That may have made sense to many, but to others under the liege of the Royal Princess of Yegarian Kingdomit was almost some kind of attack that the Bodyguard Gesth had left the Beast Tamer and decidedly headed back to Sleepy Cat's Inn. They were supposed to check first thing in the morning if the man had gotten information about Princess Iolanathe's whereabouts, but the older man was still distracted.

"What exactly is it that is making you lose your concentration, old man?" Liam shouted, a bit red-faced during the early morning as he watched the man stare out the window. "We have our duties and yet you sit there and act like you want  the skies to rain"

"You can check with Byron and see if he found something."

Liam felt bad for shouting, especially when the fact was that Gesth was his superior, it didn't matter that their backgrounds were differentsometimes it was Level that determined one's superiority and not what Class you had. But more than that, he was someone that Liam respected and genuinely liked.

He didn't like seeing the man act this way, it was as if something was wrong.

"I'm not the only serving the Royal Family though and I'm scared that Bryon might make the rats eat me." Liam admitted with a lame tone, trying to pull up a joke. He was no Jester, but even that should have at least cracked a snort from the man.

Whatever it was that kept him preoccupied, it had started to affect their line of work, but he couldn't dare report anything. What would it be like to officially report to the King that the Princess was missing? His Majesty wouldn't even bat an eye and probably have him executed right there on the spot.

"You're such a scaredy cat when you're supposed to be protecting the Princess and keeping her safe." Gesth said with a sigh. He rested a hand underneath his chin and continued to stare out the window, resting close to his side was a mug left aside and had grown cold.

"Same goes to you!" 

The man hadn't even touched his coffee, and that was something that Liam knew that the old man likedsaying that the beans were originally from a continent far away when Liam himself hadn't even left the Yegarian Kingdom at all. That was how far and wide his senior's work put him. "Once you gather information and what I'm waiting for hasn't arrived yet, we'll start immediately with the search."

Liam sighed in relief, "Thank you." He just had to muster up strength and not imagine the man forcing drinks with him again. It was an unpleasant experience to imbibe a lot and he nearly got rejected by the Innkeeper for coming back to the inn at that state if it weren't for the fact that his senior promised to watch over him and not make a ruckus.

Now he had a searing headache, but he nodded and stretched. "Okay, I'll be back as soon as I canthe Beast Tamer  is supposed to meet with us at the tavern. So I'll head back there...wait, there's a messenger bird. Is that a raven?" Right before Liam could actually leave the room, a bird appeared and perched on the old man's arm.

Gesth shook his head and rubbed the head of the bird, "No. This is a crow." In the creature's neck hung a small scroll neatly tied and to which the old man took.

"Isn't that bad luck and associated with Witch"

"Witches would have no need for a Bodyguard like me," Gesth said and unfurled the scrolland it became much larger. A magical seal appeared in front of it and it was a Noble seal!

Liam's eyes widened and his mind went into numerous directions, his arms going up defensively. "Do not tell me that you are conspiring with other partiesthe Princess going missing should have been kept a secret!"

"Haven't we already discussed this?" Gesth closed the scroll and took out something from his pocketit was the same black beans that the Innkeeper had proudly shared. The crow snagged one off with its beak and gulped it down.

The much younger Bodyguard wasn't even sure if that was actually safe. "What?"

"This is a family matter and is completely separate from that of the Princess and her current whereabouts." Gesth even shook his head, and muttered something underneath his breath. "You should at least think about why the Princess decided to run away instead of simply focusing on getting her back."

Liam blinked and then frowned, "We are worried about the Princess' safety, and maybe she does have her reasonsbut she can't simply run away from her problems, it won't solve anything!"

"But what if it did?"

The older man's words made him queasy because it was as if Gesth knew a lot more than him. That was strange because he was the one who had stayed at the Princess' side more and she didn't talk a lot

"The young Princess is set out to marry a high-ranking individual from beyond the Endless Passes to crystalize an Alliance."

"Huh?" Liam blinked. 

The old Bodyguard sighed and rubbed his face, robbed of the opportunity to read the scroll. "You should leave now and find Byron, the Princess has a good head on her shoulders and if anything, she might have already left the city now that the Wyvern threats had diminished."

"Why didn't you"

"But there is also a chance that she is still around, of course." Gesth said. "That is only wishful thinking of a father."

Liam decided that the old man in front of him had become too distracted and even emotionally distraught to give a proper answerhe nods briefly and turns to leave. He would end up visiting the tavern to find it at a state of near shambles. Numerous bodies littered outside, and he felt something cold grow up his spine and he shuddered.

.. .

There was no use in moping around like this, Timothy was aware of it and yet he gritted his teeth and refused to move. Bodies of dead rats were strewn across the room, but he paid not much attention to stench as he did with the lack of presence of Iola. He threw himself along his bed and sighed.

"I can finally relax and be at ease now that she's goneis what I want to say."

However, the sensation that tugged his chest was far from relief and even the bed that was originally his somehow didn't even feel right. He placed a pillow atop his head and then blinked slightly and threw it off her scent was still retained there and that really just made things worse.

"I should have stopped her more, but isn't this supposed to be the best?"

Timothy glanced down at the dead-eyed rat near the table and then huffed. He buried his face into his hands and replayed the image of her going back to the front door with her cloak clasped on her shoulders.

Her back was straight and her posture stiff as she inclined her head at him, "I thank you for your hosting of my presencethe jewels will now remain with you as compensation."

He tried to give it back to her, but she refused it. It was a pride of royalty and nobility, something he really didn't like because "You can't act so high and mighty when you're a Princess on the run, you'd need it more than me." His words weren't the type to make one feel good, but he said it. "You'd need to think when you've cooled down"

"I do not have the leisure to arrange my escape with detailed plans and maps, we may have killed the rats, but the indication is still the same that they encountered something or someone that didn't want them from revealing my location."

"But you don't even know"

"I have Skills, Timothy." And it was one of the moments where she genuinely smiled at him.

He was at loss for words. Even though he tried.

She motioned to herself with confidence, "It's how I managed to keep that slithering Mage to keep his mouth shut about my presence and it is also how I will be able to gather the necessary help I need to escape."

The Princess was determined and he couldn't stop her. She was the one who insisted on it. He clicked his tongue and snapped, "Is that talking to animals like horses and birds to guide your way?"

"If I must, I willanimal communication is not my best Skill but I will make do with what I can." Princess Iolanthe Sargon told him with something close to a harrumph. She shook her head and made a move to the door, she grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. "I shall be leaving."

"Wait!" He had cried out back then, but she ignored him and pulled the door open.

It revealed two young men in front of them, and a blond Nobleman with one hand raised to knock. The other was the Axeman that always accompanied him.

"You forgot to put on your hood." Timothy mumbled underneath his breath. He tried to act calmbut he was already trying to think of several excuses to give to the two bastards that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "What are the two of you doing here?"

A bad mood was always a good one.

It earned a bad look from Donovan, but the other was busy. Sir Leon de Harrington blinked slightly at the young woman in front of him, and it only made Timothy's blood boil. The urge to throw a fireball at his face increased by a hundredfold.

However, Iola wagged a finger and then touched the man's chest, "[ Noblesse Oblige ], dear young Lord. You must help me and keep your tongue"

"[ Cordial Refusal ] I must understand who is it that I am speaking to, before I am to do any kind of assistance." He said with a smile and bowed a bit. "Although there are probably not a lot of young women above my station or within my circles that I do not know."

She huffed at him and then returned his smiled, "Is that so? If you [ Know Your Place ] then it is time for you to accede."