Chapter 137 Tension

The bolt cut through the air with only a faint whistle before landing between the inner circles of the target with a thunk.

Lowering the crossbow in his hands, Lucien fought the urge to frown at it.

"Lord Lucien, you should just use that from now on!"

His brow twitched faintly as he turned to the not-so-adorable child sitting not far from the range, clapping enthusiastically.

"I think she would be rather annoyed with me if I did, Cora," Lucien replied, glancing at Sera beside him.

As if in answer, Sera nocked her bow and released, the motion as fluid as ever. A moment later, the arrow landed...right next to the bolt, despite there being another target for her.

Lucien shot the hunter a dry look. "I told you it was just to test and see how this weapon works, Sera. I still plan to continue learning the bow."

"Aww...but Lord Lucien looks cooler with a crossbow than a bow. His arms aren't trembling all the time!"

Hmm...perhaps he would have to accelerate his plans to ask Will for permission to flick her forehead after all.

Sera's brow scrunched at him, her pale eyes drifting to his bow that had been set aside near the storage sheds.

Taking care not to meet the hunter's gaze, Lucien shifted his grip until the stock rested more firmly against his side. One hand steadied the body of the weapon while the other went to the lever beneath it, his fingers hooking around the handle.

Thunk!

For a brief moment, Lucien's arms tightened as the lever drew downward, the cord letting out a low, strained groan until the string finally slipped into the catch with a sharp click.

Thunk!

Remembering what had happened during one of the earlier drills, Lucien glanced down to confirm that the string had settled properly into the notch before guiding the lever back into place beneath the stock.

Thunk!

He ignored the cheers from Cora as she counted the three arrows needlessly, Sera nodding along each time she did so before nocking the next one.

Reaching for another bolt he had set aside, Lucien laid it into the groove, adjusted it once with his thumb, and raised the weapon again.

Thunk!

Lucien exhaled faintly at the sight of four additional arrows around his target again before setting the stock against his shoulder.

His time training with a bow had at least made him somewhat used to the strain of holding the rather heavy weapon, and it helped that the crossbow bore some resemblance to the firearms of his own world.

Deliberately exhaling once, his finger pressed the trigger.

In the next instant, a sharp crack sounded as he let the force of the recoil kick back against his shoulder. The bolt snapped forward in a blur, crossing the distance before his eyes could properly follow it.

A heartbeat later, it struck the target near the center with a heavy thunk.

Lowering the weapon again, he regarded it in his hands. It seemed his initial expectation was right. The force of the lever crossbow was somewhere between the windlass and the stirrup.

Though there was something that set it apart from the first two crossbows Ashridge had developed.

In the last two weeks, he had tried all three of them and found the one in his hands to be the easiest to use when it came to reloading.

"Wow! Lord Lucien, it's the first time I have seen you hit the center before!" Cora clapped excitedly, then her eyes drifted to Sera.

"...Maybe he should just use a crossbow after all, Sera?"

The hunter shook her head firmly before pointing to the arrows surrounding his target.

Cora looked like she was about to speak when she coughed.

A faint gust slipped outward from the girl.

Lucien lowered the crossbow, barely paying attention to where he set it before approaching the child, who looked slightly pale despite having seemed lively just a few moments ago.

"Are you alright, Cora?" he asked, crouching down beside her.

Cora coughed again, another faint wind ruffling his hair while Sera, who had been in the midst of kneeling beside her, froze.

"I-I am fine, Lord Lucien...ermm...you shouldn't be so close to me like this. Sera too...please get away so you don't feel sick," the child replied, her voice shaky.

"Leave the worrying to the adults, Cora. I am fine, and Sera will move away if she can't take it." Lucien glanced at the hunter beside him. "Isn't that right?"

Sera's shoulders eased a fraction before she gave the child a firm nod.

"H-haha...sorry for causing so many problems, Lord Lucien," Cora muttered, looking down at her lap.

Her small hands clasped tightly over her skirts. "I-I think I might need to rest again..."

Cora looked almost reluctant to say it, though after an incident where the child had fainted from exerting herself, Alicia had made her promise to tell someone if she needed to return to bed.

Lucien nodded faintly, then reached out to carry the child in his arms. "Let's go then. Sera and I were just about done with practice anyway."

At his words, Sera inclined her head, already moving to collect the arrows and keep them in the shed. She took the lever crossbow he had left on the ground as well, carrying it by the stock in one hand while holding his bow in the other.

Once the hunter was done, Lucien adjusted the child in his arms. "And I have a meeting with Joren and Harlon soon anyway."

"Master Elias is going to say mean things about not carrying me again, Lord Lucien."

Despite her words, Cora snuggled against his chest, while Lucien couldn't help but note how weak her breath was for the usually energetic girl.

"...I am sure he will. Too bad, I outrank him."

Lucien's chest tightened at the weak giggles coming from the child in his arms.

"She is finally asleep, My Lord. Sera will watch over her from a distance."

Looking up at Alicia's voice, Lucien pushed himself off the wall, having been leaning against it while he waited for the maid to tuck the child in.

Both he and Talia were still pretending to be affected by Cora's condition, after all. Though Lucien had a suspicion that Sera knew they were lying about it, likely because of her blessing.

"How is she? I tried to bring her back as soon as she started coughing."

Alicia shook her head slowly. "I don't know, My Lord. There are days where it seems like she's barely ill at all, and then..."

Her words trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.

For a time, neither of them spoke until Alicia's eyes met his own. "My Lord...forgive me for asking again, but...has Lord Rathenfell replied yet?"

At her question, Lucien let out a breath. "Other than the first response? No, he hasn't, Alicia." His eyes drifted down the hallway. "Even without the orc threat, news from the inner regions has grown sparse as of late."

"I am afraid it might be more difficult than ever for a mage to travel through the inner regions to come to Ashridge, even if they wanted to."

Alicia's shoulders dropped. "I see..."

A moment later, her head lifted before she spoke carefully. "...Are you sure about using something so important as a noble's favor, My Lord?"

"Yes. I only gained it because of your efforts and theirs, after all. Speaking of which..."

He glanced out the window at the sky. "We should be leaving soon. Harlon and Joren will be waiting for us by now."

It seemed like the maid had more to say, though she stifled her words and shook her head faintly.

"Understood, My Lord. I will escort you...it's been a while since I have had the chance to visit Master Harlon's workshop too."

'You can thank Joren for that...'

Alicia had asked if she could accompany him to Harlon's workshop last night after learning he planned to visit. The blacksmith had been keeping her away from the development of the scorpion as much as he could, only asking her to draw the cord bundles and fittings.

From what Lucien had heard, they had made some progress in the construction, though not as much as he would have liked, considering how busy both men were.

Lucien adjusted the cloak on his shoulder, the fabric catching slightly against his bow, before stepping out of the manor with Alicia falling into step just behind him.

He exchanged a nod with Will, who straightened at the sight of him.

"Cora's resting in her bed...she had another coughing spell while watching me practice."

At the mention of his daughter's condition, Will's fist clenched around the spear even as the guard forced himself to remain still.

On the other side of the courtyard entrance, another guard spoke carefully. "Will...if you need to go to her, I can tell Captain Dorian that..."

Will shook his head firmly before speaking, his voice tight. "It's fine. I'll remain at my post until the next rotation comes along. Cora will just scold me again if I hover over her every time she falls sick."

The first time Cora had one of her coughing episodes, Will had left his post to tend to her.

Dorian had not been pleased about that. The captain sternly told him that the next time he did so, he would be posted at the palisade gates instead.

"I will visit her later...if My Lord allows it?"

Lucien inclined his head. "As long as you write your name into the log book. Elias can be...rather strict when it comes to that."

"I am afraid my steward has had enough of my habit of letting half the village into the manor," Lucien finished, a dry tone in his voice.

It had been a sort of compromise he had reached with Elias when people came to visit Cora in her room. At first, the steward had protested that having so many villagers step into his manor was improper to his station.

And when Dorian voiced the security concerns as well, Lucien proposed that each visitor write their name and time of visit before entering and exiting the manor.

Behind him, Alicia shifted slightly as a quiet chuckle escaped her.

The corner of Will's mouth lifted before he dipped his head. "Thank you, My Lord. I will do so."

Lucien waved it off, giving another nod to the other guard, who saluted in turn, before making his way to Harlon's workshop.

As they walked past Talia's shop, Alicia waved lightly at her mother, though they didn't exchange any words beyond that.

While trade had slowed to a crawl, Talia had begun to stockpile goods sourced from Helvarn's markets instead.

It was manageable for now, but the orc threat had to be dealt with soon, or even that would cease to be effective as merchants began to stay away from Ashridge the longer the current crisis went on.

Even as he exchanged greetings with a passing villager, Lucien couldn't help but note that the mood around the village reminded him faintly of winter, when the Tithe had been ever present in everyone's mind.

Faces he vaguely recognized, along with those who called out to Alicia, seemed less worried in his eyes. By contrast, those newer to the village wore uncertain expressions as they went about their business.

"People seem worried, My Lord," Alicia voiced from behind him.

Lucien's eyes remained fixed forward as he spoke softly. "It can't be helped, Alicia. Orc sightings have increased over the past week after all."

"...Orcs. I have never seen one before...although my mother spoke of them a little when I was a child."

Even though he couldn't see her, Lucien could still hear the slight edge of fear in her voice as she continued.

"It's the first time I saw my mother look like that...I can still imagine the expression on her face even now."

Lucien's brow creased at the maid's words before he spoke carefully. "It will not come to that, Alicia. We have been making our own preparations."

"And thanks to you, Ashridge will have more than walls waiting for them."

"Yes, My Lord. I will help however I can, just tell me what you need from me!"

'Not yet...after the orcs have been dealt with, then I will...'

It was just as well that they had reached Harlon's workshop before his thoughts could spiral further.

Instead of entering the workshop, they went around the back, where an open space had been enclosed by recently built fencing.

Lucien knocked once on the wooden gate and waited patiently until a guard opened it from inside.

Upon seeing him, the man stepped aside. "Master Joren is already here, My Lord."

Lucien gave a nod and continued on, Alicia following behind him. Her steps slowed slightly as they entered the fenced yard.

"Master Harlon really built this in a hurry...it's unlike him."

"With so many newcomers in Ashridge, we have to ensure what we build is secure," Lucien replied as they approached the craftsmen standing around a large mechanism that had a familiar shape, at least to him.

At their approach, Joren looked up first, his eyes widening slightly at Alicia behind him for the briefest moment.

The blacksmith's eyes narrowed soon after, his gaze shifting toward him. "Lord...and Alicia. Didn't know you would be coming too."

Of course he didn't.

Lucien had decided not to tell him.