Ch 93: Exiting the Forest

Lucien exited the forest with a last dash and stopped some distance away from the walls of the Solarin city. The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon, casting a warm, ethereal glow across the world and turning the sky into a slow, brightening blue. Stars still twinkled near the western direction and the moon sailed silently downward, fading away slowly.

He had thought he would be able to exit the forest before sunrise and had tried to make the royal twins run faster, but they had been so sleep deprived and exhausted previously that even after drinking potions, they had still been unable to keep up with his desired pace. So in the end he had slowed himself down, though he would dash ahead of them to clear the area before them because he did not want, under any circumstance, for some powerful beast to appear where he would have to safeguard the twins and kill at the same time, which could turn difficult. So he would dash ahead, clear the path and wait for Olivia and Joseph to catch up, and occasionally, more often than he would have wanted, he would have to allow them to catch their breath and rest for a few quick minutes before he dashed ahead again and repeated the same routine over and over.

After doing it for what felt like the umpteenth time, Lucien finally exited and stood waiting outside the forest for them to catch up. He had made sure to clear the path so he was not worried, and thankfully not many powerful monsters had shown up. He had not broken a single sweat because he had not encountered anyone stronger than himself, and he was truly beginning to question whether the girl and boy were truly a part of the important characters or not, because if they were, then should he not be encountering increasingly difficult beasts?

Interfering with the fated ones should have led to encounters with stronger and powerful beasts. But perhaps he was simply too powerful, and beasts that he dealt with might appear dangerous in the eyes of others. Though for him they were nothing worth raising his pulse over.

Lucien heard the shuffling of the bushes ahead and immediately put a halt to his thoughts as he fixed his eyes on the tattered forms of Olivia and Joseph. Both of their clothes were torn and broken apart with cuts and grime. In the morning sunlight, which was slowly brightening the world around them, they looked like beggars or roadside thugs, each carrying a sword in their respective hand. They would have terrified any passerby who happened upon them, though thankfully there were none.

Seeing them look like this did not sit well with him. His deeply ingrained desire for cleanliness, though mostly focused upon himself, was quietly gnawing at him from within, urging him to tell them to cover themselves with something decent.

His eyes did not like resting on such worn and torn clothing, and the fact that their silver hair was filled with mud and debris did not help matters either. He had noticed all of this before but since they had been deep inside the miasma forest, he had not allowed himself to care too much about it. To a large extent he had previously learned to control himself from lashing out at others for not keeping themselves clean, having served long in the stronghold and dealt with beasts in conditions where soldiers did not have enough time to sleep, let alone wash themselves. He had also fought against other kingdoms for the empire, and all of it had gradually taught him to stop himself from voicing his irritation and to control his compulsion for cleanliness. He could take care of himself, but he could not very well go around demanding others maintain his same standards, could he? So he had developed a tolerable habit of enduring the uncleanliness of others and carrying on, though it still prickled at his skin. If he had never developed this tolerance, he would have likely never stepped outside of his home, which would have very much halted any further growth in his rank.

"We are tired and exhausted. Can we take a small nap now that we are outside the forest?" Olivia asked, pulling Lucien out of his thoughts. She turned her head around as though she was genuinely searching for a decent place to slouch down and sleep.

"No," Lucien refused flatly. Were they on a picnic or something? He was already late for his morning training session with Melissa due to guiding the twins out of the forest. He was already feeling frustrated over it. And, the fact that the girl wanted to rest did not settle with him. He did not like failing to adhere to his own words, and he was already imagining Melissa's downcast face as she waited alone on the training field.

"But-" Lucien cut Olivia off before she could protest any further. He turned on his heel and spoke over his shoulder, "We will be entering from the northern gate of the Solarin city. Follow closely behind."

He heard some muttered protests trailing after him but paid them no mind and started walking toward the walls before him. He could narrowly make out the guards atop the walls signaling to others to open the northern gate, which was not far from where Lucien stood. He walked a short distance to the east and appeared before it. The large gate parted in both directions and the guards on either side all saluted him, to which he merely gave a single nod.

But from the corner of his eyes he could see both guards turning their gazes toward the elven twins, and though they hid their reactions well enough, he could still see the shock and curiosity flickering behind their composure. They were probably wondering where the Northern Blade had found the elven duo. They might have even been entertaining thoughts of him having bought them or kidnapped them outright, but since both guards feared him, they neither asked nor voiced a single thought.

Lucien moved swiftly through the eyes of the other guards. The northern gate of the Solarin city was not a gate used by common people, so there was not much market development here, and only a few settlements remained toward the rear of this stretch. Still, he could sense eyes following from behind small parted curtains of homes and from the people who bowed as he passed, offering him their respect. In Solarin city, there were very few people who would not know his name, though many of them might never have seen him in person.

Lucien paid no mind to the way they watched him, all of them gazing with reverence and stars bright in their eyes, a few of them openly marveling. He allowed himself a small smirk on the inside. It is like being some famous actor from my previous world.

***

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