Chapter 227
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
Every time something happened, Agatha felt a deep sense of guilt toward the countless knights who willingly sacrificed themselves for her.
She knew well that for them, it was both their destiny and an honorable duty, but understanding that with her mind didn’t always align with what her heart felt.
The blame for stubbornly insisting on traveling south and causing all this trouble weighed heavily on Agatha’s heart once again.
“Commander, we have captured all the bandits. Their leader appears to have died in the explosion, and we have bound their subordinates.”
“I’ll be there soon. Make sure they are securely restrained.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Even Cain’s usually cold and sharp lieutenant felt like a welcome sight. Looking up at the knights’ steadfast face, unchanged since leaving Pahel, Agatha felt the reality of Cain and the knights appearing by her side once more.
Cain’s gaze was fierce as he observed the remaining bandits being subdued by the knights. Following his line of sight, Agatha noticed remnants of explosives scattered about.
The lodging, hit by the blast, had been shattered and burned, turning into ruins in moments. Nearby, the bandits who had presumably attempted to infiltrate after the explosion were all kneeling, heads bowed.
Fortunately, it seemed there were few casualties. The sharp smell of explosives did not mix with the scent of blood. Agatha quietly sighed in relief.
“How did you come here?”
As soon as the chaotic surroundings had settled a bit, she asked the question that first came to mind. Cain glanced over the knights once more before answering slowly.
“I heard, quite unexpectedly, that you were staying here. I can’t tell you how surprised I was.”
“My seasickness was severe…”
“You were too ill to travel by ship and needed rest? How are you feeling now? Are you better? I can only imagine how frightened the baby must have been, thanks to those ruthless and brazen men…”
“Ask me one thing at a time.”
Though she had more questions for him, Cain relentlessly fired questions as if Agatha’s health was the only thing on his mind.
“Yes. One question at a time. How is your body?”
“The baby seems fine. It stayed quiet as if sensing the turmoil outside and just started moving again a short while ago.”
“No, I mean how are you feeling, Agatha?”
“Oh…”
Isn’t the baby’s safety the same as hers?
Cain’s eyes carefully scanned every inch of her body, causing Agatha’s ears to blush faintly.
“Yes, I’m fine. Though I was unwell from seasickness, I’ve gotten much better over the two days here.”
“That’s a relief. Truly.”
“Then answer my question. How did you come to be here? How did you know I was here?”
“It wasn’t a major incident. When I left Pahel, an unexpected complication arose, so I chose to travel by horse instead of ship.”
“A complication?”
“Someone hijacked the fast ship we had prepared.”
“The fast ship? Who on earth?”
“I asked the person managing the ship. They said a very wealthy individual had seized it through a terrifying threat. Probably bribery more than threat… Either way, I thought it would be difficult to follow you without the fast ship, so I decided to come by horse, which was the fastest option available.”
The reason for not taking the ship was clear, but Agatha still found Cain’s presence hard to believe.
“Then how did you know that my party was here?”
“By chance, I stopped nearby to water and rest the horses. I hadn’t planned to come so close to the coast, but while seeking help from the city constables and letting the knights rest, I spotted Lehman suddenly appear. It was a stroke of luck.”
“Really…an extraordinary coincidence.”
“Yes, truly fortunate.”
Cain raised his hand and brushed beneath Agatha’s eye. Surprised by the sudden touch, she recoiled slightly, but Cain was quicker.
“I thought it was a wound. Just some ash.”
Cain smiled. Seeing that clear smile after so long made Agatha feel distant, as if the terrifying ordeal had been a dream. Reflecting on the flashbacks of her past, she had braced for the worst, yet now she found herself relieved so easily that she almost laughed.
“I’m so glad I could keep my promise this time.”
“A promise?”
“The old promise—to protect you.”
“Oh…”
It was a forgotten memory. Or rather, she had cast aside words that once meant nothing to her. Has that promise ever really held any power?
Agatha pondered this as she followed Cain to a safer place.
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