Chapter 142
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: Call of the Flames (4)
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The woman, pissed off, thrust her spear even closer.
"Ah, Aila. Don't do that, let's talk first!"
Ilenia, who had been watching anxiously from the side, tried to intervene between the two.
Ilenia and the guards know each other? Well, she mentioned working with Peira's guards before.
The woman called Aila waved her hand at Ilenia as if telling her to back off.
"Ilenia, this has nothing to do with you. These thugs burned the forest, stole crops and livestock without permission, and broke into the brewery at midnight to make off with five whole barrels of liquor!"
Impressive. I let out a silent sigh.
I'd had some inkling, but hearing it straight from a Peira guard made it all the more astonishing.
Shuren pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed, as if he'd seen it coming.
Ilenia was the only one who couldn't believe it.
"Lot? Is that true?"
"I told you, Ilenia. We just shared what we got. We're stationed here, taking down magical beasts. Who do you think it's for? Peira's safety! This much should count as compensation, right?"
"Don't spout nonsense, you thieves!"
Aila bellowed at the mercenaries in fury.
Thieves. The charges were getting more precise, escalating from mere thugs.
"Arrest them and haul them back to Peira right now!"
The moment Aila turned to issue orders to her guards...
"Ah, can't let that happen."
Lot smacked Aila's spear aside hard with one hand.
"Ah!"
The spear flew off, sending Aila staggering.
Lot swiftly snatched up his greatsword and leveled it at her.
At the same instant, the other mercenaries counterattacked in unison, forcing the guards to falter before gripping their own weapons tightly.
It all happened in a flash.
A retaliation born from the stark difference in build and strength between the Fire Arbats and the Water Arbats.
"They can't take our freedom. That's all we've got."
As Lot glared down at Aila with eyes brimming with defiance, she gnashed her teeth and shot him a fierce look right back.
"Freedom? More like lawlessness, a public nuisance, and sheer rudeness. If you're going to resist, we'll have no choice but to go all out...!"
The Fire Arbat mercenaries and Water Arbat guards stood poised to clash, weapons trained on one another.
Ilenia froze, at a complete loss.
We were no different.
Should we step in? Stay out? If we did intervene, whose side would we take—what action should we even take? No clear judgment came.
To preserve political neutrality, we couldn't back the Peira guards or align with Lot's crew.
"Stand down."
The only one who could wedge between them was the Silver Guard Knight.
Hand resting on his sword hilt, he halted the pair with a calm voice tinged with fatigue.
The Silver Guard Knight positioned himself squarely between Lot's greatsword and Aila's spear, eyeing them in turn.
"What is it, sir knight? Here to defend us? Or... you wanna clash blades?"
Lot twisted his face into a belligerent grin. He looked ready to welcome the latter with open arms.
That intensity, that ferocious will to fight—it sent a shiver down my spine for a moment.
"Neither."
The Silver Guard Knight brushed aside Lot's aggression effortlessly and turned to Aila.
She flinched, caught off guard.
"I am Hunter Stanis of Prius's Silver Guard Knights."
The Silver Guard Knight presented Prius's emblem toward Aila.
The moment he declared himself a 'Silver Guard Knight,' her eyes went wide.
"I know I can't meddle in Peira guard duties, but we've received aid from these mercenaries... so could you sheathe your weapons here?"
"See? Told you we did nothing wrong. We just helped some travelers out of the goodness of our hearts."
Aila looked flustered while Lot blustered shamelessly.
The Silver Guard Knight turned back to Lot.
"Lot. If you want into Peira, you follow Peira's laws and codes. Defy them, and the guards can boot you out or arrest you—no recourse. Got it?"
"Who you calling dumb? Of course I know that!"
"Good."
Lot had just walked right into the Silver Guard Knight's trap, proving himself the fool.
The Silver Guard Knight addressed Aila.
"Prius will vouch for their identities. We'll cover their lodging and meals in Peira with Prius funds and mediate the incidents they've caused. Acceptable?"
"Uh..."
Aila's eyes widened. We were stunned too—as were the mercenaries, Lot included.
"You're serious? Those guys aren't worth the trouble!"
Aila tried to talk the Silver Guard Knight out of it. He merely hmmed and glanced at Lot.
"Follow Peira's rules diligently and cooperate with the mediation, and Prius will back you. Lot—can you manage that?"
"Ha, what's the big deal? If those runts had let us in from the start, none of this would've happened."
"I'll take you at your word. That settle it?"
The Silver Guard Knight fixed Aila with a steady gaze, demanding her answer.
She shot Lot one last glare before reluctantly lowering her spear with a deep sigh.
"...Can't turn down a request from Prius."
"Thank you. Lot, stand down."
Lot smacked his lips in disappointment but sheathed his greatsword.
As the other mercenaries and guards stowed their weapons, the taut tension in the air eased considerably.
Aila shook her head, her discomfort plain on her face.
"I'll escort you to Peira. I trust Prius, but not mercenaries—so we'll be keeping an eye on you."
"By all means."
The Silver Guard Knight inclined his head graciously, accepting her terms.
Under the watch of Prius and the Peira guards, the mercenaries grumbled but began breaking camp.
Thanks to Prius's guarantee and promised support, they followed the Silver Guard Knight's orders far more readily than expected.
"Silver Guard Knight, was all this really necessary?"
Shuren murmured softly.
Backing these rough mercenaries—labeled thugs and thieves—in Prius's name.
I wasn't thrilled about it either... but it was the Silver Guard Knight's call.
"They had no room for compromise."
The Silver Guard Knight watched the bustling mercenaries quietly as he spoke.
"Had I not intervened, a fight would've broken out. And we couldn't take sides in it."
Couldn't take sides. That much was crystal clear.
But Ilenia... she might've sided with the Fire Arbats.
Even now, she was helping the mercenaries pack their gear—unasked.
"In that scenario, Ilenia would've been lost."
The Silver Guard Knight's gaze on her turned bittersweet.
"So less helping the mercenaries... more helping her."
The mercenaries finished packing up their camp haphazardly and shouldered their massive bags.
Then the whole group set off for Peira, with Aila taking point.
Night had fully fallen, visibility near zero, but the guards' lamps swirled around, casting a gentle glow.
The riverbank path flickered into view with each pass of light, then vanished again.
The guards and our group split up, positioning ourselves to monitor the mercenaries from front and rear.
Tension still lingered on Aila and her guards' faces.
The mercenaries, however, chatted away with faces still flushed from drink—talking about finally crashing in a real bed.
Only Ilenia bothered replying to their banter.
After trudging along the riverbank for a good while, distant sounds and lights began filtering in.
Emerging from the forest, what unfolded before us was... a small tent village.
Dozens of large and small tents dotted the riverside clearing.
People in threadbare clothes slept in the tents or huddled by scattered campfires for warmth.
Most gave us—a sudden apparition from the woods—a quick glance before looking away.
"...These people?"
The Silver Guard Knight asked, face hardening.
We alone were shocked. Guards and mercenaries pressed on without a second thought.
"Refugees. From Delatria and the villages around it. They shouldn't have been pushed this far, but..."
Aila let out a quiet sigh as she briskly cut through the camp.
Peira guards stood posted throughout, either protecting or watching the refugees.
Most were Denan—humans—looking utterly worn and weary.
I stared at a young girl clutching a crying child, then turned away.
"Too many refugees for Peira to take them all in?"
"That's right. Ah, we're not turning them away. If they've got coin, they can book rooms inside Peira. But these folks..."
"No money, so they crash outside?"
Lot snickered. Aila scowled.
"Letting them pitch tents here and stationing guards was the best we could do. We pay wages for work and help them get by."
They'd fled their homes and villages to survive—likely with next to nothing.
Peira couldn't shelter them all regardless. I got both the refugees' plight and Peira's constraints.
Peira's main gate loomed at the refugee camp's far end.
Stone walls piled high, the massive gate shut tight.
The gate checkpoint halted every passerby for meticulous identity checks.
While Aila conferred with the guards about us and the mercenaries, I gazed up at the towering gate.
Stone watchtowers flanked it, a flag bearing the Blue Spring emblem hanging before them.
"Peira. Finally."
Wedin, standing beside me, murmured with emotion. I smiled faintly.
"Wish we'd arrived in more peaceful times."
Wedin glanced back at the eerily quiet refugee camp and nodded.
As Aila emerged from the guard post, the heavy gate cracked open just wide enough for one or two at a time—to avoid drawing eyes.
Yet the rowdy mercenaries shoved their mercenary tags in the gate guards' faces, cackling.
The disciplined guards met the antics stone-faced, but for some reason, the embarrassment fell on us.
Aila ushered us through, then promptly ordered the gate shut.
The moment we stepped inside, the air shifted.
A deep watery scent filled the space, humidity thick enough to dampen our clothes bit by bit.
No rain, no dunking—yet Ash's fur soaked gray in moments.
He whined pitifully, shaking himself over and over.
"Any lodging fit for mercenaries?"
"Hotel district right by the gate. No guarantee on rooms, but I'll show you."
Aila and the guards quickened their pace. The tailing mercenaries seemed outright giddy.
"Yahoo! Peira! Finally getting in!"
Lot whooped at startling volume. The others erupted in raucous laughter.
Aila and her guards pointedly ignored them.