Well... thinking about it now, the goblin skeletons really did have a white glow in their eyes, just like the goblins he was raising. I'd never seen a restless dead person (or even a flesh puppet until that situation), so I couldn't tell the difference, but in a way, the difference Cali mentioned made sense.
–So... Does that mean that since it's not natural or artificial, neither the kingdom nor the orders would have a justification to close access to the Trial? – I asked somewhat hesitantly.
–Legally, according to the laws made by the kingdom and the threat agreement between the orders, no. But... Well, you never know who will honor such an agreement or ignore it. Especially if the rewards for doing so were good. – Cali replied.
In that sense, the Trial is the perfect element for this; just the first floor already shows its value. I don't know if it would be worth going to war with the kingdom and the orders, but that it could be an exceptional source of income is undeniable.
–In short, we can say that the threat of a lockdown is temporarily aborted until more people come to this floor and the audit spreads. – Max said, clapping his hands.
–Basically, yes. – Cali replied.
For me, that was enough, but just to be safe, I'll talk to the village council about the possibility of relocation. But since it seems we'll have time to prepare, the odds aren't as depressing as before.
'...Actually, things wouldn't have been this bad even before; I think worry got the better of me.'
Ah!, but I remembered something.
–But Cali, I'm sure I remember that knight. He was part of the first expedition to the Trial months ago. How could he not be a puppet of flesh like that?
At that, Cali paused for a moment to think, and when she finally spoke, she said:
–I have no idea, Connor. Maybe the Trial works similarly, but still differently, than the outside world in relation to the restless dead, which wouldn't be a surprise. But based on the laws we have, you wouldn't have to worry so much... At least for now.
That's not very encouraging, but it's something.
–And there are two more details that corroborate the fact that the knight is neither a restless corpse nor a flesh puppet. – Anna said, appearing almost magically after making her assessments using the identification crystal on the surrounding terrain.
'Is it worrying that a girl who has barely entered adolescence can differentiate between two types of walking, killing corpses without seeming to care?'
But who am I to say? At 10, I was already helping to butcher deer and going into the forest to hunt rabbits and birds 😑.
–Which ones would they be? – Max asked, and Cali also paid attention to the younger girl.
–One, Connor said he recognized the knight we fought, right? – I nodded. – So how did someone who was killed on the 1st floor *(I still don't know why they call it that, it's not like we went up or decided anything)* end up on the 2nd?"
That was true, especially since it was common knowledge that when goblins caught someone, they simply devoured them; sometimes they killed them and took them to their village, but I'd never heard of them taking bodies to a cave.
–So… because a knight appears here, you assume he's a fake? – Max asked uncertainly.
–Partly because of that, but also because this supposed knight of the Baron doesn't have the Baron's coat of arms anywhere on his armor. – She pulled out the dagger left by the corpse. – Or on the hilt of one of the weapons."
She said, tapping her fingers on both the hilt and the blade of the sword.
I don't know many nobles (and with the help of the gods I'll never need to), but I know they always try to stand out in some way, and leaving the coat of arms with the knights is one of them. I don't know if it's common for all nobles' horses to have the coat of arms of the noble they serve, but I know that most have some kind of emblem that identifies their lord, often being some kind of imprint even on the flesh, like tattoos (or branding with a hot iron).
–No, it's not common for several knights to have the coat of arms of the noble they serve. But the Baron is vain; he insists that at least something his knights possess nesses to have his house's coat of arms carved on it.
–Couldn't he have that coat of arms on the blade of the sword he was using? Or could it have simply eroded over time? – Mav asked.
Anna shook her head and explained.
–You all know he has connections with some small to medium-sized orders of mages, right? – we all knew that too. – Apparently, one of the reasons he made those connections in the first place was to ensure that the emblem carved into his hair and servants wouldn't easily degrade, even over time.
–But wouldn't that be very expensive just for the emblem on a weapon or armor? – I asked.
Anna sighed and shrugged.
–Some nobles care more about fame than about status, governance, or sometimes even money. Since fame can often be an easy way to get money, the reasoning isn't entirely wrong, but… – she didn't even need to finish her thought for us to understand.
(Kaio: Talk about arrogance and money😮💨)
Max thought for a moment and said after a few seconds.
–Wouldn't it be easier to tattoo the knights?
Again Anna shook her head and explained.
–That would be disrespectful to the knight and the order that formed him. Orders only allow tattoos linked to their order. If any nobleman tried to do the same, the orders would consider it an attempt by the nobleman to enter their territory. At the very least, this would lead to several orders refusing to provide knights for the nobleman. He could even create his own order, but with the methods of already established orders, he would at most get a small order of 3° or 2° category, if he was very lucky.
She said quickly but concisely.
–At most, an open war between this nobleman and various orders of knights. This has happened in the past and was so bad that a medium-sized kingdom even disappeared. That's why tattoos representing the noble house are only allowed on their... possessions.
'Possessions = Slaves'
This involuntarily reminded me of those children who died months ago.
'Tsk, there's no point in thinking about them now.'
–You said two, what's the second one? – Cali said to return to the initial subject and distract us from this heavier topic. Maybe it was just my impression, but it seemed like she looked at me with much more care than usual.
–Huhumm, you're right. The second reason why I say he wasn't either a restless corpse or a flesh puppet is because...
She looked closely into each of our eyes before saying.
–...he didn't smell bad.
–"...."
'What do you mean?'
–Uh..... Shorty, I think wandering around here doing evaluations must have messed with your head. Here, come here and sit down for a bit. Oh!, do you want some water, bread, or a sweet treat? I still have some here. – Max said, dragging Anna to a moss-free rock near the cave wall. I was also rummaging through my bag to see if I could find any fruit or anything to see if it would help her.
–HEY, YOU FOUR CAN STOP THAT!!!!
I think this is the first time I've ever seen Anna look so much like Cali. I think it took about 3 minutes for her to calm down and for Max to realize that there was nothing wrong with her.
–Aaaaaahhhhh~. Ho-w I was say-ing~. – she said, syllable by syllable, slowly, to make sure everyone (especially Max) was listening. – You should know that when a body rots it decomposes and releases a horrible smell.
'Who didn't know that.'
That's definitely what everyone thought.
–So, did you smell a rotten odor coming specifically from the knight? – she said, looking at us.
–Hey, hey, hey, what kind of question is that? Of course we—hmmm? Hmmmmm?. Wh- ACTUALLY NO?!
It was like Max—, Ah! No, correcting myself, it was like Anna had implied. Even I, who "dove" beside him and cut him in the stomach (where some of his intestines even fell out), didn't smell the characteristic rotting odor of corpses very strongly. Even now we could still smell it a little, but I'm sure it came from the fact that we were in a swamp.
'I thought not smelling it (so much) was because I was focused on the fight, but seeing things now...'
–*How didn't I notice that before?!. I was practically underneath him!. I cut a path from his leg to the top of his ribs, the supplies almost fell on me!!. But I couldn't even smell the rotten blood. And I should have!! I helped butcher the animals for Dad to use on the inn's menu! I know what it should smell like!!!* – Max mumbled some slightly worrying things.
Mav was silent with his eyes closed, but judging by the rigidity in his jaw and the way he was rubbing his fingers on his arm. I imagine he was having a conversation not much different from his brother's in his own head.
Cali approached one of the puddles a little ahead and took a deep breath, frowned, and returned to the place where the knight had been during the brief fight. Took another deep breath, but this time didn't grimace.
–No smell, not a single one. You can barely smell the rusty iron... But then why?
I also couldn't quite understand why the Trial had sent an undead knight to find us, and I still look like one of the knights from the last expedition, but I was sure of one thing.
'If this was somehow intentional, it was in very bad taste.'
I don't know exactly why, but when I thought about it, I ended up looking at a specific point in the "sky" obscured by occasional lightning bolts. Maybe it was an illusion from the flash of light, but I almost saw a kind of smoke that seemed to "hit his head."
'Maybe it's best we turn back now. I think all this time in the Trial must have affected my mind.'