The sound of hooves filled the country side as the three knights made their way to the closest village to the capital, Geha.
They were in high spirits despite their exhaustion.
"So, Straw-Man Hadrian, how do you like being called a hero?" Gairon teased, riding close to his old friend.
"If I'm being honest, it's tiring. Do you have any idea how many straw dolls I've had to fix?" He joked, exaggerating his tired expression.
Gairon burst into laughter, almost frightening his horse.
"Reduced to artisan, your fall from grace will be studied." Gairon put his hand on his heart and pretended to mourn.
"Though your antics are very amusing, you should focus. We're arriving."
Geha was a small village, made up of less than a dozen wooden huts.
"Do you hear that?" Hadrian, enhanced by his transformation, was the first to hear the chanting.
"Stop the Greed! Stop the Greed! Stop the Greed!"
"No greed! More need! No greed! More need!"
They had made their own chant aimed at the king. Even from this distance, Sylace could see the torches and pitchforks.
"This might get ugly, don't do anything to provoke them. Keep your blades sheathed at all times and remain calm. We're not trying to scare them."
Hadrian and Gairon nodded.
"Yes, Sir!"
"Then let's get this over with."
They rode into the village and came to meet the protesting mob. The mob became tense seeing the Trall family emblem of the knights' armors but continued to protest.
[They're behaving strangely, they don't really seem all that into protesting. Of course I don't expect them to be ecstatic at the thought of rebelling but if they are going to do it I'd assume there would be a little bit more fire behind it.]
[Strange...]
Sylace made a quick analysis of the situation.
The people of Zegrow and the seven nations had been bred by their suffering to be kind. That didn't mean they couldn't be violent or hateful if a suitable opportunity presented itself.
That's what made it even stranger that they hadn't lashed out or even said anything to the three knights that were obviously sent by the king.
An idea bubbled in Sylace's head as he thought of this, his lips curling up in a warm smile.
He didn't plan on forcing the villagers to reveal the source of their strange behaviour. He'd instead convince them to do it instead.
He got off his horse and gave a bow.
"Pardon us the intrusion, but we were just passing by and wondered if you had somewhere we could stay the night. As you know the sanguinis get ravenous when the moon is up."
The lieutenant's tone was light and friendly as his smile naturally widened.
The crowd was stunned for a moment, expecting their protest to be met with hostility or violence or scolding.
Anything but this.
The tension that had built in the air slowly dissolved as the protesters stopped chanting one by one, looking at the knights with a mix of confusion and doubt.
Gairon laughed, understanding his captain's plan.
"Well, I don't think one more night in the wild will kill us. Not with Hadrian at our side." He didn't pressure the villagers, only making the exhaustion in his face slightly more pronounced.
"Uhm... I don't think that's necessary." A voice in the crowd said. A woman made her way through the horde of people and met the three men.
She was tall compared to the other women in the village, with dark brown hair that cascaded down her face in curls and emerald green eyes. Her figure was full and comforting, with soft curves that gave her a warm motherly vibe.
"I wouldn't mind housing you for the night." She replied, though her features showed signs of hesitation and timidity.
"No need to feel forced, we'd do just fine in the wild." Hadrian was the one to reply, his unnervingly calm voice taking on a slightly more charming tone.
"I-I insist. My children left the village a year ago so I wouldn't hate some extra company."
All three of the men nodded in appreciation.
"Then we'd be rude to refuse." Sylace said.
"My name is Sylace Archibold, at my left is Hadrian Charming and at my right is Gairon Doel. We're honored by your hospitality."
The beautiful woman bowed and led them to her house, a decently sized wooden hut with two rooms.
"My name is Ella, by the way. You gave me your names so it felt a little weird that you didn't know mine."
"A beautiful name." Hadrian lived up to his name, charming.
All three knights were genuinely touched by Ella's kindness. Their voices had unintentionally grown softer.
"T-Thank you." Ella stumbled over her words as she opened the door for the guest.
She seemed to be in deep thought.
[Three nobles. Three very attractive, very polite nobles. In my house. The son of the king just smiled at me like I wasn't some half-sane widow with too much laundry and a creaky floorboard.]
[Why are they all so stupidly attractive? And polite? And noble? Literal nobility in my house. What do I do, offer tea? Bread? My soul?]
Ella forced a smile and tried to remember how doors work as she led them inside.
"W-Welcome." She tried to seem composed but her voice cracked with anxiety.
[What are they thinking? Do they think I'm weird? Do I seem clumsy? Ugh, why did they have to come today of all days? I didn't even have time to wash this stupid dress.]
She grumbled inwardly while the men entered her house.
"Is there a place for us to put our armor?" The ever charming Sylace asked, his bright azure eyes clashing sharply with the onyx of his hair.
[They're only human, they're only human, they're only human.]
Ella took a deep breath before answering the knight.
"There should be space in the storage house out back." She flashed a smile, it was nervous and slightly crooked but it was something.
[Progress!] She thought. Despite this, her eyes were darting around the room looking for a chance to escape.
The scent of lavender, peppermint, and other expensive perfumes clung to their armor, fragrances she could never afford to buy. It was overwhelming.
"Can we?" Gairon asked, holding one of the buckles holding his armor in place
Ella nodded, eyes fixed on a random corner of the wall like it held the meaning of life.
[Don't look. Don't look. Definitely don't look at his arms. Gods, why are there so many buckles?]
The widow felt her face heating up. She turned her back under the pretense of checking the stove, but mostly just to breathe without forgetting how.
[I'm going to die! This is how I die, asphyxiated by the lavender and drowning in my own worries.]
Her face revealed exaggerated concern, a sudden thought flashed in her mind.
[Two rooms, four people...]
[I'm going to die!]