Regaleon: The Forgotten Knight

Chapter 120: Aelric

The retreat of the Black Stalker didn’t evoke any reaction from the green-eyed youth. If anything, he merely smiled faintly before sliding his longsword back into its sheath...

CLICK!

The crisp sound echoed softly through the silent forest...

Then, without sparing another glance toward the place where the assassin had vanished, the young man simply turned around.

It was as though everything that had just transpired had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

His forest-green cloak swayed gently behind him as he took a step forward, seemingly intending to continue his journey alone.

"Wait!"

Regaleon’s voice suddenly rang through the clearing, stopping the stranger in his tracks. After a brief pause, he slowly turned around once more...

His sharp green eyes settled upon the silver-haired Knight, carrying the same quiet indifference they had possessed since the beginning.

"Is there a problem?"

Even his voice was languid and calm, as though very little in this world could truly disturb him.

Regaleon remained silent for several moments. Then he slowly shook his head.

"No... there isn’t." He hesitated before continuing. "Actually, do we know you?"

One of the stranger’s brows rose slightly. But vefore he could answer, Regaleon spoke again.

"What I meant to say was that why did you save us?"

Silence returned the instant he completed that question. For a brief moment, the green-eyed youth simply blinked, then the corner of his lips curved upward ever so slightly.

"That’s a rather strange thing to ask someone who quite literally just saved your lives."

His words could have been interpreted as criticism. Yet his tone carried no trace of annoyance.

If anything, he sounded faintly amused and the subtle smile lingering at the corner of his lips only reinforced that impression.

An awkward silence followed his words and it was only then that Regaleon finally realized what he had done.

Instead of thanking the man who had just rescued them, he had immediately begun questioning his motives.

This realization made him inwardly grimace.

Fortunately, Vaelorin stepped forward before the silence could grow any more uncomfortable.

The red-haired pyromancer rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before offering an apologetic smile.

"I’m sorry if that sounded offensive." Ge glanced toward Regaleon before looking back at the stranger. "He didn’t mean it that way. We’re just..."

He searched briefly for the right words before continuing. "...trying to understand why someone we’ve never met would suddenly risk himself to save complete strangers."

Regaleon nodded immediately.

"He’s right. I know what I said probably sounded ungrateful. But the Nether Lands isn’t exactly the kind of place where people help each other for no reason."

His gaze drifted briefly toward the endless crimson forest surrounding them before settling back on the green-eyed youth.

"In fact, you’re the first human we’ve encountered since arriving here. So, i just wanted to understand."

The green-eyed youth quietly regarded him for several seconds.Then... A soft chuckle escaped him.

"I suppose that’s fair." He stated, his smile becoming a little warmer. "I understand your meaning completely. So you don’t have to apologize or beat yourselves up over it."

Immediately after he spoke, the atmosphere became noticeably lighter.

Regaleon smiled faintly before placing a hand over his chest. "My name is Regaleon."

He stated before gesturing toward the unconscious youth resting upon his back.

"This is Veyrath."

Then he pointed a the red-haired pyromancer. "And that’s Vaelorin."

The stranger listened quietly. When Regaleon was done with the introduction, he gave a respectful nod before placing one hand over his own chest.

"My name is Aelric. And it’s a pleasure to meet all of you."

He said with a gentle smile.

For reasons Regaleon couldn’t explain, that smile stirred something within him. It wasn’t familiarity; not exactly.

Rather, it felt like trying to remember something long forgotten. Like seeing an object that should have been familiar, yet being unable to recall where he had seen it before.

His instincts quietly whispered that he somehow knew this young man, not as a friend nor as family. But as someone whose existence had once brushed against his own.

The feeling was strangely persistent. Yet no matter how deeply he searched his memories, nothing came to his mind.

Eventually, Regaleon pushed the thought aside. Perhaps, it was simply his imagination...

Looking back toward Aelric, he asked once more. "So can you at least tell us why you saved us?"

The green-eyed youth appeared genuinely thoughtful for a few seconds. Then he hummed softly to himself before eventually shrugging.

"Since we’re no longer strangers, I suppose I can answer. Actually, there really wasn’t any grand reason. You needed help... So I helped."

He spread his hands dramatically.

"That’s all. There’s no hidden motives, no elaborate conspiracy, and no secret agenda."

His answer came so naturally that it became difficult to determine whether he was telling the complete truth... Or skillfully avoiding the question altogether.

Regaleon studied him carefully.

Someone capable of driving away a creature like the Black Stalker could never be ordinary; especially not within the Nether Lands.

Yet this mysterious young man had appeared at precisely the moment they needed him most, despite the Crimson Forest supposedly containing no surviving humans.

Everything about Aelric; his strength, his composure, his knowledge of the Sauryeans, and even his appearance... All of it invited suspicion.

Yet Regaleon chose not to press the matter.

Everyone carried secrets. And as long as those secrets posed no threat to him or to those around him, then they weren’t his concern.

He exhaled quietly. "I understand."

After a brief pause, he continued. "Actually, we’re heading back to where we’re staying.If you don’t already have somewhere to go, would you like to come with us? Or do you have somewhere important you need to be?"

The invitation clearly caught Aelric by surprise. As a matter of fact, it also surprised Vaelorin.

Truthfully, the red-haired pyromancer hadn’t expected Regaleon to invite someone they had only just met.

Perhaps, he simply wished to repay the debt of having their lives saved; or perhaps it was merely Regaleon’s way of expressing gratitude.

But whatever the reason, Vaelorin chose not to question it because he trusted Regaleon’s judgement completely.

Aelric, meanwhile, smiled before responding. "Very well. If you don’t mind, then why should I? I’d be happy to accompany you."

However, behind that calm smile, his thoughts wandered elsewhere.

If only these people knew...

Ever since Asterion’s departure, he had been left alone to oversee them and honestly, that watch duty was perhaps the single most boring responsibility imaginable.

So now that an opportunity had finally presented itself to spend time with fellow humans, even if it is people he had been warned not to interfere with, there was no chance he intended to refuse it...

This time, it was Regaleon’s turn to be surprised. He had fully expected Aelric to politely decline before disappearing back into the crimson forest.

Instead, the young man accepted without the slightest hesitation...

Regaleon smiled before turning toward Vaelorin. "Well, we should get moving. But first, I need you to help retrieve my Halberd."

Regaleon glanced toward the massive crimson tree where his Soul Essence remained embedded.

"I can’t retrieve it while carrying Veyrath."

Vaelorin grinned before replying. "Leave it to me."

Then despite the lingering pain in his wounded shoulder, he walked toward the towering tree where the silver halberd had buried itself astonishingly deep within the trunk.

Gripping the shaft firmly with both hands, Vaelorin planted one foot against the bark before pulling with all his strength.

Crack!

The weapon came free and Vaelorin nearly stumbled backward from the sudden release before quickly regaining his balance.

He stared down at the magnificent halberd with unconcealed admiration before handing it over to Regaleon.

"I truly wonder how you swing this thing around so casually.

This thing is ridiculously heavy."

A faint smile crossed Regaleon’s lips as he replied. "It’s my Soul Essence after all. I’m quite used to it."

The instant Regaleon’s fingers wrapped around the familiar shaft, an undeniable sense of security settled over him. Finally, his weapon was back in his hands.

After that, the trio retrieved the skin sacks they had abandoned during the battle...

Since Veyrath remained unconscious, Regaleon carried him securely upon his back while Vaelorin slung both skin sacks over his shoulders despite his injured arm.

Adjusting the weight, he gave a determined nod."Okay, let’s go..."

And just like that, the small group resumed their journey through the endless crimson forest...

At the front walked Regaleon, carrying both his halberd and the unconscious Veyrath.

Beside him limped Vaelorin beneath the weight of the heavy skin sacks and several paces behind them, Aelric followed with the same relaxed gait as before, his forest-green cloak swaying gently with every step.

None of them spoke as the journey back to the cave resumed...