The knight's destiny
Episode 4
A piercingly cold morning greeted after a night of raging storms. Lithia awoke from her sleep and Luragorn sat down while carving a piece of wood. Finely carved 4-winged wyverns, Luragorn erodes the wood into a small wyvern statue with its mouth open.
The hair was messy with eyes still half open, Lithia yawned for a long time while stretching out her hands.
“Good morning, Lura~,”sapa Lithia with drowsiness face attached.
“Good morning, Princess, I have something to talk about,” Luragorn said with a serious look.
“Why, Lura? Seriously early in the morning,” Lithia yawned and spoke in a relaxed tone.
Luragorn did not change his sharp gaze, leaving Lithia dragged into a serious situation.
***
“Is that what Al said?” lithia asked in a panic.
“What's true, Princess? Princess Lithia is the main royal princess?” reply Luragorn with another question.
Lithia was stunned for a moment when she found out that Luragorn was telling that fact. Not long after, Lithia immediately put on a big smile.
“Hehe, sorry for lying this whole time. Yes, I am the damned princess who is often talked about. The grandson of the cursed king of Rugborth,” Lithia replied with a small laugh.
“It's okay if I have to be honest, thank you for keeping me company all this time. Sorry if I'm not the princess you think I am. If you want to kill me then do it, I'm fine now,” Lithia's inner self while smiling at Luragorn.
In her heart, Lithia felt sad for having lied saying that she was an ordinary noble daughter. He did not want to part or end like this, but the status as a cursed royal family had been attached to him. Lithia did not want to lie any longer, let alone to someone who had accompanied her for a long time so far. He must be honest with Luragorn, even if it means hatred and death that will befall him.
Downcast with her eyes closed, this flaming red-haired woman trembled in the place she sat waiting for the judgment she deserved.
Hugs quickly dispelled Lithia's negative thoughts. A very close warm embrace silenced this sad woman. The long sighs from Luragorn followed by a tightening embrace further confused Lithia.
“Why princess Lithia didn't say it sooner?” asked Luragorn whispering rather quietly.
With a somewhat heavy breath, Lithia replied as she glanced the other way “Do you hate me too?” Lithia bit her lower lip as if it was a very heavy burden, “As a cursed princess that hated the whole of Midfraz.”
“Princess is Princess, Princess is the one who freed me from the darkness of slavery. There's no way I'd think that.”
“So ... is it?” Lithia returned Luragorn's embrace and her entire burden seemed to disappear for a moment.
Lithia's heart was now as calm as an ocean without a storm. Without worry, without regret. This red-haired woman recalled the last time she felt the same feeling, which was when she was a child, when she was still in her mother's arms, moments of peace where he doesn't need to think about anything and all feels very pleasant.
Lithia's embrace grew tighter and without her noticing a smile on her face followed by a stream of tears of happiness that descended. For the first time in a long time, Lithia was able to let go of all the pent-up emotions in people she had trusted and cared for.
For a while, the two simply remained silent in each other's emotions, letting their feelings flow as tears expressed the happiness of the two.
***
Luragorn and Lithia return to the Beastman District, a large city southeast of Midfraz. It was like a normal trip, but this time Lithia was very close to Luragorn. Less than five centimeters apart, Lithia continued to lose the distance between them while Luragorn adjusted his pace to keep up with Lithia.
“So? That beastman, what's his name?” ask Lithia.
“Al did not tell her name. I was also curious about the identity of Al,” replied Luragorn.
“Yes, I'm curious too. Why didn't he get hurt at all against you, where did he know the info?”
“Now, it seems like he is not a bad person or at least has not been evil to us for now.”
“As long as there is Lura, then it is okay.”
“Don't be so princess Lithia, we must always be vigilant. The place we are headed contains–”
“Beastman. Half human and half animal. Horrible physical abilities plus they have hated humans so much ever since that policy.”
“Yes, there are definitely no humans. We must beware princess.”
“Siap~ Lura.”
***
Ordinary city areas with a common housing arrangement. House with brick walls and wooden poles. People do their own activities. Shops line the streets, ranging from household supply stores to weaponry shops.
Luragorn and Lithia put on their hoods and coats to cover all but the face. There was no human race as far as the eye could see except the beastman race.
Their bodies are like human bodies, tall like humans and also talk and stand on both feet. Their faces are also like human faces in general, only their ears are in the top position of their heads with various shapes according to their subras.
There are beastmen who have the ears of cats, dogs, rabbits and many more. In addition to the shape of the ears, they also have a tail. Their animal fur is almost non-existent.
The beastman's clothes were exactly the same as the human culture in Midfraz. Other than the visible tail and ears, the beastman's appearance was no different from that of a human. It's just ....
*BRUK!
A beastman fell down from above and landed right in front of Luragorn. Luragorn pulls Lithia back to avoid trouble.
The beastman who had fallen down earlier instantly rose without any significant injuries. The tiger beastman was a subras of that beastman. The beastman immediately shouted loudly, the air around him as if moving up as his body slowly changed. His muscles expanded and black-striped orange-colored hair grew rapidly.
The beastman looked like a human-bodied tiger and was ready to fight. His tail was curling and his horses were very steady.
“Despite Satisfaction,” said Lithia who took refuge behind Luragorn.
“A technique of the beastman race to transform into a shape close to the original animal. Physical, instinct, ability, everything increased many times over,” said Luragorn pulled Lithia away from the beastman.
“We are indeed looking for information about the fox beastman, but an open problem like this is too conspicuous.”
“Princess Lithia is right, let's look for information elsewhere.”
Luragorn and Lithia left the tiger beastman. Both of them moved but suddenly stopped in a special shopping area clothing and restaurants.
Lithia could not help but feel her curiosity to look around. His gaze continued to be fixed on the row of shops in front. Lithia ran to the front of the clothing storefront. A variety of modest outfits to fancy dresses drew her eyes to look inside the store.
Lithia headed for the clothes selling place with passion. Clothes, bracelets, necklaces, pants, rings, shoes and various other trinkets were seen and occasionally tried by Lithia. Every now and then he asked Luragorn about his match with the item he chose, occasionally he also picked up some items and saw the suitability of the item he had chosen for Luragorn.
“Excuse me, can I help you?” ask the shop owner who is a young woman with a dog subrasal. The slightly tanned skin with shoulder-length black hair as well as the white kirtle worn made the shopkeeper's appearance look like a beastman mostly.
“No, it's okay, we just look around,” Luragorn replied quickly before the female beastman misunderstood thinking Luragorn and Lithia had come to buy.
“Do not hesitate. Especially for you, I will give you a discount if you buy here. Discount couple.”
“Discount couple?”
“Your boyfriend?”
“Pacar? What are you saying exactly? We–”
“Oh sorry, you married couple huh?”
“Hah?”
“Then I will give you a special discount, how? Interested in? Women are like that. Your beautiful wife seems to have to be given the same beautiful jewelry. Take a look at this sir, this golden necklace will definitely be a perfect fit for him. Cheap once.”
“No, we're just–”
“No, it's okay. Please look around, call me if you need anything,” said the beastman with his friendly smile.
Luragorn returns to Lithia trying to ignore the shop owner who looks very excited.
“See Lura, does this suit me? This too?” lithia asked while showing Luragorn a variety of simple jewelry.
“Ya, perfect fit,” replied Luragorn.
“... Women are like that. Your beautiful wife seems to be given the same beautiful jewelry ..”Luragorn suddenly remembered the sentence of the previous store seller and suddenly made this man put on a gloomy face. He should have been able to buy Lithia such jewelry like other women, but he could not and instead made the rather broad-legged man close his jaw in annoyance.
“Come on Lura, we go,” invite Lithia to go out the store.
“But, do princesses not want to buy it?” luragorn asked with a very confused face.
“Haha, don't be stupid. There is no way we buy it, we have no money.”
Luragorn suddenly thought of something, something about the last jewel necklace Lithia had ever had.
“Princess Lithia, the jewel of the day ...,” said Luragorn wanted to talk about something very important.
Lithia was silent for a moment when she heard the word ‘mata that day’.
“What jewel?” ask Lithia.
“Gemata whose daughter Lithia sells demi–”
“Lah? It's just an ordinary jewel. Later after I get my throne back, such gems I will buy again.”
“But, the gem was–”
“Let's go eat, I'm hungry.”
Lithia ignored Luragorn and hurriedly walked forward. When a few meters were created, Luragorn immediately became alert and pulled the sword from its sheath.
*No! Nah! Nah! Nah!
Luragorn swiftly repelled some small arrows that shot out from behind. Everything bounced when it hit his sword. Luragorn turned around quickly and found several cat beastmen approaching Lithia, making the man grab a few arrows and throw them at the cat beastman.
The cat beastman who was hit by the attack instantly fell unconscious. But that was not enough because there was another cat beastman standing in front of Lithia while holding the crossbow.
Lithia simply fell silent and Luragorn immediately grabbed Lithia. This man's hand tried to reach Lithia, but the sound of the trigger had been heard. But the attack was not shown to Lithia, but to Luragorn.
A poisoned iron arrow stuck in Luragorn's shoulder. Although he managed to pull Lithia away, Luragorn who deliberately approached the attack finally fell unconscious after a while of losing balance.
Luragorn and Lithia were drugged by some beastmen and both were lifted up and put on a carriage that also contained other fainting people.
