Chapter 12 - The Knight's Return
To the north of the royal capital, surrounded by vast, towering white stone walls, stood the royal castle. It wasn't ostentatious but rather designed with defense and functionality in mind, giving it an air of being ahead of its time.
"Volf! I'm so glad you're alive!"
"Scalfarotto-dono, you're safe!"
"You’re not a ghost, are you?!"
As soon as Volf passed through the massive stone gates of the royal castle, he was surrounded by dozens of Monster Subjugation Force members who had been waiting despite the rain. They shouted and jostled him in excitement, some even taking the chance to playfully kick the backs of his knees.
The Monster Subjugation Force comprised both noble and commoner knights.
Although there were class differences, the life-threatening nature of their missions fostered strong bonds among them. Most genuinely cared for one another rather than just putting on a show.
Standing a bit farther back the squad, knights, soldiers, maids, and other women also watched.
It seemed that each of them had come to check on Volf's safety.
"My apologies for worrying everyone!"
Still pinned by his companions, Volf raised his voice to apologize to those around him.
It had been a full two days since the wyvern had carried him away.
While part of the Monster Subjugation Force had taken turns searching for him, most had already given up.
He was told they were about to start preparations for an honorary funeral in three days and Volf could only continue apologizing profusely.
"Volf, how did you manage to get back?"
A friend from the squad grabbed his shoulder tightly and asked.
The wounds he had sustained there were completely gone, thanks to the potion he received from Dahli.
"I stabbed the wyvern in the belly while in midair, and we fell together."
"Don't casually say something so reckless! What happened to the wyvern?"
"I confirmed it was dead, then enhanced my body and ran to the highway. From there, someone helped me. They even gave me a potion and brought me back to the capital."
"Thank god. We really thought it was over for you this time... Everyone was worried."
The navy-haired friend sniffled before lifting his head with determination.
"Anyway! I'm glad you're okay!"
"Truly. A story of Volfred-dono and a wyvern dying together wouldn’t even be funny."
"When I saw you get taken, I thought, 'Good-looking guys really do have it tough.'"
"I convinced myself that wyvern must’ve been female."
The squad burst into laughter at the ridiculous jokes.
Volf found himself repeatedly patted on the shoulders and head by the squad members.
"I’ll make sure to get word to the search teams about your safety. By the way, Volf, have you contacted your family?"
"Not yet."
"You were carried off by a wyvern; they must be worried sick. I’ll send someone to inform them."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
As he replied, Volf realized.
He had been so preoccupied with other matters that he had completely forgotten to contact his family.
"You look fine, but are you really uninjured anywhere?"
"My vision's a bit blurry from the monster's blood. I’ll report to the captain and then head to the infirmary. After that, I just want to shower and sleep."
He had washed himself in a river but hadn’t used soap, so his hair still felt a bit fishy.
His clothes, rinsed but not properly cleaned, still carried the scent of blood.
"...This is bad. The coat might have absorbed the smell of the monster's blood."
"Just have the castle staff clean it for you. Wait... That coat isn’t standard issue, is it?"
"No, I borrowed it. It’s made of sand lizard hide."
"Sand lizard? The collar looks different. Let me see it."
Narrowing his eyes, the friend pulled off Volf’s coat and flipped it inside out. After examining it closely, he let out a long sigh.
"...The outside is sand lizard hide, but the inside is wyvern leather. What kind of luxury is this? Normally, it’s the other way around."
"That’s the Scalfarotto family for you, huh?"
"No, I borrowed it."
"Where did you go before coming back to the castle? Well, if I were also you, I’d visit my girlfriend first, if I had one."
"Don’t assume things that don’t exist. It’s just depressing."
As the conversation veered off track, a squad member with a merchant background examined the coat inside and out before addressing Volf.
"You should return this properly. This is likely an expensive item, crafted by cutting wyvern leather into small pieces and binding them with enchantment magic."
"I see..."
"Volf, did you borrow this coat from a woman?"
"No, it was from the person who brought me to the capital. They said it was their father’s."
"Hey, you better be careful. If that ‘father’ comes after you, you won’t have any excuses."
"Maybe the person who gave you a ride didn’t realize how much the coat was worth."
"That could be it..."
The slightly blurry image of Dahli’s face appeared in Volf’s mind.
The horse they had ridden wasn’t an ordinary one, but a sleipnir.
Though he had told Dahli to speak freely, there hadn’t been any roughness in his manner of speech.
He was knowledgeable about magical tools, so he was likely from a respectable merchant family.
Dahli had departed without giving any contact information or accepting even a copper coin.
Volf worried Dahli might now be getting scolded harshly by his father for lending the coat.
"The kind of person who’d casually lend this coat must be a noble, right?"
"No, he said he was a commoner."
"Even so, they’re probably a notable merchant or someone from such a family."
"I don’t know his family name, but I know his given name. I’ll ask the merchant guild. I’d like to thank him properly."
"You told him you’re part of the Monster Subjugation Force, right?"
"Yeah, I explained it."
"Then he might contact you first, wanting to get closer!"
With a teasing tone, the friend patted Volf on the shoulder.
"That’d be nice... I wish I could’ve talked to him more..."
With a faint murmur, Volf smiled dreamily, like a young boy lost in his daydreams.
The expression was completely at odds with his nicknames: Nemesis of Monsters, The Black Reaper, and Heartbreaker.
The squad, seeing an unfamiliar look on Volf’s face, froze in place.
"Are you okay, Volf?!"
"Something’s wrong with Volfred-dono..."
"Go report to the captain now! I’ll take him to the infirmary right away! It might be monster blood poisoning, or maybe he took a bad hit!"
"This isn’t Volf at all!"
And so, Volf was promptly taken to the infirmary.
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