“I don’t know how much longer it has to be like this,” one of two Schway guards said. They were chatting nearby.
“Don’t say it like that,” one of them said. “It’s much more comfortable here than it was before.”
“That’s true,” the other guard replied. “But it feels odd looking around here. We aren’t in charge of Schway, so why do we have to guard it?”
“Well, everyone knows that, but it’s not like we shouldn’t do it. It’s an order from the palace.”
“I really don’t know why they want us to patrol if they weren’t even going to treat us like guards. Is it because we’re stupid soldiers and don’t know anything? Is there a bigger meaning to it? Will our reputation increase if we do patrols here?”
“Probably not,” the first guard said. “But didn’t you hear what the captain said? If we happen to catch the culprit, he said our reputation will increase immensely.”
“Do you think that can happen?” the second guard scoffed. “How can we catch him? The royal guards are looking around ferociously, so even if we catch him, they’ll probably take the credit for. You really think they’ll accept the fact that we caught the culprit?”
“No way,” the first guard replied. “Don’t even dream. That won’t happen. We don’t even know who it is to begin with. How can we catch him?”
“The royal guards may know,” the second guard suggested.
“Hmph, it might be better if he killed more before he gets caught. Then maybe they’ll finally realize our importance. Many Schway guards are now working as private guards. I hear you make a lot in a short period of time. If they need more people, I’ll quit and do that. I need to earn more so I can start a store or something.”
“What store?” the first guard asked.
“I’m going to start a bar for the guards. Don’t you think it’ll do well? Just selling cheap alcohol…”
The guards got too far away for him to hear the rest of their conversation, but he didn’t need to. He smiled again and looked around at the royal guards who were walking around proudly. He nodded slightly at them, and the knights also nodded and walked past him.
He couldn’t help but laugh to himself as he walked away. The way the Schway guards lived and thought was so similar to the average citizen, he didn’t have to worry about them. But the royal guards were just as pitiful.
Did they really think they’ll catch the murderer by just walking around aimlessly? Did they even consider what the murderer might do next? Did they even try to understand why those women were killed? Probably not. They didn’t have the brains for it.
The nobles were just as narrow-minded. They believed that the privilege they were born into was the greatest thing and that nothing could harm them. But that privilege meant nothing in front of someone with true talent. It was like wearing expensive clothes. To those who didn’t know any better, they might seem impressive, but to those who knew the truth, they were just clothes. No matter how expensive, fancy, or well-made they were, they were still just clothes. Once you took them off, you were the same person as you were before-a peasant.
He knew this all too well. He had seen it firsthand many times. He knew the truth.
He suppressed his laughter and quickened his pace. He didn’t want to look strange walking around with a smirk on his face. He needed to get home so he could laugh out loud. Just a little bit more. He walked past all the foolish people on the street and headed home.
***
“I thought you wanted to go for a walk,” I said.
He smiled thickly. “Didn’t we?”
“How is walking to a carriage a ‘walk’?”
“It is. Even if it’s a short distance.”
I shouldn’t have believed him. He had shown up unexpectedly, asked me to go for a walk, and then put me in a carriage and was taking me to a place I didn’t know. But I had followed him because I was curious. I needed to tell him about the novel that Penelope had mentioned. That couldn’t be done through a letter.
“Where did you send Amy? She will freak if I disappear,” I said, growing concerned.
“Archer is with her, so don’t worry. Even though he was ambushed once, he won’t let it happen again,” Leon said, amusement still lingering in his voice. It seemed like he found it funny that Archer had been kicked in the important place by Alice.
I raised my eyebrows. “You think I only taught Amy how to attack in one way?”
“But there aren’t many effective ways for a small woman to face a man. Out of them all, attacking the gr0in is the best way if you have the courage. Seems like my lady wouldn’t teach her maid anything but the most effective way,” he said, a faint smile on his lips. I didn’t like how he thought he knew me. I squinted and glared at him, changing the subject.
“I don’t know how much longer it has to be like this,” one of two Schway guards said. They were chatting nearby.
“Don’t say it like that,” one of them said. “It’s much more comfortable here than it was before.”
“That’s true,” the other guard replied. “But it feels odd looking around here. We aren’t in charge of Schway, so why do we have to guard it?”
“Well, everyone knows that, but it’s not like we shouldn’t do it. It’s an order from the palace.”
“I really don’t know why they want us to patrol if they weren’t even going to treat us like guards. Is it because we’re stupid soldiers and don’t know anything? Is there a bigger meaning to it? Will our reputation increase if we do patrols here?”
“Probably not,” the first guard said. “But didn’t you hear what the captain said? If we happen to catch the culprit, he said our reputation will increase immensely.”
“Do you think that can happen?” the second guard scoffed. “How can we catch him? The royal guards are looking around ferociously, so even if we catch him, they’ll probably take the credit for. You really think they’ll accept the fact that we caught the culprit?”
“No way,” the first guard replied. “Don’t even dream. That won’t happen. We don’t even know who it is to begin with. How can we catch him?”
“The royal guards may know,” the second guard suggested.
“Hmph, it might be better if he killed more before he gets caught. Then maybe they’ll finally realize our importance. Many Schway guards are now working as private guards. I hear you make a lot in a short period of time. If they need more people, I’ll quit and do that. I need to earn more so I can start a store or something.”
“What store?” the first guard asked.
“I’m going to start a bar for the guards. Don’t you think it’ll do well? Just selling cheap alcohol…”
The guards got too far away for him to hear the rest of their conversation, but he didn’t need to. He smiled again and looked around at the royal guards who were walking around proudly. He nodded slightly at them, and the knights also nodded and walked past him.
He couldn’t help but laugh to himself as he walked away. The way the Schway guards lived and thought was so similar to the average citizen, he didn’t have to worry about them. But the royal guards were just as pitiful.
Did they really think they’ll catch the murderer by just walking around aimlessly? Did they even consider what the murderer might do next? Did they even try to understand why those women were killed? Probably not. They didn’t have the brains for it.
The nobles were just as narrow-minded. They believed that the privilege they were born into was the greatest thing and that nothing could harm them. But that privilege meant nothing in front of someone with true talent. It was like wearing expensive clothes. To those who didn’t know any better, they might seem impressive, but to those who knew the truth, they were just clothes. No matter how expensive, fancy, or well-made they were, they were still just clothes. Once you took them off, you were the same person as you were before-a peasant.
He knew this all too well. He had seen it firsthand many times. He knew the truth.
He suppressed his laughter and quickened his pace. He didn’t want to look strange walking around with a smirk on his face. He needed to get home so he could laugh out loud. Just a little bit more. He walked past all the foolish people on the street and headed home.
***
“I thought you wanted to go for a walk,” I said.
He smiled thickly. “Didn’t we?”
“How is walking to a carriage a ‘walk’?”
“It is. Even if it’s a short distance.”
I shouldn’t have believed him. He had shown up unexpectedly, asked me to go for a walk, and then put me in a carriage and was taking me to a place I didn’t know. But I had followed him because I was curious. I needed to tell him about the novel that Penelope had mentioned. That couldn’t be done through a letter.
“Where did you send Amy? She will freak if I disappear,” I said, growing concerned.
“Archer is with her, so don’t worry. Even though he was ambushed once, he won’t let it happen again,” Leon said, amusement still lingering in his voice. It seemed like he found it funny that Archer had been kicked in the important place by Alice.
I raised my eyebrows. “You think I only taught Amy how to attack in one way?”
“But there aren’t many effective ways for a small woman to face a man. Out of them all, attacking the gr0in is the best way if you have the courage. Seems like my lady wouldn’t teach her maid anything but the most effective way,” he said, a faint smile on his lips. I didn’t like how he thought he knew me. I squinted and glared at him, changing the subject.
