The hammering sounds echo strongly outside Ghord's Shop. Inside, while working, Milla is forging her custom weapon, a great double-bladed ax. The size of the blades is enormous, ninety centimeters long; one is sharp and clean, while the other is full of serrations along its length. A long iron haft, approximately one hundred and forty centimeters, wrapped in leather strips to increase the grip, comprises this unique weapon. It's been two weeks since the incident with the mercenaries. Questioned by the guards because of her interaction with them, she was free to focus on her creation, and no one could link her to the murder.
One week after the crime, there was a new topic in the city: the visit of Amiliath Felnatus. This could be one of the most intense diplomatic visits in the kingdom this month. At the start of the next month, an entourage will escort Lady Felnatus to ensure everything follows the procedures, and even a delegate from the Royal Family will be present to help with the negotiations.
Milla knows about this encounter; this is the chance she was waiting for, so she rushed her preparations for the day, but there is one thing it lacks. Information.
The planned route and agenda of the visit are not available to the public; she needs to find a way to discover these details to improve her chances of success. There is one person who can help her, if she can make him trust her: Elzen.
How should she approach this? The thought of approaching someone to get something is strange for her. The few people she knows are thanks to pure chance and not her social skills, but she needs to be fast; she has fifteen days to get the information.
After her shift at the forge, the blue sky slowly became a dark sea of stars. On the way to the tavern, it looks like luck is one of her strongest allies. She met Elzen going in the same direction this time alone; it's the perfect opportunity.
"Hello, Elzen..." She approaches awkwardly with a pitiful attempt at a smile.
"Oh! Good evening, Lady M-milla. Excuse me for my surprised tone, but I was not expecting to find you here outside the tavern." He was flustered by her presence, for once a word formed in her mind when she saw that: Cute.
"Oh, you come here more often? But I haven't seen you at home lately, except on weekends with your friends." She knows where he was the rest of the time. While she's working, it's obvious he's watching her every move."
"Y-yes, we've been ordered to increase patrols since the incident, so I volunteered to patrol here at night. Since I'm interested in your well-being, I wanted to make sure you were safe on the way home."
"That's kind of you. Thank you for your dedication. So, shall I see you on the way out?" She smiles genuinely, making her beauty shine.
"Yes, see you later. Have a good night's work, and if you need the guard…" He strikes a pose of attention. "...I'll be ready to help."
She laughs at his small gesture and leaves him at the entrance of the tavern. The shift proceeded normally, without incident. The bards sang tales of the past with impressive skill, and Milla moved as if dancing with the orders. Unlike normal taverns, the adventurer's guild has a rule: No noise is allowed after midnight. This rule was created to create a safe and good environment inside the building. With so many services that they offer, one of which is the inn, many tired adventurers decide to stay and need a calm ambiance to have a good night's sleep. When it's eleven o'clock, the music stops, and the tavern starts to shut down.
Milla stays until the tavern is fully closed, helping the owner and other workers to clean the entire place. She changes into her casual clothes again and leaves. Elzen was anxiously waiting for her.
"It's quiet tonight, my lady. I don't think we are going to have any trouble." He bows in a pompous way, trying to make her laugh.
"I'm glad I have a strong guard to protect me on this quiet night. I would probably be assaulted by boredom on my way home." She giggles, bowing in response.
"Don't underestimate the power of the minions of boredom, my lady. They can attack at any moment and bring you to the limbo of the slow passage of time." He pauses a moment, a smile on his face and a look of familiarity.
"You know, my lady..."
"You can call me Milla, and I hope to have earned the honor of calling you by your name too." She stands at his side, interrupting him. "May we go our way?"
"Sure, my la... I mean, Milla. Let's enjoy this beautiful night, which just becomes prettier with you at my side." His smile had a speck of sadness; something was on his mind.
"I didn't know these city guards were trained in flattery." They walk at a slow pace.
The empty streets of the commercial district were a perfect opportunity for them to talk. Elzen explained his new patrol routes. Normally, he would be alone, but now, after the incident, there were always two other guards. Many residents were worried about the security of their homes. The shop owner who discovered the crime scene when we were going to open it for work was in shock. No one would be ready to witness that much blood and entrails.
Milla dodged talking about the incident; she focused more on her other jobs and hobbies. Hunting in the city surroundings is exciting enough lately, the forest is full of animals, and some exotic creatures, in the plains, most herbivores live roaming free without worry, making them a perfect target to hunt, and in the mountains, monsters are the most common prey, the variety is incredible, from feeble kobolds to even find a dangerous Arkabhith; a dangerous creature with eight legs and a thick fur that is hard as steel covering its entire body. Its heavy fur can be used to craft warm protective armor, good for expeditions in cold places, and you need to be sneaky.
"So you hunt, forge, and work as a waitress in the tavern on the same day?" Impressed by her endurance, he was astonished.
"Yes, I wish I could do more or different things, but I just love the solitude of hunting, the comforting heat of the forge, and..." She giggles. "The extra money the tavern pays is great to buy materials for my projects at the forge."
"If I'm not being nosy, what projects are you doing?"
"A weapon that will be perfect to handle, a suit of armor that will be strong but will offer me the agility I need to move around without making much noise, and some equipment to help me in my hunts." She speaks in such an exhilarating way that it makes Elzen smile.
"I envy your enthusiasm. I would like to have something to care so much about." His smile fades a little.
"You don't like to be a guard?" They stop close to Milla's house.
"I used to..." A deep sigh brings his emotions to the surface; without any thought, he lets them flow with each word. "When I was young, I always wanted to be part of something; joining the Felnatus archduchy guard was supposed to be that. I trained from the morning until sundown, only worrying about doing better every day until I got promoted and recognized for my efforts."
"What changed?" She sits close to the garden's fence, patting the ground at her side, asking him to sit.
"For years, training and honing my skills, tears and blood, but at the end of each day, there was one person who made all that effort seem easy compared to what she did. A maid named Manila." He sits close to her and looks at the starry night sky.
"The first months I saw her at the end of my training, she was always cleaning the barracks alone, no other servant was there, which was a big surprise. At first, I thought she was just getting punished for something she did and would get help after some time, but no help came."
"Then she continued to do amazing work daily: the barracks were spot clean, our uniforms were fixed when needed, and the weapons were polished and ready for the training and exercises. Our lives as trainees were so much easier thanks to her."
She knows about this; she knows it well. She was often the only company Manila would have, trying to instigate her to rebel, to destroy all those who were using and mocking her, but her pleas met with deaf ears.
"What happened to that girl?" Milla interrupted, catching him off guard.
"I don't know, I failed her, told her how much I loved her, how I would protect her from whoever, and in the end, I failed, my words were empty in the end... I lost the desire to be a guard after that. All the time I dedicated to being a guardian, a protector, for what? Failure?"
"So you gave up?" A cold breath of the night breeze ruffled her hair. This question left him speechless.
The two sat silently on the cold floor, keeping each other company. No words were needed at that moment, no words would bring peace to his conflicted mind, a single gesture changed everything, her hand touched his. They stayed for an hour just appreciating the darkness. When the time was right, she went inside, and he went to the barracks.
Day after day, the two would meet outside the tavern and head to Milla's house. They would talk about the day and the past. Elzen would tell them more about his training days and the moments he spent with Manila, while Milla would talk about her busy days without much time to spare. For many, these moments were common and of little value, but for the two, a moment of peace brought comfort to their hearts.
It was just another night. Elzen was waiting near the entrance to the adventurers' guild. Then the sound of things breaking and people screaming caught his attention. Causing a commotion on guild property is a serious offense.
He quickly entered the building to assist if necessary. The bartender came to meet him with a fearful expression.
"Guard, guard! Three customers were misbehaving with the waitresses, and when one of them asked them to leave, they threatened her with weapons in hand."
"Is anyone hurt?" He unsheathed his great sword and prepared to go inside. "Hold this. Soon, there will be backup from other guards. I'm going in." He gave the owner a red gem that started to blink after he put some mana into it, and went inside the building to a big surprise.
Two men were unconscious on the floor with wounds all over their bodies. One man was struggling desperately to free himself from Milla's firm grip, who was holding him by the neck. Her uniform was covered in cuts and stained with blood, a dagger was stuck in the right side of her stomach, but she was holding tightly to the man who was slowly losing strength due to lack of air.
"Miss Milla!" Elzen urgently approached to assist. The other customers kept their distance, not wanting to be part of the fight.
Without looking at him, she continued to squeeze the man's neck tightly, who was slowly stopping moving, until finally his body came loose without any strength. She let him fall to the floor. No one was threatening her anymore, but she didn't seem ready to stop the fight.
"Milla? Milla, the fight is over; they can't hurt anyone else, and you're injured. Let me call a cleric or a healer to help you..." He slowly sheathed his sword and approached.
Her breathing was slow and deep; the wounds on her body would be enough to render anyone else unconscious. Other guards appeared and helped her calm down; they took her to the medical clinic present in the adventurers' guild.
The healers treated her as best they could, closing her wounds and calming her spirits with magic. The healer in charge of the clinic asked for someone to stay with her during the observation period, and Elzen volunteered to stay with her until someone from her family could show up.
As he lay beside her on the bed, he remembered when he had cared for Manila in the same way, without doing much; he could only wait for her to open her eyes, smile, and say her name. At this moment, he watched her with affection, her company calming his heart, and he felt guilty about it. His love for Manila was still strong, but Milla's presence enchanted him with her charm and determination.
When he finally decided to hold her hand while she rested, she opened her eyes with a smile that he knew.
"Hello, Elzen, it's good to see you again."