[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 121 - 25: Little By Little [5]

Chapter 121: Chapter 25: Little By Little [5]

At this moment, all Ardyn wanted to do was laugh. How many times had this happened to him already?

Also, what could be worse at this point?

"Nothing’s going right," he muttered, shaking his head. He looked up to see Luke and Leon’s expressions mirroring each other, and he felt something inside of him soften. "But hey, what else are we going to do? I’ll just have to be careful from now on."

Leon looked at him carefully. "Aren’t you afraid?" he asked, curiosity in his tone.

Ardyn sighed. "If I say I am, what difference does it make? Ever since I stepped into this world, I’ve been scared as hell and unsure of everything. I don’t know many things, but at least I have you to help me with stuff, right?"

Leon looked surprised. "So you’re... okay? Especially with me?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?" Ardyn reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "You must have suffered a lot when you escaped from your home. Don’t worry about it, kid. I’m sure your father wouldn’t want to hurt you. But if anything happens, I’ll protect you. Just teach me a few things and I’ll be fine on my own. I’ll try to get stronger, too."

Seeing the look on Leon’s face, Ardyn felt that his life here now had some meaning. He also didn’t feel as agitated as before. Maybe it was because he no longer saw the point in getting too angry or anxious. He had never been the type of person to dwell on things too much anyway. He preferred to live in the moment and adapt to it whenever necessary.

Besides, now that he had some rest, he felt like he could think a little clearer than before. Although it was still upsetting, Luke’s words had also given him hope. Maybe even a goal to strive for in this world.

A memory. A solid one that would remind him of who he really was.

A reminder of his true identity.

A reminder of Adrien Lowell, who was just an ordinary college student about to graduate and enter the world of the working class and never-ending bills. Adrien Lowell, who was now thrust into a foreign fantasy world and needed to find his new purpose.

One thing’s for sure... I’ll try not to die too early this time, he thought.

It was easier said than done, but at least he was motivated enough now.

"I—I will," Leon said with a nod. "You can ask me stuff that you don’t know and I’ll do my best to explain."

"Thanks," Ardyn said sincerely.

Leon said nothing after that, but he did look a little confused. He seemed to have a lot on his mind. Ardyn couldn’t blame him; the guy had gone through so much as well. Being on the run from your own father didn’t sound very appealing, after all.

Luke looked out the window. "Oh, we’re here already?" He turned to them with a smile. "We should get something to eat. We can also see if the news has reached this town yet."

Leon and Ardyn nodded, and then they left the carriage one by one.

"How will we know where the carriage is later?" Ardyn asked as they walked down the winding road, looking back at the trees where they had left the invisible vehicle.

Leon patted his own coat pocket. "I have a crystal here that helps me detect it, especially in its invisible state."

"Oh. I see. That’s good, then."

Ardyn looked ahead and stared at the town, spotting people walking busily back and forth. He wore a hood over his head like Luke and Leon, and even though he knew that his face wouldn’t be plastered all over the internet like it was back in his world or on the newspapers here — especially since no one had taken a picture of him or seen his real face anyway — he still felt a little paranoid.

"Do either of you know this town?" he asked conversationally.

Luke nodded. "I passed through here a few days ago on my way to Angelbay City. I went to explore a bit, but left soon after."

"What about you?" Ardyn asked Leon, who seemed mesmerized by the sight of the town.

"Oh. I..." Leon looked hesitant. "I hardly ever leave the castle, so..."

"I see. So you’re kind of like me." Ardyn smiled a little. It was still a little strange for him to see. The first time he met Leon, the latter had been cold and distant in an elegant way, but now the younger man looked innocent and boyish, as if he had never seen much of the outside world before.

Ardyn looked back at the winding road and watched the sky. The moons were already visible, and bright, twinkling stars dotted the dark expanse of the sky. The wind blew past them, and the branches of the tall trees that lined the road swayed gently in the breeze.

He closed his eyes, smelling the sweet scent of wildflowers and listening to the distant sound of crickets.

For a moment, he allowed himself to believe that this was just another place in his world. That this was just another place he was traveling to on vacation.

Just so he could feel a little more comfortable about this whole thing.

Soon, they approached the outskirts of the city. As they drew closer, the details of the village came into focus. A faint aroma of wood smoke and hearth fires drifted into his senses the next moment.

The main street was lined with modest houses, and a few gardens were overflowing with wildflowers and vegetable plots. Children chased each other down the street, their laughter echoing in the warm evening air.

The adults, however, seemed to be behaving somewhat differently.

Men and women were huddled together in a few groups, and they seemed to be discussing something anxiously.

"What’s happening?" Ardyn asked in a whisper. He was standing between Luke and Leon, hoping that one of them would answer his question.

Luke’s lips were set in a thoughtful frown. "Maybe the news has reached this town and they don’t know what to do about it," he guessed.

Ardyn understood immediately. "Oh. Right. The monster’s reappearance..."

At that moment, some townspeople saw them coming and rushed over.

"Where did you young men come from?" asked a man who looked to be in his forties, his eyes wide. He had graying hair and a mustache, with lean muscles and a short stature.

Startled, Ardyn took a step back. Luke replied softly, "We are travelers from the Emerald Kingdom. We’ve been on a journey to Angelbay Ci—"

"Oh, goodness me! You shouldn’t go there!" a woman in her thirties suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Luke’s words. She was dressed in civilian clothes, with short brown hair and bright green eyes. "We haven’t seen it ourselves, but we heard about what happened earlier today!"

Luke looked concerned. "What kind of news?" he asked.

Ardyn shot him an inconspicuous glance.

He knew that Luke already knew the answer to that, but man, he was pretty good at acting. He really sounded believable.

A man dressed in farmer’s clothes sighed heavily. He was a tall, heavyset man with kind brown eyes. "My son had been on his way to another village when he saw soldiers and citizens evacuating to a safehouse. They seemed to be from Angelbay City. We don’t know what’s going on. We don’t have enough information yet."

So they know of the evacuation, Ardyn thought.

Next to him, Leon was strangely silent. In fact, he was standing a few steps behind them with his head down, as if he were shy.

But Ardyn knew that that wasn’t the case at all. As a royal, Leon must be paranoid about being recognized by other people. He couldn’t afford to be caught by his father so early. It would mean trouble not only for him, but also for Ardyn and Luke.

However, one of the townspeople seemed to notice him. The man with graying hair had his eyes on Leon and looked a little confused. It was as if he was trying to remember where he had seen him before.

Luke was still talking to the farmer and the woman, apparently discussing theories and asking more questions about the situation. Ardyn listened in silence, but his eyes soon caught the man who was steadily approaching Leon.

"Young man," he said suddenly with a pensive expression on his face. "You look familiar. Have we met before? I have a feeling that I know you from somewhere."

Ardyn instantly froze, his mind racing a mile a minute. Alarmed, he turned to Luke, but he was still occupied. He turned back to Leon, and the man was still talking to him, trying to persuade him to show his face.

Left with no choice, Ardyn stood in front of Leon and plastered a polite smile on his face.

"Hey there. Sorry for the intrusion," he said, the words just pouring out of his mouth without a second thought. "But is there something you need with my friend?"

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