The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 139: Arriving at Notrelune

Chapter 139: Arriving at Notrelune

The grassland returned to silence after Hex had left with Althea and Hestia. The bodies of the Knights and Squires remained, waiting to turn into the nourishment of the never-ending grasses.

"What should we do now?"

One of the cart drivers asked his companions. They remained hidden in the dense bushes. They were the only ones not knowing the things that happened in the past period.

They heard the sounds of battle but were unaware of the truth. As they waited for the return of the Knights, doubts filled them.

"I think they are dead or wounded." One of them replied. "We should perhaps look for them?"

"Or," said another, "maybe we should leave with these things and sell them somewhere. We will divide the money and return saying everything was stolen. Heaven knows regular people like us are often ignored by the strong."

For a while no one said anything. "W-Will that be alright?"

His question wasn’t to object. He just needed more support. And the rest knew. One by one, they started to discuss the reasons why they were right to do so and how it wasn’t stealing.

When they were done convincing the others and themselves, they left for the town they knew they would be able to sell without any hassle.

"Their strings of fate are also affected even when they didn’t even exchange a single word with those three."

The ladies in the wide cloak watched the regular humans leave while observing their fate.

"Affecting regular people’s fate without suffering any repercussions is strange. I have never heard it done before," replied the girl, shocked and intrigued at the same time.

"Indeed. We need to report to the mistress as quickly as possible. I heard she is going to Notrelune too."

...

"Ouch. Slow down please."

Hex groaned as he pleaded to his female companions. They had left hurriedly because Hex felt his power fall below the Knight level as soon as the berserk state was undone.

He retained his element and blessing energy but his physical ability dwindled. His muscles were sore and he felt pain all over his body.

"Berserkers draw more energy than they are normally used to. It damages the energy channels and the muscles that need to bear the overload of strength."

That was what Hestia told him. According to her, he would return to his usual level as soon as his body was healed. The nature element inside him helped him recuperate faster than others did but he still wasn’t healed after two days.

’It might have to do with the fact that we haven’t rested properly in the past two days, rushing toward the city without the slightest delay.’

Hex wasn’t sure how many more people knew about them and the corpse of the Frost Dragon. To avoid unnecessary battles with unknown forces, he dropped his plans to build relationships with other towns. It was temporary. He planned to observe first before deciding who to partner with. But first, they needed to reach the city.

"When will we reach the damn city," he groaned. After the grasslands, they encountered a flat plain and then a hilly terrain. The hills were covered with soft grass and small plants. He had seen many farm animals grazing and even seen herders from far but there had been no sight of camps or settlements.

"We have reached it!" Althea’s voice came from atop the hill Hex was still climbing. The news about the city seemed to put some strength into him. He quickly reached the top. Standing beside Althea and Hestia, he looked at the city. The sight before him made him drop his jaw.

Hex had never seen a city before. He only heard them being described in stories, and even then, it was often glossed over. It led him to imagine a city being a slightly larger town. Only when he saw Notrelune did he realize how mistaken he was.

The city was so big that Hex couldn’t even see its ending. He had no indication of its actual size. He only knew that one Grindeston would be akin to a drop inside the walls.

The walls had a massive gate. Hex had never seen something like this. The gate had a smaller gate, which stood open. The people entered and exited through the gap in the gate.

From the top of the hill, they could see partially inside the walls. The first thing Hex noticed was the big waterhole in the middle of the city. It was circular shaped and glowed softly in the sun. Its silvery water was mesmerizing to watch.

"That’s the moon lake," Althea said, pointing at the place Hex called a waterhole. "In the day, it glows due to the sun, and in the night, it shimmers in the light of the moon or stars. Its soft, moon-like glow gave the city its name.

In the north of the lake, just as we enter the city, stands the marketplace. It’s the busiest and rowdiest district. In the west are the commoner districts. To the east are the Temples, administration buildings, and barracks. The south is where the elite and the officials reside."

Althea was familiar with the city. Her quick introduction helped Hex and Hestia gain a better understanding of the city and its layout.

"We need to pay an entrance fee and state the purpose of our visit. I suggest we enter it under my name, making it seem like a visiting military batch."

Hex and Hestia had no problem with Althea’s proposal. They would require her guidance in the beginning. Plus, after the fiasco with Lasttown, Hex wanted to conceal his identity as much as he could. He even dyed his hair. It was now dark blue rather than black.

They descended the hill and quickly reached the gate. The queue to enter was long, but they waited patiently.

In front of the smaller gate stood a row of sentries with one man at a table at the side. People had to pay and state their business. Hex noticed everything was documented in an orderly fashion. He wondered whether to implement something like this in his town too.

’It would help to have an idea about the people entering and exiting, reducing the risk of unwanted figures.’ But when he thought about how they would bypass the inspection easily, he decided to give it more thought.

"The northern hawks?" The sentry asked surprised as Althea disclosed her identity. "Why didn’t you guys enter with the Commander?"

"The Commander is here?" Althea asked, surprised. Her face bloomed with a soft, seldom seen, smile.

"Y-Yeah," stammered the sentry, mesmerized by her smile. "He came earlier today."

Althea thanked him and gestured to Hex and Hestia to follow.

"Change of plans. We will meet with the Commander. With his help, I am sure we will remain safe, even if people know who you two are."

Hex nodded. He wished to meet the Commander too. After all, the man was a friend of the baron.

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