Chapter 128: Hilltop Ascend

Chapter 128: Hilltop Ascend

Hilltop Ascend

It was early in the morning on the seventh day of their campaign. The encampment was still quiet when Lansius was greeted by the aroma of freshly baked bread, rich with butter and hinting at a slightly sweet, savory taste. So enticing was the scent that he rose from his slumber and went out to find Audrey baking in a corner of the command tent.

Unnoticed by her, Lansius watched as he often did. Despite her new status as a Baroness, Audrey still lived like a squire, waking up early to either maintain their gear or gather early information from the night watch.

However, today, she wasn't checking armor or sword, nor was she wearing her gambeson. The Baroness was baking bread, much as she had done as a squire, the only difference being the high-quality ingredients evident from the leftover goods on the adjacent table.

Lansius tried to sneak to the table for some roasted almonds when Audrey turned sharply, her right hand ready on her dagger. Her terrifying eyes quickly softened as she recognized him. "Oh, it's still early," she said.

"Can't help it. The aroma's too good."

"Hehe," she giggled proudly. "Wait until you taste it with the jam I made from the berries."

The baking and jam-making prompted Lansius to ask, "Is there any special reason?"

"Special occasion?" she misheard, returning to her cauldron.

"Special reason," Lansius repeated. "Why are you suddenly baking bread and making jams?"

"Well... I just wanted to," she replied nonchalantly.

"Really?" Lansius asked as he approached her.

Audrey looked at him with a slight smugness. "It's Centurian bread. My mother used to make this, but I couldn’t remember the recipe. So, I asked Ingrid, and she taught me how to make it."

"Ah, true. Ingrid is from Centuria."

"Yep," she replied, carefully adding more firewood. The flames crackled, eager to consume it. She wiped her hand with a cloth and gazed at the fire, saying, "Also, since everyone already thinks I'm pregnant, I might as well act the part."

Lansius felt odd at her remark. "But you like cooking."

"I don't mind cooking. Cleaning, well, that's another matter. But really... first, you told me not to march on foot. Then, Sir Harold wouldn't let me ride and urged me to use a carriage. Now, Carla won’t even let me train with a sword or don armor," she ended with a sigh.

"Right..." Lansius muttered, apologetically. "But I'm sure they all mean well."

"Without a doubt," she agreed. "I blame no one. It's just that I never expected this." Turning her gaze at him, she added, "I always thought I'd die a swordmaiden against that fell beast."

Lansius took her by the arms and said, "You're mine. I would burn the entire forest if I had to."

Audrey’s face softened, and then she turned her attention back to the iron cauldron as the bread's enticing aroma filled the air, signaling it was perfectly baked. She used a ragged cloth and a sturdy wood to carry the cauldron away from the fire, with Lansius stepping forward to assist her.

She opened the metal cover to reveal the bread, tapping it with a wooden spoon and hearing a satisfying hollow yet crusty sound. "Oh, it's fully cooked," she remarked, a bit surprised.

"Can't wait to try it," Lansius said with a smile, pleased by the shift in mood.

As she let the bread to cool, Audrey stared at him. "Lans, promise me something."

"What is it?"

"Don't turn me into a livestock-"

Lansius chuckled at the notion. "Come again?"

"You know what I mean. Like a goat whose only purpose is to breed," she pouted, her tone subtly threatening. "Don't turn me into a noblewoman who's only good for bearing children."

Lansius laughed and reassured her, "I won’t. You’re too valuable to be kept at home. You’re one of my best Captains. And soon, a Mage Knight as well."

Audrey looked pleased. Then Lansius blurted out, "Besides, who could possibly force you? You've bested a dozen of our knights, and the rest wouldn’t dare try."

"I guess they don't want to be defeated by a woman."

"More like they're afraid of being blinded," he quipped.

"Can't be that bad..." she ventured.

"Oh, believe me, it’s worse than a poke in the eye," Lansius teased.

She sighed deeply. "I hope our future son will not be afraid of my eyes."

Now, that's a real concern...

"Why the silence? Are you seriously worried about that?" she inquired, looking at him.

"No, not really," he responded, smiling. "It's been a while since I was stung."

"I told you I have better control now." A stiff smile was on her lips.

Lansius readily nodded. "Anyway, my stance remains the same: you can resume regular duties, just not while pregnant."

"But I'm not even sure," she said, annoyed.

Lansius shrugged. "It's too early to tell, isn't it?"

She hesitated but nodded her head.

"Then let's just wait until the third month as they suggested."

"But doing nothing frustrates me," Audrey sighed. "How about we spar a little?" she asked, hopeful.

Lansius immediately shook his head. "No, too risky."

She approached him, whispering, "What about wrestling in bed?"

"Well..." He tried to find an excuse but failed.

Audrey stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him. "Husband, it would be embarrassing if all this happened and I came out without a bump after three months. So, I prefer to take precautions," she argued, her allure undeniable.

"I guess that's wise..." Lansius conceded.

"Come, love, I demand a guarantee," she said, extending her right hand like a lady, her face adorned with a smug grin.

"Then I shall obey the Baroness' will," he replied suavely.

Both chuckled over their exchange as they retreated to the inner sanctum of their tent, leaving the freshly baked Centurian bread still steaming on the table to cool, awaiting breakfast. Meanwhile, the wind from the mountains breezed through the camps.

***

***

The Lord's Encampment

Every evening after supper, Ingrid was welcomed to the command tent under the guise of giving lectures to Lady Audrey. While Lord Lansius was curious, he chose to honor the guild's trade secret and made excuses to leave the two alone. That evening, the Lord was engaged in another study session with his top retinue, trying to learn about the region's culture and way of life.

Meanwhile, in the command tent, the clandestine magic training continued.

"Again, inhale and exhale as you move."

"I don't feel anything-"

"Don't worry about it. Trust the process," the mentor reassured the student.

Audrey persevered with her training despite sensing no progress. After the session had ended, she asked, "Ingrid, am I really going to get stronger?"

"I'm confident that you will. Especially after we unlock the source." Ingrid handed Audrey a goblet of water.

"Why delay unlocking the source? Is it because I'm pregnant?" Audrey accepted the goblet and drank.

"Not at all. We deem this training to be safe, certainly safer than physical exercises."

"True, the movements are slow and deliberate."

"The move is to attune your limbs to your breathing," Ingrid explained.

Audrey nodded and put her empty goblet away. "Is everyone trained this way?"

Ingrid hesitated but decided to be frank, "Normally, I let them with a bit of my magic so they can experience wielding it."

Audrey's eyes lit up. "Can you do that for me?"

"I'm afraid not, My Lady. Your potential exceeds mine. If I tried it, your magic might overwhelm mine."

"What would happen then?"

"It would be like a waterfall to a pond. It might cause all kinds of damage, even rupturing the connection between me and my source."

Audrey was taken aback. "Am I that dangerous?"

"It's not uncommon, My Lady. Regrettably, with magic, the more gifted individuals are, the longer the training time required to master it."

Audrey exhaled sharply. It had been several days, but she was still struggling to grasp the concept of magic. Everything was new to her, convincing her that nothing Isolte had taught her was related to magic. "If only he were here," she murmured.

Noticing Ingrid's confused look, Audrey clarified, "The Lord is well-read in many subjects and could explain things to me easily. I believe he even studied a book about Mages."

Ingrid furrowed her brow. "But there's only one such book, the history of the Mage Guild."

"Yes, that's the one. He said he read through that tedious volume to ensure he didn't miss anything."

"Didn't miss anything..." Ingrid repeated slowly before commenting, "My Lord is a remarkable man."

Audrey readily agreed.

Ingrid then asked, "Tell me, My Lady, does he have any other unusual traits?"

Reflecting for a moment, Audrey replied, "Aside from his hair that took a long time to grow, nothing else comes to mind. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious, My Lady," Ingrid reassured her.

"So, shall we resume training?" Audrey proposed, her spirit revived.

"My Lady, it's best to be on the safe side of things, especially when the Lord is powerful," Ingrid said gently. "A son or a healthy daughter would boost other Houses' confidence in your House's standing."

Audrey nodded in understanding. She certainly knew and understood the points well, but hearing them from someone else made a difference.

...

Ingrid

The mentor exited the command tent just as Lord Lansius passed by. They exchanged polite greetings amidst a drizzle and chilly winds.

Returning to her small tent, Ingrid spent some time alone. Originally, she was meant to share a larger tent with a squire, but Ingrid had requested privacy, even if it meant having a smaller tent.

As soon as she settled onto her fur bedroll, strewn atop a thick carpet, she heard excited barking outside the tent, accompanied by the sounds of patrols making their rounds.

Ingrid began preparing a herbal concoction using a jar of hot water she had obtained from the Lady's tent. She needed to brew it quickly before the water cooled.

Unexpectedly, a voice called out from outside. "Educator Ingrid, it's me, the messenger you sent before."

"Please enter," Ingrid responded calmly.

The youth poked his head inside. "Maester, I've searched everywhere for Sir Morton, but I was told he was sleeping elsewhere or on errands. Only now, I received confirmation that Sir Morton was away."

"So you couldn't deliver the letter?"

"Unfortunately..." the messenger replied apologetically, then returned the sealed letter.

Ingrid took her purse and handed the youth five copper coins despite his failure. "Tell no one."

"Of course, and gratitude, Maester."

The messenger departed, leaving Ingrid with a heavy sigh. Not even the freshly brewed aroma of her herbal concoction could lift her spirits. While the Baroness' training had progressed better than expected, Ingrid was facing a big dilemma and needed Sir Morton's expertise and consultation.

Most mages, like Ingrid, couldn't see magic; they could only sense it. Only gifted individuals like Sir Morton had the ability to see magic.

Ingrid needed to consult him about Lord Lansius. She was certain that Sir Morton had met Lord Lansius several times and was baffled as to why the Mage Knight hadn't reported anything peculiar about him.

In truth, Ingrid was utterly shocked when she first met the Lord. His magic potential was so ridiculously low that it seemed impossible.

Thus, for the past several days, she had quietly inquired of the Baroness about any other gemstones or artifacts that the Lord might wear—something to conceal magic. However, the Lady wasn't aware of any, and Ingrid didn't sense anything unusual either.

This troubled Ingrid deeply. "To think that the champion of Lowlandia, the leader of the Grand Alliance, isn't even human."

***