Chapter 181 Campfire

I looked back, the border appearing in my sight as I took one last look.

The heavily armed soldiers, the scathing looks, the tension that resulted from their stare down. It all culminated in this intense atmosphere of confrontation. One that would most likely reach its tipping point when the death of the king reached here. I'd Though that would not be for days as information seemed to travel at a snail's pace compared to what I was used to. Either way though that border would soon turn into a bloodbath in a matter of days.

It wasn't something that I was comfortable with, nor was it something that I was deeply disturbed by. I knew that I would be the cause of this, I had let Delta run wild and stir dissent in the city but only now. Now that I was looking into the faces of people that would soon die in battle for a cause they most likely never even believed in had it hit me.

I felt responsible for this, no, I would take responsibility for this. I had no need for those feelings of pity, the ones that roused my emotions. I needed to take responsibility for this and I would. As soon as I take control of this realm I will conquer every kingdom that had buried its root in this world and take complete control.

I would uplift them into a golden age, even if they were unwilling I would take them kicking and screaming. No more would I take the cowards route and kick them off the realm like I had done previously.

It was with that resolve that I turned my face from the border, it felt weird that I was having such a revelation at what would seem like an ordinary sight but I was glad I had it. So far I was half assing my rule. Taking time and even more time to develop and even leaving it to my subordinates. Of course I would still delegate but now I would take full control. No more skirting around the subject of rule.

…

"Darwin… are you ok?" Aoif asked quietly, her voice barely reaching my ear. Her body was leaned onto my own, the light of the campfire that Delta had produced flickering in my eyes as Aoif whispered her concern into my own ears.

"Yeah" I responded, the usual emotion that I would place in my talks with Aoif gone as I sat and contemplated how I was going to rule when we got back from the conquering of this realm.

Though soon I shook my head, the thoughts fading from my mind as I snuggled my body into Aoif's. Across from me Delta gave me a weird look, one of both curiosity and understanding. Like she knew exactly what I was thinking and was trying to convey it.

'Weird' I thought to myself as I watched Delta stand from where she was sitting and retire towards the tent that she had constructed earlier.

"Aoif…" I whispered, my hand nudging her from her trance and back into wakefulness.

"Yeah" She whispered back.

"Want me to carry you back or…" I asked, my thumb pointed back towards the tent that Delta had set up for us.

"Carry" Aoif said sleepily and I complied. My hands reached towards her leg and back as I put her into a princess carry. Once that was done I stepped towards the tent and with my leg I opened the tent and placed Aoif into the bed. After that I closed the tent door and clipped it together so that nothing would come in nor out until it was unclipped and then put myself to bed.

My arms reached into Aoif's own and snuggled her head into my chest as I closed my eyes to sleep.

…

Light did not greet my eyes as I woke up, instead it was to the green eye of Delta staring into my own. Aoif next to me was already awake but she kept up the facade of sleep by snuggling herself further into my chest with her eyes closed and her breath even. That could not fool me nor could it fool Delta and she was called out for it.

Not by me but by Delta who conjured a splash of water that fell onto Aoif's head and rebounded onto my clothed chest.

I glared up to Delta at that, there was no reason for her to do that but when I looked up and actually took a good look at Delta there seemed to be this sort of impatience on her face that confused me. Enough to rid me from the anger that she had caused by splashing water on me.

Aoif went to glare too but just as I did she was stopped in her anger. The look of impatience on Delta's face stopping any sorts of complaint.

"We've been discovered, if you don't want to massacre the lot of them then let's go" Delta said as my head perked up at the news. I couldn't say that I was surprised, we had barely gone past the border before we had set up camp, tired from the journey.

Though I had thought that it would have been far enough for them to not be suspicious it seems that we would have to move as they had found us and were suspicious.

Now that I knew and focused on it I could hear the loud echoes of the men shouting this way and that. Though I couldn't understand the majority of it with them being so far away from us what I could understand was that they were hostile.

It seemed like they were trying to get done with this as fast as possible which was why I hurried in packing everything that I had taken out for the night.

Aoif beside me was up too, though she didn't need to pack anything as she hadn't taken anything out. Aoif still helped.

Within minutes we were ready, the sound of the soldiers growing closer.