Tears of Souls: Lament at Midnight

Chapter 6

The moment the attacker's arm tightened around her neck, Candace's mind went blank, adrenaline surging through her veins.

Despite ten years of peaceful, sheltered life, her body reacted instinctively, striking back before the attacker could register what was happening.

A scream ripped through the air as the man clutched his groin, collapsing to his knees. But before he could recover, a sharp pain exploded across his nose.

Candace barely touched the ground with her foot as she delivered a swift, brutal kick.

"He's still alive."

"He's still a threat."

"Don't let him go."

"He won't let you go."

A torrent of thoughts flooded her mind, she couldn't tell if they were her own or someone whispering in her ear.

"Excuse me."

A strong hand grabbed her wrist, snapping her back to reality.

She was straddling the attacker, his face a bloody mess. His nose was broken, blood smeared across his cheek.

But what horrified her most was the dagger in her hand, hovering mere centimeters from his throat.

"Terribly sorry about this, Miss Nymeros." The caravan leader hurried over, wringing his hands apologetically. "We need to question him, you see..."

Candace's grip on the dagger faltered.

She pulled away from the knight who had grabbed her wrist and stumbled to her feet, retreating to a safe distance to collect herself.

Everyone could see how pale she was, and no one dared to approach her.

The sudden attack had been swiftly dealt with.

The surviving attackers were taken away by the uniformed knights, who also left a contingent behind to protect the caravan, replacing the injured and deceased mercenaries.

The caravan leader, while not entirely heartless, had no intention of deviating from the terms of their contracts.

The injured mercenaries would be transported to the next town, where they would receive medical attention and compensation as agreed. Those who had perished would be given a proper burial.

Thanks to Candace's timely intervention, most of the injured guards at the back of the caravan had survived, including the bearded man.

However, he was still suffering from a mild concussion, lying on the wagon, too dizzy to communicate properly.

The caravan leader showered Aber with gratitude, though not with any monetary reward.

Aber smiled and played along, but he was already planning to slip away with Candace at the next town.

This attack had been too strange. The attackers, while poorly equipped, didn't seem like ordinary bandits. And the caravan itself was even more suspicious, almost as if they had been expecting the ambush.

It would be safer to travel alone with Candace than to remain with this troublesome group.

So, for the rest of the journey, he hovered around Candace, offering her water, food, and even wildflowers, trying to get her attention.

Surely, his dramatic entrance must have left an impression on everyone.

Especially Candace. A heroic rescue followed by a charming wink, it was a foolproof plan to make her think, "You, sir, have piqued my interest."

But Candace, as always, defied expectations. She seemed completely oblivious to his blatant attempts at flirting, accepting his offerings with a polite nod and a murmured "thank you," her gaze fixed on the ground.

She dedicated herself to caring for the wounded, barely sparing him a glance.

As for the wildflowers... to an apothecary, plants were either useful or useless. And the ones Aber had picked clearly belonged to the latter category.

In short, his efforts had been in vain.

Bound by Vina's warning, Aber couldn't reveal that he had been hired specifically to protect her.

This frustrating situation, wanting to speak but unable to, resulted in his gaze becoming increasingly mournful over the next few days.

Candace might have been oblivious, but the other guards were not.

Confined to the wagons with their injuries, they had plenty of time to observe and speculate.

Aber's behavior naturally piqued their curiosity.

"Maybe they're siblings? Both the newcomer and Miss Nymeros have an air of nobility about them." One of the guards, his arm in a sling, stroked his chin thoughtfully. "A runaway noblewoman and her brother sent to bring her back?"

"Are you blind? They look nothing alike!" Another guard scoffed. "Besides, Miss Nymeros said herself that she's not a noble."

"Aha, then they must be lovers who had a falling out!" Another guard whistled, confident in his deduction. "A commoner girl and a noble boy, a tale of forbidden love!"

The first guard protested, "Why can't it be a fallen noblewoman and her unfaithful guard? Look at the way the newcomer carries himself, he doesn't act like a noble at all."

"How do you know he's unfaithful?"

"Just look at his eyes, the way he smiles at the boss, it's downright scandalous! He's a player, I tell you..."

Aber, who had simply stepped out for a moment, was stunned to overhear their gossip.

He listened in disbelief as they spun elaborate tales, finally settling on a scenario where he was a knight who had fallen in love with the daughter of his enemy, only to realize the depth of his feelings after exacting his revenge. Now, he was trying to win back the love of his life.

Aber: ...These guys should be writing plays, not risking their necks as adventurers.

He had sacrificed his reputation for nothing. The next day, his gaze towards Candace was a mixture of frustration and resignation.

The other guards, noticing his dejected demeanor, exchanged knowing glances.

Candace, the subject of their scrutiny, remained unfazed.

Or rather, she simply didn't care what others thought.

However, she did agree with Aber on one thing: she intended to leave the caravan at the next town.

The caravan leader was devastated. "I assure you, there won't be any more trouble on the rest of the journey!"

He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Let me tell you a secret, those knights are from the House of Gervais. No bandit in their right mind would dare to attack us now..."

Candace shook her head firmly. "I don't want to be associated with them."

The caravan leader: "..."

Her blunt refusal caught him off guard. He had spent a lifetime navigating social complexities, and he had never encountered such a refreshingly straightforward individual.

Seeing his stunned silence, Candace waited for a response, but none came. She took it as a tacit agreement.

With a polite nod, she turned and left.

This town was smaller than Aruboum, lacking its imposing walls and heavily guarded gates.

Candace had initially planned to head straight to the inn and rest, but the unfamiliar scenery stopped her in her tracks.

The rolling hills were bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. From atop a low stone wall, she could see a nearby farm, figures moving about in the distance.

A windmill, silhouetted against the fiery sky, turned slowly in the breeze.

Candace sat down on the wall, her gaze fixed on the windmill.

It had been three days since she had left Aruboum, and it still felt surreal.

She was excited, a little scared, but she didn't hate this feeling.

Aruboum didn't have such strong winds, nor did it have windmills or such expansive views.

Her life had always been confined within those high walls.

It wasn't that she disliked it, it was just... different.

She rested her chin on her hand, breathing in the scent of wildflowers. Without the obstruction of buildings, the landscape stretched out before her, seemingly endless.

It was nothing like the illustrations in her books. This newfound sense of freedom lifted the weight that had been pressing down on her chest.

For the first time in a long time, Candace's mind was at ease. She watched as the sky transformed from a vibrant purple to a deep indigo.

Perhaps it was because they were closer to the Black Abyss, but the air here was colder than in Aruboum.

She sneezed, a strange thought popping into her head.

Maybe it wasn't so bad to waste a little time every now and then.

Her mood considerably lighter, Candace stretched lazily and picked up her staff.

As she hopped off the wall, heading towards the inn, she heard a child crying nearby.

It was a young boy, no older than seven or eight, covered in mud.

He seemed to be injured, his back to her as he sobbed uncontrollably.

"Hey..."

Candace approached cautiously, wanting to see if he needed help. But the boy, startled by her voice, turned and ran towards the edge of town.

The town guard was minimal, barely enough to man the two gates and patrol the streets.

And nightfall was when most magical creatures became active. It was dangerous for a child to be wandering around alone.

Candace looked around, but there were no guards in sight.

She frowned, then, clutching her staff, she followed the boy.

She didn't dare to venture outside the town walls.

If the boy ran off into the wilderness, she would have to alert the townspeople and organize a search party.

Thankfully, the boy didn't leave the town. He simply ducked into a secluded alleyway, continuing to cry.

"Are you..." Candace took a few steps closer, keeping a safe distance. "Do you need help?"

The boy ran a few more steps, then shouted towards a shadowy corner, "I brought her!"

Before Candace could react, several figures wielding clubs emerged from the shadows, surrounding her.

Candace: "..."

She suddenly understood the expression "feeling like you've been kicked by a dog."

"Let's talk about this." She took a deep breath, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I don't have any money on me right now, my belongings are at the inn. If you let me go, I'll give you all my gold."

The leader of the group spat on the ground. "Do you think we're stupid? Let you go, and then what? We'll be lucky if we don't end up dead!"

"If I scream, the guards will hear me. I don't think you want to attract their attention, and I certainly don't want to get hurt." Candace glanced down at her mud-stained clothes and sighed. "I can write you a note, you can take it to the inn and take all my belongings."

The man sized her up, then pointed at her ear. "Take off your earrings!"

Candace: Sharp eyes, you went straight for the most dangerous item...

But she was outnumbered, and fighting her way out wasn't a viable option. She reluctantly removed her earrings.

She handed them over slowly, but the man was clearly impatient.

The boy snatched the earrings rudely, glaring at her before examining the gemstones with fascination.

Then, he ran off, leaving Candace alone with the five men.

Her arms were starting to ache from holding them up for so long. She lowered them, shaking them out and stretching her legs to relieve the tension.

The leader of the thugs chuckled. "I've never met a woman like you."

"I don't understand your logic either. What do you consider normal, and what's abnormal?" Candace raised an eyebrow. "Whether I scream in terror or faint, it wouldn't benefit you. But when I cooperate, you find it strange."

She shrugged. "Trying to understand your thought process would only hinder my judgment, so it's a factor I choose to discard."

The thugs stared at her, dumbfounded.

They exchanged confused glances, confirming that none of them had understood a word she had said. Their bravado returned.

"Don't try to change the subject!" The leader glared at her. "You can't fool us with your fancy words and stall tactics!"

"If Johnny doesn't come back with your belongings, you'll regret it!"

Candace: "..." Ah.

Suddenly, it all made sense.

This was actually a brilliant plan.