Reincarnated as a Lousy Knight

7. Cluedence, City of Merchants

Aishia was contemplating her random encounter with the third prince. It was unusual that he showed himself before her just to say about the massive plague that happened in their village.

He's witted. To think that he found me suspiciously... she thought while eyeing her comrades who were busy going and working in the obstacle course. They were next in the line so she needed to prepare herself.

"Next!" Captain Ferrer shouted to each of the knights that needed to crawl in the mud with a net over them.

When it was Aishia's turn, she crouched down and crawled under the net, feeling the cold feeling of the mud in her skin. She cursed under her breath when some of the knights in training were training more water, especially in her area. She saw their grin smeared on their lips. Aishia gritted her teeth.

These scoundrels... "Slope down," she chanted a spell under her breath.

All of a sudden, she heard a squealing sound behind her when the knights who were oppressing her fell to the ground. The bucket full of water was being thrown off in their direction, getting their training uniform.

"What the hell are you doing, Looper, Garbo?!" The loud anger of Captain Ferrer echoed all over the camp seeing how those two men were humiliated.

Aishia grinned and rolled her eyes as she continued finishing the obstacle course. They must've forgotten that I am a sorceress in my past life. Ah, yes. If only I could tell them who I am, perhaps they would be scared of me. She laughed mentally.

"That's very tiring..."

Aishia glanced at the lady who had just finished the obstacle course when she was resting under the tree to take a break. The blonde-haired lady sat beside her and smiled at her.

"Are you also taking a break, too?" she asked Aishia.

Aishia didn't answer. She didn't feel that it was obligatory to answer a question that was so obvious. She was about to stand up but then the lady stopped her.

"I didn't mean to annoy you..." She lowered her gaze. "I just want to make friends here," she said softly.

Aishia rolled her eyes. "Making a friend when you are a two-faced b***h," she remarked. The lady looked at her with a surprised expression. Aishia heaved a sigh and shrugged. "You just want to keep sticking with me because I got the attention of the lycan princes." She looked at her intently. "Stay away from me."

The lady's sweet smile hung on her lips. Aishia watched as her lips pursed into a thin line. "That is why no one likes you here, loser. No one wants to be your friend." She smirked.

Aishia blinked, looking at her with a fake sad face. "Aww... Is it?" she said in a dejected tone. Then she leaned forward, looking down at that lady. "I don't care." She scoffed and grinned before she decided to stand up.

"Bitch..." She heard what that lady said.

Aishia glanced at her. "Tell that to yourself, Reina." She smirked before turning her back from the lady named Reina.

She already knew ever since she started training here in the camp at Noble Pines Woodland, a lot of her comrades didn't like her. Other rookie knights found her arrogant for announcing such an absurdity to steal the strongest knight title from the third prince, Leonidas Oriana.

"Soon..." she murmured.

She needed to see that sword technique from Leonidas. Ever since she got to know that information, Aishia couldn't get enough sleep. She already asked Asperse Grimoire how on earth did Leonidas learn that sword technique only Felix could master. But her grimoire didn't bestow her the answer she wanted.

Instead, it had given her a blank answer.

Asperse didn't know... Someone was hiding the truth. The two people who could pull those strings were the current lycan emperor of the Oriana Empire and the divine priest. If Galafe confides with that divine priest, then Asperse can’t get the information because of my state right now. 

That made her in distress. If she was in her current body, she believed that Asperse could manage to have that information. Since the body of Cerise Blueth was a magicless vessel, the magic Aishia had right now came from her soul and the sacrificial ritual Cerise had done to summon her.

Days had passed, Captain Ferrer had given all the rookie knights a day off. They could wander around the capital if they wanted to. Aishia never wasted the time to pay a visit to the capital of the Oriana Empire, Cluedence. It was known as the City of Merchants.

She felt strange as this was once a ruined city she destroyed thirty years ago. She ran amok upon knowing that Felix had been slaughtered by the former fifth prince who was now the emperor.

Aishia went to the plaza square where they burned her alive. The feeling of a divine ring of fire almost devoured her as she shivered from that memory. That memory was living vividly in her mind. It was purely masked with sadness, sorrow, and abomination.

Her loss for Felix had left her vulnerable. Felix was her mate. He was the love of her life. She was supposed to be married to him and created a family in a far, far away land.

I was supposed to be Aishia Hachette Heinz... She was feeling her chest tighten. She clenched her hands, feeling hurt by the memory of her lover. Felix... Be my protector. Lend me your strength. I want to be with you. Help me become the strongest knight. She silently prayed.

Aishia inhaled and exhaled before she decided to ask some people if they knew a skillful blacksmith who could do marvelous work with forging materials. She was led to a corner alley with a shop called The Fire Squire and the blacksmith man was named Macario who was the owner of it.

Wearing a mask and a cloak while carrying the sack of special materials, Aishia approached Macario who just gotten out from his shop to smoke a coffin nail.

"Can you make me a magic staff that can be transformed into a spear?" she asked, masking it with a deep male voice so she could be mistaken as a male.

Macario eyed her up and down. Then he arched his eyebrow. "You have come to the right shop. Of course, I could do that," he said in his rusty voice and exhaled the smoke in her direction.

Aishia frowned from smelling the smoke but forced a smile. "Great. Here are the materials you need. I need you to forge them."

He took the sack and checked the contents. He was surprised to see rare materials. He took one of them and squinted his eyes. He took the three gemstone shards that were twinkling in a warm tone. "I've never seen material such as this..." He inspected.

"It's small but it is powerful," she said as she was talking about the last shards of her staff before she destroyed it for good. This was before she was captured by the werewolf knights.

"Meteor rocks..." Macario grinned and looked at her. "I see. You are lucky to find such a rare rock. I can tell you don't have a wolf inside you."

Aishia nodded. There was no need to hide it anymore. "Correct."

"And a spear. Are you a rookie knight?"

Aishia just smiled and didn't say anything. They say less talk, less mistakes.

Macario nodded. "I shall take that as a yes." Then she took the last piece of the materials. It was a black lotus flower that was known as deadly as wolfsbane. With its extract, it could be a fatal death if it was coated in a blade. This lotus flower could only get in the cave, Ethereal Cavern which was located in the Harsea Mountains. "You have a good eye." Macario had taken an interest in her.

Rare materials meant this new client of his only wanted a high-quality weapon she could wield. Macario was curious as to how Aishia got these materials. Did she get it all by herself or did someone sell them to her? If so, he wanted to know.

"Will this be enough payment?" Macario raised his head seeing Aishia waving the two gold bars. "I am expecting it to be finished in less than a week." She bestowed the gold bars in his hands. "I'll add more if you satisfy me with your blacksmith skills."

Macario grinned. "I can finish it within three days if you want," he said, finally taking the gold bars before he bit them to see if they were real or not.

Aishia scoffed with a grin. "You do not need to rush. Take your time. I'll stop by after seven days." She bid farewell and didn't wait for the man to ask her more questions.

She took a stroll more before deciding to stay in a certain cafe to take a rest. She was enjoying her tea when she suddenly remembered her disciples. I haven't gotten to ask Asperse. I am afraid to know if Galafe had killed them all. My heart can't handle that... She thought.

At that moment, Aishia felt alone. She had no one to rely on. That thought of not having someone besides her depressed her and it was making her sadder than before.

She couldn't help shed a tear as she smoothly wiped it. Galafe... You took everything from me... She glared at the Blue Diamond Palace where Galafe lives. Her anger towards him rose more the more she felt how lonely she was. He must feel the same pain of losing someone important to you.

Aishia came to spot one of the main attractions here in Cluedence. It was the clock tower with a gothic revival architectural style. She looked at her pocket watch since she realized she only has until midnight before going back to the camp. She could use teleport if she wanted.

Then she stared at the clock tower with so much longing. "What a great way to die there..." she murmured.

Later that night, she decided to go to the top of the clock tower. She heaved a sigh seeing the busy people in the streets. Some of them were with someone they love. They eat, laugh, and hug each other which Aishia's heart was breaking down. So she needed to look away.

She held her hair in one place as the soft wind of the night swiftly passed by her. "It feels lonely..." She looked up at the sky. She closed her eyes, trying to feel the hug from Felix.

"You'll always be in my heart, Aishia. No woman would ever make me feel happy if it's not you..."

"Felix..." She opened her eyes as tears fell from her eyes. The loneliness was eating her just by remembering the words from him. "Take me where you are now. I am supposed to be by your side..."

She bit her lower lip, wiping the tears from her eyes. Somehow, Aishia felt scared that she only has herself right now. It was truly heartbreaking.

Aishia looked down to see how tall the clock tower was. She could try jumping and get herself killed but she knew that it could return her to life unless she fulfilled the contractor's accord.

I will only do this once for the peace of my sanity. She sighed before letting herself fall to the ground.

Feeling Cerise's body plunging, Aishia turned around to see the starry sky and the moon. She once adored them but right now, they looked like a nuisance to her. She slowly closed her eyes. She wanted to feel like dying again and be alive later.

Just before her body reached the ground, a pair of arms had caught her. Aishia gasped and peeled her eyes open to see the stony expression of someone she loved.

"Felix?" Her heart leaped after that.