Building My Guild With A Blank Scroll
Chapter 61: An Old Friend-2

Chapter 61: An Old Friend-2

"Phew!" Panting heavily, Alice lay on the grassland bedsides, as they had both made it out of the city to its outskirts though still within it’s walls.

"What... was that for...Thelma?" She asked, gasping as she spoke. Sitting by her, with hands tied before her raised knees wearing leather gear. "I was being human, Alice. That’s what it was for— to be human."

"Eh, human. But everyone is human here, or am I the confused one instead?" Alice rambled on.

"You’re just thinking too hard, being a human is inside not outside," Thelma stated, pointing at the left side of her chest where her heartcore was.

"Heh, inside. There’s something inside me, really— cool!"

"You’re funny at times kid."

"Hey, we’re almost the same age remember?!" She retorted firmly.

"Maybe and maybe not."

"Hm, so tell me Thelly— why did you do that back in the wagon? We could have been caught, a tiny whiny miny bit and it would’ve been the end."

"Haa, that didn’t happen right?"

"Hmm."

"Ally, in this cruel world, one can’t escape being affected by the darkness— but you can escape becoming part of it. So I decided to cling to something which kept a piece of humanity inside."

"And what’s that, Thelly?."

"Honesty."

*****************

"So I’ll see you later tonight?"

"Tonight? You’d be asleep by night time— has the rules of the quarters changed already." Colin replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Um um, I- I will be heading off now, take care, Colin." Kezia’s face was red as if she’d been slapped hard, with any attempts she made to look at him worsening it.

"Is she ok?" Colin thought aloud, staring as she briskly walked away on the path which led to the large building. It was as tall as the Elmore Mansion, being allocated to the maids of the mansion. They weren’t free to do much around the Estate except to work, for they were nothing but lowborns and non-bearers. Thus it made them lower than a lowborn spiritualist, but higher than a bastard of course.

Being a knight did give him many freedoms, yet since theirs was an oath. They were entitled to serve that family for a lifetime untill the oath was broken, something which didn’t often occur and also wasn’t rare. As there were two ways to break an oath, one being easy as packing up and leaving—successfully escaping as a rebel or a dead body. For few forsook their lives as instead of knighthood whenever they attempted the easy method.

However, the second way, which occurred once in a century for a good reason, was when the head of the family denounced the oath, something as simple as just saying it before an audience— not when drunk or high somewhere of course. Yet, a knight could only shudder hearing his oath being denounced which meant his neck also being deprived of his head.

"Dan?" Colin called out as he entered the stables. He had taken the back door or window whatever you’d name it, as it led to the quarters he’d lived in. After all, Dan wasn’t obliged to live in the stables as each knight had an entire cottage to themselves in the guard camp. However, for a reason none knew of, it was his preferred place and just maybe he loved the horses that much.

"Dan?!"

"Yes?"

*AAAHHHH!!

Colin jumped off from his position a few meters away. "Is everything ok?" The voice came again, one very familiar to him.

"Dan? Is that you?" He could see the silhouette of the figure with hazel eyes near where he stood a moment ago.

"Expecting someone else?" Dan stepped forward, his short hair being a lighter shade of dark could be seen as he wore a simple tunic on a pair of trousers.

*CRANG!

His legs hit something weighty, and upon looking down he could see it, noticing it in an instant. "Is this yours, Colin?"

"Yup, I wanted to—" He suddenly paused with his words upon noticing the expression on the face of the other, as if he had daggers coming at him.

"Colin, mind telling me why you even have a Runers Scroll on you. Moreover, it’s a Taboo one."

"Wait, are- are you sure of what you’re saying?"

"Of course, I’m sure it’s a taboo scroll." Dan was certain. "Dark Purple and its runes are— what? It is blank?"

"Colin?" Not knowing when it happened but on the ground before him, Colin lay there and was unconscious. ’Never knew it was that much to take in.’

"Hmm, a taboo scroll. This is rare to see even in an entire lifetime."

"Haa! Haa!" A figure dressed up in the white and black uniform of the maids stood beside the bed panting and trying to catch her breath.

’How could someone be so heavy— whats she even wearing?’ Stretching out her hands she began to do some light exercising, the strain from carryinng the other fast asleep on the bed soon subsiding.

"Ah, that felt great. Seems my spiritual energy is circulating better now."

"So soft and relaxing." She remarked, having sat down on the comfy bed behind her.

"Who are you?" A familiar voice was heard.

"Oh, you’re awake, Thelly." She turned to look at the other, her smooth face now having cracks and scars from numerous cuts all over, a part of her face ripped off from rot.

"A- Alice? You’re still alive." If nothing about her would jolt her memory, the pair of orange eyes and added blonde her would do the trick.

"The amazing results of your betrayal, Thelma." She turned to look away and upon looking back at her, Alice looked beautiful once again. "You regreting what you did now?"

"If it’s killing you then no, but to be in such a state— why didn’t you just die, Alice? Get a knife and slit your throat, you don’t have to live such a life."

"I see, just when I had a spec of hope to see a change. At least you still hold on to your humanity."

There was a moment of silence between the two until Thelma spoke. "You aren’t stupid enough to be here for revenge— you don’t hold grudges."

"Of course, that’s my humanity. I’m not here for you, but you’re going to help."

Thelma’s eyes widened for a second before she suddenly broke into a loud round of laughter. "Who are you here for— the Elmore Family."

"Something in that line, this NobleHouse has gained some intrigue by most nobles and some royals but my mission is quite different from the others."

"Nobles? Royals? Others? Did I push you too hard— cracked up your skull, eh?"

"Thelma, this family can’t be trusted," Alice warned, her voice sounding nowhere serious to the other, causing another round of laughter from her. "Try again, Alice. You can do better."

"Fine, I lied about that, I don’t know what I’m even doing now— I don’t want to die like them. I’d be killed for not getting some dirt on the Elmores." She formulated something up quickly, though her expressions betrayed her.

"Oh, that’s all?" Thelma made her way off the bed. "You could have just asked from the beginning."

"Wait what?"