My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 286: Prove It

Chapter 286: Prove It

Duke Desmond de Montclair sent his troops to the border but in a less direct path than what they were going to be traveling. It would be good to have Eirenguard’s focus on his men rather than the travelers coming through another pass. It would make it seem as if they weren’t connected in any way.

The trail was cold but it wasn’t anything the travelers weren’t used to.

Cian and Desmond were protectors of their respective kingdoms and had spent a lot of time sleeping outdoors in unideal situations. It was Quinn who seemed to be the only one suffering.

Luckily Stephano gave him a fur lined cloak and red mana stones so that the journey south wouldn’t be too taxing. Otherwise, his desire to take even a step forward would have diminished by that point.

The mountain pass they used was completely hidden as Cian warned. Under the cover of jagged mountains that were too volatile for even a tree to grow on top of was a smooth path that became easy once they reached the lowest peak.

The higher they climbed, unable to even sit on their horses due to the precariousness of the path, the less confident Desmond was becoming but he was trusting Cian to send them on the correct path forward.

Eventually it flattened out and they could go forth on horseback but the weather was unbelievably cold. Each night of sleep required a cave or alcove so they could hide from the blustering wind. Desmond had gotten used to feeling Quinn’s back pressed against him when he woke up in the mornings. Despite the mana stones he clutched in his hands while he slept, he still sought someone’s warmth and it made the duke smile each time he woke up the mage who was mortified and apologetic yet would do the same thing the next night.

Eventually Desmond said he didn’t care so much. The only thing that would make up for his stealing of body heat was stories of Leonor during school.

It became a brotherhood of unexpected men.

While Desmond and Cian ought to have a lot in common, the duke realized that Cian and Quinn had a lot to talk about as well. They found conversation easy and adjusted well to each other’s habits and schedules while traveling.

The next step was crossing over the border into enemy territory that was so worrying. The travelers had to remind themselves that they weren’t simply going from one place to another. There was a likelihood they wouldn’t be accepted into Eirenguard easily.

Cian had gone there by himself and they weren’t expecting him to return with more mouths to feed. Considering the state of the kingdom, that’s what it would be seen as.

However, Desmond hoped that their excuses would be convincing enough to let them in. What he needed was to get closer to their leadership and understand the extent of the goings on of Eirenguard. He could then offer help or promises and hope that they didn’t slice his head off on the spot.

Quinn was a huge bargaining chip in the whole thing. While he had a life in Magia, he was willing to help them with honing their mana stones to create magical weapons to protect themselves. That was what Eirenguard lacked compared to Castille anyway–that, and the power in numbers.

On the day before they were able to cross, Desmond requested Quinn send something back to the palace with his familiar. The mage agreed and they both penned letters using the minimal supplies they had brought with them.

Quinn’s was to Stephano while Desmond’s was to Leonor.

They both had similar feelings of hoping the person on the other side wasn’t too full of worry. Yet it also felt nice that there was someone waiting for them on the other side, someone who cared about what happened to them and thought about them nearly as much as they thought about them.

With that, they were able to cross the border the next day and they traveled forward for one more day before problems arose.

They were only on the tail end of the mountain pass but fully inside of Eirenguard’s territory. An ancient fortress stood at the bottom of the rocky mountain surrounded by trees and brush that gave the appearance of a structure not touched by humanity but time for over a century.

However, soldiers bearing an appearance Desmond hadn’t seen in such a long time came forth in their dark red uniforms and plate armor. They drew their swords and pointed them in an accusatory manner at the travelers.

"Who are you?" the man asked, not bothering to hide the suspicion in his tone.

The three pulled out identification.

The first was legitimate. Cian’s nameplate was familiar to the men and they let him go without much more verification.

The second was forged but seemed legitimate. Desmond pulled his hood off his hood to be sure they saw his red eyes and beginnings of light golden locks that he had been growing out from the moment he heard he would have to go to the south.

They seemed more hesitant but moved on because Quinn’s was so interesting compared to the rest.

He summoned a silver cubic structure using his mana. It was the same one every person who had ever been in the Silver family used when identifying themselves. He was stating that he identified as a mage and had loyalty to no other place.

"What business do you have in Eirenguard?" he asked.

Cian spoke up first. It was something they had already rehearsed before.

He had already filled Desmond in on the fact that many people were against him because of his willingness to communicate with Castillians who had so greatly betrayed them. Since he wasn’t directly a soldier for Eirenguard but a leftover remnant of the former Royal Knights, his position was always questioned.

For the betterment of everyone, all he could do was simply go forward.

"I have recruited help for the cause," Cian spoke confidently. "A mage graduated from the Magic Academy and a swordsman returning to his homeland after years of being put down by the Castillian Kingdom. Two ready to give themselves to our cause."

The man Desmond saw as a higher ranked soldier than the rest looked only more suspicious at Cian’s words. He stepped closer to the guests.

"We don’t need help from outsiders," he said.

"That isn’t for you to decide," Cian spoke confidently. "I request Commander Aidan’s presence."

The highly ranked man had a glint in his eye but he was immediately shut up by Cian’s request.

"I will bring him here," the man said. "I will not take outsiders to the heart of Eirenguard."

"Be sure to tell him we have a capable mage with us," Cian requested. "He fixed the mana stone embedded in my sword and showed me that the few mages we have are doing things incorrectly. It could be a detriment to the efforts so far."

The officer seemed as if he was going to walk away but, at the mention, he turned back around.

"Prove it," he said.

Desmond had been standing with his hand on his sword but he backed away at the request Quinn prove his abilities. He had already seen how offensive magic could be explosive.

"My pleasure," Quinn said. "Let me throw an attack at your sword, Sir Cian."

Without hesitance, he unsheathed his sword and made significant eye contact with Quinn, silently telling him that it was alright.

Quinn decided that he wouldn’t tell the knight when he was throwing his attack. It would look better if Cian was caught off guard yet still able to withstand the attack.

Considering their lack of knowledge about mana, Quinn knew to throw a mana blast that looked far more impressive than it actually was. It was more light than an attack but Cian’s newly improved sword would react to it all the same.

Quinn threw the attack and Cian was ready to block it as blue mana erupted from his sword and seemed to absorb Quinn’s attack as if it hadn’t existed in the first place.

He sheathed his sword with a light bow and turned to the man who was intent on challenging them.

"Is that enough for you?" Cian asked, perturbed.

"Enough," the man spoke and walked away towards the fortress where a horse was already being prepared for him.

As he departed, the other men were led to the fortress and, for the first time in a week, they were offered a place to sleep out of the cold. Even though they all had to share a room and sleep on the floor, at least they were in an enclosed space with a fireplace.

Quinn seemed most relieved at being able to be out of the cold.

"So what do we do now?" Desmond asked the man.

"We wait and hope they bring Commander Aidan on a day where he has an open mind," Cian admitted.

They did end up waiting for a couple more days, relying on their dwindling supplies and staying mostly inside of the small room they were offered.

There was a disturbance at their poorly covered window and Stephano opened it to reveal a very frantic Alara trying to get inside with a letter in her foot.