Chương 111: Chapter 72. Getting to know better

Three days passed after the arrival of the Crown's Hand. And no one managed to get more than a fleeting glimpse at them. They mostly stayed in the tents with Commander Evans, with the captains joining once in a while, probably discussing the dungeons and the necromancer. Even when they came out, they wore helmets over their dark robes, only talking among themselves. That only gave more fuel to the rumours and speculations about them.

Every man in the kingdom saw them as the hounds of the king, high levelled warriors and mages that were elusive, and whose arrival never meant anything good. Apparently, quite a few soldiers wanted to impress them to get a chance at joining the Hand. Nate explained that the Crown's Hand was the only organisation that didn't care about one's background.

A lot of noble sons tried to get into them, but they were never selected until they were capable enough, and the amount of power an individual of the hand held was akin to a noble. All of that sounded good to Rayne, but he only wished to ignore them. After knowing they had hunted down the Fraysers, he wasn't really sure how they would take to his presence. He had far more important things to deal with either way. His body demanded rest, and it took all three days to even begin feeling whole again.

Bruises faded slowly under the combined work of potions and [Lesser Regeneration], but the deeper aches lingered. His ribs protested every sharp breath. His shoulders burned whenever he lifted anything heavier than his sword. His Vitality stat might have been high, but only a small part of it linked to healing. From what he found out, the stat was actually more related to enduring stress and how fast his body adapted to different circumstances.

That was one reason why self healing skills were really rare and important. Rayne also moved to get a new, better shield. This time, one that might last a little longer. Master Lander, of course, berated him in a sharp tone for losing his shield so often, but the man gave him a better one after Rayne paid extra. Gold was something he had, and better chances of survival was the best purchase right now. He got a sturdier, thicker shield with a reinforced rim.

It was made from something called black steel, and was a bit heavier than the previous shields, but nothing uncomfortable. What made him uncomfortable was when Captain Edran finally called him up on the second day. Rayne already knew what he would be talking about, and prepared himself. Fortunately for him, the whole thing went far better than what he expected. Captain Edran was happy learning that he had gotten a skill to boost himself. Rayne named it [Battle Surge], and the captain only asked the basics about it.

He hadn't been sure whether such a skill actually existed, but everyone seemed to accept it. Other than Henry, that is. He clearly couldn't believe the fact that Rayne was a spellsword. Though Captain Edran did warn him that him being a spellsword might get more scrutiny from nobles, that wouldn't come to be for a while, and that they needed as much support as they could in this campaign first. Although his talk with the captain went well, rumours spread the very next hour.

He had no doubt Henry was the man behind it, since before that, soldiers could only speculate about what they had seen. His party, as before, refused to talk about it until he wanted to. Though, no one asked him for a duel. Rayne also didn't get the time for one. On the morning of the third day, Axel called him up, handing him ledgers while telling him to finish them by tomorrow.

There were two thick books he needed to go through, and Rayne wondered briefly if it was a way for the squad leader to tell him that, no matter what, he was still under him. Rayne didn't argue and simply accepted the ledgers and returned to his room. Honestly, he didn't mind working on the books. They were great distractions, and unlike bears, numbers couldn't kill.

It also gave him a much better knowledge of the finances of the army, something he knew would be vital going forward, especially as he was now a party leader. So, Rayne went through squad tallies, supply usage, casualty adjustments, repair requisitions, and everything else. A lot of the numbers, as usual, were incorrect. Simple addition mistakes, and others he was sure were just Axel trying to embezzle some funds to himself.

It was a normal thing among anyone with power, and he ignored it mostly, but this time, Axel had taken far more than usual. Especially when they were still in the middle of the campaign. Rayne had no idea what to make of it, so he simply ignored it. The whole day went like that as he went through pages after pages. And by the time the sky darkened, he got a surprising reward. His [Mathematics] skill gained a level.

And when he tried to solve numbers after that, Rayne realised he was a little bit faster, even able to do the large calculations in his mind without having to scribble on the rough side of the ledgers. That made the whole thing fairly easier, and he was able to finish hours before his expectations. But he didn't move to submit them right away. There was no need for that in case Axel simply gave him more work. If it was up to the man, Rayne might be doing the ledgers of the other squads too.

So, he rested for the night, getting more sleep than usual. When he woke up the next morning, Rayne first had a breakfast which was just some bread with soup that wasn't appetizing as usual, and then he walked to submit the ledgers. Axel already sat in his tent, and he nodded as he put down the ledgers, but his next words froze Rayne, who was in the middle of bowing and leaving.

"Don't leave. I have something else to do for you," he said, blankly looking up at him.

"Captain Edran called for you, so go see him right now. He probably has something for you and your party to do." Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. He stiffened.

"What it might be about?" Axel only frowned in response.

"Look, if I knew, I would be giving you the orders. From what I know, the captain wishes you and your party to do something else for him. I have other orders to deal with. Now go, don't bother me more than you already have!" Rayne did just that, again wondering what was going on with Axel. But he had no time to think about it. He got out and immediately cut through the camp. This early, only a few soldiers were out.

With how aggressively they were attempting dungeons and hibernating monsters, a lot of soldiers were just living in the healers tent. They had recently made two more of them to accommodate the injured. Eyes still followed him. Rayne was pretty recognisable now, and he got all sorts of stares, but he simply ignored them, and five minutes later, he finally stood in front of the captain's tent. Guards flanked the entrance, posture rigid. When one of them saw him coming, he immediately pulled the flap aside.

"Go in. The captain's waiting for you," he said, surprising him a little, since he had always gotten scorns from these two. He guessed coming out as a spellsword did have its advantages. He nodded to both of them and immediately stepped inside. Warmth washed over him as usual, but as his eyes scanned the interior, he stilled. Captain Edran sat at the center table, hands clasped behind his back as he leaned forward over a spread of parchment. Henry stood off to the side, stiff as a drawn wire, looking nervous.

He didn't even scowl as Rayne walked in, and his eyes simply flicked towards the figures seated opposite the captain. Two of them. They sat side by side on simple chairs, black cloaks draped over their shoulders. Their helmets rested on the table between them—dark steel etched with faint runes that he wasn't able to read out. Rayne felt a chill on his back, realising why Henry was so nervous. These two were from the Crown's Hand.

By sheer will, he avoided looking straight at them and kept his gaze firmly on Captain Edran, saluting cleanly.

"You called for me, sir." Captain Edran nodded, taking him in.

"Yes, I did. I have a quest for you, and decided it was better to talk to you directly than bother Axel with it. Do you know about the dungeon the scouts found after the battle with the stonefur bears?" Rayne nodded. Bran had told him about it when he had returned the next day.

"Bran told me the female stonefur bear might be inside it. What about it?" he asked.

"I think the same," said the captain.

"And I want you and your party to clear it out. I already know how vital you were to killing the other two bears, so this one shouldn't be hard." Rayne tensed a bit. He didn't mind going into the dungeon, but unless it was another small dungeon with one floor, just his party wouldn't be enough. Bran certainly hadn't been sent inside to check.

"Shouldn't we send a scout party to map it out first, sir?" he asked. Captain Edran shook his head.

"No, that won't be necessary." Rayne wanted to ask why, but before he could, one of the black-cloaked figures moved. The man on the left rose smoothly to his feet and stared at him. He was as tall as him, lean in the way of someone who relied on precision rather than brute strength. His hair was dark, pulled back into a tight tie at the nape of his neck, and his eyes—sharp, assessing—never left Rayne as he stepped closer.

"I know what you are thinking," he said calmly.

"But it will be okay because I'll be going with you and your party." The words landed like a dropped blade. Rayne turned to look at him fully now. Up close, the man wore light armor beneath his cloak, darkened leather reinforced with thin metal plates etched with runes similar to those on the helmet. A greatsword hung at his side, and the man smiled at him as if he was meeting an old friend after a long time. It was hard to tell his age with the scars around his face, but he was young, going by his voice.

Edran spoke before he could say anything.

"This is Varrick of the Crown's Hand. He volunteered to assist us with the dungeons while the other members would be looking for clues about the necromancer." Varrick nodded, looking at the captain, then back at him.

"But I was also interested in you. Your name is Rayne, right?" He nodded, already uncomfortable with the man.

"Yes, Rayne."

"Rayne Frayser. Why don't you use the full name?" Rayne almost wanted to frown, but before he could, the other person got up. A woman who tapped Varrick's shoulder and shook her head.

"The crown let him go, and he seems to be doing well for himself," she said, her voice stern.

"If you antagonise him, I won't let you enter any dungeons. You are here because I thought you were capable of handling yourself in the field. If you don't behave, I will be sending you back." Varrick immediately tensed and took a step away from Rayne.

"You're always so strict, Serene. I'm just having fun."

"The army isn't for fun," Serene replied, then looked directly at Rayne.

"I'm sorry about my apprentice. He's young, and doesn't know how to behave himself." Varrick groaned at those words.

"It's alright," Rayne replied, taking a good look at her. The woman seemed to be in her thirties with black, medium length hair, but she didn't have any scars. Her skin was smooth, and she had an aristocratic air about her.

"I hope you take care of Varrick for me," she said, her eyes looking over at him.

"He can be reckless." Varrick sighed.

"I'm not a kid, and I have fought worse than a stonefur bear. You should know that very well, because you pushed me to do so." Serene didn't reply, simply sitting back down on the chair. A silence soon stretched, and Rayne wondered if there was even a way to get out of this. Varrick had clearly asked for him, probably after hearing rumours about him, or he might have been curious from the start. Whatever it was, he doubted he could simply reject taking him along. Captain Edran spoke after a while.

"Anyway, I guess there's no need for introductions now. Rayne, I will give you a day to prepare. Then you will leave with your party and Varrick here. With a member of the Crown's Hand, I don't think you will have much struggle in the dungeon." Rayne nodded.

"I understand, sir." He saluted and turned to leave, feeling a headache brewing. He had wanted to stay away from the Crown's Hand, not go into the dungeon with one. But he had only taken a few steps away from the captain's tent when Varrick's voice made him pause.

"Wait." He turned, shoulders tensing, seeing the man standing in front of the flap.

"Do you want anything?" he asked. Varrick smiled.

"Yes, before we go into the dungeon, I would like to know you and your party better." Rayne paused, knowing that the man should already know decently about him, but he still thought his words through.

"The march to the dungeon will be long and I'm sure you can get to know me and my party on the way. I'm sure they would love to get to know a member of the Hand." That should have been enough for him to leave, but Varrick shook his head.

"You didn't get me. I don't want to talk to them. We aren't rich ladies going out for tea," he said, then a grin etched his face.

"I want to fight you and your party in a duel. I need to know the strength of the soldiers who would be watching my back, right?" Hearing that, Rayne didn't hold back the frown.

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