Chương 338: Chapter 337 - Guarding Under the Moonlight

The large wooden table held completely empty plates and half filled clay cups of water. Valen picked his teeth with a small wooden splinter. He leaned backward heavily on the thick wooden bench. He pointed the splinter directly at a large paper poster nailed to the far wall of the tavern. The poster displayed a highly detailed portrait of Queen Elara. The Vex monarch wore a sharp metallic crown and a cold, unforgiving facial expression.

Bold black letters printed beneath her face declared the new strict border policies of the capital city. Jane stood near the edge of the table holding a wet rag. She scowled fiercely at Valen.

"Do not point your dirty wood at the walls," Jane scolded loudly. She wiped the table surface with aggressive force.

"I just cleaned that entire section this morning." Valen let out a loud cackle. He dropped the splinter onto his empty ceramic plate. He chewed his leftover food with his mouth completely open.

"I am simply admiring the local artwork," Valen said with a bright smile.

"Your Queen looks incredibly stern. She looks exactly like a woman who has never laughed in her entire life." Frederick sat up much straighter in his chair. He frowned deeply at the yellow haired warrior.

"You should show proper respect," Frederick commanded in a strict tone.

"The Queen is highly efficient. She is the only real hope this entire region has for long term stability. Her new border policies protect us all." Jane rolled her eyes dramatically. She slapped the wet rag hard against the edge of the wooden table.

"Her border policies are a complete nightmare for normal working people," Jane argued loudly.

"We cannot get simple trade goods from the outer villages anymore. Every single cart gets searched for hours by armored guards. It takes three days just to import basic wheat flour into Tyriana now. The vegetable prices have doubled in a single month." Frederick shook his head firmly. He crossed his thick arms over his broad chest.

"Security requires heavy sacrifice," Frederick explained logically.

"The borders must remain strict. We cannot allow hostile elements to cross into Vex territory. If we relax the checkpoints, spies and saboteurs will flood the markets." Valen chuckled loudly. He grabbed another piece of crusty bread from the center woven basket.

"You sound exactly like a trained parrot," Valen teased him.

"Do you ever take off that heavy metal armor. I bet you sleep completely rigidly in your bed. I bet you fold your socks with a measuring wooden ruler." Jane let out a sudden snort of genuine laughter. She covered her mouth quickly with her hand. She looked directly at Frederick.

"He probably polishes his iron sword in his sleep," Jane added with a wide smile. Frederick narrowed his eyes at the maid. He did not find the joke amusing.

"Discipline is what separates a true soldier from a wandering vagrant," Frederick stated proudly. Valen chewed his bread loudly and swallowed hard.

"And wandering vagrants actually know how to have a good time," Valen replied smoothly.

"Look at your face. You look like you just swallowed a sour lemon. You need to relax." Jane pointed her wet rag directly at Valen. She shifted her verbal attack to a new target.

"You are not much better," Jane told him bluntly.

"You eat exactly like a starved farm pig. Your yellow hair looks like a pile of dirty straw. Do you even know what a hairbrush is used for." Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Valen let out another bright, genuine cackle. He slapped the wooden table with his open palm.

"That is a very good insult," Valen admitted happily.

"I like you. You wear a maid outfit but you bark orders like an angry military general. You should trade places with Frederick immediately. You would probably command a battalion much better than he does." The entire table fell into a sweet, lighthearted rhythm. The heavy tension from earlier in the day evaporated completely. They traded minor verbal jabs and laughed openly. Ayame sat at the far end of the table. She remained completely quiet. She watched the humans exchange their strange insults.

She did not understand the appeal of their loud banter. Lucid rested his hands flat on the wooden table. The swirling gray fog covered his features completely. He listened closely to the argument about the border policies.

"It is an absolute obligation," Lucid said clearly. His voice cut directly through the laughter. The table went quiet. Everyone looked directly at him. Lucid tilted his head toward the poster of the Queen hanging on the wall.

"Tyriana is very different in its core principles," Lucid explained slowly.

"This town values open trade and freedom of movement. But Vex is the massive shield that keeps this town alive. Had it not been for Vex and their highly efficient military borders, the neighboring nation of Materna would have swooped in a long time ago. Materna would have burned this entire border region to ash just to claim the vital trade routes." Frederick nodded slowly in complete agreement.

"Exactly," Frederick confirmed.

"Tyriana enjoys the luxury of open trade only because Vex holds the defensive line with absolute strength." Jane looked down at her wet rag. She sighed softly. She knew Lucid spoke the absolute truth. The threat of Materna was a constant, looming shadow over all the border towns.

"I suppose you are right," Jane admitted quietly.

"But it still makes my weekly grocery shopping very annoying." Valen let out a soft chuckle.

"Well, at least we have this excellent tavern food to keep our spirits up." Later that evening, the heavy wooden doors of the tavern were securely locked from the inside. The dark night sky covered the entire town of Tyriana. Lucid and his crew decided to stay within the tavern for the night instead of returning to the cramped carriage. Rebecca provided them with proper sleeping quarters on the second floor. Frederick took a small room at the end of the hallway. Valen took the room directly across from him.

Ayame explicitly refused a separate room. She stated she would remain near Lucid. Rebecca did not argue with the dangerous oni warrior. The tavern grew completely silent. The only sound was the gentle rustle of the night wind blowing against the thick glass windows. Rebecca stood in the dark hallway outside her own bedroom. She wore a simple white cotton pajama set. Her bare feet touched the cold wooden floorboards. She felt a sudden urge to check on her guests.

She wanted to ensure Lucid was resting comfortably after the long and chaotic day. She walked quietly down the narrow corridor. She reached the heavy oak door of Lucid's assigned room. The door was not completely shut. A small gap remained open. Pale silver moonlight spilled out from the gap and painted a bright line across the hallway floor. Rebecca pushed the wooden door open very slowly. The metal hinges did not make a single sound. She peeked her head inside the room.

The large bed sat in the exact center of the room. Lucid lay completely still on top of the thick wool blankets. He was fast asleep. The swirling gray fog around his face had slowed to a gentle, rhythmic crawl. The bright moonlight washed over the entire room, casting deep shadows in the far corners. Rebecca noticed a distinct shape standing in the darkest corner of the room. She blinked her eyes rapidly to adjust to the dim lighting. Ayame stood perfectly still beside the bed.

She stood there exactly like a quiet, eternal sentinel guarding a fragile treasure. Rebecca gasped softly. A massive rush of heat flooded her cheeks. She blushed violently in the dark. Ayame wore absolutely no clothes. Her tall, athletic physical form was completely exposed to the open cold air. Her skin glowed with a terrifying, pale white luminescence in the silver moonlight. Two sharp dark horns protruded proudly from the top of her head. Her long dark hair cascaded down her bare back.

Her glowing red eyes locked instantly onto Rebecca.

"Do you have absolutely no decency," Rebecca whispered sharply. She quickly averted her eyes and looked down at the wooden floorboards.

"Put some clothing on immediately." Ayame did not move a single muscle. She looked down at her own bare body with complete indifference.

"I prefer to sleep this way," Ayame stated in a flat, emotionless whisper.

"Fabric restricts my physical movement. It dulls my sensory awareness. I must remain fully prepared for immediate combat." Rebecca frowned deeply. She kept her eyes focused firmly on the floor.

"You do not need to stand guard like a wild animal," Rebecca lectured quietly.

"You are a guest in my establishment. I offered you a comfortable room of your own down the hall. You should be sleeping in a proper bed." Ayame glared intensely at the tavern owner. Her red eyes burned with a dark, threatening light.

"I do not need a room," Ayame replied coldly.

"I do not need a bed. My place is right here."