9 Farewell

A night sky filled with stars quickly took over. The high temperatures of the day seemed to have instantly subsided. The strong wind blowing from the depths of the mountains brought with it a chilling cold.

Amidst the quiet aftermath of the battle, Kael approached Leon, offering him a flask of water. "Here, my lord, you must be exhausted," Kael said, his expression a mix of respect and concern.

"Thank you" Leon said as he took a sip then turned to Kael with a directive. "Kael, gather the corpses of the goblin bears. I have something to do with them"

"Yes, my lord."

Carlos, the captain of the knights, got off his horse. "Your Lordship, your fief is now finally yours."

The linen robes, which Carlos and the knights behind him wore over their mail armor, were all stained with huge patches of blood. It was as if their garb had been dyed. They looked very out of place.

Five or six unlucky ones ended up injured. Either their arms were hanging limply, or they were walking with a limp.

It was obvious that the battle had not been an easy one.

Some goblins burst forth under the threat of death, yet they still managed to deal light damage to the knights at the front.

"Yeah, but we still have another problem right there." Leon said as he pointed at the three women who was walking to them.

Leon pointed towards three women who were now free from the wooden cage. Two young women in Viking attire, aged around 17-18, accompanied an older woman in a robe.

The three of them were approaching Leon and his entourage, one of the young women, with a short brown hair, boldly walked up to Kael, taking his hands and looked into his eyes. "You're strong, marry me," she declared catching everyone off guard.

Spurrtt!!

Cough! Cough!

Leon, in the midst of taking another sip, was so stunned by the audacity of the proposal that he ended up spitting out the water, choking and coughing.

Carlos and the knights exchanged surprised glances while Kael, somewhat flustered by the unexpected proposal, tried to maintain composure. The woman with brown hair looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes, seemingly unfazed by the chaos she had caused.

After recovering from his coughing fit, Leon wiped his mouth, his expression a mix of shock and bemusement. "Uh, well, that's quite a direct approach," he managed to say, casting an amused glance at Kael.

The other woman, with shoulder-length blonde hair, face palmed. She sighed and pulled the brown-haired girl away.

She then approached Leon with a nod. "Greetings, I am Astrid Reinhart, The Shield Maiden of the South. I must express my deepest gratitude for your valor in freeing us from that goblin-infested cage."

Leon, acknowledging her with a nod, replied, "I am Leon, a baron and the lord of these lands."

As Astrid finished introducing and explaining herself, Carlos, who had been quietly observing, quietly exclaimed, "By the gods! She's Astrid Reinhart!"

Leon, who heard Carlos' surprised reaction, turned to him and asked, "Do you know her?"

Carlos nodded vigorously, his eyes wide with astonishment. "Yes, my lord. She is the only daughter of King Ivar, ruler of Isles (Suðreyjar)."

Leon's eyebrows raised in realization as he grinned. "The kingdom of Isles huh, Interesting"

Leon then looked at Astrid and asked "How did you find yourselves in such perilous circumstances?"

Astrid, who was pulling her friend away from Kael looked at Leon, she sighed and launched into an animated explanation. "We were on a journey to the Vienna continent for trade when our ship was besieged by pirates. In a desperate attempt to escape, we used a magical teleportation tool. Little did we know, we'd end up in the midst of goblins. Exhausted from our battle with the pirates we couldn't fend off those bear like goblinsand ended up imprisoned. When we woke up, the battle was already concluding."

"I see. Fate works in mysterious ways, it seems. I'm glad we arrived in time to lend a hand."

Astrid nodded appreciatively, "Indeed. Your timely intervention saved us from a dire fate. I must also apologize for Hilda's bold proposal earlier. She can be impulsive."

Leon chuckled, "No need for apologies. It added an unexpected twist to the night."

Captain Carlos who was listening to the side walked up to Leon and said "We will leave now your lordship."

"Are you leaving now?"

Leon frowned slightly and said "This is rather unexpected. Perhaps you all should stay and rest for a couple of days."

"We won't need rest. We will leave immediately after replenishing our stores of fresh water. The knights already miss their home, and it's time to return." As he spoke, Carlos wiped the blood off of his face.

"Alright, I wish you all a quick and safe journey home. Enjoy your lagers at the tavern when you return." Leon then continue "By then, I figure you people will be bragging about your time with me as you talk about the battle today."

Leon then reached into his pocket and retrieved a small pouch. With a swift motion, he tossed it towards Carlos, who skillfully caught it. Intrigued, Carlos opened the pouch, revealing a glint of gold coins.

Leon spoke, "This is what I promised, Captain. There are thirty-two gold coins in it.."

Carlos, impressed by the generosity, looked at the gleaming coins. "Thank you, my lord. Your reward will be remembered by each of my men."

Carlos then tured around band yelled at the knights. "What are you people still standing there for? Get the water sacks and clothes from the carriages. Get ready to go home after you get the water filled. Hurry up!"

"Yes, Sir!" the knights responded and left to immediately get their tasks completed.

Their assignments were clear. They quickly took their tents and wool clothing for warmth from the carriages. At the same time, each of them carried five extra water sacks. They filled the sacks at the lake.

As the knights prepared to depart, Leon turned to the three women, "What do you want to do now?"

Astrid stepped forward, "I'd like to go with the knights. I heard they're returning to the Kingdom."

Understanding her sentiments, Leon offered, "Alright then. Take two of my horses; it'll make your journey back easier."

With a nod of gratitude. Astrid approached Leon, expressing her gratitude, "Thank you for saving us. I'll come back and repay this debt."

"No need. Just take care on your journey." Leon waved it off but he thought, 'Just leave already and go'

As the knights mounted the horses, Hilda, the bold brown-haired Viking, stuck close to Kael.

With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she declared, "Next time I come back, I'll bring my parents for our wedding."

She then took the reigns of the horse and depart.

Leon nudged Kael playfully, teasing, "Looks like you'll be a married man in the near future Kael."

"Ha ha" Kael can only awkwardly laughed as they watched the departing group.

Leon and Kael stood there, watching until they disappeared from view. The night settled in once again, the echoes of the recent battle fading into the quiet darkness.