Stranded in unknown lands

Everyone directed their gaze towards the semi-naked individuals.

Scars and bruises painted different parts of their bodies like a poorly patched garment.

Their confrontation with the Dreadborn had left them with more than just memories.

Lovell and Derek walked slowly under the curious gazes the crowd was giving them.

Sir Anthony frowned when he saw this, but Alicia seemed amused.

Derek was following Lovell's lead but was confused as to why they were doing this.

Noticing his friend's confused expression, Lovell smirked and directed his gaze towards the knight who had accompanied them on their journey.

"No need to look so confused, Derek. Think back on how the events have unfolded since our encounter with the Dreadborn."

Sir Anthony's face tensed, and he clenched his fist.

He was not happy with the direction Lovell was steering the conversation.

"She was clearly stronger than we imagined, yet she allowed the thieves who were trespassing on her property to escape without even putting in any effort towards chasing them."

Derek recalled how unsettled he was by her actions.

At the time, he had also recognized that something was strange about her behavior, but after Lovell entered the mansion, he assumed everything was explained by her injury.

Was there more to the story than he had realized?

"After we escaped, I thought that her injury was the reason behind her behavior, but after we were captured, a different assumption entered the fold. The following actions only confirmed my theory, and I had no more doubts."

Derek tried to recall exactly what Lovell was referring to but couldn't come up with anything.

Lovell continued, "Why go out of their way to give us such nice clothes? Why arrange such fancy transportation for us even though we are criminals? The other criminals committed crimes no different from ours, yet why were they given chains and we were given protection?"

Derek had asked himself this earlier as they were leaving town, but the thought never occurred to him again.

The prisoners also heard this and grew suspicious.

They had interacted with Lovell and knew he was also a prisoner, yet why was he being treated so differently?

Mathius glanced at the battered exhibitionist and smirked.

"The answer was obvious once I put the pieces together. It was value!!"

Derek's brow rose, and the prisoners showed they didn't know how to respond.

Alicia heard Lovell's answer and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!! You seem to be far more interesting than you let on, boy."

Sir Anthony's veins bulged like they were about to erupt.

"Think back carefully. We were set to steal from a mansion with no one waiting for us, yet we saw her. She clearly came secretly, as if she was hiding her presence. Her injury only proved this. Then the carriage they arranged for us—it was clearly a clever diversion meant to show that someone important was in the carriage. They probably used us as bait while the Dreadborn got away without anyone noticing. As for the clothes..."

Lovell paused and saw that Sir Anthony looked calm but focused.

Trying to hide your expression, huh? Smart, but I can clearly see how furious you are. Your plan didn't work. Nice try, though.

He honestly felt like smiling, but he knew better than to provoke Sir Anthony further.

He continued with the same indifference one has when drinking water, "I believe the clothes were meant to attract attention on our arrival. If prisoners were suddenly sharing space with people of status, what do you think would happen? We'd be the center of attention and would suddenly have to deal with all sorts of harassment and annoyances."

Derek's pupils shrank at the revelation.

He turned his head to look at the knight and saw he wasn't responding.

Everything Lovell had said made sense.

He hadn't realized just how much was buried beneath the benefits he thought he was receiving from the knights.

His attention shifted to the sound of clapping coming from Alicia.

"Wow!! I was told I was receiving criminals, but one of you actually has a mind."

She turned to Sir Anthony and said, "I didn't think you'd be read so openly. Truly disappointing, don't you think?"

Sir Anthony sighed in defeat and admitted, "Yes, ma'am."

Lovell looked at the 'principal' and grew wary.

She casually wrote off his assessment as if she had already known about it—worse, she was in a position where something like that wasn't even worth considering.

He retreated to the prisoners together with Derek and saw the knights leave.

Night was approaching, and the cold winds were not friendly to the unclothed.

After the knights settled in the surrounding buildings, Alicia stood in front of the prisoners with her men behind her.

"First of all, congratulations!! You have successfully been enrolled at Brave Hearts Academy. I am in charge of this facility, and though I may not be directly responsible for your training, I hope you all learn a thing or two. Your classes will begin on the 15th, so make sure you are settled in by then. I wish you all the best. Bye."

After the short speech, Alicia and her people began to retreat.

It appeared as if they had other matters to tend to and left the prisoners in the middle of the road.

"Ah!! Almost forgot."

The shout drew the attention of the prisoners, and they saw Alicia walking quickly back.

"Almost forgot."

She threw an item on the ground.

It was about as long as an index finger and had a mud-like color.

It was a key.

The key to their handcuffs.

The prisoners immediately descended upon it and kicked each other out of the way.

Alicia quietly faded into the background while they were busy freeing themselves.

...

The night sky was beautiful this time of year.

Lovell found it difficult to appreciate as his bare skin collided with the wind.

We ended up taking off our tops for more effect, but now I see—I may not be as smart as I thought I was.

They had been told to settle in, but no one told them where to go.

Every time he turned his head, he saw a shivering person.

A few of them were already at their limit, having not eaten in days.

Most of them were laid out on the ground, waiting for anything to happen.

Death began to look inviting to a few.

Their unresigned spirit had already begun to waver on their first day.

Lovell didn't know what to do or where to go.

Derek had tried knocking on the doors of some of the buildings, but the individuals who lived there were all Dreadborns.

They told him the accommodations were meant only for officers, and the prisoners were expected to find their own.

The cruel truth made sure they stood before Mother Nature with nothing but what she had given them.

Lovell couldn't see himself lasting a day there if things continued like that.

Where should we go?

What should we do?

...hmm, where is that white-haired guy?

Lovell looked around but couldn't find Mathius.

He got up and asked around, but no one knew where he was.

Where did he go?

Lovell looked around the area but found nothing.

He moved further and further from the road, looking behind the buildings, but still found nothing.

He recalled how Mathius had been since they arrived.

He wasn't loud or anything, but he stood out thanks to his appearance.

Since arriving, he almost seemed as if he were hiding.

Lovell's suspicions intensified.

He flinched when he heard a faint sound in the distance.

He wasn't a fighter himself, but he still put his guard up.

He slowly progressed towards the source and came to a wall.

What is this?

He cautiously approached the wall and put his hand on it.

The wall spun in its center and receded where he had applied pressure.

A blinding light burst forth from the wall, and Lovell heard all kinds of sounds.

The space was a lot larger than one might imagine from the outside.

It was about 100 meters long and wide.

Lovell saw a large crowd of people.

They were mostly men, but women could be spotted too.

They seemed to mostly be made up of people around his own age, but there were a few adults mixed in as well.

People shouted for all sorts of items and prices.

He had stumbled across an underground market.

Lovell was dumbfounded by the items and people he saw.

How... is this possible? Is this where Mathius went? Who are these people?

Nothing has made sense since I came here.

Lovell drifted through the cave trying to understand what was happening. He came across a stall with coats on sale.

"Are you buying?" the stall owner asked Lovell.

He rubbed his sides, still remembering the cold outside.

He had moved around enough to know that he needed money if he was to get anything here.

"...Is a loan possible?"