Going back in time.

Ortush, the knight assigned to lead the expedition to capture the criminal hero in Agera, had been sent back to Hamilton all black and blue. He was beaten by Clay with just one punch that no one saw and knew but him. Even Ortush was not able to discern how he was struck. However, when he came to, he was surprised that he had woken up in a room that seemed familiar. It was his room in the barracks in Hamilton for knights.

Ortush sat up and tried to recollect his memories before waking up here. And there, he remembered the criminal hero that they had captured and was intimidating him to go back to his cage and him ordering others to round up the criminal, but no one moved. Rage slowly crept up into his mind as he remembered the embarrassment that he experienced in front of many soldiers. Mercenaries they may be, but the information circulation of their own guilds were huge. If rumors about him being taken down without even knowing why, then his reputation as a knight would plummet. He had to protect his face.

While that rage seemed to have bubbled up, he called for his knave.

"Knave! Attend to me!" He yelled out loud towards the door.

Immediately, a young boy who was thin enough came inside all flustered. He then stood at attention in front of Ortush's bed and waited for his orders. Ortush had the urge to hit this knave of his but refrained from it. He then ordered,

"Prepare my armor and send word to his Highness Guilbert that I have a report to make."

"Y-Yes Sir!" The knave almost stumbled as he ran to another place to get the knight Ortush's equipment and returned to help him fitted with it and again disappeared right after to set an appointment with the prince Guilbert. All Ortush had to do was wait for the appointment to be approved and he'd go to the crown prince's quarters to report. He waited not too long and the appointment was approved.

"Your Highness Prince Guilbert, it is Ortush." Ortush said loudly at the entrance of the prince's quarters while kneeling to announce his presence and arrival. After a few seconds of wait, the door's locked knob was unlocked and turned. The one to welcome him was a fellow knight, but of a higher position than him so he still had to show deference to the knight.

"Come on in, Sir Ortush. I hear you have something to report." The voice of prince Guilbert resounded and ordered Ortush to come inside. Ortush followed the knight that opened the door for him, he recognized the knight to be Sir Grasler. The hero from the Battle of Guilleta. He was the knight who protected the young king then from dying in the hands of the bandits that they subjugated in the hills of Guilleta, south of Acadria. Now he was assigned to prince Guilbert who was to ascend the throne should the king die. Sir Grasler had the look of a knight that had been to countless battles and earning glory for himself through it. He had his signature armor on, the armor worn by the king and have been his treasure that had been granted to him by the king for saving his life a lifetime ago. His sword and shield strapped to his back reminds onlookers that these weapons had protected the kingdom countless of times already. He was a subject for dreams and ambition. To surpass even the heroic knight of Acadria, Sir Grasler!

Ortush was not like the others, he did not particularly worship Grasler as his hero, nor did he have ambitions to surpass Grasler. What he had for him was jealousy. He was jealous that this old knight can still stand proudly like he was still effective in combat beside the prince. If it were himself, then he should be able to match any who would dare harm the prince. Alas, delusion was the result of vanity and unproven might, was the bane of the proud knights.

Ortush immediately kneeled in front of the prince to make his report and said,

"Your Highness, we had succeeded in capturing the criminal hero, however, he had escaped from his cage and the mercenaries failed to capture him again. No, they refused to capture him who was the criminal who was the aim for this expedition. I urge the prince to punish those mercenaries responsible and execute them all in the name of having betrayed the prince!" Ortush made sure to forget telling the prince about the fact that he was knocked out and brought back here by the same mercenaries. All for the sake of silencing everyone involved.

*chuckle*

The prince chuckled which turned into a full-blown laughter a second later. It seemed something amused the prince from Ortush' report.

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"Sir Ortush, it seems you take me for a fool. I have known what happened since the start and yet you come to me reporting something so lacking in truth and consistency? Am I a foolish prince to you?" The prince's face distorted in anger and indignation by the fact that he felt that Ortush had insulted his intelligence. Ortush did not speak further and only awaited the prince's decision. He was scared, but he could not show it, no, not before these people present.

"You have failed and failed miserably at that! And you expect me to believe that it was not your fault but the others with you?" The prince started to scold Ortush and embarrass him in front of prominent knight figures.