Route 1: An Unexpected Appearance Part 2

**Scarlet Aubrielle**

Seriously, what the hell is he doing here? He isn’t really supposed to be here in the first place - wait or was he supposed to be a knight here in our household? Nothing was mentioned in the background of Lucas that he was once working for the Elvois before he actually officially had his appearance in the game. However, I think that it is also not entirely impossible to have him here in the duchy.

Lucas was described in his character background as a righteous knight and that he is willing to do anything for justice to prevail and for the common good. Which is one of the reasons why he fell in love with the female lead - because he had seen the same qualities that he had with her, that she too is a person who strives for the benefit of the people through healing them with her powers without even asking anything for return.

However, there is one thing that I seem to be missing. Again, Lucas is an orphan and he was adopted by quite a famous knight in the empire that has earned the title of an Earl or a Baron -- I don’t really quite remember what title did that knight owned but either way that title immediately made him into a noble. All that has been described with the adopted father of Lucas is that he is strong and talented and that all of the things that Lucas knows came from him, however he also died a quite tragic death and that is he died from protecting the village he is in from sudden attack of a horde of monsters that were able to get pass through the barrier that was created to seal off a dungeon.

Come to think of it did he originally joined the the Elvoi knights because our knights are committed in actually eradicating the monsters that hurts the people of the empire? In order to not let what happened to that village and to his adopted father happen again and that when Calyx actually decline the proposal of the crown prince he was disappointed and that he decided to leave the Elvoi Ice Knights and then became the knight of the Crown Prince instead?

Well, what I am thinking right now is highly possible. I am still nineteen years old and the formal scenario when the game is set to star is will happen two years from now. And so, it is highly possible that my hunch is really correct, that he once belong to the Elvoi Ice Knights but then because of the fact that Calyx didn’t accept the proposal of Helios then he left and probably he thought that the Elvois doesn’t give a single damn about the people that will be affected if the monsters inside the dungeon suddenly went berserk.

And then he decided that he should join the imperial knights instead and he worked hard to attain a position and that he one of the knights that has been continuously entering the dungeon to try and clear it but was unsuccessful.

It was mentioned in the route of Helios that a lot of knights really tried - some failed to return but some also were able to return and vowed to continue and not stop until they have cleared it. The Lucas in the game of course didn’t have a single clue that the proposal of Helios will put the duchy in a huge disadvantage, and if only he knew that Calyx was only doing whatever he could in order to preserve and protect their rights as the Elvois people then he may not joined the imperial knights and instead he could have stayed in the Elvoi.

But of course, it really cannot be helped that he only knew one side of the story and choose to not trust the Elvois who have committed all their lives in killing monsters and protecting the Ixtal Empire. However, now is different because the Elvois didn’t reject the offer of Helios and so it is natural that he didn’t leave.

To be honest, I don’t know if it is a good thing or a bad thing. Well, I do think it is a good thing that I will be able to try and gain his trust and form friendship with him before the formal scenario of the game stars. I will no longer struggle in communicating with him if he is in the Imperial Knights. But I do think that it is a bad thing because of the fact that now that he didn’t left the duchy because of Calyx decision to decline the offer of Helios then surely a lot have changed in the plot of the story line of this game already, and there are things that I need to be prepared for in the future because who knows what will happen next.

Anyways, I’ll just think about what could possibly happen in the future some other time. Right now, I need to inform the knights that I have chosen about the things that they need to know especially how can they be prepared before we can go inside the dungeon - I cannot let someone die.

“Now, I am going to choose ten knights from you and I am going to be honest with you - I do not merely chose you just because you look like you are already veterans in the job or that you look so strong but rather it is because I have analyzed it with my own two eyes - your abilities and skills that is and I have basically chosen you because I know that you are fit to join me in the expedition” that is what I said and all of them looked at each other, amused of what they have heard from me and I have already expected it.

They really didn’t see it coming that I am able to let out such words, words that are commonly used by people who have already experience in the field and those who have acquired abilities that are also in line with it.

But of course they will really not see it coming because I haven’t really interacted with them or something nor they have seen me train, because if they did then they would eventually realize that I am not as worthless as they perceive me.

“Now here are the knights that I have chosen for the expedition”

*

I have already chosen ten knights and those whom I haven’t been chosen went back to their posts immediately and right now, I am just with the ten knights and of course, my lady in waiting Elisha who is still glaring at me.

Well, I have decided to finally let her out of the barrier that she created but before I did so, I first talked to her that she should gave me a scolding after I have finished with everything that I need to do with the knights and the moment that she agreed, that is the time that I made the barrier disappear.

Going back, the ten knights that I have chosen basically constitutes five veterans who have been serving my father since he became the duke of the Elvoi and the other five are knights who have been serving our family for quite some time as well - well, I guess except for Lucas because from the way I see it he is still new.

I bet he has only been in our territory about a year and a half or two years.

“Now everything is already settled, Elisha - my lady in waiting will hand you out copies of the blueprint of the dungeon that we are going to explore six days from now. I want you to look closely at it and tell me what are the things that you have noticed even if you are just merely looking at an illustration. Raise your hand if you want to say something.” that is what I said and Elisha immediately handed to them the copies of the image of the dungeon that I had Helios illustrated.

After Elisha handed the papers to them, they immediately followed what I told them to do and just like what I have expected two individuals immediately raised their hand in order for them to be able to speak out their thoughts and those two are none other than Theo, the personal knight of my brother and Lucas, the talented and genius knight who is regarded in the game as the sword saint.

Now, I am actually pretty curious on what they are about to say just by looking at the illustration that I gave, are they going to have similar thoughts and realizations or are they going to differ?

Well, either way I know that they are going to meet my expectations.

*To be continued*