The Distinguished Mr. Rose Chapter 67: Chapter 66: You Will Never Understand Me

Read chapter 67 of The Distinguished Mr. Rose by QuiteTheSlacker on NovelPedia.

Chapter 66: You Will Never Understand Me Contrary to the otherworlders' first voyage outside the city with Ruggiero, the mood amongst the paladins now was anything but casual. At least before they were able to rest in comfortable cabins; but such luxuries had unfortunately ceased to be. There was only the methodical stomp of boots - the slow, advancing crawl of Sir Renaud’s entourage up ahead. No one dared to even speak, for a single disruption would beget a harsh glare from their armored allies. This was far more serious than the players had initially expected. But Lucius thought it not out of character. Ruggiero’s Hippogriff flew through the air whilst protected and at full speed. Here, however, they were at the full mercy of those who prowled on ground. The gentleman had heard stories of the monstrous things lurking in the wilds from the young Karolus. Their descriptions were certainly intimidating, especially when compared to the animals on earth. The boy spoke of them as burly terrors ten times the size of men, with razor sharp teeth, jaws dripping in poison, or hides impenetrable through normal means. Lucius initially thought Karolus’s words to be exaggerations, but judging by the tense watch maintained by the paladins, perhaps they were no tall tales after all. In a way, the beasts sounded even more dangerous than the demons. But what separated the two was their propensity for destruction. Unlike the hordespawn who descended from the mountain in an insatiable thirst to raze all in their path, those of the wilderness kept to their own territories; and the expedition was currently traversing through one at this very moment. Fields and a flatland full of stalks surrounded them. The Franks had already paved a road for travelers to follow between cities, but that was merely all it was: a path. A guideline through the safest route. That didn’t mean there was no danger to be had. And underneath the dim, dark night, even the wheat seemed threatening — its rustle indistinguishable from either a gust of wind or a predator hunting its next meal. But that begged the question… why was the expedition traveling at night? Surely the obscured visibility would only be a detriment in their current situation, or so the gentleman thought. This question plagued his companions as well. “I’d like to think those paladin fellas know what they’re doing,” Marco whispered to them. “But I don’t know… walkin’ blind in the dark like this? It’s nerve wrackin’ to say the least.” Mili nodded and glanced toward the endlessly expanding wheat. “Seriously, I’m not even scared of the dark, but this kinda reminds me of the first time I slept in my own room as a kid. It's quiet, and creepy, and you start imagining things jumping at you from your closet because it’s just so empty and you can’t tell what’s actually around you.” “I feel that,” Harper said, grimacing. “It’s the fear of knowing that you could die at any moment that really gets to you. Back when I still worked at the fire department, we’d get trained on how to deal with disasters; and the most important thing was learning not to seize up. People always talk about fight or flight, but the most common reaction is just… doing nothing. The fear locks your mind, your muscles, and stops you from processing anything out of shock. People are too afraid of what comes next to think about what to do now .” The firefighter’s last sentence rang especially true among the players who volunteered to join the Order. They sucked in their breaths and anxiously scanned their surroundings, constantly, persistently. Contrary to them, however, the paladins kept their gazes straight. There were those who served as lookout atop some of the larger carriages, but the majority remained calm and simply marched on. Whatever was the reason for their nightly escapades, the Franks had full confidence in their countermeasures should something truly appear. A few hours soon passed. Not much changed among the expedition’s dynamic: the