Chapter 161: Monarch’s Mercy

Adam approached the cart to find Elise kneeling beside Seraphina, her hands glowing with the soft crimson light of healing magic. The knight’s armor was scorched in places, and a deep gash along her arm was slowly knitting closed under the princess’s ministrations.

Adam raised an eyebrow, a dry smirk crossing his features. “Hee. I didn’t expect you to still be alive after all that.”

Elise looked up, a tired but genuine smile touching her lips. “Thank you for the… compliment? I think?” She finished the last of her healing spell and sat back on her heels. “How did things go inside? Did you finish your business?”

Adam nodded, settling onto a nearby rock. “Finished. We freed the prisoners—elves, mostly. They’re heading north now.” He reached into the Pouch of the Hoarding Gnome and withdrew a health potion, tossing it to Seraphina. “Here. You too. Thanks for holding the line out here.”

Seraphina caught the vial one-handed, her expression flickering with surprise before settling into grudging acceptance. “The credit belongs to Lady Ignis. She eliminated most of the bandits.” A wry note entered her voice. “Though we were nearly immolated several times in the process.”

Ignis, already sprawled across the cart’s bench with her legs dangling, waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t exaggerate, Sera! I had my flames completely under control!” She paused, then added with less certainty, “Mostly under control. Like… eighty percent under control.”

Adam shot her a flat look. “Eighty percent? An impressive number for someone who nearly set her own allies on fire.”

“I said I was sorry!” Ignis pouted, crossing her arms. “And I’m DRAGON, so it’s fine! I’m great! Amazing!”

Elise, having caught her breath, turned her attention to Adam. “These prisoners you freed—they were elves? All of them?”

“Mixed group, actually,” Adam replied. “Elves mostly, but there were humans too. Slaves the bandits were planning to sell.” He glanced at Lilith. “We gave them supplies, weapons, directions. They should make it out fine.”

Lilith’s lips curved into a serene smile as she added, “And Adam, in his infinite generosity, gave them all of the bandits’ treasure as well. Every coin, every artifact, every scrap of valuables.”

Adam’s eye twitched slightly. “It was the right thing to do.”

“Oh, absolutely.” Lilith’s voice was silken, almost teasing. “I’m not criticizing. I’m simply noting how remarkably… charitable you’ve become. Perhaps we should build you a shrine.”

Adam shot her a look that clearly communicated ’I will remember this.’

Elise, however, seemed genuinely touched. Her expression softened as she looked at Adam. “You gave them everything? That’s… that’s incredibly kind. Most people in your position would have taken it all for themselves.”

Adam shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise. “They needed it more than we do. We’ve got supplies. They’ve got nothing.” He looked away, his voice dropping slightly. “Besides, they’ve suffered enough. Didn’t need to add insult to injury.”

Seraphina, who had been quietly applying the health potion to her wounds, looked up with an expression that was difficult to read—surprise, perhaps, or grudging respect. “That was… unexpectedly noble of you.”

“Don’t get used to it,” Adam muttered. “I’m still me.”

Lilith’s smile widened, but she said nothing. Her crimson eyes, however, held a knowing glint—as if she found Adam’s discomfort with his own decency endlessly entertaining.

Ignis, oblivious to the nuanced emotional undercurrents, sat up abruptly. “So! We’re done here? Can we go now? I want to see what’s in that Gorge place!”

Adam glanced at the darkening sky, then at the distant outline of the Ghostwind Gorge. “We’ll camp here for the night. The prisoners are gone, the bandits are dead, and we all need rest. We move at first light.”

Elise glanced around at the scattered bodies, the blood-soaked ground, the unnatural silence of the camp. She shuddered slightly, pulling her cloak tighter.

“I’m… not entirely comfortable camping here,” she admitted, her voice quiet. “With all these bodies everywhere. It’s… unsettling.”

Seraphina nodded in agreement, her expression grim. “The Princess is right. The scent of death will attract scavengers—wolves, carrion birds, perhaps even darker things. By morning, this place will be crawling with monsters drawn by the smell of fresh corpses.”

Adam considered this, then nodded. “Good point. Alright, we’re moving. We’ll find another spot further up the trail.”

The group quickly packed their minimal camp, loading supplies back into the cart with practiced efficiency. Within minutes, they were moving again, the horses picking their way carefully around the scattered remains of the bandit camp.

They traveled for perhaps another hour, the terrain growing rougher as they approached the gorge’s entrance. Finally, Adam spotted a small clearing tucked against a cliff face—sheltered, defensible, and blessedly free of corpses.

“This works,” he announced, pulling the cart to a stop. “We’ll camp here.”

As everyone began settling in, Adam turned to Seraphina, who was already moving toward the horses to unhitch them despite her visible exhaustion and the fresh bandages wrapped around her arm.

“Hey, Sera.” Adam’s voice stopped her. “Let me handle the cart. You rest.”

Seraphina’s jaw tightened. “I can’t. A knight must remain vigilant at all times. It’s my duty.”

Adam crossed his arms, fixing her with a flat stare. “A knight should also know when they’re injured and need to recover. You’re not helping anyone if you collapse from exhaustion.”

“I appreciate the concern,” Seraphina replied stiffly, “but this is my responsibility. Please don’t worry about me.”

Adam let out a long, exasperated sigh. “And here I thought I’d finally learned something useful from you. Guess teaching me to handle the cart was a waste of time after all.”

Seraphina’s expression flickered—surprise, then something almost like guilt. “That’s… that’s not true. You learned well. Because of your help, I was able to rest during the journey here.”

Adam raised an eyebrow. “Is ’being on guard’ the same as resting now?”

Seraphina opened her mouth to respond, then closed it, clearly struggling to find a counter-argument that didn’t contradict her own logic.

From the cart, Ignis’s head popped out. “Just let him do it, Sera! He’s grumpy when he doesn’t get his way!”

“I am not grumpy,” Adam muttered.

Lilith’s melodic laugh drifted from the shadows where she was already settling. “You absolutely are. It’s endearing.”

Seraphina stood frozen for a long moment, her jaw working as she struggled against her own stubbornness. Adam simply waited, arms crossed, expression utterly patient—which somehow made it worse.

Finally, with a sound that was almost a growl of frustration, Seraphina’s shoulders sagged. “Fine. You win.”

She stepped away from the horses, moving stiffly toward a flat patch of ground near the cart. Before sitting, she turned back to Adam, her expression caught between irritation and genuine gratitude.

“Thank you, Adam. For—” She paused, visibly forcing the words out. “For caring about our well-being. It’s… not something I’m used to accepting.”

Adam’s eyebrow rose slightly. “Was that so hard?”

“Yes,” Seraphina admitted, sinking onto the ground with a wince. “It was. But necessary, apparently.”

Adam snorted softly, then turned to the horses. His hands moved with surprising gentleness as he unhitched them from the cart, leading them to a patch of grass and securing them with a length of rope. He checked their legs for injuries, their hooves for stones, their mouths for signs of fatigue—all the small things Seraphina had taught him during their journey.

By the time he finished, Ignis had already gathered wood and started a fire with an enthusiastic burst of flame that nearly caught Lilith’s sleeve. The spider-woman had simply looked at the singed fabric, then at Ignis, with an expression that promised future retaliation.

Adam retrieved supplies from the cart—dried meat, travel bread, a handful of the fresher vegetables they’d bought in Oakrest. He set to work preparing a simple meal, his movements efficient and practiced from countless nights in the dungeon.

Soon, the smell of cooking food filled the small clearing. The group ate in companionable silence, the tension of the day slowly bleeding away. Even Seraphina, despite her injuries, managed to eat with steady appetite.

As the meal wound down, Adam turned to Elise. His voice was casual, but there was an undercurrent of purpose beneath it.

“Hey, Elise. That wind core from the Sovereign—the one you collected. Do you still have it?”

Elise looked up from her portion of bread, blinking. “The wind core? Yes, it’s in my pack. Why do you ask?”

Adam shrugged, keeping his tone light. “I want to use it for something.”

Elise tilted her head, a thoughtful expression crossing her features. “Of course. I’ve been wanting to give it to you anyway.” She reached into her pack, withdrawing the wrapped bundle of core fragments. “You’ve done so much for us—protected me, fought for us, even shared your supplies. Consider this a small repayment.”

She held out the bundle, her gaze earnest. “Just… be careful with it, Adam. The energy inside is volatile. If you’re planning to use it for anything dangerous or experimental, please think twice.”

Adam took the bundle carefully, nodding. “Thanks. And don’t worry—I know what I’m doing.” His tone was casual, reassuring. “Probably.”

Elise’s eye twitched slightly. “’Probably’ is not as reassuring as you think it is.”

Adam’s lips quirked. “It’s fine. Trust me.”

Ignis, who had been watching the exchange with growing curiosity, bounced forward. “Ooh! What did you get from the bandits? Any cool stuff? Weapons? TREASURE?”

Adam shrugged, keeping his expression deliberately casual. “Just some useful odds and ends. A few coins. Nothing too exciting.”

Ignis’s face fell dramatically. “Ehhh? That’s it? I thought bandits would have, like, mountains of gold and magical swords and—” She gestured expansively. “—cool stuff!”

Adam’s smirk widened slightly. “Sorry to disappoint. But hey, next time we find a treasure hoard, I’ll let you pick first.”

Ignis’s eyes gleamed with sudden, sharp interest.

“A treasure hoard.” She tasted the words, savoring them. “You’d let me pick first?” Her head tilted, flames licking briefly at the corners of her vision. “That’s not a promise you should make lightly, Adam. Dragons take such things… seriously.”

Adam held her gaze, unflinching. “I’m aware.”

Ignis studied him for a long moment, something soft and knowing flickering behind her fiery eyes. Then she nodded once—a gesture of acceptance, of sealing a pact.

“Good.” She turned and trotted back toward the fire, flames trailing behind her like a satisfied afterthought. “I’ll remember that.”

Seraphina, who had been quietly observing, rose to her feet. “It’s getting late. We should rest while we can.” She glanced at Adam. “Who will take the first watch?”

Adam settled against a nearby tree, crossing his arms. “I’ll do it.”

Seraphina’s brow furrowed slightly. “Are you certain? You fought just as hard as any of us today.”

“I’m sure.” Adam’s voice was firm. “Go on. Get some sleep.”

Seraphina hesitated, then nodded. She moved to Elise’s side, gently guiding the princess toward a flat spot near the fire. “Come, Your Highness. You need rest.”

As they settled, Adam glanced at Lilith, who had already positioned herself in the shadows near the cart—her usual spot. He raised his voice just enough to carry.

“Hey, Lilith. Can you stay up with me for a bit? I want to talk.”

Ignis’s head popped up from where she’d already sprawled near the fire. “Huh? What about? I wanna hear too!”

Adam shot her a flat look. “Sleep, Ignis. This won’t take long.”

Ignis pouted but flopped back down, grumbling. “Fiiine. But you better tell me tomorrow!”

Lilith appeared at Adam’s side, her pale form catching the firelight as she glided toward Adam. Her crimson eyes held a flicker of curiosity—and something else. Pleasure, perhaps, at being chosen for private conversation.

“Of course, Adam.” She settled beside him, close enough that their shoulders almost touched. Her voice dropped to a murmur meant only for him. “What would you like to discuss?”

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