Any Port In A Storm

Earnest stared at her face and its surreal beauty. It was like looking at a painting, a masterpiece, one that would define art for centuries in its wake. It wasn’t just pure beauty though, there was a strong element of cuteness that pulled at the heart, urging onlookers to protect and cherish.

“Look, I know I’m quite pretty, but come on now, you’ve been staring for a while.”

Earnest snapped out of his trance, meeting the eyes that looked at him bemusedly.

“Oh, sorry. My apologies. My name is Earnest, knight of the 7th squad. Who are you?”

“You can call me… Coltia. I’ll repeat myself since you seemed… distracted. Can’t blame you though, I am quite exceptional. I’m an apprentice of the dark magics, an unassuming amateur of the dark arts.”

She giggled to herself melodically, teasing Earnest’s ears with an addictive sound. Earnest was both bewitched and perplexed by this woman. Were all magic users like this? No, certainly not, he had met members of the royal arcane corps, members that were fairly normal.

Coltia was not only incredible in terms of appearance, but there was something about the way she spoke and the way she acted… It was so confident, so certain. It was like she knew everything, and had control over it, like she was talking down to everyone. It was… almost seductive… but how did such a young woman command this kind of tone? Where did she come from, and why was she offering her help to him? Earnest’s concerns must have been written on his face, as Coltia answered the questions in his head.

“I have been sent on a journey by my venerable master to leave her care and see the world. She wishes for me to meet its people, learn of their triumphs and struggles, and to aid them as I see fit. And wouldn’t you know who I found? You~ and your little conundrum. Well, aren’t you lucky you ran into me? What are the chances that you’d meet one such as I in your time of great need? Perhaps some god of fortune is smiling upon you.”

Coltia’s smile seemed to turn a little… sinister after she finished her last sentence. Earnest tried to think of its implications, but couldn’t identify any.

“Oh, I see.”

He really couldn’t respond with much. He was still wary of Coltia and her story, as free help never came free of an ulterior motive. He decided to probe her a little for more information.

“I take it that you wouldn’t spend your time and effort on me without a proper reward. What can I do to compensate you?”

“Well it’s simple really. If there’s smoke, there’s fire. So if there’s a dark magic problem, there are dark magic materials. I’ll help you be the hero of your story. You’ll save the princess from the clutches of evil and bask in glory and admiration. In exchange, all I ask for is the leftovers. The materials that would be confiscated should instead go to good hands don’t you think? Now what do you say~?”

Earnest considered her proposal. It made sense to him. It objectively made sense, logical and infallible. But the tone of her voice… the way she had approached him… something was still giving Earnest a feeling of unease with her. She was still hiding something from him, he could feel it. It felt like he was being toyed with. But she was right. Earnest needed her right now. He didn’t want to trust her, but he didn’t have to trust her in order to work with her. Rosalind was in danger. He thought of talking with her in the bakery, of the ritual he saw in the secret base. He remembered how Thomlin groped her breasts, and his heart burned and his stomach churned. Any means was acceptable if it meant saving Rosalind from the hands of the misfit boys.

“Okay, I accept your proposal.”

“Good~ I thought you would. Few have the fortune of receiving my… help.”

She giggled again, then looked back at Earnest.

“Well then, what’s the plan brave hero?”

“Prepare anything you’ll need to bring in order to counteract the dark magic. We’ll be setting off to Knottori tomorrow morning. Meet me in the inn nearby the gates. Oh, we’ll have another member joining us, Alesia. She’s an apothecary, and I thought that she would be able to help. Oh, and don’t worry about food or water, I’ll be resupplying today, but don’t expect anything fancy, I’m not working with much of a budget.”

“Hmm… Well, I believe I can help with that. My master entrusted me with a little pocket change so that I could travel in comfort. Here.”

Coltia’s hand disappeared into a pocket in her robe, returning with a small coin pouch. She held it out to Earnest, who took it.

“Don’t bother saving anything, just get the best that you can.”

With that, Coltia left, leaving Earnest more confused. When asking for help, the last thing he expected was to receive money, but then again Coltia just seemed to do everything at her own pace. After Coltia was out of sight, he took a look into the pouch and could barely believe his eyes. A mix of gold, silver, and copper coins were stowed away in the coin pouch. Earnest could tell at a glance that it was a huge amount of money, enough to purchase a horse. He could finally cover days worth of foot travel in only one! No, wait, he was not alone anymore, he had two other party members that he needed to bring along. A horse was useless now.

He could perhaps hire more assistance. But then again, the larger the party, the more complex the mission, and the more things that could go wrong. Who would he hire anyways? Some mercenaries or normal townsmen? The companions he had now were probably the most qualified for the situation.

Earnest kept looking at the money he held, and remembered why he was given it in the first place. Food, water, and comfort. He decided to keep it simple and just do what he thought she wanted. He departed to the Lindow markets, and was surprised to find that their selection of ingredients was not only high quality, but also quite diverse.

Ever since he had left the capital, Earnest hadn’t had anything good to eat. He just didn’t have the money to spend, so he made due with the plain but nutritious foods that he could afford. Now, he had a chance to show off a little bit. Earnest had learned and honed his cooking skills for a long time. The 7th squad loved his cooking, and would always assign him to it whenever they all traveled together on expeditions.

Earnest began his culinary journey long before he entered the knights though, as he realized at a young age that Rosalind was not the type to cook. She was too free spirited and impatient. She would frequently measure ingredients by heart and add new ingredients at a whim, creating a messy mix of flavors that was often inedible. In addition to that, she was too impatient to wait for meat to cook, and often put it too close to the flame in order to “cook it faster”, only resulting in a burnt exterior and raw interior.

Thus Earnest took it upon himself to learn the fine culinary arts. It seemed like his motivations were always related to supporting Rosalind, and this was no exception. He honed his skills and knowledge, and ended up being one of the best local cooks around, much to Rosalind’s enjoyment. Earnest would often feed her his dishes, and would take great satisfaction in it.

He browsed the market, making a meal plan in his head. He would actually be able to create some of his best meals, and hopefully they would meet Coltia’s expectations for comfort. He bought the ingredients for travel as well as water and ****. By then, the day was starting to come to a close with the sun beginning to hang its head low. He brought his bounty back to the inn and packed it all for tomorrow’s departure. He paid for a dinner with his own money, and conversed with some patrons who didn’t have much to say. He only learned a little more about the church and Alesia’s reputation in town.

After retiring to his room, Earnest laid himself in bed, reflecting on Alesia and Coltia. Alesia might not be able to help as much as Coltia, but he was glad to have her come along. She was a moral support to him right now, a rare friend. He didn’t realize how isolated he had felt over the past days, and how it was wearing on him. Alesia seemed to be the only one that was genuinely friendly to him right now, since Rosalind was… not herself, and Coltia was clearly suspicious. Earnest’s thoughts went to Coltia, but he was surprised by a lack of worst case scenarios resulting from bringing a dark magic apprentice. He didn’t expect to be so optimistic about his current situation. He still didn’t trust her though. Coltia was certainly hiding something, some ulterior motive, but at least Earnest couldn’t detect any malice from her. It was strange, like she was toying with him, but it seemed like she was taking care of her toys at the same time.

Earnest drifted off to sleep as he anticipated the beginning of his new party’s mission tomorrow. Soon, Rosalind would be safe, and Earnest could rest easy.