Knights of The Dauntless Princess

Chapter 30: The Doctor's Son

Amara couldn't understand what had happened and why Nina's mood seemed to have changed. She was taken aback when Nina suddenly yelled at her, which hurt her feelings. She paused for a moment, trying to think of a possible reason, and then remembered the kiss Ranz had given her hand. Amaraa realized that Nina's feelings towards her might have grown heavier because of that.

However, she still went to the kitchen to help and play with Hannah since she had made a promise to the little girl last time.

Meanwhile, on the road to Luciana, the group led by Ranz, Cyrus, and Dravis tread carefully. Since the incident in Fardowsa, Desmond's men had tightened their watch over the land of Priya. They tried to find out who was responsible for the attack, but nobody provided them with any information.

They continued their journey towards Luciana, a plateau at the foot of the Priya mountains, where a small town was located. Someone had informed them that there was a possibility they could find one of the former generals there who had faithfully served Amaraa's father, Lord Lennox.

Their trip had only been a few hours, but what delayed them was the search for signs of the person they were looking for. They had to be cautious and couldn't simply ask anyone they met.

"Hello there, gentlemen! Alcohol, perhaps you'd like some alcohol," offered a vendor selling liquor and other items.

They only glanced at it and continued walking.

"Hey, Dravis," Cyrus called out. "Who among the rest of them are we looking for?"

"The former army doctor who became a general because of his bravery in the final war between Gustava and Emmett," Dravis replied.

Cyrus paused, "Wait, are you referring to General—"

"Yeah," Dravis said immediately. "Be careful, Cyrus. We didn't know the people in this place."

Cyrus understood what Dravis meant and simply nodded.

"Oh, come on! Come on!!! I have worth buying items here! Come on and visit my shop!"

The vendors scattered all over the place kept on calling people to get some buyers. They were too loud and aggressive when people passed by them.

"Why is this so expensive? Can you lower the price?" questioned a young man who seemed to have caught their attention.

"Oh, dear! You're always like this! You know how difficult it is to find that plant! You shouldn't ask why the price is high! You probably know why!" said the plump woman, who was the vendor of the plants.

"But it's so expensive! One hundred is too much for this!" argued the young man.

Upon hearing that, they all turned their gaze to him. Ranz furrowed his brow when he saw a small stem of the plant in the young man's hand.

"One hundred? That plant costs one hundred already?" Ranz said incredulously, unable to believe what he had heard.

Cyrus stared intently at the plant the young man was holding, wondering what kind of plant it was. During his studies before, driven by the desire to become a professor in their town, he had read numerous books and conducted various research over the course of four years.

"Wait, that's not just an ordinary plant!" Cyrus exclaimed, and Ranz looked back at him. "If I'm not mistaken, that's the Aceso plant! An extraordinary plant capable of healing various kinds of illnesses!"

"A medicinal plant?" asked Ranz.

Cyrus nodded. "That plant usually grows on the edge of cliffs or high places where the sun shines directly on them. That's probably why it's so valuable, as it's difficult to find and obtain."

Their attention was then drawn to Dravis as he suddenly walked towards the young man who was still negotiating the price with the vendor.

"50!?" the man said, seeming desperate to acquire the plant.

"It still has roots! You can plant and multiply it! 90!!!" the vendor firmly stated.

"But it's just one stem! What if it doesn't survive? 60!!!" the man countered.

"It won't die if you water it in the morning and place it in a high spot where it can get direct sunlight!!! 80!!!" the vendor insisted.

"80 is still too much!!! Why don't you just give it to me for my price? I'm always buying from you," the young man persisted.

"I'm always losing money when I give in to your low prices! 80 is my final offer to you. If you don't accept it, then I'll take it, and I'm sure someone else will buy it—" the vendor was saying, but Dravis suddenly intervened and gave her the money she asked for.

The vendor and the young man were surprised when they turned to look at Dravis while Dravis himself calmly gazed back at the vendor with melancholic eyes.

"This is the payment. Give the plant to him," said Dravis.

"Hey, aren't you being too generous?" Ranz said with a smirk directed at Dravis.

The young man bidding for the plant earlier widened his eyes in shock as he stared at Dravis. It was as if he had seen a ghost and dropped the plant he was holding.

"Y-You... you're alive?" the young man stammered.

Ranz and Cyrus frowned, thinking that the two of them seemed to recognize each other. Dravis looked at the young man and faced him fully. His expression remained cold as if he had an icy demeanor toward the world.

"Yes, I'm still alive," Dravis replied, fixing a piercing gaze on the young man while sporting an annoyed grin. "And I haven't forgotten what you did to me, Louie!"

Louie's eyes widened even more at being called out by Dravis, and he quickly tried to run away.

"Hey, you bastard! Get back here!!" Dravis exclaimed, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Do you know that cowardly guy?" Ranz asked.

Dravis touched his head with a sigh and said, "Unfortunately, yes, I know him. And he's not a coward; he just knows I'll beat him up to death, so he ran away."

Cyrus picked up the plant Louie had dropped and examined it. "I was right. This is the plant they call Aceso."

"That plant is a good medicine. Are you guys also studying medicine like Louie? I have more medicinal plants here if you're interested," offered the lady vendor.

They looked at her and engaged in conversation.

"Do you know that crazy guy who's so stingy?" Dravis asked.

"Louie? Oh, yes! He's the son of the best doctor in our town! And you know what? He seems to have inherited his mother's skills because his medicine works wonders, too," the vendor replied, pausing briefly in her speech. She glanced around, seemingly ensuring that no spies or soldiers could overhear her. "Making excellent medicine is his job to make a living with his siblings. His mother isn't here anymore because she is being hunted by Emmett's men."

"In Search?" Ranz repeated, exchanging a brief glance with Cyrus.

"I know about that matter," Dravis said. "But we still want to know where the young man's house is."

The vendor seemed hesitant about Dravis' request. "Wait, are you soldiers of Emmett or spies?"

"What? Do we look like soldiers—" Ranz was about to say, but Cyrus quickly covered his mouth.

"You're right. We're just ordinary gentlemen who are also studying medicine, and that's why we're looking for them. Can you tell us where he lives?" Cyrus asked, forcing a smile on his face.

"Ah, I knew it!" said the vendor, taking out some more of her medicinal herbs for display. They were puzzled as she laid the herbs in front of them and smiled broadly. "Why don't you buy these first before I tell you?"

"Huh?"

And so, they had no choice but to purchase more medicinal herbs from the vendor in exchange for information on Louie's whereabouts.

"Why do we need to go to that guy's house? Is he your friend?" Ranz asked with a sneer.

"No," Dravis quickly replied in a cold tone. "But he is the son of the person we're looking for."

"What?" exclaimed Ranz. "Why didn't you say so earlier? We could have followed him right away!"

"Wait, don't say he's the—" Cyrus also blurted out before seemingly remembering who Louie was.

"The scrawny guy I cursed a million times back then? Yes, that's him," Dravis said, narrowing his eyes in irritation.

Cyrus suddenly burst into laughter as if recalling something. At the same time, Ranz seemed confused as Cyrus and Dravis seemed to have their own understanding of what they were talking about.

"What the hell! That's him? He's the one who almost killed you? Ahahaha!" Cyrus laughed.

"Kill him? He looks so weak," Ranz stated.

"Shut up, Cyrus!" Dravis said, his eyes narrowing even further. "I haven't forgotten that, and I'm going to make him pay for what he did to me!"

"I don't understand you guys. You're all crazy," Ranz said, annoyed.

"I don't want to remember it either," Dravis said with a deep sigh. "For now, we need to find out where they live. We're looking for his mother, a former general named Azalea."

"Huh? The former general was a woman?" Ranz asked.

"Yes, but she's not just any woman," Cyrus said. "Aside from being an excellent doctor, she's also incredibly skilled in combat! Her leadership in her unit was flawless, and among all the generals, I can say she was the kindest."

"But wasn't Dravis also a general? So, he wasn't the kindest to you?" Ranz teased again.

"He's aware he wasn't kind," Cyrus chuckled teasingly, but Dravis seemed unfazed by their banter. "But during Dravis's three years as a general, he was the youngest and undoubtedly the most skilled among them."

"Shut up, Cyrus! I already heard your belittling remarks," Dravis said, causing Cyrus to grin awkwardly.

****

"Oh, hell! I never thought I'd see that man again!" Louie exclaimed as he walked towards their house. It was almost dark, and he had just returned home after delivering the medicines he had made and sold to his mother's former patients. Louie paused for a moment, feeling a shiver down his spine as he recalled the past. "Th-That man, even now... I still tremble in fear when I think of him! Damn it! Why did I ever get involved in that mess!!! Why is he here, by the way? I thought the Emmett's men killed him already!"

Taking a deep breath, Louie felt weak, not only from delivering medicines but also from contemplating why Dravis was in their town.

Finally, Louie arrived at their house and wearily opened the door, "I'm home—"

His eyes widened in surprise, and he froze as he saw familiar faces inside their house. He saw his twin siblings, Erica and Enrico, both thirteen years old, studying and being taught by Cyrus. His other sibling, Shiloh, who was sixteen, was currently cooking with the help of Ranz's two men.

"Big brother! You're back!!!" the twins greeted him joyfully.

"Hello! How are you?" Cyrus greeted him with a broad smile, waving his hand at Louie.

"W-Wait! Wh-What are you all doing here!?" Louie blurted out in shock, glancing at Shiloh. "Shiloh! What are they doing here? Why did you let them into our house!?"

"Aren't they your friends?" Shiloh innocently replied, tasting the food they prepared. Her eyes sparkled as she faced Ranz's men. "Wow! This is delicious!!! Thank you!!! You're all amazing!!!"

Ranz's men beamed with delight at Shiloh's praise while Louie patted his forehead with his hand in frustration.

"Shiloh! They're not my friends!!!" Louie scolded her.

"Really? But they're nice," Shiloh replied as if it didn't matter.

"Don't scold her," Dravis interjected, causing Louie to stiffen in his spot upon hearing the voice of the man he wished he never saw ever again.

"G-General... General Gavin!" Louie stammered, trembling as he turned his gaze toward Dravis.

"I'm also happy to see you again, Louie," Dravis said coldly, his words carrying a hint of threat that made Louie tremble even more.

Louie immediately clasped his palms together and repeatedly bowed before Dravis, "Forgive me! Forgive me!!! I didn't know the medicine I gave you was a type of mephedrone! Forgive me, please! Forgive me— Ahhh!!!"

Dravis quickly smashed Louie's head out of annoyance as he recalled the past.

"W-What? Mephedrone? Is that a poison?" Ranz asked.

Cyrus covered his mouth to stifle his laughter, "No! It's a type of drug that affects a person's mind. It can make you incredibly happy, overly energetic, or even hallucinate!"

"Huh? I don't understand!? I thought he almost died?" Ranz wondered.

And that's when Cyrus burst out laughing, "Yes! He almost died of embarrassment when he stood on the table and stripped in front of our colleagues—Ouch!!!"

"Shut up!!!" Dravis snapped, annoyed, and also smashed Cyrus' head.

Ranz was about to laugh, but when Dravis gave him a sharp look, he quickly covered his mouth to hold it back. Dravis let out a sigh of frustration, remembering the embarrassing memories of what Louie did.

"Oh f*ck! By the way, Louie," Dravis said, turning to face Louie. "Do you know... where your mother is?"

At that question from Dravis, the expression on Louie's face changed. He briefly glanced at his siblings, who also felt the sadness brought up by mentioning their mother. Louie lowered his head slightly and clenched his fists.

"She's not here. I remember my mother was on a mission when the former king was assassinated. We don't know why, but when she returned, Emmett's men tried to kill her, accusing her of conspiring against the kingdom. Our mother survived and escaped, but her group didn't make it! Since then, we haven't known her whereabouts, and we chose to live here, far from the town, far from the eyes of the soldiers searching for my mother!"

Upon learning this, Dravis and the others immediately understood and knew Louie was telling the truth not only because of what Louie said, but also because their eyes showed the pain in their hearts.

"Do you have any news about her now?" Dravis asked again.

"No," Louie replied. "If you're looking for her, I'm sorry, but I can't help you. If possible, please leave our house before anyone finds out about this. I don't want my siblings to get hurt!"

"B-Brother," Shiloh interjected.

Cyrus stood up, and they were about to leave Louie's house when Dravis suddenly spoke again.

"If that's the case, why don't you all just come with us!?" Dravis exclaimed, surprising everyone.