Surviving As A Cannon Fodder

CHAPTER 73

"Head Butler Nathaniel!"

A hurried voice was heard from outside Edward's room. It was one of the apprentice knights who was assigned to the transmission chamber. He was stopped outside of the room by the standing guard Knights.

He was panting and sweating on having run all the way from the other side of the residence. His face was pale and drained off-color like he had seen his ghost. In his trembling hands was a piece of paper that arrived through a telegram from the temple the Mistress was visiting.

"What is it?" Nathaniel asked with his usual stoic expression. It was as if his smile from earlier was nothing but a mirage.

It was forbidden for unauthorized personnel to enter the master's room. Yet this young apprentice knight dared to do so.

Judging from the pale look on his face Nathaniel estimated that it must be due to something of a higher emergency. So he decided to let it go, without further pressing into it.

"This..this..." the apprentice knight extended a piece of paper towards him.

'Why is he shaking like somebody died?'

Nathaniel received the telegram and started reading through it. His eyes were growing wider and wider as he read through each word.

He read it again a few times to make sure he was reading it correctly. His hands were shaking as he lowered it with the piece of paper crumpling within.

"Contact Sir Luther and ask him to return immediately" He ordered the bewildered apprentice knight.

"Gather all the knights in the assembly hall. And I meant all of them, including the ones on vacation"

"And send a telegram to the Archduke" His hands were clenched into tight fists.

The apprentice knight stood still processing the commands coming towards him like bullets.

"What are you still standing here for...GO!"

"Yes sir!" He ran away scared from the sight of Nathaniel's face.

Nathaniel looked back at his master's room before he strode towards the knights' assembly area.

Thirty minutes later.........

*whisper* *whisper*

The knights were gathered in the assembly hall on short notice. None of them knew the reason, but since even newly recruited apprentice knights were assembled, they assumed it had to be due to something critical.

There were a lot of conspiracy theories going on inside their heads.

"Did His grace's curse break?"

"Did the madam run away?"

"Is it about the Archduke's return?"

"Maybe it's about the war"

"Wanna bet?"

Some knights even started placing bets about the occasion, but none of them expected the shocking news that was about to hit them.

*click-clack* *click-clack*

The whispers faded on the note of Nathaniel's footsteps. He marched to the top of the podium, elegant as he ever was. But there was something wrong about his expression, so much that it made the knights who were placing bets flinch unable to meet his gaze.

"You might be curious as to why you gathered at this time of the day" Nathaniel said, observing the gathered knights.

"Earlier tonight, at 1900 hours. Her grace's carriage was attacked on the way to the temple of Eir"