paladin's curse.

prologue. GOLDEN MIRROR

𖤣𖥧.𖤣𖥧𓆏𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
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(Name) was perched atop her sleek and lovely black mane, which she dubbed as Katherine. She wore her black Vetus uniform to indicate her rank and status within the squadron that King Lammert had assigned her to. Aside from the knights' faint murmurs and whispers, the clicking of horse shoes can be heard.

It was a hot day, yet the atmosphere along the Empire's northern border was humid, as if the sun was going to rise in the afternoon. This, however, does not worry her in the least. It wasn't the discerning looks, the quiet words of the knights behind her, or the strange weather.

Throughout the trek from one town to the next, she maintained a calm demeanor. What was on her thoughts at the time was how she ended up in the northern area when Legolin was assigned to the position. He was already an expert at tracking and hunting in the forests and mountains. Why was she subbed to take his case out of all the members?

She let Katherine swerved a little to the left and stopped, eyes briefly glancing at the muddy ground below, the tracks leading to a forest entrance ahead. She swiftly slid down from the black mane.

"Halt!" she exclaimed firmly to the squadron as they also dismounted. Men began to lay their horses' leather down or secure it to adjacent tree trunks.

"Stay here, okay? I will be back. I promise you." she whispered as she led Katherine to a grassy spot and patted her nose softly. The black mane reacted by lowering her head to pluck and nibble some of the grass with her teeth. She gave her companion a brief glance before proceeding to the tracks they all had just passed.

Captain James D., the squadron's commander, was one of the knights that came to her where she was standing. "Faint tracks of the carriage. Amateurs, I tell you. It was a messed-up canopy. It must be the work of bandits." he commented, somewhat smug at his conclusion.

"This is certainly a hasty getaway based on the horseshoes depth; the carriage must've been quite heavy," (Name) stated quietly as she kneeled down to check the tracks closely.

Captain James seem displeased at her lack of response on what he have said and grudgingly inquired, "Then, I say we —"

"Let us stroll from here on out," she said as she caught a glimpse of his dismal demeanor before looking ahead on the forest.

To begin the tracking, the squadron's leader divided his members. This case takes precedence over all others. Jewels and ornaments belonging to the Queen's late mother were stolen from her bed chamber at the Queen's palace. After hearing what transpired, King Lammert dispatched his knights to find these as soon as possible. He wanted to calm his Queen's mind.

After two weeks have gone by with no sign of the perpetrators, the King has turned to the Great Nikolai for help. Legolin, who was stationed on the Empire's northern border, should have been in charge of the probe. (Name) was supposed to be teaching the new members at the headquarters about history of elements and its fundamentals.

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After taking a few strolls through the forest, (Name) begins to detect a faint hint of magic enveloping the subtle movements of the leaves and branches. She was constantly on the lookout for potential surprises for their small bunch. Assuming a rebel is nearby, as aside from those who are devoted to Nul, only the rejects have basic knowledge on magic.

"You shouldn't worry your lovely face, we'll keep you safe. . . If that's even conceivable to your kind." Captain James murmurs after taking a quick look at how she was behaving.