An Archer's Promise

Chapter 19: Alicia and Prim

Beta read by Shigiya and DOOMRAIDER.

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-Ken-

"So this is the place?"

After a few hours of taking care of Maia and basically giving her a sponge bath, while the poor blushing redhead failed to act nonchalant throughout the ordeal—Archer decided to pay a visit to a local pub recommended by the guards he met at the entrance of Ken.

"Roasting Pig," he said while looking at the establishment, which seemed to have a full house if the noise coming from it was any indication.

He didn't ask Maia about her ability to suddenly grow stronger in the middle of the fight and what exactly her blessing was, choosing to question her at another time.

Instead, he asked her to pass on a message to the other Knights to not detain him on sight when he would roam around Ken. Knowing how the Knights in general were warry of him, going as far as to hate him, Archer didn't put past them to bring out their sword over the slightest mistake. Even after seeing his prowess against Maia, some people were just too boneheaded to convince. The Queen of Mercenaries understood his reasoning and accepted on two conditions.

Cook her the food she wanted and to bring with him one of her Knights as he traveled around the Kingdom.

He declined the first part, the bowman wouldn't be staying by her side for long. Archer would use her till he arrived in Feoh and finish off his mission for good. Though he did agree to share his own meal in case he cooked too much, as he needed to eat now that Archer wasn't a Servant and being able to sustain himself through Magical Energy alone.

Archer looked to his side to see Brynn, who accompanied him as his Passepartout and, in his opinion, an unnecessary bodyguard. The notion baffled the bowman and made him again suspicious if Maia didn't get any brain damage from the fight to make such a demand.

But she remained stubborn, stating that out of everyone, Brynn being be the only one who would never turn her back on him and would follow her orders to the letter, unlike some.

There was also another reason why she was willing to follow him around.

"Yes, this is the place you asked for, Master!"

Hugh, again with that...

"Hugh, can you not call me that? I just agreed to help you out a bit with your swordsmanship. Never have I said that I'll become your master, teacher, or anything of the sort." he said, trying to keep his growing headache at bay.

After the fight, Brynn volunteered to watch over him. Back then, he was still recovering from accidentally going all out on Maia at the end and the fact that she managed to make him bleed.

(Flashback)

"I'm sorry, I broke your sword."

Giving her back the handle of what used to be an above-average forged sword, Archer couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about the situation.

It was one thing to destroy his own swords, but it became another when the swords belong to someone else.

He entertained the idea of just tracing one. Not like Brynn would find it weird since she saw him using his magecraft back at the village. But the fact that he could recreate the copy of a sword as many times as he wanted was a rather important piece of information. One that he would still like to keep up his sleeve as a trump card.

Brynn took the handle, looking over the damages. She proceeded to just throw away the handle like garbage.

A part of Archer felt a bit insulted for the sword from her callous action.