The Villainess Will Not Bring Dishonor To Her Family

95 - Little Truths - Part 1

Felix's Point Of View

"Oh~ Felix you asshole! You look good in that new uniform of yours! You would look even better if not for it being covered in muddy swamp water!" My older brother Ryder chimes as I approach him.

His wide lips are curled into a grin at my pitiful state as he compares it to his own clean appearance and his smoothed back brown hair... meanwhile I am covered in half dried swamp water and smelling like rotten eggs, mentally exhausted from the meeting of our village elder and the Lady... The difference is clear as night and day...

Still, as expected of my older brother. He has the guts to tease me after the nightmare I just went through. The Lady truly looked like she was going to rip our elder to pieces. The Elder wasn't being polite either, since she was high on spirit snake poison to greet the snake we brought back... I still cannot shake off the feeling of discomfort.

"Shaddup Ryder, it's just you that looks like a fopdoodle," I grumble... and yet I still end up grinning back at him.

Ryder's eyes widen for a moment before his lips turn into a grin.

"Fopdoodle? Where in the world did you learn that?"

He jerks his head towards the general store in a hint to change location.

"One of my unit mates has a very colorful vocabulary with these things," I joke mildly as we make our way into the general store. It has grown a bit larger since last I was home... Ryder has actually adapted to this life quite well since we got it running. It's the only general store in Plymfell, but it makes deliveries to the other villages too.

Ryder moves to the counter and pulls out a couple of chairs. He tends to talk with people a lot here, so I guess that's why he kept extra chairs. He sits down and watches me quietly for a moment.

"Felix. Won't you say here?" His brows furrow and his eyes narrow. We return to the same old argument. I move a hand to the back of my head and scratch it as I pull off the ribbon tying it together.

"We've talked about this before, Ryder. I am not suited for a desk job. If anything I am amazed how you adjusted to it. You used to be one of the best trackers too, now you're wasting away behind a general store desk," I shoot back at him. Ryder, as expected, just sighs for a moment... but he doesn't let it go that easily.

"You are going to war this time... it's not like your usual tracking missions from the black market... your life is at stake here more so than ever. They may give you pretty equipment, expensive lessons and pretty promises, but you won't be the same when you return... if... you return," he speaks in a heavy and... somber tone. I understand his worry... but... I decided this is where I want to be, so I grit my teeth and endure my older brother's worry.

"I have been given the chance of a lifetime, Ryder... we grew up hunting snakes just to get by and to eat. We have neither parents nor grandparents... all dead... for me to be given the role of a knight is more than we could ever have hoped for when we were orphans. I cannot live the same peaceful life as you, Ryder," I reply softly... but Ryder doesn't let up.

"The general store is going well! You can track and hunt as we used to, you won't be bored."

I smile a bit.

"But I won't make a difference for anyone here, Ryder..."

We both go quiet for a while and let the silence spread. I'm not the only one going. Every single member in our units have someone waiting for them at home. For me, my only family member just happens to be here... right before we head into the mountains and the battlefield. It is a part people like to forget... that there are people behind those going to war... that even the 'enemy' have people close to them... I wonder if Peony has someone too...