Chapter 748: A Strong Commoner
The snowy forest stretched deeper and longer as the caravan journeyed further. Or perhaps they had long since missed its end because it seamlessly bled into another?
Northern, however, was quite conversant with tree types. Even though most of them were void of their leaves, looking like charred skeletons of what they once were, he could still recognize them by their bark and shape of branches.
Some trees had spectacular shapes of branches, some had a way of looking like disheveled witches. Northern knew those to be the best wood type for fireplaces.
They had high combustion rates without mercilessly devouring the wood itself as compared to several others of their kind.
Of course, all this knowledge had been a boon of living in the countryside with a repentant, deadly, and wicked assassin of a father and an elf from a counter world of some sort for a mother.
'I thought my life was the simplest... I was wrong.'
All those things and they just decided not to teach him the most basic and important things he needed for survival.
But now more than before, he could understand them. With the strength they had and how attached Eisha was, surely they must have thought they could shield and protect him from any harm.
They must have wanted a life where he would never get hurt... they must have been so sure that they would create such a life for their son.
But ultimately... they failed.
'...And I had to pay the price for it.'
This taught Northern one thing.
The illusion of safety.
Him more than anyone knew how perilous their journey was going to be. And sadly, he could not protect everyone. That was even if he wanted to in the first place.
The only thing Northern was interested in was getting to the blockade and returning. Which for someone of his caliber was not a difficult task.
Even though Eleina and her father had lost limbs trying to fulfill the same task.
Northern carefully looked at everyone, as they each took solace in their space, some
mumbling to each other softly, others munching on something. In the middle of them, a blue flame stealthily burned.
"What are you thinking about?"
The voice was sudden, interrupting his thoughts. Northern turned to the direction of it, watching as the girl slowly settled beside him and crossed her legs.
"Despite wearing a mask, your eyes look like they're measuring who's gonna die first."
Northern's eyes stayed on her for a few seconds, then he averted his gaze, wordlessly. "You're just not a guy of many words, huh?"
"I'm not used to people talking to me."
His hoarse voice sounded for the first time in a while, grabbing everyone's attention. "That's a lie."
The lady energetically retorted.
"I'm very sure you have tons of people wanting to talk to you every day."
Northern was silent for a while, thinking deeply about what she just said.
'Do I?'
He wouldn't explain it in such manner. But he did not always talk to a lot of people... voluntarily.
She brought out a piece of bread from a pouch she hung on her waist and broke it in twain, offering one half to Northern.
He looked down at her hands, his eyes narrowed briefly.
"What are you doing?"
The lady frowned, confused.
"What? I'm offering you food. You haven't eaten anything since we left."
She made her eyes appear sleepy, rolling her pupils as she added.
"Unless of course, my humble bread isn't good enough for someone of noble blood."
Northern looked at her, his eyes blank. A cold breeze blew between the group for a moment,
almost killing the little flame, but the poor thing persisted.
Then Northern's hoarse voice sounded in the silence.
"I am not a noble."
Even though a bit low, they all could still hear. It was almost like they were eavesdropping, looking forward to the next time he would speak.
The mercenaries when they started as a group of strangers, save Gareon, the old man, and the lady amongst them, not many of them frequently spoke with each other-but that was beginning to change.
The mood had also gotten better.
The girl tilted back a little, as shocked as everyone else was.
"That's impossible, you are saying you are a commoner?"
Northern shrugged with his shoulders, his voice downplaying the severity of the situation, or
maybe he just did not know what the deal was about.
"I haven't really had the chance to dwell on the thought of my identity but yes, I am a commoner, grew up in the outskirts of the western gate of the capital city."
The girl's mouth opened wider. Others too around her were mumbling to each other.
"That is impossible..."
Northern narrowed his eyes, now confused at the excessive show of surprise, he asked:
"What's the deal about it? Why are you all acting so shocked?"
Gareon chuckled, his thick voice reverberating through the night.
"When commoners awaken, they are not opportuned to resources and privileges that scions of nobility have. Some of them would have even been trained and prepared for their awakening. But us commoners... it takes a while before our first rift, we can't afford to go to the academy and only have to learn by joining a public citadel. If some of us are lucky with a C class talent, maybe a private citadel, even with all that, priority of rift is given to those with stronger talents and more prospect."
The captain paused for a bit, sighing as he continued.
"All that makes it a cycle that revolves around the more privileged, the nobility, leaving only crumbs for people like us. And you know, you need higher tier rifts to grow stronger."
Gareon was indeed right. This had been the plague that was slowly spreading across the Central Plains, a rigged system of some sort.
"So when someone like you suddenly pops up, so strong, naturally, everyone expected you to be a noble. In fact, I am curious as to why someone as strong as you would take a shitty job such as this one. I'm sure you can easily land a place with the big citadels."
Northern looked at the lady after she spoke. Her face in the dimmed luminance of the blue flames was somewhat ghastly; there was a gothic beauty to her face and a sinister determination burning violently in her eyes.
She was oddly ensnaring... dark and toxic. Even her small smile was...
Northern shook his head.
'What the hell...'
It almost felt like he could continue to dwell on how strangely beautiful she was. He could
swear it did not feel normal.
"So how does a commoner like you end up so strong?"
The lady questioned with a scrutinizing look in her dark eyes.