Chapter 89 - Setting up Defenses (3)

Back at the central camp, I found Gold Knight Commander Lana waiting for me.

“While you had been gone, General Verath, we received messages from dispatched riders that most of our kingdom's armies have taken up positions along the other six fronts, excluding this front.”

“I see. How about General Ochram and General Lavok?”

“They have taken up positions on the third front and fourth front,” Lana said. “Furthermore, the generals of King Balan have also arrived, along with the king himself and other major nobles. They will be leading most of the 70,000 soldiers they brought, along with hired mercenaries and fighting men.”

“So now we play the waiting game,” I said softly.

“Care to share a drink with me for the night,” Lana asked in a casual tone.

“Although I believe in early independence for children, I don't think children should drink at such a young age yet.”

“You vex me, Verath.” “You should just shut up sometime and accept a lady's invitation.”

“A lady, huh? I suppose one can see it that way.”

“This lady will soon run out of patience and ask for a duel, even if you are this lady's general,” Lana said in a controlled voice, an angry vein becoming distinct on her forehead.

“Lead the way, then.”

Lana, however, did not lead the way. Instead, she was looking at me with her eyebrows raised. When I didn't respond, she only let out a sigh. “Should you not escort this lady in a proper fashion?”

I hesitantly held out an elbow, to which Lana quickly latched onto with her hands. I never knew when Efari would pop out from a place, even though I could sense her through the bond I had with her. That, and the other two female dragons were probably busy sightseeing again. “Pitying the Weak Human Mortals,” they had said.

I started walking, and asked in casual voice, “Even if that lady is twelve odd years older than me?”

“Even then,” Lana replied with confidence. “And don't you know? Age does not matter between...friends.”

“So it is.”

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After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at the designated campsite where soldiers were drinking and laughing loudly in a companionable atmosphere. In the center of this place, there was a big camp fire blazing and illuminating the scene.

This scene was soon shattered when all of the soldiers, both males and females, turned to look at Lana when she took out a bottle of wine from the supply camp, which was manned by a few logistic accountants.

I watched as all of the soldiers, who had been so cheerful before, ran away from the campsite and headed toward other places. They had somewhat fearful looks on their faces.

“Oh, where did my men go off too?” Lana asked with a wine bottle in one hand and two small mugs in the other hand.

“They left...” I paused a bit, thinking whether or not I should add the words “after seeing you,” to my sentence. I decided not to.

In a cheerful voice, Lana said, “Ah well, silence is the best under a darkening sky such as this.”

“True,” I said, taking the mug she handed out to me. We both sat down on the grass and Lana poured out some wine, filling half of my mug and filling her own to the brim.

Her eyes gleamed as she turned toward me. “Shall we do a drinking contest? I will even give you a handicap the first round.”

I could only chuckle at that. The Gold Knight Commander was sorely mistaken if she thought I could not hold in my alcohol. I suppose her mistake was only natural, since she had never seen me drink. She did not know of my countenance.

I formed a small grin. “Be careful of who you go against, Lana. It is always a good idea to know who your opponents are first. That said, I accept your challenge.”

Lana smiled back, and held up her mug. “To the future.”

I guess I could agree with her words. My future, back then, after all, had been full of uncertainties.

“To the future,” I said.

At that, we both gulped down the wine.

Lana let out a huge sigh of satisfaction and a wicked grin came over her face, which had turned slightly red. “Heh...hehehehe...hahahahah....HAHAHAHA”

Her laughs turned louder and louder, and she wiped her mouth with a hand. She poured some more wine into her mug to the brim and quickly finished that. “You know, bitch. I feel like going for some blood.”

Saying that, Lana stood up and drew out the longsword she always strapped behind her back. “Fight me!”

“Wa—”

Lana did not waited to hear my words before she slashed down at me. In my sitting position, I rolled to my left and quickly dodged the incoming blade. Then I stood up and started running away from the campsite.

Lana gave chase with her sword held out wildly in her right hand and with a wine bottle in her left hand.

I turned back a little to check up on her again and saw her drinking from the wine bottle directly. She had an insane grin on her face and her tongue was licking her bottom lips in a lecherous manner. “Come drink and play with me,” she shouted in a sing-song voice.

Seeing the demon from hell chasing after me, I ran toward the nearest campsite. There were group of soldiers, both male and female, loudly exchanging cheerful words.

I ran past them and one of them started asking in a drunken shout.

“Why are you running, General Verath?”

“Oh shit, run! It's the Red Temper!” a male soldier shouted.

“Ashes! She looks drunk!”

I looked behind and saw all of the soldiers and knights fleeing in all directions. Lana, however, paid no mind to them. She only continued chasing me. A too-drunk male soldier had not heard the shouts his friends were making and only continued sitting. He gave a thumbs-up toward his group of friends who were still shouting at him to run.

The male soldier waved at them, and was then sent flying when Lana slapped him with the back of her hand. He had gotten in her way.

Thus, the sounds of screams resounded throughout the Gold Knight Commander's camp as her men ran away in terror. It was on the night of two full moons that the red demon from hell put the stuff of nightmares into hundreds of men.

And the screams continued before I finally put a stop to the demon with a choke-hold.

Hah. I am merely joking.

The night didn't turn that bad.

I only started to play with her by drawing my own enchanted, black longsword. It took a while to subdue her, but when I finally did, I sat down on top of her small body.

Some minutes passed as she struggled underneath, before finally passing out.

The Red Temper was thus slain.

And I was also thus slain when Efari and Eden saw the scene of me sitting on top of Lana.

Monsters, I tell you. Never take home one with you or befriend one. Even a small monster.