Casper's words made Seth pause in thought.
As much as he hated to admit it, the young noble was right. He had survived most of the first day alone. He had even managed to kill a dire rat- granted, it was mostly luck, but the fact remained.
But still… nobles weren't exactly known for acknowledging commoners, let alone considering them as equals. They had an unshakable bias, believing that those without noble blood would never amount to much. And when a commoner did achieve something, they simply turned a blind eye, dismissing their feats as insignificant.
Seth wasn't technically a commoner, but he might as well have been. He was a bastard- one who had never even met his noble father.
Seth hesitated for a few moments before finally speaking.
"I have a question related to what you said earlier… if you don't mind me asking." His voice was careful, measured as they walked through the dark forest.
Casper gave a small nod, signaling for him to continue.
"You gave me a reason why you asked me to join you- and by extension, why you treat me with respect. But what about the others? What's your reason for treating commoners positively, unlike most nobles?" Seth asked, his curiosity genuine.
With a swift motion, Casper sliced through a vine blocking their path, barely breaking his stride. A smirk tugged at his lips.
"Well… maybe that's because I'm not so different from you," he said, his voice carrying an unusual solemnity.
Seth barely had time to process the words before Casper continued.
"My father is a noble, and my mother is a commoner. Normally, that would've made me a bastard, since nobles usually don't acknowledge their commoner born offspring. But, by some miracle, or madness as others would describe, my father actually loved my mother enough to marry her."
Casper let out a dry chuckle, as if the very idea was absurd even though it shouldn't have been.
Despite the weight of his words, he seemed to be in a good mood- maybe because, after everything, the trial will soon come to an end.
"Maybe it's because I don't see commoners as all that different from me," Casper admitted. "But as convenient as that explanation would be… it would also be a lie."
"A lie?" Seth asked, surprised.
Casper nodded. "Yes, a lie. That did play a part in it, but it's not the real reason for my actions."
He paused for a moment before stating simply, "I do it because I want to."
There was no hesitation in his voice, no grand justification- just pure, unshakable resolve.
Hearing this, Seth couldn't help but chuckle. "Young Lord Casper, you really are a peculiar person."
'Young lord?' Casper blinked, momentarily baffled by the title.
"But… are you sure about that?" Seth's tone shifted, taking on an unexpected seriousness. "It doesn't just take courage to stand apart from the crowd. It takes true strength to go against them."
The words had slipped out naturally, without much thought, yet as soon as he said them, Seth found himself slightly startled by his own conviction.
Casper, on the other hand, seemed to take the words to heart. His usual smirk faded into a contemplative expression as he silently mulled them over.
But Casper wasn't the only one lost in thought.
Seth found himself equally perplexed, trying to understand where his own serious and strangely profound words had come from. He was certain he hadn't heard them from anyone before, yet… they had felt so natural, as if they had always been buried within him, just waiting for the right moment to surface.
It was an odd feeling- one that left him unsettled.
Was it just instinct? Or was there something more to it?
Seth didn't have the chance to dwell on the strangeness of his thoughts for long, as the group suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
When he finally registered what was before them, his eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
"No… not again!" he blurted out, his frustration plain for all to see.
But his outburst wasn't unwarranted.
Before them stretched yet another clearing, this one noticeably larger than the previous two Seth had encountered.
Casper, usually composed and focused, now bore a look of slight wariness. It was clear he felt the same way.
The memory of their past encounters with Thornspire's clearings lingered heavily in both their minds, an unshakable reminder of the dangers that lurked in the open.
There was an old saying that goes 'the third time's the charm'- but in their case, Seth feared, it might just mean their doom.
As the group stepped into the clearing, their expressions shifted to ones of shock and unease.
The moment their feet crossed the threshold, the once-lively forest fell eerily silent.
The distant howls, the rustling of unseen creatures, the ambient hum of life that had accompanied them throughout their journey- all of it ceased in an instant.
It was as if the forest itself was holding its breath.
"Guys… what are those?" Jacob asked, his voice laced with apprehension as he pointed toward the far end of the clearing.
It was only then that the group noticed them- glinting objects lined up in a perfect row, stretching across the entire width of the clearing.
At first, they seemed almost unnatural, their reflective surfaces catching what little light the forest offered. But as they stepped closer, the realization struck. "Swords…" Seth murmured in awe, his eyes tracing the countless blades that extended to both ends of the clearing.
"Not just any mundane swords," Casper added, his gaze sharpening. Even from this distance, he could feel the faint vibrations in the air, hear the subtle hum emanating from them.
"These swords… they house sword intent."
A look of realization dawned on the group, quickly followed by a wave of fear.
These swords weren't just placed here randomly- they were the swords the instructor had talked about, a barrier infused with sword intent to serve as a deterrent.
They weren't meant for protection.
They were meant to keep something out.
And that meant that whatever lurked beyond them was far worse than anything they had encountered so far.
"We need to leave. Now!" Casper commanded, his usual composure cracking as urgency bled into his voice.
"It's too late…" Seth mumbled in despair, his breath hitching as his gaze drifted beyond the dark shroud of trees behind them- the very ones they had emerged from.
His enhanced sight pierced the gloom, revealing multiple heat signatures shifting within the shadows.
All of them bore the distinct, hunched shapes of Dire rats.
Dozens of them.
And they were closing in.