Chapter 48: A Very Awkward Morning
It seems the morning had not yet finished being awkward...
Because the moment Regaleon stepped back into the Cave, he was met by six pairs of eyes staring directly at him.
The silver-haired Knight stopped mid-step. For some reason, this sight alone made him feel as though he just walked into an ambush.
"Were the hell have you been?" Veyrath practically shouted the moment he saw him.
Regaleon blinked, then looking around, he noticed that everyone else had already awakened.
The fire at the center of the cave crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the walls as the cohort sat around it.
Apparently, while he had been occupied with what could be considered the most awkward encounter of his life, the rest had already risen and discovered that both he and Aureleah were missing.
"Wait..." Veyrath suddenly narrowed his eyes.
His gaze swept across Regaleon’s damp clothes before stopping. "Don’t tell me..." He began suspiciously...
For a fraction of a second, Regaleon’s heart skipped a beat.
"...you actually went to take a bath?"
Hearing that, instantly, the Forgotten Knight almost sighed in relief. For a second there, he really thought the failed Alchemist had somehow discovered everything.
"Yes." He said curtly.
Immediately, Veyrath looked scandalized. "You went for a bath without telling us?"
Then, he raised a brow as he finally realized that something was off about the silver-haired Knight. "Also... What about your Armour?"
It was only after hearing this question did Regaleon realize that he had returned without manifesting his Soul Essence and he was still dressed in normal clothes.
But before he could reply, another voice suddenly spoke.
"Regaleon, have you seen my sister?" Sylveris’ voice was soft as she blinked at him innocently, having no idea about the chains of chaos that is about to go down.
The question struck Regaleon like a speeding carriage and for a brief moment, his entire body turned stiff...
His silver eyes widened in shock while his mind wandered back to that earlier encounter at the lake...
The little girl asked whether he had seen her sister.
But what she didn’t know was that, as a matter of fact, he had very much seen her sister. Far more than he would have preferred.
Regaleon’s soul nearly left his body as his mind drowned in a whirlpool of thoughts...
Meanwhile, Sylveris simply continued staring at him expectantly, waiting for an answer that was never given.
Seconds passed... But Regaleon remained silent.
Then more seconds passed... And he still kept mute.
"Regaleon...?"
There was no reply.
"Regaleon...?!"
Still no reply.
Suddenly, Veyrath appeared before him and snapped his fingers. "...Earth to Regaleon.".
The silver-haired Knight jolted awake as he jumped slightly. "What...?"
Veyrath stared at him strangely before pointing at Sylveris. "The girl asked if you’ve seen her sister."
Regaleon swallowed audibly...
"And while we’re at it..." Veyrath continued suspiciously. "...where exactly is Aureleah?"
The way he asked that question made it sound far more dangerous than it should have been...
Regaleon scratched the back of his head; a habit he seemed to have developed recently.
Honestly, he hated it because it made him feel awkward... And Regaleon hated feeling awkward. But unfortunately, awkwardness seemed determines to follow him today.
"Right..."
Then he turned towards Sylveris and said with the most serious expression he could muster. "Actually... Aureleah is bathing at the waterfall..."
Immediately after, there was silence. Absolute silence.
Vaelorin’s eyes widened to the point that they might just pop out of their sockets. One could say that of all the members in the cohort, the failed Pyromancer was the one with the most sordid thoughts and one could only imagine what crossed his mind the instant he heard that statement.
Seeing their shocked appearance, Regaleon immediately sensed danger and truly, in the next second...
"What?!" Veyrath shouted as he jumped to his feet immediately. "What did you just say?"
The Forgotten Knight frowned slightly before recapitulating. "I said that Aureleah is bathing by the waterfall."
"I heard that part..." The failed Alchemist modded frantically. "I heard that part clearly."
"Then what is the problem?"
"The problem..." Veyrath replied. "...is how do you even know that?"
Immediately, Regaleon was tongue-tied. He opened his mouth... Then closed it... And opened it again... But no words came out.
Without hesitation, he tried to savage the situation with the only explanation that popped up in his mind.
"Are you seriously asking that? Can’t I keep tab on a member of the group and know where and what they are doing most of the time?"
This time, Vaelorin suddenly leaned forward with a very wretched grin on his face.
"So what you are basically trying to say is that you had to stalk her to where she was bathing just to keep tabs on her location?"
The failed Pyromancer even had the effrontery to wiggle his brows as he asked that question.
Regaleon was stumped as he tried to explain. "That is not what I meant. It isn’t as you’ve said at all. Do not get me wrong..."
This time, Valmyr, the trouble maker spoke with a very wide grin on his face.
"We aren’t getting you wrong. We are only trying to confirm what you said with your own mouth. Isn’t that right, guys?"
With the seriousness of an investor who just found a partner, Veyrath nodded. "Yes, that’s right. This is only a confirmation."
Regaleon immediately denied it. "You heard wrong. I only said that she was bathing..."
He had yet to even complete the sentence when Vaelorin shouted.
"Exactly! That is what we also heard. You were trying to keep tabs on her by peeping when she was bathing..."
Defeated, Regaleon could only stare at the Cave ceiling. Aetherium, give him strength.
But unfortunately, things only became worse because Kaeloris suddenly adjusted his spectatcles...
"If I may..." The failed Gnost started. "From a purely logical perspective, there are only a few possibilities by which you know where Aureleah is..."
Then Kaeloris started raising his fingers one by one as he continued. "The first one is that you guessed... The second one is that you followed her... The third one is that you were already at the waterfall before she met you there."
Slowly, Veyrath pointed toward the second finger. "I’d bet my head that it is the second option."
"It isn’t..." Regaleon retorted.
"Then prove it..."
Hearing that, Regaleon didn’t even know what to say anymore.
Immediately, Valmyr burst into laughter; even Vaelorin looked greatly amused by the expression on Regaleon’s face.
"You know, for someone who is trying to defend himself, you are doing a terrible job." The failed Pyromancer said thoughtfully.
With that, Regaleon looked moments away from committing violence. Then, Sylveris tilted her head; the young girl was still confused as she asked once more...
"So, did you see my sister or not?"
Immediately, the Cave exploded again....
As the nonsensical trio started spewing shenanigans from their mouth, Regaleon buried his face in one hand and let out a long groan...
Aetherium! He had fought Winged horrors and Scaled abominations. Yet somehow, this was worse. Far worse than those things.
At least monsters tried to kill him honestly; but these ones... They are trying to kill him by torturing him with annoyance.
For a moment, Regaleon seriously considered leaving the Cave. Unfortunately, they refused to let him go.
It was just so infuriating and exhausting all at once...
Meanwhile, Caelestra rubbed her temples. The failed Merchant looked like she had developed a morning headache.
"Gods above..." She sighed. "...it isn’t fully morning yet."
Nobody listened as the argument continued; voices rose, accusations flew, and Regaleon’s dignity as a knight was dragged through the mud repeatedly.
Then... All of it stopped. Abruptly.
Not because anyone wanted it to, but because the subject of the argument had just entered the Cave.
The atmosphere instantly froze as every head turned toward the Cave entrance...
Aureleah stood there; silver hair slightly damp with water droplets still clinging to a few strands near her neck.
The morning light filtering into the Cave framed her figure as she stood there silently.
Then, her silver eyes slowly swept across the group...
