"Next time, don’t try to play hero and just follow my lead." Daliah smirked.
Rowan also couldn’t help but smile. "Alright! Alright! Don’t boss me around so much. We should leave now. The distance up to the palace isn’t that short, and it’s already getting dark."
"Okay, okay. Let’s go."
Daliah turned to leave but paused noticing Logan, who was standing still, staring at the monster’s corpse like a lost soul. She walked over to him.
"What’s wrong? Are you okay?" Daliah gently shook his arm and asked.
"Hmm? What?" Logan was startled.
"I asked if you are ok or not," Daliah repeated.
"Oh yeah. I am good." Logan pushed aside his thoughts for the moment. "Looks like I will have to go through those history books in the royal library more thoroughly." Logan planned inwardly.
"Prince, We will take care of the rest here. You can count on us and leave without any tension." Leo told Rowan. Though he was the elder one here, he still had to show respect to royalty.
Rowan nodded. "Alright then. And..." he looked toward all the members of the group that came for their help. "I am genuinely grateful to you guys. If you hadn’t arrived in time then we those who were fighting here would have surely died. The he looked toward Lily.
"Specially you, Miss Lily. You healed us all." Rowan thanked all the members.
"You are being too modest, Prince. I am a healer and it’s my duty. But compared to what you did, it’s nothing. If you hadn’t stood up to fight against the monsters and hold them long enough for us to reach then no civilians could escape alive." What Lily said was actually true.
Rowan’s one decision saved thousands of lives.
"I only did what I must. If nothing else, we’ll take our leave then." Rowan felt like he only did what he had to. So he didn’t want to take credit for it. At least in front of Logan when he was the actual hero in today’s battle.
Rowan stood against the monsters, yes. But if Logan wasn’t there then all of them would have been dead by now. With that, he marched toward the main entrance, where the carriage was supposed to be waiting.
Daliah also tagged along saying "let’s go" to Logan.
Logan still remained motionless, watching the final wisps of ash fade into the air. Then, he stirred. He glanced at the ground for a moment—as if making a decision.
Then he looked toward the group of hunters.
"Thank you very much for saving me back then," Logan said, looking directly at Hervy. Logan was almost at death’s door. And it was Hervy who brought him back.
After that, Logan bowed slightly toward the whole group in respect and then turned around and followed behind Rowan and Daliah.
Though Logan had already started to leave, walking in unhurried steps, four people’s gazes were locked at his retreating back.
It was Solemon... along with the three hunters who fought the Orc from the start—Leo, Duke, and Hervy.
Kyle noticed their unusual stare and asked, "what? Why are you guys looking like you just woke up from sleep?"
Hervy and Duke both looked at Leo.
"Did you guys feel it too?" asked Leo.
"Don’t know if we are on the same page but this fight wasn’t normal for sure." Duke said.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Kyle asked who only joined the fight against the Orc after taking care of the goblins and dire wolves.
"That Orc! It didn’t fight like it was supposed to," Leo replied.
"What do you mean?" Jasmine came forward and asked in confusion.
Leo looked at Kyle then at Jasmine. And then started to explain. "That Orc wasn’t attacking like a brute. It was fighting like it had a brain and years of experience in battle. It was dodging, throwing feints and what not. And...." He paused.
"And?" Kyle asked again.
"It was strong. Incredibly strong. I am a B class hunter but if i had to fight it alone, I don’t think it would be an easy win." Leo explained.
Both Hervy and Duke nodded. They had the same thought.
Then Leo continued again. "It’s hard to believe that all of them were still alive except one. I am not saying I am unhappy with them being alive. But something doesn’t feel right. Judging by its strength all of the survivors should have been dead by now. Unless it didn’t kill them willingly or...." Leo didn’t finish his sentence. Instead he looked at Solemon who was standing beside them.
The others’ gaze followed as well.
Suddenly an idea flashed in all of their heads like they were in synchronicity. Only one person could satisfy their doubts now.
The group had only arrived when Logan was about to be stomped on, so they never saw him fighting.
And there was no way anyone would even imagine that a kid had stopped a monster from killing others.
That’s why Solemon seemed like the only possible explanation. He had the least injuries, so it made sense that he was the one who lasted until the others arrived.
Feeling their gaze, Solemon blinked. He knew what was coming. But wasn’t sure if he should say it. Because he himself wasn’t convinced of what happened.
The battle prowess Logan exhibited was unimaginable. It wasn’t just strength. The way Logan moved, his tactics and everything. It felt like he was a war veteran.
"You are Solemon, right? And you are Jean." Finally Leo stopped staring and asked. There was only one hunter guild in Aracadia. So almost everyone knew each other. Maybe not as companions, but as colleagues in the same organisation.
"Yes." Both of them replied in unison.
"Can you guys brief us about what actually happened? That Orc sure was abnormal. And I am sure you noticed it too. But" Leo paused for a moment before completing his question. "Can you please tell us how you actually managed to hold it off long enough for help to arrive?"