Knight Of Pensylon: Rise Of The Cavalier
Chapter 8 - Norman Reason

Chickens had crowed, the dark shadow of the Pensylon Soul began to leave the sky in this seedy village. From the eastern horizon, the sunlight glared at me right in both of my eyes that were daydreaming on the porch of this wooden house.

It was also my fault, I just remembered that the front door of Victoria's house was facing right in the direction where the light of Suldruli's soul came from.

Feels awkward, considering I usually wake up when awakened by someone. Be it my sister, my mother, my father, and when I stay over, my friend.

This time, I woke up the earliest. Let alone Victoria, even her uncle still did not want to leave the dream world today. I wonder how beautiful their dreams are...

Again, I had a dream about my promise, Victoria, and Norman about four years ago. Or five? Wait for...

Shit, I forgot about it.

But don't think too much about it, I wonder. Why did the dream come when Norman had left here? Hadeh, for the Soul of Pensylon...

This morning it was hard for me to feel calm. Maybe because yesterday I was running in the rain, my smell started to get disturbed.

The air in the morning should have the fresh scent of plants and weeds mixed with a slight smell of manure. But this time, all I could smell was the smell of oil.

Kriet's!

The door behind me opened, from there I saw a blonde girl whose hair was still disheveled and her eyes were still a bit reddish.

"Eh? Christopher? You wake up early." he said.

I did not reply to her, I only saw her face (especially in her eyes). Her eyes were red because this girl had been crying all night and sleeping only for a short while.

If I hadn't known Victoria that much, I would have thought that she was a whiny child just because she was left behind by her friend (or even more than that? I don't know for sure)

But since I've known her for a long time, I think I understand why this girl was so sad when Norman left, so let me tell you.

Long ago, when Victoria and I didn't even know each other, Victoria's parents were both members of the Knights of Pensylon who both served as scouts.

I think from my sentence just now, anyone can deduce what happened to Victoria's parents after that.

They were ushered back in a lifeless state with wounds on their bodies that were arguably unnatural. At least that's what his uncle told me.

When Victoria heard it, the poor girl turned quiet, and until now Victoria did not want to talk about it anymore (i can't blame her, poor girl).

Hence when Norman first said that he wanted to join the Knights of Pensylon, Victoria was the first to oppose him.

"What are you doing here?" ask the girl.

"Watching the sunrise, that's all" I replied.

"You don't want to go home yet?"

"Yet. I think sehabi-"

The tep! The tep! The tep!

Right after my remark had not yet come out, from behind the blonde girl behind me was a heavy footsteps approaching the two of us.

"Victoria, Christopher, can you guys..."

Victoria and I looked at her, and our faces were exactly the same (at least I thought). We know what he wants, and what we have to do.

...----------------...

"Fyuh, it's exhausting." I complained.

Victoria and I just finished shipping and selling the manure stock to the nearest stores. As a result, in short we both really had to take a shower.

The Spirit and Snow we herded were walking leisurely. It was like giving both of us a chance to talk because if I could be honest...

We were close, but not that close.

We were friends just because of one friend in common, Norman. Who has now left us.

"Hadeh, our clothes are dirty, smelly anyway... We really need a shower. Haha.." chirped.

Still, the girl did not say a word. Even since we were told until now he never opened his mouth again as if his mouth was plastered with starch glue only.

There must be something wrong with this girl, and maybe I already know why.

"Hey, Victoria. Are you sick?" my many.

"Hmm.." he murmured,

Or maybe not. Damn it, it confused me whether he replied 'Yes' or 'No'.

"What is this, anyway?" ask me one more time.

My question this time was answered with just a sharp glance from him. I'm not an expert at mind reading, but I think what he means is...

"Don't bother me."

Therefore, I chose to be quiet. However, a few moments later...

"Hey, Christopher.." call him.

I pushed the girl by looking at her. He didn't see me at all. He just looked down. So I guess he'll ask you something serious.

"Yes?"

A breath came out from his rather tiny mouth. Before he asked "Why the hell did Norman have to leave us here...?"

Ah, so that's because he's keeping quiet. I was stupid to think Victoria was sick.

"Well, didn't he say it himself? He wants to change Pensylon for the better. That's why he wants to join the Knights of Pen-" I replied.

"But is that the only way to do it?!" cut it hard.

Because of that jolt, I was surprised. Even Spirit and Snow who were originally walking leisurely were now speechless.

"I mean, isn't there any other way that's less life-threatening?! Joining the Knights of Pensylon was tantamount to suicide! You know that yourself, don't you, Christopher?!" said it.

I speak a thousand languages. Don't know what to answer. In front of this orphan girl I can't talk like a plant.

"Take me, Hamilton!" shouted at me.

I took a breath, and I told him with courage...

"You know how else Victoria, the only way for a farm boy like us to turn Pensylon into a better one is d-"

"DON'T BE RIDICULOUS, CHRISTOPHER!"

Victoria screamed to the point that I heard her voice break. The shout made the birds perched around fly and Spirit almost run away if I didn't hold on to it tightly.

"Joining the Knights of Pensylon won't change anything, you know! Joining them is tantamount to taking your own life!

Farmer kids like us, let alone changing Pensylon, changing Wheatville is impossible, you know?!" her cheering.

"If joining the Knights of Pensylon could really change Wheatville for the better, Wheatville wouldn't be a slum again for long!"

Shit, this girl has a point too about it-it

"You know that my parents joined the Knights of Pensylon, right?! Tell me! Where are they now?!" hardiknya connect snaps before.

The question kept me quiet. Not just because of the scream. What happened to Victoria a few days later.

"Hic... Where's the... They're... Hik.." he started crying.

Bruk!

The girl knelt down while closing her eyes which began to drain her tears. She cried.

Snow, who was next to her, tried to comfort her by rubbing her head at Victoria.

Guilty, I approached the girl...

"Here you go, don't cry... I understand that this is a" I said as I rubbed his back.

"What do you understand, indeed" he said was held back a little by his cries.

Grusuk's!

The girl pushed me to the ground and stood up instantly. It didn't hurt, but I couldn't get up again.

"WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT ME, CHRISTOPHER?!"

Damnit. Never in my whole life have I imagined that Victoria would be this angry.

"You never understand what it's like for your parents to be taken away from you! You don't know the meaning of Norman's departure for me either! YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE!"

I was silent, again and again.

"Check, uhuk!"

Shouting for the sake of that shout must have made his throat hurt. Just hearing it made my throat hurt.

Victoria wiped her tears once more, and picked up the rope that was restraining Snow. After that he said.

"But what does a spoiled child like you know about losing? You never even think logically.

You always think with imagination without logic. No wonder everyone says you're childish." she quipped while moving away from me who was still lying on the ground.

Grrh. God fucking.

I'm making things worse. Don't you? Good job, Christopher. Nice work.

Sek! Sek!

Focusing on Spirit, I stood back up and wiped my clothes that were dirty from the dust (although from the beginning it was already dirty because of manure)

I myself saw Victoria leading Snow away while rubbing her eyes from behind, and I didn't follow her because we were at a crossroads, and the direction of our house was different.

Hadeh, I don't know what to do with this one girl. For the Soul of Pensylon...

Norman. Why do you have to go anyway?

...----------------...

Tep. Tep. Tep.

I moved step by step towards my home. With Spirit next to me, I returned home. But with a feeling I never felt.

I have often come home happy, sad, disappointed, angry, hate, afraid, and so on. That's why I memorized exactly what I felt as I walked home.

But this time, I could feel nothing but the fragrant oil that had pierced my smell.

On the left, Mr. Miles is growing wheat. I used to be afraid of him because I used to damage his fields until he complained to my parents, but now I don't care.

A few steps ahead, Mr. Rivers my neighbor was milking his cow, and I didn't care when I would usually greet him and he would offer me a glass of warm milk.

Even when I would get home like now I no longer cared.

I don't care about my surroundings anymore, because all I feel is confused by the many big question marks that always hang in my head.

Was Victoria's words right all along? If that's true, then what Norman says about making Wheatville better is just nonsense?

Because of Norman's reason for joining the Knights of Pensylon was what exactly?

Did Norman actually join just because of his grudge against witches?

Does Norman not care about Wheatville?

Does Norman care about us?

BRACKET!

The loud noise had made me stop daydreaming and seeing reality. More precisely, that voice came from my house's Astal.

Is something wrong?

"Stay here, Spirit." I command my beloved dark horse.

The horse heard me, it stayed in place and ate the grass around it.

Well, at least it's better than forcing her to keep quiet. After all going to the end of the village carrying heavy loads is definitely tiring even for a horse, right?

I approached the place slowly just in case something went wrong. Afterwards, I slowly opened the door to Istal.

BRACKET!

The door I opened slowly opened suddenly opened tightly and shocked me and fell to the ground.

I haven't had time to say "Oh", two people with a cloth covering their nose and mouth suddenly came out of Istal with some stuff on their shoulders.

Not only that, the two robbers also escaped by riding Shadow and Wood. Both my horses, they use them?!

Hmm, I understand now.

I already know what's going on, I know who they are, and I also know what I should do.

But first, I had to take my breath as deep as possible, then with all my energy cried out...

"ROOKERS!!"

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