Arcadia’s Ignoble Knight, Vol. 10

  The War of Emergence III

  Brandon Varnell

  Illustrated by

  Claparo Sans

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Arcadia’s Ignoble Knight, Vol. 10

  The War of Emergence III

  Copyright © 2022 Brandon Varnell & Kitsune Incorporated

  Illustration Copyright © 2023 Claparosans

  All rights reserved.

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  978-1-951904-67-8 (eBook)

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  Dedication

  This page is made in dedication to my amazing patrons. Without them, my characters would never get lewded by so many wonderful artists:

  Daniel Jones; Speedjk; Julian Sanchez; Josh Burnham; MGeo90; AceandTanis; Drunkenbiker; Zeus aka Matt; Jacob Brokenwolf; John Snoopy Henson; Saber The fox; Jonathan Kautz; Alec Watson; Zach Ulbright; Damen Hailey; cj savage; Kconraw; Charles Savage; Gingy; Mana & Steel; Max; randgofire23; MrRedSkill; Rob Hammel; Thomas Oconnell; Yuno; Chett Nialo; Jordan McDonald; Robert Shofner; Alex Burt; Green and Magenta Beast; Paigeon; Tanner Lovelace; Daniel Glasson; robert warnes; Forrest Hansen; TheGothFather72; Christopher Gross; Scott Turner; Joshua Kern; IronKing; Mark Frabotta; Raymond T; Nyxtarrynne; Samuel Donaldson; Bruce Johnson; Nathan S; Thomas Jackson; Sean Gray; Chace Corso; ToraLinkley; Dominic Q Roddan; Rafael; Aaron harris; max a kramer; victor patrick bauer; William Crew; Aesh; Michael Moneymaker; Seismic Wolf

  Contents

  The Story So Far…

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Interlude I

  Chapter 5

  Interlude II

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Interlude III

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Interlude IV

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Interlude V

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Interlude VI

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Interlude VII

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Epilogue

  Thank you for reading!

  Afterword

  Severing Time & Space: Sneak Peak!

  Where to Read STnS!

  American Kitsune Manga!

  Manga Page 1

  Manga Page 2

  Manga Page 3

  Manga Page 4

  Manga Page 5

  Hey, did you know?

  Brandon’s LNs

  American Kitsune

  WIEDERGEBURT

  MMG

  Catgirl Doctor

  Incubus

  A Most Unlikely Hero

  Arcadia’s Knight

  Journey of a Betrayed Hero

  Rift

  Executioner

  Follow me!

  The Story So Far…

  Caspian and Elincia might have taken care of slave trading matter in Dorumhold, but that doesn’t mean their problems are solved. In fact, their issues are only just beginning…

  Prologue

  Fas Sheras was located within the Sacred Forest, which bordered Helheim to the north and Elysium to the west. Arcadia itself was shaped something like a deformed circle, with numerous inlets, peninsulas, bays, and various geographical deformations that kept it from looking like a perfect circle. The Sacred Forest could be found in the far north-west corner of the continent.

  To get there from Wakefield, they had to cross the barren northern landscape that bordered Helheim. The frigid weather was enough to chill the bones. Their land dragons, which were cold-blooded reptiles and therefore ill-suited to traveling in this kind of weather, also ended up becoming useless, meaning they couldn’t travel by carriage. This left them little choice but to sell the land dragons and take the trains.

  Thus far, their group had avoided the trains. While they could hide using Elincia’s ability to have Loki cast an illusion on them, they felt it was better to be cautious. According to her, the illusion would be disrupted if they came into contact with a Knight, the newly formed magical automaton that Duke De’Falco had created to combat the “evil” Sorceress’ Murakumos. However, for the moment, at least, they had no choice and took several trains from a small city several dozen kilometers from Wakefield called Masidonia all the way to Silvaguarde.

  Silvaguarde was a surprisingly large city for one found so far up north, but that was because Silvaguarde was built close to a fortress whose job was protecting the border of Arcadia from Elf intrusion. While none of the one, two, and three-story buildings were closely packed together like Axium or Cassadinia, they were all quite large.

  After hopping off the train, Caspian and his group, disguised to look like a large family and their servants, traveled to the nearest inn and rented out three rooms. Once again, Caspian and Elincia shared a two-bed room with Erica, Derek, and Tiffania. Christo, Cassidy, Collafloore, and Maddison shared a four-bed room. Sylvia would have normally had a room to herself, but the inclusion of Dranor meant she was sharing a two-bed room with the Elf.

  The evening sun was setting by the time they finished putting their stuff inside of their rooms and met up at the tavern below the inn.

  “Has anyone noticed how every inn has a tavern?” asked Christo as he sipped on a mug of ale. “I never understood it. Why does an inn have to have a tavern? Is it some kind of unspoken rule that every inn must second as a tavern?”

  Caspian almost rolled his eyes at his friend as he picked at the stewed rabbit a waitress had brought him. “It’s obviously because travelers who lodge at an inn are generally hungry and tired from their travels. If an inn can provide both a place to sleep and good food, then obviously the traveler will choose to stay at the inn and spend their hard-earned drachma there instead of somewhere else.”

  “Oh ho! Using common sense, I see!” Christo said with a chuckle, while Caspian just sighed.

  “I hate to interrupt your fascinating conversation, but perhaps we should discuss how we’re going to sneak past the fortress,” Maddison suggested.

  “Good idea.” Christo bobbed his head emphatically.

  While this conversation was going on, Erica was fussing over Tiffania as she made a mess of herself. The sight caused Collafloore to glare at the Sorceress. However, the most unusual look was Dranor, who seemed like he couldn’t figure out what to make of the black-haired succubus. His expression was the kind someone had when they were staring at a puzzle they couldn’t solve.

  “The Fortress of Imperium Prae only guards one section of the Sacred Forest’s borders,” Sylvia stated. “Slipping around the fortress shouldn’t be a difficult task. The problem is not slipping past the fortress, it’s bypassing the guards who patrol the borders between Arcadia and the Sacred Forest.”

  The Sacred Forest was massive, spanning about 1.2 million square kilometers—at least, it did according to the maps. There was a lot of the Sacred Forest that was unexplored because it belonged to the Elves. All the maps made were purely guesswork based on surveys made by traveling around the Sacred Forest. No one truly knew how large it was.

  “What sort of border patrol do they have?” asked Derek.

  “When Vanya and I snuck past the border after our exile, the border patrols consisted of about twenty squadrons of twelve guards,” Dranor said with a mirthless smile. “That’s not nearly enough to stop a pair of Elves from slipping past the border. All we had to do was kill the guards before they could sound the alarm.”

  Sylvia frowned at the implication. “We are not here to kill anyone. What’s more, we do not want to be seen. Our goal is to slip into the Sacred Forest undetected. If we are spotted, then the duke will learn that someone is trying to contact the Elves, and he may decide to send his forces into the forest. I’d rather we not have to deal with an army of Knights entering the forest to slay us.
”

  “A fair enough point.” Dranor shrugged.

  Since the older people were talking, Caspian, Elincia, Christo, Cassidy, and Collafloore spent their time eating. They would let the people like Sylvia, Dranor, Maddison, Derek, and Erica take over since they had more experience with matters like this.

  While Caspian was eating a rabbit stew, Elincia had chosen to dine on a salad made from chopped fruits and vegetables. There was a slightly tart vinaigrette dressing that complemented the sweetness of the strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

  “Is that going to be enough?” asked Caspian as he gestured toward her meal.

  “It should be.” Elincia narrowed her eyes. “Why do you ask?”

  “I’m just worried. You usually eat a lot more.”

  “I-I do not!”

  “I’ve seen you eat sixteen crepes in a single sitting.”

  Elincia’s cheeks turned hot. “Th-that is completely different! I’ll have you know that I have an extra stomach for crepes! Everyone knows people have two stomachs! One for normal meals and one for crepes!” As she tried to defend herself, Elincia noticed the smile curling Caspian’s lips and the gleam in his eyes, which made her eyes widen in realization. “You’re teasing me!”

  “Only because I love you,” Caspian said with a grin.

  While Elincia pretended to be angry, she reached out under the table with her free hand and soon found the one Caspian had extended to her.

  The pair thought they were being discreet about their handholding. However, everyone was staring at them as they spoke.

  “Are those two always like this?” asked Dranor.

  Erica glanced up from where she was doting on Tiffania to look at the two, then shrugged. “More or less. I’d say Caspie is getting a bit bolder than he used to be, but they are generally disgustingly sweet and loving like that.”

  Being what they were, Caspian and Elincia were more than capable of hearing the pair’s words. Elincia quickly pulled her hand away. That made Caspian sigh and switch from play fighting with Elincia to glaring at the two.

  “They’re incredibly cute together,” Christo added fuel to the fire. Cassidy nodded several times in agreement.

  The group was soon forced back onto the topic of sneaking into the Sacred Forest by Sylvia and Maddison, who were trying their best to create a foolproof plan.

  “What if we used Loki’s invisibility illusion?” asked Caspian. “If no one can see us, then we can just walk right on by.”

  “I don’t think that is a good idea,” Erica declared. “Or do you not remember what happened the last time we used the invisibility spell?” Cassidy blushed when several eyes turned on her, but fortunately, she didn’t have to defend herself because Erica continued. “There is also the fact that while invisible, we cannot even see ourselves, much less each other. What if we get separated?”

  “That’s… a good point,” Caspian conceded.

  Maddison glared at the table with narrowed eyes as her brow furrowed in concentration, but it relaxed a second later, and she released a weary sigh.

  “Can we contact Stratello or maybe Commander Feral and have them inform one of their comrades in the fortress of our intent?” she asked. “Do they have any companions located in the fortress? If they do, we might be able to ask for their help.”

  “I do not know.” Sylvia shook her head. “I’ll send a letter to Commander Feral asking him if he has anyone in Imperium Prae who can help us sneak across the border, but I do not know how long it will take to receive a reply.”

  With their current plans officially decided, the group finished eating and headed to their rooms, where they slept until morning.

  Chapter 1

  The morning after their first night in Silvaguarde, Sylvia wrote a letter to Commander Feral and asked him if he had any men in Imperium Prae who could help them enter the Sacred Forest undetected. She sent the letter off via carrier hawk. Of course, the letter was written in code. Only Commander Feral, Headmaster Stratello, and a few of the higher ranking Peacekeepers who were on the Sorceress’s side would be able to decipher it. Even if no one could decipher the code, they hoped it wouldn’t be intercepted.

  No one knew how long it would take for their letter to reach Commander Feral. That being the case, they had no choice but to wait, even if they ended up waiting for several weeks.

  During their time in Silvaguarde, the group split up and did their own thing. Sylvia mostly stayed in the room she was sharing with Dranor. However, Erica, Derek, and Tiffania would often go out under the disguise of a young family. Similarly, Caspian, Cassidy, Christo, Elincia, and Collafloore spent their time exploring the city together.

  It wasn’t like they had anything better to do.

  While there was no snow falling in Silvaguarde, the cold weather was enough that everyone decided they needed new clothes meant for frigid temperatures.

  Elincia was now dressed in a thick winter coat made of high-quality grey melange wool. It featured wide sleeves that swished as she swung her arms while walking. Likewise, the skirt was also wide and billowed around her legs. There was lacing on the back to make it look loose or slim depending on personal preference. Elincia preferred a slimmer look since she was so slender. The stand-up collar and sleeves were decorated with beautiful fluffy fur. Meanwhile, the coat had a viscose lining with a mystical-looking pattern and silver lacing embroidery along the bottom of the coat and sleeves.

  Caspian wore a raven cloak—a high-quality piece of clothing, which not only protected his body from rain and cold but also hid the armor he wore underneath. He wore simple adamantine bracers over his forearms, which were connected to a pair of elbow cops. Because his old boots had been worn down, he now had a new pair of leather boots. Strapped across the boots were greaves also made from adamantine just like his bracers. They only covered his shins. The rest of him was covered in a long black tunic and pants.

  Christo and Cassidy were similarly dressed, though Christo had donned a raven tunic made from cotton with silver trim, while Cassidy wore a thick purple cloak over a linen dress. Collafloore had also been forced into some warmer clothes, though he didn’t seem to like the tunic they had bought for him.

  While the clothing had been expensive, it wasn’t like they didn’t have the money. They still had the drachma they had stolen from Earl Gorrosalaine and what Erica had made for “selling” him, Derek, and Christo to Ameralda. That meant they had plenty of funds, even taking into account the money they spent on train tickets, boarding, and food.

  “How long do you think it will take for Commander Feral to get our letter and contact us?” asked Elincia as the five of them walked through the city.

  “No clue,” Caspian sighed and ran a hand through his currently black hair. “I’m not even sure how long it will take for the carrier hawk to reach Axium. That’s on the opposite side of the country. It will probably take weeks.”

  “That… is a long time,” Elincia admitted.

  “Yeah… who knows what could happen while we’re stuck waiting.”

  While the two of them were discussing the matter regarding Commander Feral, Christo was following Cassidy as she looked into the windows of various shops and stalls. There were many lining this particular street. It was a bit like a bazaar. Cassidy was, at that moment, looking at a stall that sold several types of jewelry, everything from broaches to necklaces.

  Caspian observed Christo as he said something to Cassidy, which made the woman blush and turn her head. He wondered what the man was saying. However, he didn’t want to be rude and eavesdrop.

  “I feel kind of naked without my bow and arrows,” Elincia suddenly sighed.

  Caspian chuckled. “You still haven’t had many chances to use them, though.”

  “I know.” Elincia moaned. “Outside of that time I blew up the entrance to Ameralda’s mansion, I really haven’t used them at all.”

  Caspian knew Elincia was not happy that she hadn’t been able to utilize her new skills with a bow yet. She’d been so excited by the prospect of finally being able to do something aside from full and partial summonings. Yet now that she actually had a unique skill that didn’t require continuously exhausting her mana, she had been presented with very few chances to use it.