“You–!”

Leifr leaned towards and grabbed the cursed blade's handle, but the jangling buckle that held the sword to his waist prevent Leifr from just pulling it off and swinging it around at whim. He struggled for a moment when the accursed biting sensation of the blade roused Leifr from his rage. Why was he so angry? Leifr searched intensely for that answer inside his head. Was it because Fiore took the blade? Or was it because he didn't seem to care about Lord Radek? No, Leifr refused to believe that Fiore was speaking the truth. There was no way that someone would so casually say they looted the corpse of a benevolent noble as Fiore did. Fiore was lying! He had to be. A person like that couldn't exist...!

Leifr clenched his eyes shut as his grip tightened on the cursed blade, forcing its illusionary teeth deeper into his arm. Think, he yelled at himself inside his head. Lord Radek didn't have any sons. All of his attendants were slain with their lord. Who was Fiore? How did he get hold of Exalia? Leifr exhaled harshly, then looked up at Fiore and furrowed his brows.

“Sir Fiore, that kind of taunt was uncalled for,” Leifr said with a bitter smile, though his brows were still furrowed. Leifr decided this time to be as direct as possible to tell Fiore his position as a noble of Forbannet.

“Milord, the treasured rapier Exalia was taken from Lord Radek, a vassal of House Forbannet. Though we searched for it we have never found it and assumed it was stolen by the raiders who slayed his lordship.”

Leifr swallowed hard before continuing.

“I-if you tease me by saying you stole it from Lord Radek, then I can only assume that you were a raider or scavenger during the raid. My honor as a noble of Forbannet dictates that– that I would have to retrieve Exalia from such a person, by force if necessary. I... don't want that, Sir Fiore, so please...”

There was no backing out now. Leifr unbuckled his cursed blade and retrieved his shield from his back. He was fully ready for combat, though he hoped it wouldn't come to that. Fiore took much more damage from the previous battle and they didn't have much time to rest while riding on horseback. Not to mention Leifr rode a horse bred for combat and carried his wretched blade. If it came to exchanging blows, Leifr assumed that he had a tremendous advantage over Fiore. But even if he defeated him in battle, Leifr didn't have anything to bind him with so he may reengage as soon as Leifr or one of the others healed him. Please Fiore, Leifr begged mentally, please tell me you aren't what I think you are.

“Tell me how you came to hold Exalia.”