Augran

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

Lying down on his moving horse, head resting on arms on the horse's nape. Pink polo shirt still bloodied from the current non-existent gunshot wound, seems he's refraining from magically cleaning himself up for the moment.
Ludvig sat up at the peasant's strange refusal to speak further about the fates of the clerics.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"This sounds like a trap. Why does it sound like a trap?
Uh, excuse me, are you leading us down a trap, sir?"

Just immediately straight to the point with his question as usual, and of course only to gauge the peasant's subtle facial reactions.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Oh, and actually what's your name? It seems that courtesy hasn't been afforded by any of us yet. I'm Ludvig by the way, I'm an aspiring musician. What's your favourite colour that isn't green?"

He reaches from his galloping horse to give the peasant a handshake, moving horses be damned.
He's not an aspiring musician (anymore), and the peasant's favourite colour has nothing to do with anything. He might still be gauging the peasant's facial expression, or he just wanted to confuse him. Maybe both.
He shrugs and lays back down on the horse, eyes shut. No forewarning.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I believe him. We're good."

There is no way to tell if Ludvig is lying or being contrarian to what he concluded, if he concluded anything at all. He seems to operate solely on whether the possible result qualifies as fun.

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Hmm, no.
As far as matters resting, killing them might be the best thing to do right now."

Must be a startle for everyone around, Ludvig suddenly being there on his horse, laying down on his back and using the horse's neck as a headrest. Without any necessary input on his part, his horse matches its pace with the rest of the horses.
He chuckled audibly, heading gradually into a laugh.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I'm sorry, it just reminded me of something. Um...
Nah I'm kidding, we'll be raising eyebrows regardless if we kill them or not, I mean look at us, we don't exactly blend in.
Wouldn't be that far-fetched for them to conclude that the nine heavily-armed newcomers on horseback killed their buddies, eh?"

The unnervingly jovial Ludvig glanced at Amaris and then Mirielle, only one of his eyes open, then crossed his arms and relaxed his head to look straight up, both eyes closed.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Plus if we're as strong as we think we are, a hundred of them don't pose any threat."

Suddenly, his eyes opened and his smile dropped. He glanced at anyone nearby.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"By the way, I may have misheard him. Did he just mention a witch in the mountain?"

He gritted his teeth onto his right thumbnail, and muttered a 'tsk'.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Please be someone I've never met before..."

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Huff... That went well.
None of us are injured, none of them are dead... I hope."

Can't discern the status of the captain from this distance.
Never mind, Ludvig can barely hear their captain yelling. Can't quite make out the words.

Carefully stepping over the unconscious soldiers' bodies, he walked towards Mirielle, arms spread out as if leaning into a hug and/or a beso, but backing out at the last moment when he realized the blood still on his hand and clothes.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Ah, Miri! Muy fantástica, mi dulce-- Uh, oh. Oops. Forgot about that."

Palming¹ his left shoulder to heal the wound away while his clean right fist is gently raised, awaiting to be bumped.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Did they name the Order of the Golden Sun after you, or did you develop spells that, erm, matched the theme?
Either way, you're blinding hot, in several ways."

He winked. It's a cheesy line and he knew it too.
Looks like Mirielle isn't injured. One of the musketeers was kneeling peacefully, bless him.

^{『 Mirielle 』}

"Uh, did I burned you? It shouldn't happen. My bad?"

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"No no, I'm fine... Ooh, that guy isn't. Uhh, hold that thought, Miri."

The other musketeer had a visible gaping hole in his hand.
Ludvig knelt beside the injured musketeer and held his arm. For this much missing flesh, the commensurate pain will have to be on the level of...
With his other hand, he pets the soldier's head.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Ooh, this is bad. Just relax. Alright? You're gonna feel, um, about the same as stubbing your toe on the corner of a wall.
Around two-hundred consecutive times.
Bite into this, can't have you gritting your teeth or biting your tongue."

^{in case of refusal to bite,}

"Tsk. Your funeral."

Passes a rolled-up clean handkerchief from out of nowhere² and puts it horizontally in the injured musketeer's mouth.
Ludvig's hands then glow¹, both grasping the soldier's gored hand.

_{¹『 Heavenly Dragon's Inverse Healing Palm 』
² part of『 Groom 』}

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

Ludvig turned around, yanking the hangman along with him while maintaining the chokehold he had on him. He raised his thumb with his left hand, while his right hand continued to burn the hangman's mana and inflict immense pain¹. Underneath his gambeson, the hangman's veins should start to be more visible and blackening. Consequently, the wounds Carnatia inflicted will have also healed to a point as if it never happened.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Ghehe. Nice one, Nat².
Urgh-- stop making strange noises. Just pass out quietly."

He glanced for a moment towards the sergeant, right as he said 'wenches', and made a mental note to heal him extra thoroughly later.
Carmen was in the same direction, yelling at Mirielle's direction. He swiveled his head again. One of the musketeers, still with the mental fortitude to escape.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Nati², assist the peasant, will you?"

He let go of the hangman, switched his right hand's grip from above the ear to the back of his head, and as he began thrusting the hangman's head forward, both Ludvig and the hangman vanished³...

... reappearing right in front of the running musketeer, and if he aimed correctly, both soldiers' heads should impact each other in the middle.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Aaand concussion."

_{¹『 Heavenly Dragon's Inverse Healing Palm 』
² Carnatia
³『 Jumpscare 』}

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

Ludvig shrugged with his arms, smug and indignant after that successful dodge.
For his reward, a musket round lands straight into his shoulder. He glances at the wound, then at the musketeer far off the distance that took the shot.

He simply let out a 'tsk' as he pulled the musket ball out of his wound, sprinkling some blood onto the scaffold. Promptly with the same hand, he presented the musketeers with a bloody middle finger.

Doubt they have a moment to spare noticing it, what with Mirielle already upon them. Now there was someone that actually shone like the sun, and apparently radiated such flames as well. If there ever was a poster child for the Order of the Golden Sun, it was definitely her.

Wait, were the two other shots for her? But she seemed fine.
Even that too felt nostalgic, seeing someone other than himself charge in towards ranged attackers with little self-care. Although back then they just used bows.
Nary an idea when to pinpoint the exact decade humanity made that particular advancement in weapon technology.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Oh, right... Catch."

Sobering from Mirielle's heavenly sight, his right hand flicked the bloodied musket ball at the lone soldier's head, aiming for an eye.

With that distraction, he spins again to attempt to disarm the poor bloke with a back heel kick straight to his wielding hand.
Then he dashes forward, trying to get around the soldier to apply a rear-naked choke while simultaneously 'healing'¹ him to drain his mana and inflict pain immense enough to make most of anyone pass out.

_{1『 Heavenly Dragon's Inverse Healing Palm 』}

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

_{Fifteen days ago...}

Ludvig felt significantly less bad about spending two silvers for coffee, after Carnatia's generous tip of what does amount to ten silvers.
Before that was a lengthy positive review, followed by more sentiments about splurging. It felt strangely nostalgic, seeing someone in nobility just gleefully part with coin.
Oh, how rare they ever do it.

Then came their replies to his question. Statements of their resolve, or some might rather view as justifications for their future misgivings. Sadly, Ludvig did not disagree with it. There exists lost causes that are simply permanent, unamendable. Best to lock them away from society, yet to him death still seemed too much for a prison.

He knew that thinking so was hypocrisy. He'd be lying to himself to think it wasn't.
He hoped to match their resolve with his. The first thought was to finally procure a weapon again.

After the little breakfast party, Ludvig was out and about, wandering around the city, observing the people. He would not be seen by the rest of the team for the ensuing twenty or so hours.

The morning after, before departure, a leather-sheathed steel dagger could be spotted along his left waist, and for the more discerning, a little rectangular shape filling the right breast pocket of Ludvig's pink polo.
One could tell he was a tad dismayed, seemingly about this new horse. But of course, it wasn't trained to trot like the previous one. A galloping horse, he muttered and sighed. He supposes reading a book during the ride was finally out of the question.

_{During the trip...}

The object in Ludvig's pocket reveals itself to be a polished silver, stainless steel harmonica, with which he would skillfully play some tunes with as they rode the days on horseback.

When he's not playing the harmonica, he resumed his habit of sleeping on the galloping horse during the day, and with the extra vigilance, he afforded extra sleep during the night as well... except for the nights when Amaris took watch, opting to stay up and try to chat with her. Meaningless topics like the moons and stars in the sky, and how beautiful she is as these celestial bodies reflected their lights about her.

A worry develops in the back of his mind that the extra sleep's gradually turning him into a deeper sleeper...

_{Present day...}

... as is proven by Ludvig still being asleep during the entire ruckus that is currently happening.
He jolted awake at the sound of Carnatia's voice pleading for Mirielle to stay her ground, and the wake of mana surrounding the two women.
Trouble. Five uniformed men and a sixth hanging by a rope.

With about zero hesitation and a hopefully adequate evaluation of this team's members, he unsheathes his dagger, leaps off his horse, grabs the biggest guy in the team -- that being the masked man in green named Sten Rezello Ashton-Fulsteel -- and teleports¹ both of them right beside the hanged peasant, slashing the rope while mid-air and letting the peasant fully drop to ground.

There they were, Rezello, Ludvig and the peasant, in the middle of two uniformed soldiers, one of them visibly more armoured.
Obviously Rezello would deal with the more armoured one, right? He could only hope.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Greetings, mortals. Fine morning we have today.
So, are you loyalists or revolutionists? Doesn't matter, you're all the same anyway. Do y'all know of a Paladin by the name of Thomas?"

Provocation is such a fun prelude to any conflict. He gauged their reactions as he prodded with the important question, and swiftly came to a conclusion.
These people are hiding something. They need to be kept alive.

From this point on, a shield² of slimy, gooey nature, may pop up around Rezello or the peasant if they are unable to dodge an attack. Ludvig's confident he can dodge attacks without having to spend any mana to shield it, even from one of the muskets.

_{¹『 Jumpscare 』
²『 Prismatic Barrier 』}

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

All expenses paid? Then what did he just shill two silvers for to make the barkeep brew some coffee?
Oh well, it's not like they were his silvers.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Wait, really? Ah, I guess y'all just mince and fry the garlic as part of the dish. I like having it as a condiment, maybe a snack too. I used to have a little jar of it, I seem to have dropped it... back in Helvetia. Oh, well."

Takes a bite out of the sausage roll, and a spoonful of sauerkraut.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"It seems like -- ooh, that's a good sausage roll. Um... Seems like I said something I shouldn't have."

No apology. It's worth the two silvers.

Now that Carmen's back with the group and Amaris inadvertently reminded him upon mention of her slaughter, there was indeed a question lodged in the back of Ludvig's mind ever since meeting every one of these people. He was sure this team of seemingly random people are all good people, but he just had to be sure.
He pivots from his barstool to get a better view of everyone in the tavern.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Speaking of things I shouldn't say...
So, um... I guess we're heading into troubled lands tomorrow, huh? Lots of ne'er-do-wells and whatnot.
Hey, what's our stance on dealing with those who would harm us? Is it... Is it fatal? Are we on terms with fatalities?
Probably not, right? Church and all... although I also feel like we're coming into this just a tad too armed.
Not just you, my dearest. Literally everybody."

Glances at Amaris during the last two sentences and gestures wide.

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

Even Ludvig thought that the natural reaction was to be swiftly rejected, put off by the sudden upheavel of emotions unleashed within basically his first attempt at confessing to her.
Amaris' reaction is so far away from his expectations. A whole lot better than he expected, in fact.

Throughout her response and her ensuing interactions with Amanita and Mirielle, the word 'adorable' pops up repeatedly in his mind.
Even despite the little bit in the middle there about some slaughter.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Which one of us here don't even have blood on our hands, anyway? I bet even Linnie maimed a few thieves every now and then."

Ludvig said within earshot of the bar where his fellow men Osric and Rezello sat, and also Oswald the barkeep.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I was almost sure it was a job requirement."

He turned away from Amaris' direction and back towards his empty plate that still lacked the sauerkraut he ordered minutes ago. A momentary annoyance, before his mind turned to different thoughts and he caught himself smiling again. He glances at the closest person sat to him, Osric.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I'm, obviously no stranger to rejection, right? You can tell.
And yet, she was being so considerate, and, and gentle."

Leans his head back, staring at the ceiling. Sighs.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"No, yeah. This is definitely love. I love her a lot.
I'll die for her if I had to."

A little while later, Ludvig gently slaps the countertop, equally annoyed and curious.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Blast it with the sauerkraut... Oswald, could I have a sausage roll as well, please?
Also do you have, um... a sprinkle jar of minced garlic? Do you sell 'em? I'd like one of those to go."

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

'Normal, cheerful self', she says.

Ludvig stares at himself being reflected by the half-empty glass of water beside an empty plate of what used to be a decent plain omelette.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I see... There seems to be a misconception. Um..."

Takes a shot of the remaining water in the glass, as if looking for some extra courage underneath that water. Heartbeat's rising. He hated confrontations precisely because of this, but this had to happen at some point.
He pivots on his barstool to face Amaris.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I was cheerful to you alone. This is how I am normally, I'm actually not that much of a people-person.
I was just looking for a way to naturally excuse myself from the room, and you, my beautiful intimidating friend, were chosen by yours truly as my patsy."

Gently grabs Amaris' hand with both hands and pets it like a cat, like he's a grandmother imparting wisdom to her kin.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I do need to apologize for that particular deception.
I did know about those robes beforehand, my family used to collect artifacts back in the day and that's one of the ones I've always wanted to get my hands on.
Figuratively, not literally like I did do."

He hoped the joke at least earned some laughs, as he lets go of her hand and turns back towards the bar and his empty plate. Points at his empty glass and hands it to Oswald.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"I did not lie about you, at least. I do find you beautiful. The teeth are... frankly a plus, to be honest. And you've been so amicable so far you actually became friends with Mirielle, which is an incredible feat in its own right.
Um... I, I think I do find you attractive. Very. Hell, some might even call it love at this point.
That's also why I'm being distant."

Glances at Amaris then back to Oswald handing him a new glass of water. He mouths 'thank you' in silence.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Even now, I can still feel this growing mass of selfish desires inside of me, and all it wants to do right now is to know everything about you... and that's just not what either of us need right now.
You need to earn your freedom, I need to protect you all from harm, the team collectively has this... mission, we don't need distractions.
Although it seems a bit late for that."

Drinks the water with his left hand while showing the back of his right hand. Three subtle scars that nearly blend with his skin.

^{『 Ludvig 』}

"Mm... Yep.
By the way I'm alright, as you can see... so.
Thanks for... repeatedly asking the others to check up on me.
Honestly I'll be fine if you did stab me intentionally, even a hundred times.
And you can take that as an invitation."

Glances at Amaris and winks.

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

She orders food as extravagantly as she dresses, he thought.

Raising the sunglasses onto his hair lest it fogs up as he drinks his coffee -- no sugar or anything in it this time -- Ludvig's eyes dart back and forth between the afro-haired cook and their team's only redhead.
No particular reason.

Their outfits did stick out a lot compared to people in the town, now that he looked at it. Especially Carnatia. A lot of gold trimming, and that headband. At least it didn't look gaudy.
Still, it's like she's being painted as a target for thieves, which might actually be a problem with the amount of coin Linceleste brought with her. The incessant jingling of coin emanating from the carriage throughout their travels, it must be numbering in several hundred.
Suppose that's assuming anyone would dare commit thievery in a town with a lot of military presence. Aside from maybe himself. Not for now, though.

Forks a slice of omelette as Osric sits down on the bar as well -- Huh, that is one plain omelette. Lightly salted. Visible specks of pepper dust. Bit creamy, must be butter.
Not bad.
He felt weirdly thirsty though, must be the butter. Coffee's not helping either, plus he felt like adhering to a balanced diet, especially since the omelette didn't have any greens in it.

^{『 Ludvig 』} "Oh, I'll have some of that sauerkraut as well.
And some water, please. Thank you."

Chewing and gulping while glancing at the three, or rather noticing the lack of people aside from them. Glancing at the door.
Strangely anxious and relieved at the same time, at the persisting absence of a certain somebody.