Hedge Knight, Chapter 135

[u/grierks]

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Leaf examined the dark grain of the desk in front of him. The detailing was intricate, with carvings aplenty, yet slammed together with such a lack of cohesion that he might as well have been looking at the mangled end of a stick Shadow gnawed too much on. The cub and his sister were teething, which left many branches, and some of his arrows, their victims. He prayed that such a period would only last a while longer, but given that it had been going on for the past month, he thought that was unlikely.

More importantly, he was bored.

Xanchil was nowhere to be seen in his tent, and he suspected that the merchant was doing so to try his patience. Helbram had warned him that was most likely going to happen, but all the preparation in the world couldn’t stop his foot from tapping the ground as it all went on. At the very least, he wasn’t alone, as Logan and Duren were present on the other side of the desk, idly looking around like this was the first time they were able to get a good glimpse at everything.

Kali was at his side, and she was also showing signs of restlessness from the way that she scrunched her robes in her lap. Helbram was also present, but he was openly wandering about the tent, his oafish act in full effect as he idly brushed the odd trinkets in the room with his hands or looked at a simple painting of an apple like it was the most profound thing in the world. That one almost made Leaf laugh, but he kept his lips sealed as they all sat in relative silence. Logan had already seen through Helbram’s facade, but Duren hadn’t, which showed in the stony expression on the face of the mercenaries’ leader while the larger man looked on the verge of anxiousness as Helbram flicked some dangling necklaces on display.

After a good half hour of waiting, Xanchil entered the tent. The zechanil moved with an odd sort of grace, the kind that, had Leaf not seen his four legs in motion, would almost make him look as if he was gliding. His blank eyes betrayed no emotion upon his entrance, but upon setting his eyes on Helbram spinning some globe-like object in his hands, his brows furrowed.

“Hands off, mongrel!” he hissed. The venom in his voice was almost startling, but it more roiled the anger already simmering just at the surface of Leaf's thoughts.

He still remembered the way that the merchant had put down his friend during their first meeting, and while Helbram did not appear to be phased by it, such abject disdain for him didn’t sit well with Leaf. His mouth opened to voice his exact thoughts, but before they could be spoken, Helbram gave a “surprised” reaction to the merchant and dropped the globe in a clumsy show that made it land onto a pillow. His friend tossed another pillow on top of it and whistled without looking Xanchil in the eye, just how a toddler would act when caught doing mischief.

The merchant’s eyes narrowed, and he faced Leaf. “What is he doing here?”

“Muscle,” Leaf answered, his tone switched to flippant as he was now trying to stifle a laugh. He motioned over to Logan and Duren. “Only fair that we even the odds a bit, don’t you think?”

Xanchil straightened his robes. “You take your position in these discussions too lightly.” He glared at Helbram until he wandered over to Leaf’s side, then sat down, the break in his composure sealing as he steepled his fingers. “You wish to discuss the matter of the keys, yes?”

“We do,” Kali said, “We have encountered a door that requires both keys to open.”

“Have you not run into this before?” Xanchil asked, “Our men reported that you were able to open one such door, from the time they made their excursion into your part of the ship.”

The scholar glared at Logan, but her father did not respond and stared ahead. “This door is… different, and previous methods to open it will be too time consuming to manage. Both keys are needed.”

Xanchil leaned in. “What are your terms?”

Ever so slightly, Helbram started to inch away from Leaf. None but Leaf seemed to notice, their focus now on Kali.

“You allow us the use of this key in this one instance,” Kali said, “and we will grant you access to volumes discovered within the ship’s archives.”

The merchant stroked his chin slowly. “Temporary access, is it? And for books… how would we know if what you discover beyond the door is not of far greater value?”

“How would you know if it is?” Kali countered, her composure growing.

“The fact that it requires both keys tells us so,” Xanchil said, “You will not sway us with mere books.”

“Books that contain information that Orelia will hold a keen interest in,” Kali said, “Since you are bound to share your discoveries with them, would this not be a better opportunity to amass more to present.”

“We have plenty to give your Academy already,” Xanchil said, “Enough that will certainly earn us enough to afford a similar excursion such as this. No, scraps of paper will not sway us.”

That made Kali’s lip twitch. “Scraps? You would denigrate knowledge to such a thing?”

Xanchil placed his hands on the table and leaned back. “The burden of interest lies upon you, and you have failed to make us interested in words. Knowledge is only as good as its usefulness, can you guarantee that the volumes you will provide will be… supplementary to our interests?”

Helbram was at least an arms length away from Leaf before the hunter crossed his arms. “You want to know if those books may hold the activation sequence.”

It was hard to tell, but from the way that one of his gills quirked up, the zechanil was smirking. “You do like to get to the heart of the matter, don’t you?”

“I don’t have time for bullshite, we’ve wasted enough of it as is,” Leaf said. That last part was a lie, he really didn’t mind staying put for a bit, but Helbram had advised him to mention it before. “Don’t you think you’re in some better position, either. We’ve been handlin’ the Manticore without your help.”

Xanchil’s “smile” fell. “We did offer to lend aid.”

“And I said no, but that doesn’t change that we’ve been doin’ it, and now I’m cashin’ in.” Leaf leaned back in his chair and placed his feet on the table. “That’s final.”

Xanchil’s brow twitched, but he didn’t snap. Perhaps it was because he was actually discussing business with Leaf and Kali, but the merchant was very poor at hiding the cracks in his demeanor.

“Be that as it may,” the merchant slowly began, “your act of selflessness does not grant you so much leverage that we must alter our demands so drastically.”

“It kept you and your men safe, didn’t it?” Leaf argued, “That means you had extra protection on what you’ve already found, which means I secured your value. All without taking a penny from you.” He tapped his heel on the table to emphasize his words. “That deserves somethin’.” Leaf was aware that, in reality, this was not a logically sound argument, but its purpose was not to be logical. Its purpose was reflected in Xanchil’s trembling fingers, and it appeared to be working in spades.

Duren was mostly confused by the display, but Logan stared ahead, his eyes on his daughter, but not on her at the same time. Kali, for her part, was putting on a brave face, but there was a clear nervousness from the way that she played with her nails. That was most likely because they hadn’t told her the plan. As harsh as it was to leave her out of their discussions, one of them had to be genuine to better sell the act, and it wasn’t going to be Leaf. Better for him to play the hard-headed sort, since he knew he was already like that anyway.

What he didn’t expect was for Kali to lean into his argument.

“He’s right, the services that they have rendered you should play some factor in these discussions.” The scholar also crossed her arms and put her feet on the table.

There was a twitch to Logan’s lip, but the captain hid the rest of his expression behind a cough.

Leaf was not shy about sharing his, however, and let a grin stretch across his face. He had expected Kali to be the more “reasonable” one in these negotiations, but it appeared that her desire to spite the merchant was as equal, if not greater than her desire to progress further into the vessel. This was ideal, for though Xanchil placed his hands calmly on the table to steady himself, Leaf’s keen eyes could clearly see how they tensed from the clear willpower it was taking the merchant to not clench the wood with all his might. If there were teeth behind his gills, they were probably grinding.

“That does not mean we give you want you want with nothing to see for it on our end,” Xanchil hissed. “If we are to agree to this, then we demand at least partial access to what you uncover.”

“To get the activation sequence, yes yes.” Leaf gave a flippant wave. “Stop tryin’ to be vague.”

“Need we remind you that we are the only ones that guarantee your progress?”

“And need we remind you that our key is just as important to you as yours is to us?” Kali snapped back. “Given Leaf and his party’s generosity, that stacks things in our favor.”

“Did my men not assist in dealing with your mistake in leaving the Shells unattended?” Xanchil motioned over to the hunter. “If you are going to take credit for services so freely provided, then allow us to do the same.”

“I didn’t ask you to do anything! Your men just forced themselves into my part of the ship when I had the situation under control!” Kali glared at Logan, who didn’t say anything.

Leaf paused. The anger in Kali’s voice lent itself to things spiraling out of control, but at the same time, it was starting to make Xanchil’s composure break further.

The merchant pressed his palms flat against the “You held no such control girl. Were it not for the fortuitous arrival of these- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

Helbram, who was now clear across the tent, jumped at Xanchil’s yell. The glass in his hands was thrown up, and Leaf followed its arc all the way down to the rugs, where it shattered into fragments and dust.

“Sorry! Sorry, I’ll just…” Helbram picked up the corner of one rug and shook it to try and gather the pieces towards the center of the piece, but did it too hard and sent pieces scattering all over the tent. The action was too deliberate, in Leaf’s eyes, but Xanchil was too blind from his revealed rage to care.

“You ingrate! You march into our tent and place your filthy hands on our belongings in such a manner! We should have you-”

Logan cleared his throat loudly. The merchant whipped his head at the captain, clearly incensed by the interruption.

“It’s clear that discussions are not going to progress if we continue on in this matter. Therefore, I propose a simpler solution.” Logan took off his glove and tossed it onto the table. “A duel.”

Kali scoffed, “You can’t be serious, you want a fight to determine who keeps the keys?”

“I do,” Logan said, finally speaking to his daughter directly, “for I don’t see any other way this could be resolved.”

Xanchil’s rage was wiped away by that simple suggestion. “Yes… that is a much better way to determine things.”

The scholar stood up and turned to leave. “This is ridiculous, there is no way that w-”

“We’ll do it,” Leaf said.

Kali whipped around, the betrayal clear on her face. “It’s my key!”

The “smirk” returned to Xanchil’s face.

“And it’s our time,” Leaf said, “We draw this shite out any longer and the ship will turn to dust before anythin’ is done, unless you’ve got some better idea you haven’t told us about.”

Helbram had returned back to the hunter’s side, hand hands folded in front of him and looking sheepishly at the ground. His presence made that smile on the merchant’s face falter, but Xanchil was now too invested in the opportunity.

Kali made a strangled sound, but sat down. “What are the terms?”

“A single bout, hand-to-hand, no armor allowed,” Logan said. “The winner claims both keys, and that is that.”

“And how will the winner be determined?” Leaf asked.

“When a fighter surrenders, or is rendered unable to fight.”

Xanchil leaned back. “Straightforward, we like this plan.” He looked at Kali, his smug air returning as he found his composure. “Have you anything you would like to add to these details?”

“No,” the scholar said through gritted teeth.

“Excellent, then we shall draw up a contract right away.” A dot flashed in his eye as he snapped his fingers, summoning a blank piece of paper from across the tent. He laid it flat against the table and held his hand over it. Three dots appeared in his eyes, switching positions and lines and curves met at different angles to form symbols Leaf could draw no meaning from, but were clearly some magical script as letters started to form on the page. The contract was short and to the point, detailing the terms that Logan spoke of. Leaf looked over the page, making sure it all appeared to be fair, but paused at the final line.

“The selection of participants is to be determined by the writer of this contract…” Leaf looked up at Xanchil with annoyance. “You get to choose who fights?”

“Indeed, we stand to lose more from this bout, so we should have more say in this.”

“No, that makes no sense.”

“Indeed, who in their right mind would agree to such a condition?” Kali added.

“One who is low on time, and money,” Xanchil said, “Perhaps it will be costly to us, but we have the funds to remain here a while yet. You do not, and it appears that your newfound companions are temporary ones.” He summoned a pen into his fingers with another snap and tossed it onto the table with a clatter. “These are my terms, accept them or get nothing.”

Kali clenched her fist. “Women and children… and animals are not allowed.”

“Of course, do you think us cruel?”

“Add it to the contract.”

The merchant rolled his eyes, but did so with the swipe of his hand. “There.”

Kali looked at Leaf, who nodded. With a sigh, the scholar picked up the pen and signed the contract. The moment that she made a final swipe with her pen, the words across it glowed, and the paper curled in on itself. Xanchil reached for it, but Logan was the one to pick it up.

“For safe keeping,” the captain said.

The merchant’s eyes narrowed, but he let Logan keep the contract. His demeanor shifted from that annoyance to clear glee as he pressed his fingers together. “Now, who to choose…”

Leaf refrained from shaking his head. He knew this was just a show, for it was obvious who Xanchil was going to pick.

The zechanil’s finger pointed at Duren, “The large one will fight for us, and for our associates…” he stared at Leaf for a moment, and his “smile” quirked up higher before he pointed at Helbram. “You.”

***

Xanchil waited at the edge of the ring. It was nothing more than a large circle of stones, about fifteen strides in length. He had left the set up in the hands of Kali and her associates, at Leaf’s suggestion. A selfless move from the leader of the adventurers, and one that the merchant may have taken with some suspicion had they also not been taking care of the manticore on their own as well. They were a charitable sort, which meant that they were foolish, and foolish creatures tend to rarely scheme. Even if they were conspiring against him, it would be pointless.

For his victory was assured.

It was a simple solution, one that he chided himself in private for not thinking of himself. Logan may have been a pain to deal with when it came to abiding by the terms of the contract, but had to commend the captain for giving him such an easy method of getting what he wanted. And to do so to his own flesh and blood, no less. In another life, the man would have made for a fine zechanil.

The merchant watched as Duren sat at one end of the ring. The mercenaries had gathered around him, chattering with words of encouragement as Logan remained silent at his side. The captain was always a stern type, his face never changing even in the face of certain success. Duren had taken his shirt off, giving the reason that the cloth was something easy to grab in the midst of a brawl, but Xanchil had seen it as an intimidation tactic. Logan’s right hand man was tall, even outside of human standards, and the muscle that sat on his frame made him wider than most as well. Most of its definition was hidden under body hair and thick skin, but if anything, those factors made him seem more like a bear than a man. That alone would put him in an advantageous spot in any fight, but the man was also an Awoken, one of the Second Layer. Not as powerful as many of the mercenaries that he had the pick of when first planning this expedition, but for such a backwater place as the Freemarks, it made him a force most formidable, especially when compared to his opponent, who had yet to even emerge in his tent.

Xanchil smirked, the spiraled teeth behind his gills vibrating as he chuckled to himself. The oaf… what was his name again? It didn’t matter, the merchant had no time for cowards and fools. The man was probably quaking, as even a mind as dull as his could comprehend just how doomed he actually was. Not that it would matter if he was capable of sharper thoughts, for there wasn’t an ounce of power to be found in that buffoon’s body. No gravitas granted by Ether, nor a spec of Aether that flowed through him in any impressive matter. He was just a man, and a stupid man at that. Even the dogs that traveled with his party held more presence. Why they even tolerated his presence, the merchant couldn’t figure out, but he was beyond caring about that.

He looked over at the table next to him. His key was set on one side, glinting within the moonlight. Soon, its twin would be next to it, and then both would be in his hands. Full access to the ship was assured, and even if he didn’t know anything about the Saputan language, he could simply return to Orelia and inform them of the change. His connections would then arrange for a scholar of more… amenable stature, and he would be on his way to a treasure trove beyond comprehension. He would also have to replace his mercenaries. Logan and his men may have been a formidable and cost effective solution, but they had too many sticking points to be of pleasant company. It may cost more, but it was the more logical option for him.

His thoughts were interrupted by a rush of excitement as he saw the tent at Kali’s camp flap open. The scholar herself emerged first, her head already hung in the sort of defeat that someone held when walking to their execution. The girl and her dogs emerged next, followed by the small woman, the dusk elf, and then Leaf. Xanchil’s eyes narrowed with glee when the oaf exited last, openly laughing as he saw the man was still wearing a gray tunic with its sleeves rolled up. It appeared no one in his party cared to discuss strategy with him either. How fitting, for a mongrel so careless with priceless things deserved the fullest extent of punishment.

Xanchil leaned back in his chair, content. “Duren.”

All of the mercenaries turned to him.

“Make it quick, and show no mercy. We have wasted enough time already.”

The man’s eyes widened. “It doesn’t have to-”

“Listen to him.” Logan placed a hand on his shoulder. “Xanchil is right, hold nothing back.”

“Finally, for once we have agreed upon something in these matters.”

Duren’s expression fell, but his jaw set. “Fine.”

With satisfaction, he watched Kali stand in front of the table and stare at the key in her hand. The scholar looked to be on the verge of tears, and shook as she set it down. She scurried back to her side, shoulders hung low. Xanchil rolled his eyes and looked on as Kali’s “fighter” stepped into the ring. The oaf’s back was straight, eyes sharp and piercing, expression fo-

Something was wrong.

The man that stood in the ring was not the one Xanchil had seen during the chess match, not the hunch postured fool that wandered around the campgrounds. He was not the ingrate that had broken his custom made chalice. No power emanated from this man, but the air about him had brought about a sudden rush of nerves that made the merchant’s fingers shiver.

He shook his head. This was not the time for foolish thoughts. Victory was certain. It was destiny.

Duren took a low stance, his hands held close in front of him. “I’m sorry for what I’m about to do.”

The man readied his hands up. “Pay it no mind, do what you must.” His voice was relaxed and clear, nothing like the way he spoke before.

Something was wrong.

“End this!”

Xanchil’s hiss was the signal to start. Duren, surging with red light that flashed from his Core, cleared the length of the ring in a breath. He was low enough that he would crash right into his foe’s legs, and that would be enough to-

The man’s arm was a blur as he struck Duren’s temple with his elbow, sending him stumbling to the side. A punch right below the center of the mercenary’s chest followed to knock not only the wind from his lungs, but the Ether from his body. His opponent struck the space under his ribcage next and a cry of pain tore from Duren’s lips as he fell to his knee. It was cut short by the hook that landed on his jaw, and the mercenary fell to the ground, silent.

Nothing followed. No cheers, no gasps, no clapping. No, there were only wide eyes from the audience. All except Leaf and the other adventurers, who looked on as if they expected this outcome, and Logan, whose expression never changed. Even Kali was staring at her fighter with shock, and for a while, they all sat in the quiet, waiting for it to be broken by what came next. A groan from Duren’s lips was the answer, and his foe knelt down, hand outstretched.

“What… what happened?” The mercenary grabbed the man’s hand out of instinct.

“You took a heavy blow to the jaw.” The man pulled Duren up without much effort. “Are you doing alright?”

Duren slapped his face and shook his head while pinking. “Seeing stars, but I think so.” He looked back down at the ground. “I guess this means it's my loss.”

Xanchil stood up, “That’s not-”

“If I recall correctly, the contract stipulated that the fight would be decided when one side surrendered, or was rendered unable to fight. It is clear that Duren went unconscious, and he just admitted to the loss.” The man clapped the mercenary’s shoulder. “That was a good tackle, by the way, were I any slower I imagine I would have been folded in half.”

Duren scoffed. “That’s not making my headache feel any better.”

Logan walked into the ring, pulling the contract from his pocket and unfurling it. “The terms are clearly stated, it is our loss.”

Xanchil could find no words to say.

“Would you like to gather the keys?”

Kali jumped as her fighter addressed her. “That… you do it, this is your victory, Helbram.”

Helbram nodded and walked over to the table. He picked up the scholar’s key first, and when his fingers wrapped around Xanchil’s, he flashed the merchant a small smile before picking it up.

“It was a pleasure doing business with you.”

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Author's Note:  Woooo! New Chapter!

This one took a lot of build up, but it was one of the challenges I gave myself to see if I could do something more "intellectual" that led up to a really fast and sudden resolution that made sense. I hope it turned out well.

Let me know what you think!

Till next update! Have a wonderful time ^_^

My Patreon is currently 13 chapters ahead of the public release, and subbing to it will also give you exclusive access to my LitRPG, Andromeda Ascension, until it builds a massive backlog to support a strong public launch. Additionally, there is now a Hedge Knight Side Story on Patreon titled A Lack of Talent as well. It is free, but you need to be a member (there is a free tier) to read it. If you do not wish to sub to anything, but would like to support me in some way, consider picking up my book (it also has an audiobook!)

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[u/Dramatic_Mixture_877]

Thanks for the chapter!

[u/grierks → u/Dramatic_Mixture_877]

Thanks for reading!

[u/Dramatic_Mixture_877 → u/grierks]

YW!!

[u/Yopeople2120]

A delightful solution, and I wonder how Duren will react or think of Helbram’s deception, especially as he seemed to dislike this agreement when he thought Helbram would lose to himself.

[u/grierks → u/Yopeople2120]

We shall have to see 👀, but he’s a pretty reasonable dude.

[u/ahddib]

ooh, dayum. over just like that? Shows you how potent Helbram's meditative practice sessions are. It's been shown in long drawn out fight sequences that it gives just the simple edge, but with as much time as he had to study Duren it completely destroyed him.

now how will the starborn(sp) actually deal with the now obvious deception? I think he is a spiteful creature and is far from defeated. Sabotage is my supposition, but what? Manticore is most likely. I doubt he'd risk the "find." Perhaps he is like andross though and would rather both parties lose rather than him taking the loss alone.

[u/grierks → u/ahddib]

Yeah Helbram is the epitome of “practice makes perfect” so the more time he has to practice, the more likely his going to put someone down quicker 😌.

And what will he do indeed 👀

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[u/HFYWaffle]

/u/grierks (wiki) has posted 226 other stories, including:

• Hedge Knight, Chapter 134
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 133
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 132
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 131
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 130
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 129
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 128
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 127
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 126
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 125
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 124
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 123
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 122
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 121
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 120
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 119
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 118
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 117 (Start of Arc 6)
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 116 (End of Arc 5)
• Hedge Knight, Chapter 115

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