Zylith.

As I gawked at my crazed knight howling like a jackal as he claimed, I mentally prayed to all the Gods I was familiar with to let me safely pass this ordeal. How in Heaven's name was I gonna drag this big loony muddled knight back to the castle undetected? I inwardly sweated thinking about what was to come after he came back to his senses.

"Fred Fred! Listen to me Fredurd. If you stop wailing, I will tell you a sure-fire method to appease Liana, not just that, Liana will even start liking you I swear." I grabbed hold onto Fredurd and tried to calm him down. But he was a big strong warrior, how would I, a frail muscle-less lady, be able to hold him down if he didn't want to be held down. He was thrashing and howling with bloodshot eyes, his face messed up with wet tears streaming down his ruddy cheeks.

I felt we had suddenly become the center of attention now and everyone was ogling strangely at us, I felt beyond embarrassed and wanted to leave this wailing jackal behind while claiming I didn't know such a crazy person at all, but I knew I couldn't when everyone was already aware that I was his only companion, not to mention the fact that I was the actual cause of this fiasco. I just prayed that an hour would pass by fast and he would come back to his senses.

"Your Highness! You look like a crossdressing crook trying very hard to look manly." He announced, and my left eye twitched uncontrollably yet again.

So he was lying back then when he was complimenting my disguise? Now I really had the mind to leave this liar behind to his own devices.

Calm down Zylith, calm down! You cannot be unreasonable enough to dump the guy here, who knows in which ditch his corpse will be found the next time you see him.

"Alrighty you big boy, its time to go home." I was penitent that my night out was an utter flop and I didn't even get to finish my drink, but I knew I had to drag him out of this inn before he causes any permanent damage, so I tried to hurl him towards the exit of the inn but he didn't seem to bulge at all.

When I thought that all my efforts were fruitless and I was going to have to use a baseball club to knock him unconscious before even thinking of dragging him back home, I saw a bunch of big burly men approaching me and say, "You there pal, need some help with your friend?"

These men looked pretty scruffy and fierce at a sight, with grubby unshaved beard and unkept hair, their body was enveloped in the musky smell of cheap liquor. Their unruly appearance cued bad news from all angles. I looked at them, and then I looked at my inebriated knight, and then I looked at them again and gulped to moisten my now dry throat.

"Ah! N-No, its fine. We're just fine. I can handle it, t-thank you very much for asking though." I tried to dismiss their helping hands in a subtle manner, but they didn't seem to get the hint.

"Oh, how can a tiny guy like you carry a big man like your friend? I say let us handle your friend while you come with me. We can order some great booze and tasty meat and get to know each other, aye?" I widened my eyes at this big fat man's implication. Were these muscleheads a gay gang? I frowned.

"N-No No, we do not want to impose. And I feel a bit tired and want to retire for the day. See ya!" I somehow lugged Fredurd by the shoulder and tried to haul him towards the exit but clichédly so, my path was blocked by one of these big musclemen.

"Now now, we can't just have you walk away like that. It pains us to see you struggle so hard to just keep your balance while dragging your friend like that. Let us help you, I promise we are good people." The fat talker of the team, who looked like the ringleader of this gay gang, spoke in a soft coaxing manner, or at least he was trying to look like nice people. But in the history of felons, anyone who said that they were good people were never really the said-good people.

I looked back and forth to search for people to help me out of this predicament but all of these(Can I swear here? Okay, let's just keep it kid-friendly) good people suddenly seemed to have become blind.(Note the sarcasm please)

"Please let us go." I muttered in a begging tone. At times like these, first you gotta try the pitiful tactic, and if that doesn't work, you gotta use the crotch-kicking tactic. And even if that doesn't work, you gotta do what you gotta do to save your one and only life; that is, throw all your heavy possessions at the perpetrators(including any additional burdens like a drunk dude by my side) and run like your ass is on fire.

"Little boy, why do you look so afraid? Just have a drink with us and you two can go on your merry way. We will even help you pack your friend into a carriage and send you both home." The gruffy fat dude said in a friendly tone.

I gnawed onto my inner cheek in anxiousness and when I thought I would have to use the crotch-kicking technique, I heard a very familiar voice.

"Hey you lots, if I give you my straw, would you go suck the joy out of someone else's day?"

This voice, which very much sounded like my saving grace turned out to belong to my ever-so-spartan instructor Edgar Vilavelt, who, at the moment was seated at a near table in a dark drapey hood, sucking onto a fine glass of peach juice. Only half of his handsome face was revealed through his hood, but from his irritated tone and not-so-pleasant-looking facial expression, one could tell that he was not in a very jolly mood.

I gawked at him in utter shock before I threw Fredurd onto the ground like a sack of worthless potatoes and ran to him like the wind, seeming as though he was the last string attached to my salvation while yelling 'Teacher!'

"Teacher, what are you doing here?" I blinked my lashes at him as innocently as possible, with marvel shining in my pretty little eyes. But he on the other hand, frowned at me in disdain.

"I do not remember having a disciple as ugly as you, brat!" He grumbled in a low baritone.

Ugly!?

I frowned back at him, how was I ugly?

I might've been called many names but never ugly. I know I wasn't Miss World, but I at least considered myself a little pretty lady. This was the first time someone called me ugly to my face, and I was not happy about it at all.

To top it all, it was my gorgeous ageless teacher who was rebuking my looks. Imagine my devastation.

"Te-Teacher how could you say that when we just had classes only yesterday morning? Don't tell me your age is catching up to you and you're already at the early stages of dementia?" Sensing my instructor's casual attitude without his usual prim and proper uptight behaviour, I loosened up a bit too and was bold enough to be informal with him as well.

"What? You brat!" He frowned, "How do I look....... Wait! Your Highness?" He frowned even deeper as he finally recognized me, and that was when I recalled that I was in a disguise at the moment, obviously he would not be able to recognize me at a glance. What a silly little goose I sometimes am! I facepalmed mentally.

"Hahaha... Hi teach?" I muttered back in a sheepish manner for I didn't know how I was going to explain the secret expedition of mine to him.

He looked as though he was struck by lightning all of a sudden, and I didn't blame him. Who would've imagined the first Queen herself would be visiting such a barbarous place in such a crude disguise! I really did not blame him at all I say... as long as he decided to let me off the hook that is.

"Hey you, bloke! This is none of your business. Don't try to meddle your cocky nose in other's business." The slimy looking fat boss-man grumbled in an angry tone.

My instructor, Lord Vilavelt's shocked eyes shifted from me to the brawny men behind me, and suddenly they glinted with a sharp cold light and he retorted, "I say, you would be much more likable if it wasn't for that hole in your mouth that noise comes out of."

I mentally gave my teacher a big applause when I heard his words. I never knew he was that snappish in private. He always wore a mild smiling temperament around the palace, who would've guessed he also had an equally poison tongue.

"What did you say?" The fat man bellowed in rage while I glared at him and his companions in disdain.

While previously, I was scared to rebut this guy for I was alone and helpless and they were much in number, but now that I had a strong backing beside me, who was gutsy enough to stop my mouth?

"Wow there! I don't know what's worse... your IQ... no wait, what I mean is, your puny brains or your hairline?" I scoffed in contempt.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!!!" His bellows got so loud as if they had the power to shake the ground. But I was no coward, why would I be afraid with adequate backing on my side.

"What! Can't bare to hear the truth? While we are at it, listen to this too you fatso, you have enough fat to make another human. Take my advice and order a salad." I further taunted him.

"YOU! YOU IMP! DID YOU JUST CALL ME FAT!?" His grubby face turned beet-red as he fumed in his wrath, but I was not perturbed by his raging anger at all. In fact, I relished in the fact that I could throw around insults at him without a care of the world. These days, throwing around insults had become a privilege to me all on its own.

Lord Vilavelt beside me was staring at the entire conundrum in muted silence. He didn't seem at all disturbed by the bedlam as well. So I took the liberty to throw in some more insults.

"Why are you acting as if you don't know what I'm talking about? You're fat and I'm not gonna sugar-coat it because you'll eat that too." I humphed.

"YOU YOU!" He growled.

"What! Cat got your tongue?" Humph! Even Reuben was not skilled enough to contest with me on a verbal battle, much less this roadside lowlife.

In a fit of anger, he grabbed the nearest wooden chair and threw it at me, which I dodged beautifully. Due to the man's abrupt violent behaviour, all of a sudden, the otherwise quite background atmosphere flared up in an uproar; and the people around started scurrying as far away as possible from us and the gang of bullies.

"Hmph! So that is the extent of your might!? Not even worth a scoff." I mumbled, but it was loud enough to be heard across the room.

"YOU! I WILL KILL YOU! YOU ARE DEAD TODAY YOU IMP!" The big fat man roared in sheer fury as he advanced towards me and teacher.

"Alright Your Highness! You have provoked the man enough." Lord Vilavelt beside me sighed as he shielded me from the man.

"I do hope I get acceptable answers to my questions after I'm done cleaning up your mess." He said in a laidback tone as he grabbed onto the fists of the burly fat man and twisted his arm behind his back in a single swift movement, eliciting a whimper of pain out of him.

I swallowed hard in turn, as I felt I was really gonna get it this time.

"What are you lots waiting for? ATTACK!" The fat burly man shouted in a hoarse tone and as such, the rest of the group, who were gawking in disbelief at the strength of my mighty slender-looking instructor, advanced forward to aid their helpless boss.

To be Continued........