1374: Secrets of the Past – Part 4 1374: Secrets of the Past – Part 4 “General Skullic?” Nila said, looking around the room.
“I’m not sure.
If I had to guess, he hasn’t been here a while.
You were even more dead to the world reading than you were yesterday.
It must be a realllly good book, huh?” “It is,” Oliver said.
“Though I couldn’t tell you why.
He’s not an amazing writer… He makes mistakes more often than you can count, but I suppose he’s so charming that it’s easy to overlook them.” “Charming?” Nila said, raising her eyebrow.
“Mm.
That does seem like a strange thing to describe him as… But I can’t think of anything else,” Oliver said.
“He seems sort of like if a dog could write.” “W-wait, wait, Oliver!?” Nila said, outraged.
“You know that’s the First King you’re describing, right?
The foremost of Stormfront’s heroes?” “I an it in a good way, naturally,” Oliver said.
“He seems like he was writing with his tail wagging the whole ti.
It’s not like it’s enough to describe him as optimistic… But he’s sort of like a dog that had been chasing a stick in so way or another his whole life.
I’m sort of envious.” “I’m sort of horrified,” Nila said, turning his words back at him.
“Uhmm… If you’re going to talk about the First King with soone else, can you find so other way to describe him?” She pleaded.
Oliver grinned.
“Y’know, I said much the sa thing to Skullic earlier, about sothing entirely different.” “Oh?
What did he say?” Nila said.
Oliver told her, and he watched the shift in her face with delight.
Her curiosity turned to repulsion in an instant, as her lips twisted and her eyebrows fell.
“That’s sothing crude enough that Greeves would say it,” she said.
“…But I do wonder how true it is.” The look she gave Oliver was a testing one.
“Do you genuinely want to answer?” Oliver asked.
“Or is this so kind of trap?” “A room full of n certainly has a sll, but I don’t think pointing that out to be as cruel, do you?” Nila said.
“Certainly there’s a sll,” Oliver said.
“Wait, why am I letting both of you trick into this?
Are you both animals?” “You were just describing the First King as a dog.
You are in no position to complain,” Nila said.
“If you’re to sll anything, then at least sll the rabbit stew the servants brought you.
You didn’t even look up to say thank you.” Oliver had wondered why Nila was so at ease with him.
He could say emphatically that things had improved between the two of them when they were alone, but there was still an undeniable tension that he had to carefully navigate.
Today, there was none of that.
She was as free as she was at her best – and the reason seed to be in the servant girl Lysa waiting with a tray in the corner of the room, to see if they wanted anything more with their al.
“Ah, apologies, Lysa.
I’ll see it eaten now,” Oliver said.
“You need not apologize, my Lord.
We exist to serve,” she said.
Nila watched him with an uncomfortable amount of scrutiny as he brought the wooden spoon to his mouth, and gave his first bite.
“Well?” She prodded.
“The cooks have done a good job,” Oliver said, knowing full well that wasn’t what Nila was asking.
She hit him in the arm in retaliation.
“I ant the rabbit,” she said.
“Ah, that… Mm.
Well, it’s a good tender at, I’d say,” Oliver said.
“As expected of miss Nila Felder, I suppose.” Nila nodded her satisfaction, and only then, did she reach for her own bowl of stew, and take a bite.
“Maybe this’ll take away so of the tiredness from your face, Oliver.
You stayed up until late reading, didn’t you, despite what I said?” “I might have…” Oliver said, keeping his gaze focused on the stew.
“You look a wreck,” Nila said.
“You would have looked better if you’d spent the entire night in the forest…” “You know full well I would prefer to sleep there,” Oliver said.
“I suppose for you that example has entirely the opposite effect,” Nila giggled.
“How did you lessons with Professor Volguard go, when you were this tired?” “Hm… Lessons?” Oliver said, only just then realizing that he hadn’t attended them.
“You don’t an..?” Nila said, dismayed.
“Really, Oliver?
You forgot to go?
The man ca all the way from the Capital just to help you!
You can’t be so rude!” “…You’re not wrong,” Oliver said guiltily.
“It seems I lost track of ti.” “You’re going to have to reallllyy apologize,” Nila said.
“He’ll think you’re taking him lightly.
You have to show your gratitude to him, or he’ll not know it.” Oliver nodded.
“True… Though, I think the best I can do for Volguard is to see my strategy actually improved.
Not that I have any better idea as how to go about doing that than I did yesterday.
I’m in a deadlock, just spinning around and around.” “Have you not got anything from reading so much about the First King?” Nila asked.
“Only that I can never be him,” Oliver said.
“Because he’s a dog, and you’re a human boy?” Nila teased.
Oliver had to crack a smile at that.
He thought he could hear a giggle as well – from soone other than Nila.
Only when he concentrated on the source of the noise did he identify Claudia.
She seed to be enjoying listening in.
And even Ingolsol, strangely, was quiet.
“I’m sure you’ll discover sothing eventually,” Nila said.
“And I’m sure this rabbit stew will help in that,” Oliver said.
“Perhaps I bother you for all the rabbit at in the world, I’ll eventually get there?” “That seems a small price to pay,” Nila said.
“I’ll do what I can.” “You’re going to be busy,” Oliver said.
“It’s only all the rabbit at in the world – it shouldn’t be that hard, should it?” Nila said.
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