A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Chapter 616 Skullic's Mission - Part 2

At the very least, he wore his Blackwell pin on his chest, his knee-high boots were polished to a gleam, thanks to the efforts of his retainers, and his sword too was sharp and well-tended to. The blade that Blackwell had given him was still in a state of disrepair.

Verdant had told him that it would be possible to get the blade replaced, but at the moment, Oliver didn't have the coin for those kinds of vanity purchases.@@@@

"You ought to dress more finely than that, regardless," Skullic said disapprovingly. "You can tell that those are second-hand clothes."

"They're going to be getting covered in blood. It would be a waste to wear something fine," Oliver sniffed.

"You'll be getting paid for this work. I expect that you dedicate at least a portion of it to improving your attire.

Damn, I suppose I had better ask Mary to fashion a uniform for you... Something to show that you're at least associated with my house – then I suppose something from the High King himself, to show that you serve him and have been given a royal decree to fight and serve despite your age," Skullic said.

"Paid?" That was all that Oliver picked up on from Skullic mutterings.

"Of course. You're doing the work, and so you'll be paid the coin. A noble's wage, mind you, not a soldier's wage. For every head that you take, I'll give you a gold coin. That sounds fair to you, squire?" Skullic said.

Oliver ran the numbers in his head. He reasoned that he could likely put down forty men out of a hundred if he pushed himself. That was certainly the sort of money that would make his time worth it.

"Talking back to me again, are we?" Skullic muttered. "Fine. Do as you will. I've said my piece. The rest is in your hands. Do not come back a failure."

At those words, the General skulked back inside, his earlier sunny expression replaced with something that seemed considerably more irritated, enough so that the guardsmen were quick to get out of his way.

"Well," Oliver said to himself, more out of consideration than to make a real remark on anything. His hand was on his sword, warm within the gloves that Blackthorn had bought for him and he found himself looking around the courtyard with searching eyes, as though he expected something to be off.

It was an odd thing to catch himself doing. It wasn't the sort of thing that he would have done in the past. A week or two ago, he would most certainly have marched straight towards the carriage, gripping his sword with a grim excitement, pleased to be on the way towards something new and considerably more interesting, but here he was watching like a nervous cat.

It was the guardsmen that he eyed more than anything else. The courtyard too had its interests – like the portcullis set into the outer wall and the seemingly endless rows of stables that disappeared off towards the east before one could really count them all. Dates were carved into their stones, like a map of past identities.

Smaller pictures could be found carved into the same bits of red and white rock – horses, for the most part, but there seemed to be human figures amongst them as well.

None of them were particularly good, but they were enough to draw the eye. The large statue of a man rearing up on his horse in the middle of the courtyard, waving a sabre – that too should have drawn the eye. Yet, it was the guardsmen that Oliver eyed.

Each and every one of them could be an enemy. He felt their own hostility radiating towards him now that Skullic was gone. Regardless of the circumstances, Oliver was a man that had killed a good few of their own. It was a wonder that they could restrain themselves at all.

He glanced over his shoulder, to find the two guardsmen in charge of the main entrance staring his way. They quickly averted their eyes the second that he caught them looking, but it didn't do anything to disguise their attitudes.

Eventually, Oliver stirred, taking the high stone steps two at a time and purposefully not hurrying his gait. He knew all manner of people were looking, from stable hands, to guardsmen, to the Academy's chambermaids as they descended from one of the man carriages pulling into the courtyards carrying their goods. Oliver took in the sight of them all.