The battlefield was eerily quiet. The clashing of steel had faded, replaced only by the labored breaths of those who remained standing.
In the center of it all, Marianne stood over Aldric, her sword trembling in her grip.
He was on his knees, defeated and unarmed.
Yet, he stared up at her without fear.
Fiona stood a short distance behind them, silently watching the scene unfold. Her eyes flickered, taking in every detail—the way Marianne's shoulders tensed, the way her blade hovered unsteadily near Aldric's throat.
'Now i'm courious.. what exactly will you do, Marianne?'Would you strike him down, as duty demanded? Or perhaps....',
Fiona was in deep thought in her curiosity.
The remaining knights of Vernetia stood nearby, their expressions grim.
Some bore wounds from the battle, their armor dented, their faces stained with dirt and blood. They were waiting Marianne Devearux, Commander in this mission,to accomplished her job.
But deep inside, Marianne was hesitated.
Aldric's voice cut through the silence.
"You're hesitating again, don't you? Like the last time."
Marianne's grip tightened around her sword.
"Shut up."
Aldric chuckled—not mockingly, but knowingly.
"Because you know I'm right." His voice was quiet, yet unwavering. "And you don't know what to do right now..."
Marianne's breath hitched.
She didn't want to listen.
But the truth was already gnawing at the back of her mind.
'Was he truly a traitor—or just the first to act? What should i do? '
Her sword wavered.
Aldric looked up at her, his green eyes tired but resolute.
"If you want justice, go ahead," he said.
"But if you kill me now, you won't change anything."
A silence stretched between them.
She started to emember the times spent with Aldric, every moments.
Then—
Marianne took a deep breath—and stepped back.
Gasps echoed among the knights.
One of them stepped forward.
"Commander Marianne, what are you waiting for?"
Marianne ignored him.
Her gaze remained locked onto Aldric.
"Go," she said.
His eyes widened slightly.
"You're letting me live?"
"I don't know," she muttered. "But I won't kill you, at least for now... This is my choice."
Aldric studied her for a moment. Then, despite his injuries, he pushed himself up.
He staggered but did not fall.
"I see it now. This time, i owe you one life. If something happened in the future, I will pay this debt. " he murmured.
Marianne didn't respond.
Aldric looked at the remains of the Rogue knights,and gave command.
"Rogue knights! Retreat! Carry the wounded
soldiers and the fallen ones too. This battle is over now!"
Hearing their commander's command, they obeyed and started to withdrawn in order.
"We Will meet again someday..Take care of yourself until that day...Be careful, My Friend.."
Before disappearing through the shadow, Aldric looked at Marianne one last time.
Then, with slow, careful steps, he turned—and disappeared into the shadows,along with the Rogue Knights.
Marianne let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Marianne still looked at the place where they disappeared with dilemma. But she did not regret her choice afterall.
Fiona, watching from behind, narrowed her eyes.
'Interesting....'
This was not what she had expected from the proud knight.
The other knights were clearly troubled.
Aldric was a traitor, as well as the Rogue knights.
If she let him walk away now—what would that mean?
Even Marianne herself wasn't sure.
Was this a mistake?
Or… was this the first real choice she had ever made?
The knights stared at her in confuse and disbelief, waiting for an explanation from her.
But she had none.
Fiona, however, smirked to herself, because for the first time, she saw Marianne's real honest choice.
The weight of her decision pressed down on Marianne long after Aldric disappeared into the darkness.
She looked at the knights around her.
She could feel their eyes on her, their unspoken questions clawing at the edges of her thoughts. But she had no answers.
She barely even understood her own actions.
Fiona, standing beside her, observed everything with an amused smile.
'Oh, this is going to be interesting!'
Marianne, the ever-loyal knight, had just defied everything she was supposed to stand for.
And whether she realized it or not—there was no turning back.
A knight stepped forward. His name was Julian
He was one of the senior knights who being promoted together with Marianne,Jeannie, and Aldric. He was known for his unwavering devotion to the kingdom.
And right now, he looked at Marianne as if she were a stranger.
"…Commander..or Marianne, i suppose?" he said slowly, carefully with darkened face. "With all due respect, what just happened?"
Marianne's fingers clenched.
She knew what he was really asking.
What the hell are you thinking?
She opened her mouth, but no words came.
Julian took another step forward, his expression darkening.
"I knew He was one of us back then, but Aldric was a traitor," he continued.
"He led a rebellion against the crown. He killed our comrades. And yet—you let him walk away like this?!"
His voice was sharp. Accusatory.
And he wasn't the only one.
Other knights muttered among themselves, their voices hushed but heavy with unease.
"Has she lost her mind?"
"Did she really let him escape?"
" This isn't like her…"
The knights whispered each other.
Marianne swallowed.
For the first time in her life—she hesitated to defend herself.
Because the truth was, she didn't know how.
Everything she had been taught told her that Aldric deserved to die.
But something deep in her gut screamed that things weren't that simple.
Before she could answer, another voice cut in.
"Well, that was very dramatic," Fiona said, stepping between them with a casual stretch. "Should I start clapping, or are we all too confused for that?"
The knights turned to her, frowning.
Fiona—still disguised as Jeannie—met their gazes with a lazy smirk.
"Come on, peoples," she continued. "Are we really that shocked? You all saw how hard our commander fought. If she wanted him dead, he'd be dead actually." She tilted her head. "Maybe she just thought he deserved a second chance. She has her own idea about this."
Julian' jaw tightened. "That's not how justice works, Jeannie.."
"Oh?" Fiona raised an eyebrow. "And what is justice, exactly, Julian? Killing someone because we're told to? Is that what you mean?"
Darius bristled. "Justice is upholding the laws of Vernetia."
"Of course,you are right," Fiona drawled. "But..who are making that laws,if i may ask…?"
Silence.
Fiona grinned.
'I got you, Idiot!'
She didn't need to push much harder—Marianne was already lost in her own thoughts.
She was questioning everything.
-------------------------------
The battle was over, but the knights were restless.
Some whispered about reporting Marianne's actions to the higher-ups. Others debated if she was still fit to lead.
And Marianne…
She barely heard any of it.
She sat in her tent, staring at the candle flickering on the wooden table.
Her mind was a storm.
She thought about Aldric's words.
She thought about the people she had killed.
She thought about how easily she had believed everything she was told.
And for the first time in her life—
She was afraid of what she might find if she looked too closely.
Footsteps approached.
Marianne tensed as Fiona stepped inside.
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
"So," Fiona said, leaning against the wall. "What's the plan, Commander?"
Marianne exhaled slowly. "Plan?"
"Well, yeah. You just let a high-ranking traitor escape. People aren't exactly thrilled about it." Fiona smirked.
"And let's be honest, you're not exactly great at talking your way out of things."
Marianne scowled. "I don't need to talk my way out of anything."
"Really? Because that damned Julian looked ready to stab you in your sleep."
Marianne rubbed her temples. "I'll handle it."
Fiona hummed. "And by 'handle it,' you mean…?"
"I don't know yet."
Fiona grinned. "Wow. That's inspiring."
Marianne sighed. "Why are you even here?"
"Because this is the most interesting thing you've done since I met you." Fiona plopped onto a chair.
"Seriously, the way you hesitated back there? The way you let Aldric go? Priceless!"
Marianne glared at her.
Fiona smirked.
Then, in a rare moment of honesty, Fiona's expression softened slightly.
"…You're not wrong, you know," she said.
Marianne blinked. "What?"
Fiona leaned back, looking up at the tent ceiling.
"Aldric," she murmured. "You're not wrong about him. He's not the problem."
Marianne studied her. "And what is?"
Fiona's golden eyes gleamed.
"The system that made him a traitor in the first place. That is the real problem."
Silence.
Marianne felt her stomach twist.
Because deep down—
She knew Fiona was right.