"It wasn’t supposed to happen this way!"
"Hold still.." Ruth dabbed gently at the side of his face with a damp cloth.
Laudo flinched, blinking away the tears. His breath came in short gasps since to breathe any deeper would cause the pain in his ribcage to return.
"This kind of stuff never happens to Ipsen! Why me?"
She only cocked her head, taking his chin between her slender fingers. "Because Ipsen is a hero in a legend, and this is real life."
He exhaled loudly, flinching again as she dabbed at his swollen cheek.
"Now hold still, will you? It'll only hurt more if you keep moving around."
"My nose still bleeding?"
"No.. it's stopped."
Laudo couldn't stand the sight of blood. It made him want to vomit.
That's why I suck at being a Pluto Knight. A coward like me has no right to attempt to protect Queen Garnet. Not when an unarmed man can best me in a fist-fight.
It had come as a total shock. Laudo had really thought he had the criminal cornered. Right there in the alleyway, even standing with the thief at swordpoint. He had been so proud of himself.. having been able to apprehend the suspect without use of violence… especially since the red-haired man was rather vicious-looking at first glance.
The knight had been about to arrest him, when this wicked smiled crossed the thief's face. The next thing Laudo knew, the red-haired man just leapt up, even defying the sword leveled at his throat, and smashed his nose in. It was obvious that the thief was a natural fist-fighter. The blows rained down upon him one after another, striking places that hurt more than a regular punch had a right to, even through his plated armor. Laudo had then found himself crumpled upon the cobbled stones, watching as the criminal dashed off into the shadows of the night.
"How utterly… embarrassing…"
"Hmm…?"
Laudo blushed when he realized he had spoken out loud.
"All said and done… I wonder why the guy didn't kill me right there and then? He didn't even loot me, despite the fact I'd not have been able to fight back. I wonder why…"
"Are you still thinking about that guy?" Ruth pouted cutely.
Has she been trying to get my attention?
"Yeah.. I'm sorry… it's just… he knows I'm on his trail, yet all he did was knock me silly. I don't know why.. he could beat me so easily, yet the scoundrel let me leave alive…" The knight mused.
She laughed. It was a warm sound. "Oh, Laudo! You have been reading too many books! That's so melodramatic!"
"What do you mean..?"
"Maybe he didn't kill you because he wasn't really that bad of a guy.." Her brown eyes sparkled merrily.
"What? How could you say that?" Laudo demanded. "He's a brigand! A knave! He's looting the entire town.. and you say he's not that bad of a guy?"
"Just because someone is a thief doesn't make them a bad person. He might have a reason. But I don't think he's really a bad guy at all.."
"Did you get a good look at him? All those wicked scars… evil, I tell you! What makes you think he's anything better than gutter trash?"
"Because…" She looked away from him for a moment. "Just the way he treated me."
Laudo watched her for a moment. Then listened.
"Any real slime-ball would have jumped at having his way with a helpless girl all… alone in a back alley at night." Ruth frowned. Then she giggled. "He seemed almost.. shy. I think I even managed to make him blush."
"And that makes him a good person?"
"Well… That and.. I could just tell."
Laudo sighed.
"Women's intuition. Don't knock my insight!" One eyebrow furled.
"Okay.. okay…" Laudo waved away her mock anger. "I'm sorry to have put you in such a bad position. I guess I didn't think it over very well…"
"It's okay.." She was all smiles again. "I don't mind at all. I know if I had really been in trouble, you would have come to my rescue… right??"
"Sure.." His voice sounded disheartened, even to his own ears.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruth planted her hands on her hips. She was cute when she got angry.
"I've… failed in my mission. Now I'm gonna have to return to the Captain empty-handed… he'll boot me from the ranks for sure.." Laudo felt the tears welling inside him. "I'm such a loser… and all I can do is sit here and cry about it…"
"Laudo.." She wrapped her arms gently about his shoulders.
"Ouch!"
"Sorry…"
"It's.. okay… Nothing matters much anymore…"
Ruth frowned up into his face. "Stop that! Are you just going to give up everything right here, right now?"
"What else can I do?"
"You have to go back out there and hunt down that thief, of course!"
"Yeah.. right. So I can go get my face rearranged again. Next time he might actually charge me for it." Laudo grinned weakly. It hurt when he did.
"I'm being serious! Just because you didn't catch him this time, doesn't mean you should just give up. You want to be in the Pluto Knights, right?"
"I guess…"
"Well, you're about to break down right here thinking about being expelled. So either you do something about it or not."
"Well.. I… really hate the military. But… if I get expelled, then I'd have nothing left to offer my life to. I surely can't make a living off my writing."
"Well you're a good fighter when you try. I know you are. Maybe you could be a mercenary?"
"Gahh.. who'd hire a merc that can't stand the sight of blood and starts crying everytime someone looks at him wrong?" Laudo dropped his head in his hands. "Face it, I'm just useless…"
"Well, if you want to stay a Pluto Knight badly enough, you better go out and try to find that thief!"
"But how? He's long gone by now. He knows I'm on his trail. He's probably skipped town already." The knight sniffled, muffled between his palms. "It's hopeless…"
"Well, then.." She pinched him playfully. "You just need to think like the criminal.. figure out where his next move would be.. do some snooping."
"S-snooping?" He looked up, blinking. "Impossible. You know how many people come in and out of this town everyday?"
"But he's got some pretty distinct features to him. The way he looks… those nasty scars. I'm sure that he's not someone people easily forget seeing."
"Hmm…"
"Right?"
"Well.. that is true. Do you think there's any chance?"
Ruth pinched him again. "What I think is.. as a Knight of Pluto it's your sworn duty to follow your task to the end, no matter what. Even if that means having to leave Alexandria in order to catch this guy. You just can't give up so easily!"
"But he's a good fighter… he'll tear me up again…"
"You're a good fighter too. You just have to be more aware, Laudo. I know you can do it…"
"You think so…?"
"I know so." She smiled up at him, adoration in her eyes. He didn't seem to notice.
The young knight ran his tongue over his lips quickly, then nodded. "I'll take your word for it…"
He was already formulating plans for the next day.
Next time, you cur… I'll get you next time, just wait…