"Ugh. Work, work and work…", A man with black seaweed hair muttered.
Dark circles surrounded his eyes, and he looked like a regular high schooler who had woken up at 6 a.m. to even have a chance to get to school if you ignored the armor on him.
'Should have gone with Plan B.'
Of course, said plan was plain dying.
"Dominik! Get back to work or you go to the cemetery!", A rough-sounding guy cast a shadow on top of the tired man.
"...Roger, roger and roger, Luis.", he grunted.
While they might have sounded casual, none were taking it wholly to heart. The town was destroyed with intent, slowly weakening it.
It was like a spider losing some legs. Sure, it might survive and adapt, but there's no denying that it has suffered damage.
They lost even their Headman.
Thinking about that, Dominik looked at Luis' back.
He was always big, but now his muscles were bulging even beneath his armor, as if on the verge of stretching metal with every movement. His gaze seemed unfocused ever since the last attack that was meant to "put them in their place".
That gang of fuckers under Warchief Godric thought they were doing too good and tried to install a new leader here. Luis' father and Headman, Peter, managed to hurt them enough to stay back at the cost of his life, but…
His face twisted in frustration.
'They know the mine now.'
This village, Braston, has been made on a hill. Inside of that lump of ground is why it managed to survive for so long.
The mine had several resources, just barely not too much to attract the eyes of people. Moreover, while it might have seemed like a weak spot to invade the town, it was the place the people knew with their hearts.
You could say it worked too better. Already by the second attempt, the Saxons already knew more or less the way to go through it.
Their weapon turned on them.
Last time, it was a massacre of their allies inside of it and they had time to look around by themselves. Considering that, failure is a given now.
'But that idiot has been pushing himself ever since.'
"Shit, shit and shit."
"Domi-?"
"Captain!", A knight ran up to them right then.
"What is it, Peter?"
"W-We g-got suspicious visitors!"
""Huh?""
They blinked at each other.
"Suspicious how?"
"Uh… they spooked us from some bushes and looked half dead… they're also wearing Saxons' armor somewhat…"
'Agh, that's it? Suspicious my ass, they just sound like a bunch of thieves.'
"Well, this isn't wort-"
"Dominik, finish this place. I am going."
"Tsk."
He tried.
Still working alon-
"Peter, stay here. Don't let him fall asleep."
"Yes, Captain!"
"Ugh."
-
Inside of a hut almost falling to pieces, Don and Sancho were looking at the ceilin- blue sky with dead eyes.
"Sancho.", The squire sprang up suddenly while his face hardened with seriousness. "I have conceived an idea most ingenious."
"What is it this time…?", The kid lost interest.
"We need a horse. An ally. A friend. A… Rocinante."
"...", He pouted.
"...?"
"Even if you say that, I am the one that will be tasked to find it…"
"Good thing you understand-"
BOOM!
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
The somehow intact door got smashed into pieces once a guy with spiky orange hair walked in. His body was muscular and his shoulders broad to the point he had to break even the door frame to enter. During this, his indifferent expression changed into frustration then surprise once he looked at Sancho.
"Artorius?"
"Uh…Uh…?"
"Hi, hello. My name is Don Quixote.", While Sancho was using her weakest muscle (the brain), he quickly introduced himself.
"Luis.", He turned with a cold gaze to the taller boy.
Taller… than Sancho.
'His face looks like 18, but that body screams steroids. I am sorry, Goku's pants.'
He mourned for himself when he will clean them too.
"Where are you from?"
"Mancha?"
"Huh, where is that?"
"Beats me."
"Right… Why are you here, Artorius? Is Kay around?"
"Hey, it's Sancho.", He got ignored.
"Ahaha… I got separated…", Sancho's face reddened. "I hope he isn't running around for me. Sir Ector should keep him in check."
"Hm."
""Hm?""
"Hm."
""Hm…?""
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAH, THAT'S GREAT!", The knight's face broke into laughter. "That all-talk fucker is out! This is worth celebrating! Let's go to my home!"
Luis went towards the center of the city, while the left pair was left confused. They quickly caught up and Don inserted himself into the atmosphere while Sancho continued thinking.
'Sir Krau has the same expression.'
He looked lively and none they came across, enemy or survivor, ever noticed something wrong. However, Sancho's eyes never left. To him, Don…
Looked miserable, waiting for a change he didn't know himself.
Artoria Pendragon did not know many things.
Why was she told to act like a boy even when she was barely walking...
Why did her strength seem unnatural…
Why did Sir Ector and Sir Kay talk at night as if she wasn't part of the family…
Why did they accept her to work towards being a knight…
Why was the white man inside her dreams guiding her…
And…
'Why was I given the role of Sancho? What does it mean to be Sancho?'
The few moments when she has glimpsed Krau's happiness. His dream.
The situation was rock bottom.
As if facing a high wall is the only thing worth looking at…
"SANCHOOOOOOOOOOO!!! YOU'RE SLOWING DOWN!", The man shouted beside Luis.
He smiled, but he didn't need to.
'Don't lie to my face.'
She ran in front of him, gasping. There wasn't any moment when she felt her stamina depleted after Sir Ector trained her, but right now… here…
'I don't know what being Sancho means to you, but.', She smiled at him with her full, somehow white teeth. 'I want to become a knight. For Sir Ector, Sir Kay, you and… me. And in the end, I will be the highest wall you will see.'
It was an unspoken promise. One that she will never break.
~
The power of bullshit courses through my body.