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“Here's Professor Eveland. You'll accompany him to Lioner today.” The boss of the guild turned his gaze back to the man, Vox almost scoffing as the tone of his voice changed into something sweeter. “Is he to your liking, Professor?”
The Professor Eveland that he was talking about gently placed down the cup of tea on the table, smiling back as he grabs a pouch of gold from his cloak and drops it on the table, “He's fine, I'll take him. Thank you for your service.”
“Thank you for your business!”
Eveland stood up, fixing his cloak and walking past Vox, his heels clicking on the hardwood floor. Even without saying any orders, Vox followed him like a trained dog to its master, also not saying a single word until they managed to get out of the building.
The professor stretched his arms up in the air, blissfully letting out sounds as if a big burden was just lifted off his shoulders. He glanced at Vox, his eyes that were indifferent inside turned into something more meaningful as if he had been trying to protect the knowledge inside his head.
“Say, what's your name, Mr. Knight?” He asked curiously, peeking through Vox's cold facade. A usual face a knight should make.
His reply was simple, “Vox.”
“Alright, Vox. Are you strong?”
“I'm a C rank knight in the guild.”
“Mm-hmm. And do you live here?”
“...I live at an inn wherever.”
“Ah, so you're the adventurer type. Do you have interesting hobbies?”
“Pardon my impoliteness, Professor.” Vox diverted the topic firmly, not appreciating the small talk one bit. “Why do you keep asking unnecessary questions?”
Eveland smiled at him knowingly, suddenly starting to walk through the crowded road of the town, letting Vox immediately follow him in annoyance. “Unnecessary? I don't think they are at all.” He looked back, making sure that the knight was still following, “The trip to Lioner will take five days by foot, a week if we rest often. Though I'm confident with my stamina.”
Vox frowned, “We can take a carriage to Miras and walk from there to Lioner. That way, it would only take three days.”
“No carriages. I don't like them.” Eveland scowled, as if the mere thought of getting inside the moving vehicle disgusts him. “We'll travel by foot, Vox. Let's take our time to get to know each other, hm?”
For a moment, Vox had second thoughts if this trip would be worth its money.
—
Travelling with Eveland is not as bad as Vox had initially thought, but that doesn't mean that it was all great as well.
The professor acts more of a spoiled brat than princesses in the palace. He glares at every carriages that passes them by, doesn't like the rocky and bumpy road they had to walk through, complains about his shoes twice every hour and also about the heat but refuses to take off his cloak. But he likes nature, he hums with the birds and he doesn't care about the dirt on his boots. And Eveland was also not lying about his stamina, he looked strong as well. It made Vox wonder if he ever needed a guard while travelling in the first place.
“Seems like this is the only place where we can camp safely.” Eveland said, plopping his bag down on the ground without a care as he moved his arms. “Ah, finally. I can relax.”
Vox looked at him ridiculously, “Safe? We're in the ruins of somebody's old home. There could be monsters nearby.”
“But you're here.” Eveland smiled at him, “Aren't you my guard? Make me sleep peacefully then.” He patted Vox's shoulder and proceeded to lay out his makeshift bed on the ground.
He should be getting paid extra for this, Vox thought with spite. This is overworking.
Soon enough, after Vox patrolled the area and confirmed there were no monsters near them, he came back with Eveland already finished setting up two makeshift beds and a campfire. The meat that was on the sticks smelled wonderful as it cooked over the fire, making Vox's mouth waters in hunger.
“Dinner?” Eveland smiled at him, tapping the space next to him on a big piece of rock, “I'm getting kind of bored.”
Vox is not stupid to say no to free food, even if it means that he will have to listen to the professor talk about his adventures all throughout the continent. And he was proven right, the moment Vox sat beside him, Eveland started to run his mouth about the time he was travelling in Ria and met the famous songbird.
Oddly enough, Vox didn't mind it and listened about the one of a kind experience about hearing her voice, how the crowd went quiet the moment the first note came out. He bites on his meat mindlessly as he lends his ear, answering simply when asked by questions.
“—Ria isn't that bad either. They have more to offer than taverns and singers. But my personal favorite was their library.” Eveland sighs, reminiscing his old times as if he was an old man rather than a young professor travelling lands. “They have multiple tall shelves filled with books! It was almost overwhelming but it didn't stop me from checking everything I could. Ah, that reminds me, do you have a favorite story, Vox?”
Vox thought about it for a moment, tilting his head, “The Pitiful Demon?”
Eveland clapped his hands together happily, “Oh! The famous one who gets told in taverns? You have great taste!”
“I just listened to it in passing.” Vox shrugged.
“Hm? Then is there a book that you've read?”
Vox halted for a moment before answering, “I… don't know how to read.”
He could feel Eveland's stare at him, and Vox tried to avoid it by stuffing his mouth with more meat. He heard some ruffling, some sound of liquid and clinking of wood, and before Vox knew it, Eveland already had a paper, ink and pen on their lap.
“What are you doing?”
“I'm going to teach you how to read?” Eveland beamed at him.
“I don't need to learn how.” Vox answered in annoyance. “I'm a knight, bodyguard. I go where I need to and cut who I'm ordered to.”
“But the night is young and we don't have anything else to do,” Eveland started writing down three letters, three symbols that Vox only seen in maps and boards. “Does the owner of taverns only give you orders without showing the actual contract? That's not ethical at all. How could you look out after yourself?”
Vox frowned, “I know how to use a sword.”
“Except violence and force. Do you just follow people blindly all this time?” Eveland's tone was firm as he said those words, and it actually made Vox shut up for once. He showed the paper to Vox that he wrote earlier, “Let's start with this. I want you to know this word first, okay?”
Vox blinked twice, “What does it say?”
“My name.”
“This is too short.”
“Because it's my first name.” Eveland smiled at him, “It says, Ike. Remember it, alright? I-K-E. Ike. I rarely give anyone my name so treasure that.”
Vox holds the paper in his hands, repeating the letters and memorizing it inside his head. Eveland sat beside him, writing happily that seems like the complete alphabet for him to teach.
No one had gone out their way to actually teach Vox basic literature skills. Being a kid who had grown up in the mountains, everyone technically just takes advantage of him at every moment possible. And Vox also took that chance to earn gold and be strong.
But he never had… a teacher to teach him basic things such as reading.
Somehow, it made him feel soft.
“Alright! I finished it! Vox, I need you full attention now, this first letter is-”
—
In the end, it took them a week to arrive at Lioner, one of the most prosperous towns in the continent. It was said that the current King is the best leader the townspeople had ever got from the last decades. Vox could see the pride in Ike's face as he heard talks about it, making him wonder just what his business is in town.
“We've arrived! Ah, I can't believe time passed by so fast.” Ike stretched his arms again as they finally entered the town gate. “Oh right. Here's the slip that means you did the job successfully. You know how this goes, no?”
“Of course, I do.” Vox rolled his eyes and accepted the slip, hiding the giddiness he felt when he realized he could see familiar letters on the paper.
“Well, I guess this is where we part. Don't forget the things I taught you, okay?” Ike smiled at him and held on to the strap of his shoulder bag. “I'll stay in the palace for a week or so. If you want to visit me, just say my name to the guards.”
Vox huffed, “I won't.”
Ike laughed at his answer, “Goodbye, Vox. I hope you have a good day.”
You too, was left unspoken as Vox watched the disappearing figure of Ike in the crowd. He turned around as well, walking to the familiar path to Lioner's Adventurer's Guild.
If it's fated, they will meet again.
If it's not, then Vox will pray he would be able to have another life in which he could meet Ike Eveland. Even for just a short time.