Его не звали, но он приперся / They never called, yet he is here: Глава 8

Chapter 8

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 15:51

The meeting of relatives, especially if they have not seen each other for a long time, is always associated with certain emotional feelings. If we are talking about those relatives who regularly risk their own lives because of their work, which can at any time slightly "burn out on the job," the emotional reaction will be doubly strong. And if this same relative disappeared without a trace during another fun job, and in such conditions that he had time to be buried long ago, the amount of emotion and joy of the observers of the family reunion process can throw them right out of the saddle.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:36

However, it was the four-legged abomination that had tried to throw me out of the saddle, not someone else's joy, but I'd better pretend it was the latter. I would have to admit that the damn thing had managed to win another point in our never-ending confrontation. And that would never happen until I ate the basturma out of its meat. Then, of course, I would forgive her and admit defeat, but not before. Now I'm going to jump to the ground, pretending that's what I was planning to do, and the horse wasn't trying to throw me off at all. I'm going to watch some of this intense human joy that's going to make me jittery, I swear.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:37

"Losij!" Our duelist's little sister's voice was very sonorous, just perfect for singing or even opera (not that I had ever been in one).

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:37

"Kasija!" The boy himself was clearly happy to see his sister, too, and could hardly restrain himself from running to meet her, as if he were the hero of a bad melodrama.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:38

"Losij!" The girl, who has level seventeen and a rare class of Benefic, is slowly calming down, at the same time regaining her sobriety of thought.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:39

"Kasija!" The brother of this local buffer also slows down, giving her time to make sure that he is her brother, and not a hallucination or, say, a substitute of some kind.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:40

"Losij." This time she is not screaming, but the joy in her voice has only increased, because the charms she released confirmed that this is a living person, and not the undead.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:41

"Kasija." I can't see my comrade's face, but I'm sure his face is so pleased that it could be used as a light source.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:41

So I wanted to feed him a couple of lemons, so he wouldn't be so happy. I envy him! I mean, I don't envy him, because I am too awesome to envy him, but I still envy him because of how much they waited for him in that place. Because Kostya has long been expected nowhere but at work, from which he was snatched by the pentagram of the summoning... And since I'm in a bit of a bad mood, it's time to show the sparkling humor of a real isekai. Especially since the situation directly makes me quote a classic, who knows a lot about making acquaintances and seducing women.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:43

"Donkey!" And a finger pointed at the real donkey, grazing a little to the side, so they wouldn't take me for a lunatic... although that didn't seem to help me much, yeah.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:44

In response to the comment I made, Hans almost grunted, and Tarija coughed hysterically, hiding her laughter. Apparently, the boys appreciated the joke, too, even if they didn't understand the reference. Losij just looked at us all with a judgmental look, and then dropped his face into the palm of his hand. Was it just me, or was he not even surprised?

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:45

"Meet Kasija. These are my comrades, with whom I had to save my life from the mess that Destiny brought upon me. Believe me, I wouldn't be here without them, I assure you."

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:45

I just adopted a look of concentrated innocence, noting at the same time that the duelist had not only put me and Hans among his comrades, but Tarija as well. She'd passed the baptism of blood, though, and she'd covered his back quite selflessly, which gave her some bonus points. Maybe he still can't stand her in his heart, but he does recognize her merits. That's what the hopeless battle does to people! Immediately the arrogance of some and the class hatred of others disappear, leaving only the desire to meet a new dawn.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:49

"Starting on the right: Hans, the best trailblazer I know, Tarija, a promising dancer with a blade, and a big fan of bringing nonsense to any situation is..."

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:49

:Donkey?" As if quite innocently, Kasija asks, clearly showing who in this family got all the sense of humor, thus depriving everyone else.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:50

" Ahem!" Losij held his face, but it wasn't easy at all. "No, that's Tin. Our lurker, and a man who likes to make jokes, but isn't always good at them."

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:52

Not good? Losij, you bastard, you're gonna have to answer for this! I've been trolling the boards since you were in knee-highs! Especially since my jokes are funny, at least to me.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 23:35

Meanwhile, the faces of my Army of Darkness had taken on a very wicked expression, indicating a willingness to tear everything apart for the trampling of the commander's honor. That's right! They're not the ones laughing quietly at their superiors, they're the ones holding back tears of resentment and the purest righteous rage!

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 23:36

"Well..." Something in the brother's words and behavior must have made the lady suspicious, for she was looking at us all with a look of extreme... No, not distrustful, but suspicious nonetheless. As if we had knowingly done something we were not supposed to do. It was not the noble lady's contempt for obscure serfs, but her suspicion of our nature. I could have used clairvoyance, but just a couple of hours ago I had already driven myself to migraines by trying to probe what was going on in the ruined slave-trading camp we had left behind. Things had long since fallen silent there, but the threads of events that had started a cascade of incidents were still circulating in the water.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:54

For instance, only the day before yesterday I caught a full vision of someone finishing off the remnants of the slave traders - the same main caravan of slaves that had left the camp a week before we arrived. A large squad of guards and four high-ranking fighters were met and slaughtered without too much trouble. Even in my vision I couldn't get a good look at the attackers, only the aftermath of their actions. Arrows glinting with charged skills, crushing armored and shielded fighters in a single scratch, shooting straight into the barely visible gaps in the joints of their armor and the slits of their helmets.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:56

The beasts and birds attacked the outposts, forgetting their instinct for self-preservation and throwing themselves right on the blades. The roots and branches of trees, blocking all escape routes and eager to claw at someone's flesh like a gardener's nightmare. High-class magic of an unknown nature, literally driving pockets of resistance into the ground to the very tops of defenders. And figures barely discernible from the speed and disguise, knocking out or killing those worthy of special attention.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 23:39

The only one who was able to do anything about the attackers was some strange dork in samurai armor, who managed for a while to fight off the three barely discernible figures of the elven executioners at once. I was even too lazy to spend most of my clairvoyance on him, trying to figure out exactly what he was doing. And what's more, I figured it out!

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 23:40

Somehow, inexplicably, the asshole managed to strike either with a delay or with a one-second lead time. Literally - the cuts appeared where the blade had been a second before, or where it hadn't been yet. A killer combination, if you think about it, but not without its flaws. At the very least, because such blows glowed in danger sense even more than normal blows. In fact, the elves paid for his death with one lightly wounded, and then quickly oriented themselves and shot the bastard with arrows from a safe distance, then began the cleanup.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 23:41

The fate of the few slave-traders who were decided to be taken captive was no longer in doubt in my mind without any influence of predictive skills - they would still have to dream of death, as well as to ask nicely

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 23:41

Well, judging by the fact that there was no attention in our direction either from the elves or from the human forces, we can safely declare that this time we were lucky.

Camrad_RIP 01.02.22 в 18:57

Losij took full advantage of the time while I was reminiscing, finishing our performance, and inviting the rest of the team to visit. His sister, by the way, changed her mind about going where she was going and followed our company. And I began to have a vague suspicion that now the most unloved part of my acquaintance - the introduction to the relatives - was about to begin. I was not a shy girl, even though Losij (despite his slightly faggots manner of dress), but apparently I had already developed a reflex for such conversations: at such moments, something always goes wrong with me. Either my tongue is to blame, or someone cursed me... Cursed, I guess.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 23:44

To be honest, the family of our main fashion specialist caused me strange looks in the direction of the now-deceased mother of this specialist, which was depicted on a large and incredibly skillfully executed portrait. If the sister was like her mother, both in the color of her hair and eyes and in her general appearance, and the two older brothers (I only saw the second brother in the family portrait because he was absent from the estate) were like his father, then Losij was a black sheep.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 23:46

Both men resembled very thin bears, or burly tigers: broad-shouldered, tall, and strongly built, they bore little resemblance to the frail and even graceful Losij. Fortunately, I had enough sense to keep my mother's jokes to myself, even if the mocker's soul demanded that I stomp on it. The memory of the way Losij had talked about his dead mother in the necropolis was enough to make the jokes go away. Even if he forgave me for mocking the memory of a loved one, I would still have to run from two knights who wanted my blood.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 14:48

So Kostik was a well-behaved boy. All the more so because clairvoyance was generous with the explanation that my teammate was not like his father, but like his grandfather, who had a very lean build and an awl in the ass. It was because of his grandfather that Losius was so eager to follow in his footsteps and become a professional brether.
T.N.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 23:50

The grandfather, who was no grandfather at the time, had managed to rise from the mere son of an out-of-town landowner to one of the henchmen of the pretender to the throne, and when the pretender "failed to take off," choking on a bone at a social gathering, he was able to stay afloat and for ten more years, he swirled in high society, striking without a miss with his rapier. He retired that way - with a lot of ill-wishers, a slightly smaller number of friends and debtors, and, most importantly, alive and relatively healthy.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 16:19

It's funny, but Locij's family was a lot easier to deal with than the little one himself. His older brother and father were experienced warriors, having served five and fifteen years each in the royal army, respectively. Heavy breakthrough cavalry was the pride of Melareth, allowing this nation to keep its lands relatively safe from the greedy mouths of others. Its high level, good equipment, and crushing skills, sharpened for direct hit and ramming, made this type of troop highly revered. Most of this cavalry was made up of small noblemen like the Asteriums.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 16:25

Of course, I had to restrain my thirst for a joke, but the rest of the conversation was quite relaxed and not at all problematic. The hosts couldn't help but notice the problems of Tarija and Hans, who were clearly unaccustomed to sitting at the table in such company, but Kasija was the only one who showed a slight trace of disdain on her face. Her father and his heir showed the restraint worthy of a poker player by not asking a single question.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 16:30

By the way, I, too, in my heart, didn't give a fuck which fork was for what, but I was able to keep up the banal culture of eating, which earned me a slightly less contemptuous look from that same Kasija.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 23:52

And then, when things started to get too tense, we were all carefully escorted back to our rooms. Like 'Come on, let's have our guests talk to our prodigal son alone'.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 23:52

Well, let them talk.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 16:31

After signaling to everyone that I didn't sense any danger, I obediently allowed myself to be escorted first to the bathroom, and then to the room prepared for me. Tarija, by the way, again couldn't resist testing her skills on the pretty maid. She limited herself to groping and kissing on the lips, erasing her memory of what had happened.

Camrad_RIP 03.02.22 в 00:14

I had to stay awake, despite my desire to sleep, to monitor the conversation between Losij and his family, even though I didn't sense any danger from them.

Camrad_RIP 03.02.22 в 00:15

"You know, son of mine, I don't know what worries me more." Cautiously, as if with a small child, Holan Asterium speaks. "Your former excessive contempt for all who do not have spurs, or your present company, which, I confess, looks..."

Camrad_RIP 03.02.22 в 00:16

"They looked like a gang of thugs! The only one who could show any manners was this clown, and a killer, too. Seriously, Lo, you'd be better off fighting in the pubs." Kasija intervened in the conversation.

Camrad_RIP 03.02.22 в 00:17

And Lo is our swordsman's nickname! I must remember it and make fun of it on occasion because I hadn't forgotten about his "can't tell a joke" line.

Camrad_RIP 03.02.22 в 00:18

There had to be a long talk about what kind of company was appropriate for the third son of not the poorest family in the kingdom, as well as a mention that youth often allows you to be deceived by other people's words, and not everyone can be called a friend. Losij understood that, too, and so, after listening for about five minutes, he shut their mouths in the most effective way possible: with gold.

Camrad_RIP 03.02.22 в 00:19

We had agreed from the beginning that we would share the treasure equally (though they honestly tried to shove me a larger share), as well as the booty from the outlaw camp. Even so, the duelist's share alone was nearly three hundred in gold, in coins alone, not counting the jewels! Add that same amount and you could buy all the lands of the Asteriums, who weren't poor, but they'd gotten pretty rundown lately, and they'd never been very rich.

Camrad_RIP 03.02.22 в 00:21

Besides, we were planning to leave most of the treasure in this place for safekeeping. Well, if I give my permission to do so, after making sure that the keepers are reliable. The last was said by Losij, who believed in his family with all his heart, but could not remain silent. In short, the sum was very impressive, though not so fabulous for real rich people.

Camrad_RIP 03.02.22 в 00:22

The people gathered in the head of the house's office were impressed by the gold rounds sprinkled directly on the papers and maps, causing them to gather and stare at the still calm and enigmatically smiling Locij. When he realized that he was going to say no more, Holan very politely asked:

Camrad_RIP 03.02.22 в 00:22

"Where did all this come from, son?"

Camrad_RIP 03.02.22 в 00:23

"But there was something else you wanted to tell me, wasn't there?" He retorted, still smiling kindly. "I think we've settled on who's worthy of my friendship and who isn't."

Camrad_RIP 03.02.22 в 00:23

It's my school Teach the kid a bad lesson, the bastard! There's how he trolls his own family, I can see the baby's cheeks turning green! A little more at that rate and he could be released on the Internet... if it exists here.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 14:38

Surprisingly, all three were clearly embarrassed to receive such a rebuke from a generally obedient son, albeit one who had his own personal crushes on the desire for fame, fortune, and recognition.

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 14:28

"Listen, Losij." The head and the eldest man of the clan spoke with weight, no longer trying to sound soft. "You are my son, and I am your father. And such is my word..."

Camrad_RIP 02.02.22 в 14:26