gravel

gravel

Scary Martin Bar

(Jingle)

Welcome...

Help... help me!

Get back here! Seize her!

Oh, my poor door... only just fixed the day before.

A knight... any knight, please help me...

Hmph, you think a knight's going to save you here?

Look around you! It's just a run-down bar pretending it's got anything to do with knights!

And no knight would never pay you any attention, besides.

Someone, I'm begging you, help me, please... don't let him take me... don't let him sell me!

That's not for you to say. Get an earful of this, bar-goers! 'Chattel' that's already been marked up wants to flee, and wants a knight's help on top of it?

Shout your lungs out for all I care, see who comes to save you! Get over here already!

No, I... I was tricked, I'm not 'chattel' or anything! I didn't want to come to Kazimierz, I want to go home...

Ha-ha. Look at this dumb little girl from a village with no name.

A make-believe story tricked you, that's what. Wanting to go to Kawalerielki to be a knight? And you came right along like an idiot... that's just comedy!

Might as well, while I'm here. Server, I'll have a glass for the road, then I'll take this girl with me, sell her to some old knight as a servant...

Sorry, friend. We don't take too kindly to hunters doing shady business 'round here.

...Come again?

You were saying we don't get knights in here. Selling our little establishment here short, I think. After all, we've got the bigshot, Sir 'Brassrust Knight' Ingra, sitting right here.

B-Brassrust... you mean, THAT Brassrust Knight...!

(What? Hold on, boss, I only came here to drink. This equipment is just merch...)

(Glare)

(A—A'ight...)

'*belch*... *hack*. Rowdy wretch. A piffling dirt-wallowing bounty hunter thinks to cross me?'

'Out of my sight.'

Grr... hear that? Come with me, before you ruin a major Knight's day!

Psia mać, is there anyone here who can kindly show this villain to the door?

N-No... I don't want to go with...

No, no, I don't want to be someone's servant, I just want to go home... ah!

Do licha, what's the holdup? With me, now...!

Guh... agh...!

Who... *cough*, *hackpth*!

Noisy, noisy~. What's the order of the day in here?

Skurwysyny, sneaky asshole... ggh...!

And who gave you a license to stomp around Kawalerielki like that?

Phew... good we had a helping hand. Would've had a hard time saving the merchandise on my own.

Is it... over now? B—Being a knight fan sure pays off sometimes, haha...

You're...

What, has Kawalerielki been so quick to forget me?

Marcin, I used to come here quiiiite often.

Your technique... and then your arm here... a 'barcode', is it?

I remember, now... It's you. 'Gravel'. You're a Maypole family Knight.

Gravel... Knight?

You can call me Gravel. It's what I go by, you know. Not any kind of stiffed-up title.

Knight? *snort*, a Knight attacking her opponent from behind. Using cheap tricks for assassins, too.

Real knights should be like Sir Ingra, with massive strength, unstoppable force, and a name with the power to drop your guts!

So awkward I have to tell you this, Marcin's customer, but unlike those big stars made of money in the arena, my techniques all come from honest-to-gosh survival.

You hate the competition knights, is that it? *snort*, all you campaign knights do is drain taxpayer money...

Break it up, break it up.

This hunter boy's not waking up for a while. Lass, you find yourself an escape.

Right, and you haven't thanked Gravel for her bravery.

Th-Thank you so much.

You're that Gravel, then...

Hm? Don't tell me I'm famous.

I've-I've heard about how y-you came to our village once! A lot of bounty hunters operate close by, and it's so far from anywhere else, so the knights barely ever come to help drive them away...

Old stuff, then... I've been to plenty of places, looking for clues. That was all years ago, though.

And you look pretty young. There's no way you could've met me back then... Who are you, hm?

I... I...

She's still in a state of shock. Don't you frighten her. Let her wind down some.

Gravel. Been a long time.

Long time and no see, Marcin. Is the master of the house still regular here these days?

Hah hah, you know he's not crazy for places like this, full of people. Last I heard, he fell in the lake and broke a leg angling, and now it's been an age since he dropped by to try himself some snacks.

Perfect. I'll have a round of what he hasn't eaten.

You're not gonna treat the lass to something?

I'm the girl who saved her life. Why am I paying for her meal on top of it?

G—Gravel, I...

Mmn... fine, you just sit down next to me here. Marcin, I'll have two portions.

Thank you, good Knight...!

So, what've you come back for this time?

I'm just on vacation, seeing how the master of the house's holding up after his dive. Two days before I have to head back.

Back? Back where? You're a Knight of Kazimierz. It's wherever your family's Knight Primus lives that you go on back to.

Hmm? But I've left Kazimierz at this point...

Where you go, what you do, and who you want to become are all your freedom.

So long as you believe, your decisions will justify all that you've striven, and won't ever sully your name.

So go, Gravel.

No doubt about it... I already told him about my decision, and I even gave you a goodbye.

You oldies and your forgetfulness. I bet I fell out of your heads straight away, didn't I?

Hah hah, I'm getting on in years for sure. Gets hard to remember so many things.

(...No. Marcin's reaction... something's odd about it.)

(Something so huge happened, and now he forgets it...?)

Gravel Knight, the 'master of the house' you mention is...

A name to know for sure. The Maypole family's Knight Primus Gekoski. He used to be a lynchpin of a campaign knight.

The young Knights now'd have a shout in hell of investing what the Maypole family did, back in those days.

*snort*. Don't forget, though, he's just old news now...

For having offended your family and Knight Primus... I apologize, Knight.

Next time, there won't be a time for sorries.

Uh... dgh. Boss, bill!

Gravel Knight, is that Maypole family Knight someone... you really respect?

Mmhm, of course. It was with his blessing I didn't end up like the other 'chattel', stuck in the lowest of all work.

I could only become a Knight because of the training he gave me.

How nice... having a chance to become a Knight. If... if I could be one too, then maybe I'd be able to return home and see my mom and dad again...

Have you been marked with a chattel serial number yet?

I-I haven't... I got away midway through.

That was brave of you. Well done.

Will it—make trouble for you helping me, Gravel Knight? I... I know hunters don't like being messed with...

Not to worry. Filthy business like this should've vanished long ago.

(No, more than that. In fact, it should've already completely vanished.)

(Let's just see for now...)