Chapter 214: Kissing Like Love.
"Settle down?" Jackson scoffed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Who has time for that?"
"Not all of us are looking to get tied down to one woman," Samion added, grinning wickedly.
Heappal ignored them, a small smile playing on his lips. "I’m serious. A home. A wife. A family. A kind, beautiful girl I can come home to... someone who makes life more than just swinging swords."
The knights burst into laughter, loud and teasing.
"Oh, listen to this one," Jackson said, clapping Heappal on the back. "We’ve got ourselves a lover boy!"
"Careful, Heappal," Samion teased. "You’re going to make the rest of us look bad."
Despite the ribbing, Heappal’s expression didn’t change.
He glanced toward the horizon, where the morning fog was beginning to lift, and shrugged. "Say what you want. One day, you’ll envy me when you’re old and alone."
"Old and rich," Samion quipped, earning another round of laughter.
Richard observed it all from the edge of the group, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
The camaraderie and noise were comforting in their own way, a reminder that not everything in their lives had to be about duty or bloodshed. Sacrifice was a big part.