Hwiiiiiing.
The north wind, as always, scoured all in its path without discrimination.
The dry wind blew away the shallow snow, creating small vortices that dissipated swiftly in the air.
However, on the snow left on the frozen ground that the wind could not scour –
Kung –!
Orc footprints had been engraved.
A castle with sturdy gray walls stood in the path of the Orc army.
Jevarsch, built like an iron fortress, denied them passage.
Soldiers and Knights stood atop the wall, facing off the Orcs arrayed below. Their gazes were heavy with murderous intent.
The confrontation had entered a quiet lull, like the calmness before a storm. But the tension in the air continued unabated, like a taut bowstring.
“Not yet.”
Observing that the war hadn’t broken out yet, Callius folded his telescope and put it away.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I told you to become a hero, not to become a murderer.”
“I cut him down to become a hero.”
“You couldn’t rein in your temper and killed somebody, and now you say it was to become a hero! Was that why I taught you swordsmanship!”
“It’s not that I couldn’t rein in my temper. He kept provoking me, and in the end, he even asked for a sword duel.”
Callius agreed to the duel, and the result was –
A new blade now hung from his waist.
Its name was Zornik. Named in honour of the recently deceased Zornik.
Poor guy.
“And I didn’t learn my swordsmanship from you, old man.”
“Sometimes I’m afraid of you.”
Bernard shook his head.
“Actually, I’m often surprised by my own talent.”
“You mean your talent for murder?”
“In the current situation, a talent for killing seems quite fitting.”
In response to Callius’ playful reply, Bernard took the pipe out of his sleeves.
Taking Rakan out from its scabbard, he lit the pipe with a lightning spark.
Soon, the acrid smoke of tobacco began wafting out.
“Are you trying to send a signal to our enemies that you’re here?”
“This much doesn’t even count, you bastard. I know better than you how great the Orcs’ sense of smell is!”
“….”
Callius, speechless, looked around.
Bruns was following at his back.
Emily, Allen, Aaron, and the other Knights were all lined up behind.
The number was about forty.
Including the Knights who had followed Zornik.
“But it was a fair duel, wasn’t it?”
“You didn’t have to kill him.”
“It doesn’t matter as long as I kill more Orcs to make up for his share.”
“Wasn’t he still a relative, even if distant?”
“No idea. Is that something the family’s black sheep should care about?”
“….”
This time, Bernard was at a loss for words. Callius rolled his eyes at his unbelieving gaze.
To be honest, there was nothing to be sorry about.
The other party began the argument first, and he only fought because he asked for a duel.
To be honest, he didn’t even need to kill the guy, but somehow or other it just happened that way.
‘Maybe I did get a bit overheated.’
I have some regrets too.
[Zornik]
Grade – Life Sword.
Inhabited Soul – Zornik von Jervain.
- A bloodline descendant of the Jervain family’s collateral branch.
- A promising Knight called Zornik the Mighty, due to the innate physical strength that he showed from a young age.
- However, after losing his life in a duel with Callius von Jervain, he became a sword.
‘If only I’d killed him after he grew up a bit more, he might’ve been able to reach the Spirit Sword stage.’
Was it because he got killed before he fully bloomed? The Carcass of Zornik did not rise to the rank of Spirit Sword.
I’m sorry, but what I can do?
What’s done is done.
Was it because he was getting closer and closer to Jevarsch?
The Scapegrace characteristic kept trying to rise up and dominate Callius’ mind.
“The more swords, the better, but only up to three.”
He didn’t need more.
Callius tried to hold Zornik between his teeth, and then spat it out.
“Are you doing something crazy again?”
“Never mind.”
Instead, he looked closely at the sword.
Short blade.
A size that could fit into one hand.
‘For throwing.’
It was a throwing dagger.
If it had been as big as his body, he would’ve given it away to any of the knights who wanted it.
However, since it was small and easy to throw, Callius kept it as useful.
Oh, and of course –
Zornik’s own pair of swords did not disappear along with his own body.
So, his greatsword went to Aaron.
His broadsword was handed over to one of the Knights who’d followed Zornik.
“What was your name again?”
“It’s Jack.”
He was the leader of the group of Knights who’d followed Zornik.
Thinking he might protest otherwise, Callius had given him another broadsword comparable to the one Zornik had.
Pilgrims and Knights were always searching for a better sword.
Jack, who had been bought by the price of one sword, quietly followed Callius.
Of course, the sword was not the whole reason for following Callius, but the rest of it was obvious.
Rather, they now faced a different problem.
“What are we going to do?”
“What else? We have to get into the castle, either by breaking through the front or by some trick.”
At first glance, the great army investing the castle seemed to number in the thousands.
Common Orcs, as well as Orc Warriors.
And at their head, red hair that signified a Great Orc Warrior could be seen from afar.
Could they break through an army of that size?
With only forty or so Knights?
Nonsense.
“We’ll have to wait until dawn.”
“I guess so. We probably wouldn’t be doing anything until dawn.”
Callius quietly looked at the faraway Orcs dotted on the snow, one by one.
Especially that red hair.
The Great Warrior.
‘No.’
To be honest, maybe it looked a bit like him, but he couldn’t say for certain.
It was too far away.
But he’d find out soon.
That one wasn’t the type to die so easily.
The dark night sky.
The north wind grew sharper as time passed.
Its sting getting worse and worse as the sun went down.
Camping in this weather –
Was asking to be frozen to death.
But they had to.
“It’s really harsh to not even light a fire. I think I’m getting frostbite.”
“If a Knight in the North gets frostbite, it’s time to retire. Just wrap it up tight.”
It was a conversation between Allen and Aaron.
At some point, the two had become quite friendly.
However, the icy weather of the North did not show any signs of friendliness.
This was wartime.
They couldn’t set up a camp to rest, and couldn’t even light a bonfire.
They had to depend on the moonlight, accustom themselves to the darkness, and stay up all night with wide open eyes, searching for an opportunity.
“Callius.”
“What.”
“If you want to become a hero, why don’t you become the bait and catch their attention?”
“Am I such a goody-two-shoes?”
“We’d love you if you were. If you die, I’ll turn you into a sword, cherish you for the rest of my life, regularly dust you clean, and then pass you on to Emily.”
“Stop saying unlucky things.”
At Bernard’s joking chuckle, the faces of Callius and the nearby Knights softened.
However, the sharp wind blowing like knives quickly brought back their frowns.
“We’ll freeze to death if we go on like this. Aren’t old men supposed to be wise? Give us an idea or something.”
“Do you think old people can be sharp-witted? Elderly wisdom tends to be forgotten with time. I’m an old man who can’t even remember what he ate for breakfast, so what exactly do you want from me?”
Ttt. Callius, silenced, contemplated how to deal with this situation.
‘The entire area around the castle is occupied by the Orcs.’
What should I do?
How can I enter the castle safely and with least damage?
Is there no way to safely join the forces inside Jevarsch?
He kept turning the problem over in his mind.
However, he couldn’t find a good solution. Callius, who was wearing the Cloak of Twilight, stroked the pommel of his sword, exhaling a white breath.
It was a troubled night.
He lifted his head up to the sky, at the starlight pouring down.
Despite the situation on the ground, the stars above still peacefully emanated their own light, and the river of stars curled together to form the Milky Way.
That was then –
Huk! Huung!
He could hear a sword cutting through the wind.
Walking through the forest, he could see Emily wielding a sword from afar.
Even though most of the Knights crouched on the ground to preserve their body heat, Emily was swinging her sword so hard that steam was rising from her body.
“If you sweat, you’ll get frostbite.”
“I can’t miss a day of training. I always swing my sword like this before I go to bed.”
It was Bruns.
He’d approached Emily as if he was curious.
“You can learn by watching. If you’re a servant, shouldn’t you be aiming to become a Knight?”
“I’m pretty satisfied with being a servant though?”
“No ambition…”
Beautiful but practical.
Jervain’s swordsmanship emphasized simple and practical movements.
However, something else was mixed in it.
A splendid swordsmanship that emphasized speed and changeability, was mixed with the Jervain sword.
A swordsmanship that resembled Callius.
“Jervain’s restrained swordsmanship, and such splendid speed and flexibility hiding within it. It’s like watching a tiger tearing apart a flower garden.”
It was Jack who’d spoken.
Jack, who had a large scar on his lips, praised Emily’s swordsmanship with the unique flowery style of aristocratic speech. But there were quite a few parts that Callius thought were overkill.
“You praise her too highly.”
“Children at this age are easily influenced by people close to them.”
Callius didn’t know what Jack meant by that.
Emily’s swordsmanship was indeed very similar to that of Callius.
Her talent was enough to imitate the swordsmanship of Callius just by seeing it a few times.
‘The swordsmanship I’ve been struggling with for years…’
Was it so easy to put into your own sword?
It was hard to believe that she was only a twelve-year-old.
She also put in enough effort, so it was no shame to call her a true genius.
“My apologies. I’d heard of Lady Emily’s genius, but seeing it up close, it is even sadder.”
He was a talker.
Was it because his lips were torn?
Callius sympathized with his words as he thought about it.
Emily’s swordsmanship wasn’t perfect, but she was still able to find her way without a guide.
When it came to swordsmanship, such talent was not commonplace. However, disappointingly, the divine blood to support that talent was blocked.
If only her divine blood had flowed freely, she would have been able to face more powerful enemies with the protection of divine power around herself.
‘With the body of a child…’
An Orc?
It would be difficult to catch just a single beast.
Callius fell into an internal struggle as he looked at Emily’s swordsmanship and considered the upcoming war.
‘Annoying little kid.’
Somehow, we two became entangled with each other.
There’s nothing special about it, not some deep friendship or relationship, but there’s a bond from being together up to this point.
“That talent is just too good to be left alone.”
Maybe I can help her out a little?
Even Bernard seems to care about Emily for some reason.
“Emily. Follow me.”
“… Suddenly? Where are we going?”
Her training interrupted; Emily frowned.
But she still followed him without hesitation.
She would not have followed him in the past, but at some point, the heart of the girl full of aspirations had recognized him.
He was not just some simple maniac and scapegrace like his reputation.
No, in the girl’s mind, Callius was already not a scapegrace.
As they went deeper and deeper through the quiet forest path, they found a suitable cave.
“Go in.”
“Are you trying to lock me up?”
“Is there any benefit to me in locking you up? Stop talking nonsense and go in.”
Even with Callius’ push, Emily’s feet did not move easily.
The girl’s front teeth bit her lower lip, and her arms squeezed the hem of her trousers.
“… You’re doing this because I’m getting in the way of the war!”
A normal person would console her at this point saying that wasn’t the case, but Callius wasn’t someone normal.
“So you know, that’s good.”
Editor’s Notes:
None for this chapter.
Ashen Clouds 