Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Kirfone Sky Squadron
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Screeech!
'That guy never gets bored, huh.'
It was my first time at the Petrin Count's estate, and I drank until my mind went blank.
I kept drinking and drinking until I saw the sun rise, and at some point, everything just cut out.
I slept like the dead for a full day, then suffered through another with a hangover.
But the count and the other knights went right back to sparring the next day like nothing happened, full of energy.
A perk unique to those who wield mana.
They said you could protect your insides with mana and force the alcohol out.
But I didn't know that trick.
I learned the terror of booze down to my bones.
'Shuriel, you like that guy so much?'
After barely surviving, I dragged my sorry ass back to the dorm.
Most of the other noble kids had flocked to their family mansions in the capital or friends' places.
Only Rusel, who had nowhere to go, stood by the window, summoning Shuriel to play.
'That kid's crying!'
He didn't even notice me come in, too busy playing with Shuriel.
Tears were plopping down at his feet.
"D...Daddy... Mommy..."
And then I heard him murmur "Daddy" and "Mommy."
His usual neutral voice was gone, replaced by something thin and girlish.
'Poor kid, he misses his parents.'
Truth be told, I felt lonely too.
I couldn't go back to Earth, so I was doing my best in this mess, but I missed my folks and my friends.
"I'll... get revenge. Even if I sell my soul to the devil..."
'Revenge?'
But just as things were going fine, Rusel suddenly spat out "revenge" and ground his teeth.
I figured he had some unspeakable grudge, but I had no idea it ran this deep.
He could've starred in a legend from his homeland without missing a beat.
"Who's there!"
Then he sensed me entering and whipped around, yelling.
"Haha! It's me, buddy."
I forced a casual face, not wanting things to get awkward.
"K-Kaier..."
He wiped his tears with his sleeve as he called my name.
"Sun's harsh today, huh?"
I pretended not to notice the tears.
"Y-Yeah."
He got the hint and nodded.
"Rusel..."
I leaned in close to his girlish face.
"W-What? Why?"
"You..."
He always looked so innocent when I called him, never relaxing.
I spoke softly and grabbed his shoulders.
Tremble.
His clear, silvery eyes quivered faintly.
'Why does this guy get so tense around me?'
I never teased him that bad, but he'd tense up whenever I got close.
Chin.
I gripped his slender, soft shoulders—like a girl's.
"You really don't have a little sister?"
I whispered quietly.
Thwack!
Then I felt his cotton-soft fist in my gut.
"Pervert!"
The usual "pervert" rang out.
'Don't be sad, kid. Seeing you cry makes me sad too.'
Rusel's face had relaxed by the time he called me pervert.
Now I could breathe easy.
After months sharing a room, I'd grown attached to the guy.
I didn't know how long it'd last, but I wanted to stick with him until our paths split.
Something about him made me want to protect him.
That kid's name was my roommate, Rusel.
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'Should I summon some spirits?'
Sky Knight training started tomorrow.
I wanted to summon some as backups beforehand.
That's why I came to the forest around the Spirit Tower.
'Kapuin Count would flip if he knew.'
Kapuin Count had sent the spirits back through a summoning circle.
When I saw Sylphiria's face and went into shock, he pulled me back to the middle realm.
Kapuin had asked about the Grick spirit.
I'd said I hadn't contracted anything.
Just thanked him for letting me see them all.
'A trump card like that'll save my life once.'
I wasn't at absolute territory yet.
5th circle mage, swordsman, spirit summoner—but I knew my limits.
'Not low-grade spirits. Mid-grade should do.'
I hadn't tried, but I could summon low and mid-grade spirits, even up to wind high-grade below Sylphiria.
I hadn't contracted high-grade ones, but since I had the top-grade, I could force summon them.
'Better than Noim or Kasab. Shuriel it is.'
Wind spirits drew me more than others.
Plus, for Sky Knights operating in the skies, wind spirits were essential.
I made up my mind and closed my eyes.
Pictured Shuriel, the one contracted to me.
"Summon Shuriel!"
Wind eagle Shuriel.
Flash!
A surge of power in the air at my call.
Whirrrrr.
The wind blew.
"Oh! Yeah~!!"
I cheered at Shuriel flapping transparent wings, hovering in the air.
'What if I daze 'em with spirits, crit with magic, finish with sword? Who could beat me?'
The battle played out in my head.
In a one-on-one, probably no one.
Even a master or 7th circle mage couldn't block spirit speed, magic firepower, and a clean sword strike alone.
"Fly, Shuriel. To that far end!"
Kreeee!
A low cry only I could hear.
He shot toward the sky like light where I pointed.
"Whoa!"
Too fast for human eyes to track—Shuriel's speed.
'Mana's draining pretty good.'
I had way more mana holes than most, but summoning him ate it up proportionally.
Especially as he flew to the edge of my gaze—massive drain.
'Mana scales with distance.'
If spirit summoners ignored mana limits, they'd be unstoppable attackers.
But summoners had the weakest mana compared to knights or mages.
In aerial combat, distance and time would limit us.
'Thanks, Master.'
Not much limit for me, though.
Gandalf Master's mana breathing let me outdo other summoners.
'Trial some spirit magic?'
Another perk of summoning: casting magic without being a mage.
Wind spirits for wind magic, water for water, I'd heard.
'Need high affinity with the spirit for free control.'
Knowledge from spirit class—pretty useful.
Rustle, rustle.
"Whoa, a wyvern!"
Then a wyvern rose from the capital.
"Why so small?"
Black wyvern, boasting dark scales.
But half the size of the giants I knew.
"Wha—! Whooa!"
Kweeeee!
The wyvern suddenly shot up from the capital.
Now plummeting toward the spirit forest where I was.
'That guy's!'
I saw him.
The empire's little prince I'd spanked—the one whose butt I'd tanned.
Razsion flapped the wings desperately, clutching the reins atop the wyvern in panic.
'That idiot!'
Dangerous as hell.
"Shuriel! Help the wyvern!"
In the crisis, my summoned spirit came to mind.
Flash!
Shuriel streaked like light from afar to the wyvern.
'Gasp!'
As Shuriel caught the tumbling wyvern, mana surged out of me.
Pushing physical force beyond his limit, he pulled my mana.
Flap, flap, flap.
'Ugh, you brat. Lesson learned on that ass!'
Shuriel balanced the wyvern with wind power.
Dragged it to the clearing in my forest.
"Waaah!"
Razsion bawled, scared shitless.
Thud!
The "small" wyvern crashed down—still huge.
Flash!
Shuriel returned to the spirit realm on landing.
Must've drained him hard.
Tap.
I kicked off the ground.
Prince or not, still a kid.
Worried he'd gotten hurt.
"Phew!"
Thanks to Shuriel's best, the black wyvern landed safe.
'Still a hatchling?'
Looked as young as the kid.
Black eyes flashing wary at me approaching.
"Kid, you okay?"
Razsion sat crying in the saddle on the wyvern.
"Bro? Big bro!!"
He looked up at my voice and yelled loud enough to shake the forest.
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"So, royals get a black wyvern each at ten, and this Datero guy's yours?"
"Yeah, big bro. Handsome, right? He's only two, but listens good."
'Wyverns mature at four—spot on.'
Sky Knight trainee, but knew squat about wyverns.
Heard we'd get close starting tomorrow's training.
Now a baby black wyvern in my sights.
Glossy black scales—tempting.
"But who okayed it? Doesn't look flight-ready."
Big body, but way too green—Datero.
Dangerous for a prince who might be emperor.
"W-Well, no big sis around, so... I ordered the servants."
Kid hung his head, confessing.
Snap!
Beech nut to the forehead as punishment.
"If something happens, how sad would your dad and mom be? You're ten—know the value of life. Razsion, you think you're still a baby?"
Even a stranger kid would've gotten reamed, but this fool I knew? Extra scolding.
"Sorry, bro. Won't do it again. But... Datero's good at flying. Just recently, we flew together..."
Prince, but saw me as big bro already.
He wilted, voice teary with excuses.
'Recently too? Suspicious...'
Hatchling or not, big enough for an adult.
'That!'
Then I spotted a glint under Datero's right wingpit.
'Who'd do that!'
Black metal shard embedded in the black hide.
Jagged iron spikes driven deep into the wingpit.
Black wyvern tough hide shrugs normal swords, but this was buried deep.
Flapping to fly would've driven 'em deeper, agony.
Pain messed his flight, crash.
'Plot!'
One thought flashed.
'Crown Prince from Empress Dowager, this kid trueborn from current Empress. Motive plenty.'
Obvious to anyone with brains.
Classic palace power struggle—seen in movies, books.
Had to be.
No other reason to target a little kid's life.
"Razsion."
"Yeah, big bro."
Big innocent eyes on me.
Baby fat cheeks—clueless for sure.
"No more risky flights. And... be careful."
Couldn't straight-up say "your life's in danger, max security."
Still saw the world all shiny and pure.
Didn't wanna steal that from the kid.
'Sigh, fate's a bitch.'
Wanted to help, but limits.
Even if he died, coldly—prince's lot.
"Got it, bro. Hehe."
"Kid..."
Ruffled the beaming brat's hair.
Guard knights'd execute me for treason on sight, but no fear.
Right now, Razsion was just my cute kid pal.
"Your Highness! Prince Highness!!"
Then voices calling the prince everywhere.
'Guard knights.'
They'd seen the mess if eyes worked—footsteps rushing the forest.
"See ya, kid."
"Leaving? Aw, wanna play more with bro."
Razsion pouted, eyes sad.
"Then grow fast. When bro's a Sky Knight, we'll fly those skies together."
"Really?"
"Bro don't lie."
"Awesome! Keep that promise, Kaier bro?"
"Promise. Take care."
Felt knights closing—mana step into the woods.
Could stay, but no need to show.
'Where's the princess? Leaving her little bro like that?'
Princess Aegis who'd fretted over him.
No way she'd let him fly reckless.
'Almost evening already.'
One night's sleep till dream Sky Knight training.
Walked the forest, afternoon sun slanting through.
No such leisure for a while.
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'Sky Knight unit here?'
Two hours horseback from capital to this mountain.
300m elevation, gentle slope, wide plateau.
'Kirfone Sky Squadron—guards the castle up close, with Sky Knights.'
Uniformed trainees gathered early at knight school, mounted up, rode out.
Crossed capital to here.
"This is Kirfone Sky Squadron, where you'll live next two months. 53 black wyverns—the empire's pride—and 100 regular wyverns stand ready to guard the castle."
Instructors with trainees: Viscount Atoan, Count Kapuin, Viscount Behin—all Sky Knight qualified.
'Perfect fortress!'
Kirfone Sky Squadron—heart of imperial defense.
Thick walls blocked the entrance, trenches dotted the slopes.
'Ten per wyvern—that's 1,500 handlers. Plus thousands garrison. Wow!'
Flawless defenses at a glance.
Made my chest pound from the gate.
"State your identity!"
Mandatory checkpoint for Sky Squadron.
Hundreds soldiers lined walls with bows, spears, swords.
'Mana defense active too.'
Mana aura from walls—top-tier shield circle.
"Sky Knight first-years for training. We're the instructors."
"Present identification."
Knew the instructors' faces, but knight all business.
With dozens soldiers at gate.
Showed how tight security.
"Verified. Proceed."
Knight checked top brass Count Kapuin's papers.
Signaled enter—fist clenched, arm wave.
Grind!
Fortress gates finally creaked open.
"Hya!"
Instructors spurred ahead, vanished inside.
"Hya! Hya!"
Trainees as pumped as me whipped mounts through.
'Finally!!'
I'd barely slept hyped for training.
Tail of the line, I followed into the gate.
"Ah!!"
"Whoa!!"
"Gasp!!"
Trainees halted inside, gaping awestruck.
'What villagers—'
Sneered at the stoppers, squeezed through to see.
"Whooooa!"
Huge roar burst from me too.
'All wyverns!!'
Past gate: vast basin.
Packed with insane number of wyverns.
'Amazing!'
Lounging, wings spread, groomed, poised to launch.
Each backed by house-sized dens, lazing luxuriously.
Like tycoons in country villas.
"Gold wyvern!"
"Ravitair's main force here!"
"Incredible! Unreal!"
Not just me thrilled.
All trainees, Sky Knight dreamers.
Claimed basin wyverns as theirs in excited voices.
'How much gold? One, two—argh, can't count!'
2 mil gold per bird, plus 2 mil gear—150 of 'em.
Astronomical in local coin.
'Heh. One pitch-black one's enough!'
Owning a wyvern granted nobility.
Halfway to my noble dream paradise.
Next level: nobility class change awaited.
"Move out smartly!"
Instructors herded dazed trainees.
Rode to basin side.
Dozen three-story dorms.
Second dorm for trainees, probably.
'They're here.'
Two faces mid-ride.
Countess Irene—Death of the Skies—and the man called Rosero.
'Countess Irene, I'm here. To keep our promise.'
She'd told me: become Sky Knight trainee, prove innocence.
Her goddess aura flashed—pure allure wafting.