Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Viscount Lukens
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"Huff...."
The knight whose legs had been deeply slashed through his armor by my sword.
Thud!
He collapsed straight to the ground.
"Urk...."
"Hah... hah...."
His bloodshot eyes, filled with terror, pain, and fear, stared up at me.
"Derbal, let's go."
"Yes.... Ka, Kayer-nim."
Derbal, covered in bruises all over his body and limping on his legs.
'I need to sweep this place clean starting now.'
The words of Pavilion Captain Pabes echoed in my ears: survive on your own.
Even though it was imperial territory, it wasn't really part of the Empire.
A lawless land of chaos.
That must have been what he meant by this place.
'Damn....'
My body drenched in blood from an unexpected battle.
A heaviness settled in one side of my chest.
The fight had been too vivid to dismiss as a dream.
Only now did I truly feel the reality of life on this continent, where I had to wield a sword to survive.
'If anyone messes with me... I'll make sure to pay them back. Eye for an eye, blood for blood.'
Supporting Derbal, I returned to the hangar.
On the very first day, the Foreign Sky Squadron faced a life-or-death confrontation.
I had a feeling these kinds of incidents would happen all too often from now on.
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Crackle, crackle.
After returning to the hangar, a group appeared, loaded the fallen soldiers and knights onto carts, and fled.
And then night fell.
We gathered wood from the surroundings and lit a bonfire.
'I could go for a drink right now.'
It wasn't murder, but hacking through over a dozen men's bodies had been quite a shock in its own way.
"I'm sorry, Kayer-nim. It's always because of me."
Derbal wore an apologetic expression.
"Derbal... you're my comrade."
"Kayer-nim...."
"Haha. So what do we do? Looks like we'll be skipping dinner too."
In my rush to join the Foreign Sky Squadron, I hadn't even eaten lunch, and now dinner was off the table as well.
"I'll go hunt some."
"Forget it. You might end up gone for good."
"....."
It was called the Sky Squadron, but this place was practically the mercenary world.
'Is this Lukens guy the big shot around here?'
The knight I'd cut down had mentioned someone named Lukens.
Even after his men were taken out, there hadn't been any significant retaliation yet.
Crunch, crunch.
'Is he coming to finish this?'
At that moment, regular footsteps reached my ears.
Even in the Sky Squadron, the Foreign Sky Squadron lacked proper magic lanterns.
In the darkness, three figures approached.
'Zenith?'
But the ones approaching were the woman named Jenis whom I'd seen earlier that day.
"You've got some guts, friend. Beating up Viscount Lukens's boys and calmly warming yourself by the fire."
Jenis, who spoke in a rough, manly tone, swayed her slender figure as she stood before me.
"Haha. This guy's no joke. Causing a huge scene on the first day and all. Turning Viscount Lukens's knights and soldiers—the ones called the unseen lord of Denfos—into cripples."
"I figured he had some skill, but damn, he's got the real deal. The kids say he took them down one swing at a time."
The Sky Knights beside Jenis chimed in one by one.
"You brought that booze to share?"
"Of course! It's my little token of appreciation to the hero who's keeping Viscount Lukens up all night."
"And you've got snacks too."
"A guy we actually like showed up after so long—we've gotta welcome him properly."
Jenis stood there holding a liquor bottle longer than the standard ones for soldiers.
She spoke cheerfully and plopped down right next to me.
Her male comrades quickly took seats beside her as well.
"For Arpojoo called Sun's Tear, fatty kero roast is the perfect match."
The food wrapped in broad leaves.
'Isn't that eel?'
It was exactly like sea eel, sizzling and dripping fat as it roasted.
Pop~!
"Here! Drink up, hero of the day."
Jenis uncorked the bottle and handed it over.
My mood was sour anyway, so I took the bottle without hesitation.
'It's subtle.'
The booze with the grandiose name of Sun's Tear.
Its aroma wasn't too harsh, at least.
"Here, they judge a man's worth by how much Sun's Tear he can down in one go."
'What do you take me for?'
I'd occasionally sampled the fancy liquors my father kept in the display cabinet.
That dismissive remark from the knights poked at my pride.
I lifted the bottle.
And then I threw my head back, pouring the liquor straight down my throat.
".....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Rrrrrroarrrrr.
The moment the booze hit my tongue, all sensation in my mouth vanished.
Then came the feeling of the liquid trickling down my throat.
Gulp.
Tears streamed from my eyes as I held the bottle.
"Keurk!"
Not a dragon, but flames burst from my mouth.
A scorching heat like swallowing lava surged up from everywhere the booze passed.
'Motherfu*ker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'
"Puhahaha! Hahahahaha!"
"Oh man, my sides! Krhahahahaha!"
The Sky Knights rolled on the ground clutching their stomachs, oblivious to my agony of swallowing a fireball.
"M-Muuumumumumuul!"
I yanked the bottle from my mouth and frantically searched for water.
"Eat this. The kero roast will cool the burn."
Jenis held out a piece of kero roast.
Crunch.
I shoved it in desperately.
'Huh? What's this now?'
Amazingly, the moment the kero roast entered my mouth, the scorching heat that had been burning it vanished completely.
'You rotten bastards. You really tried to assassinate me.'
My fault for falling for the "real man" talk, but these two had offered it knowing full well how vicious it was.
'Horse-face, and you shorty! I'll remember you.'
My heart could be generous at times, but petty when it counted.
I etched those two deep into my memory as top priority for revenge.
Gulp, gulp.
'Already? I just drank from that....'
Jenis took the bottle from me.
She chugged the vicious Arpojoo without a care.
'In-Indirect kiss!!'
My saliva was still on the bottle.
Jenis pressed her lips to it and sucked it down without a second thought.
"Keu...."
She pulled away, grimacing slightly.
She savored the viciousness without even touching the kero roast.
"So, what's your plan now?"
Jenis stared straight into my eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Heh heh.... You poked Viscount Lukens, so forget sleeping soundly from tonight on."
"Doesn't matter.... I'll crush whoever comes."
"By yourself?"
Her eyes widened at my bold reply.
"I like going solo anyway."
"Is that so? Heh heh. I'll watch how long you keep that confidence alive. And.... if it gets tough, just say the word. Join up under me, and I'll protect your life."
'So that's your angle?'
Some heavy circumstance I didn't know about.
A weighty something brushed through my mind.
"Anyway, let me ask this. Why is this Lukens guy bold enough to harass me—a Sky Knight and a baronet noble—in Bazran Empire territory?"
"Baronet? Kekeke, this guy's a riot. Talking titles in a place like this with no power to back it up? You don't even know? In the Neruman Plains, they respect monster hunters more than powerless noble titles."
Horse-face had turned me into a comedian in an instant.
"Titles matter here. They let you officially recruit private soldiers. But a noble with no money or power strutting around ends up vanishing without a trace. Next day, you're monster chow or fish food—happens all the time."
Shorty next to Horse-face added his two cents.
'Lawless zone, alright.'
A swordfight breaking out in broad daylight at the Sky Squadron base.
What was there left to say?
Here, might makes right.
"Viscount Lukens is a noble with a viscountcy holding twelve Sky Knights. And he's a greedy bandit bastard trying to swallow up all of Neruman.... A filthy scum who sold his soul to the demon race.... I'll kill him someday, no matter what."
Jenis spat the words coldly while sipping from the bottle.
Deep rage and resentment seeped from her words.
Enough to send chills down the listener's spine.
'Heh heh.... This place is interesting. Very....'
I didn't know the full story yet, but the more I learned about the Neruman Plains, the more intriguing it became.
I looked up at the sky.
Countless stars embedded beside the huge, bright moon.
Even half of tonight's sky was ridiculously clear.
Unconcerned with humanity's filthy greed and headaches, the stars shone alone in their beauty.
Filling the dull night with cold joy....
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"Taat!"
The sword drawn in my mind became a shadow, fiercely slicing through the air.
Shhh shhh shhh shhh shik.
The Shadow Sword that Count Petlin had demonstrated.
Due to my mana limits, unlike my desire, only three shadow swords danced to my will instead of five.
'This much is nothing!'
It was the technique that had felled even the crown prince's guard knight, but I wasn't satisfied.
My skill was lacking, yet enemies were endless.
"Wind Boom!"
Boom boom boom boom.
A 4th circle wind spell with low cast delay.
The compressed air blasted my imaginary foes with powerful strikes.
'Finish it!'
Swoosh.
The sword slicing through space right after the Wind Boom spell.
Crack.
My imagined enemy shattered to pieces.
"Huu...."
Two hours of training inside the rundown hangar next to the one where Bebeto and Derbal rested.
I stopped the sword and took a long, deep breath.
'I've been doing Memorize and mock battles every day without rest, but my skill hasn't budged.'
Opportunities to train with a real sword were rare due to Sky Knight training and others' stares.
Yet the countless mock battles I'd run with eyes closed every day.
Even in that duel with the crown prince staking honor, it was the fruits of this training that saved my life and Bebeto's.
But virtual battles couldn't break through the wall of enlightenment.
'Do I need to shatter the circle wall for my swordsmanship to improve too?'
After breaking through the circle wall, my Blade Edge quantity and sword comprehension had grown together.
Surprisingly, magic and swordsmanship didn't just overlap—they synergized and complemented each other.
'Lukens....'
We'd talked by the bonfire until it died out, drinking the booze Jenis brought.
I'd learned about Viscount Lukens, the unseen ruler of the Neruman Plains.
Decades ago, the Neruman Plains had been as important as any other imperial territory—more so, even.
It bordered the belligerent Raviter Empire across one mountain range and was the Empire's sole sea route, so it received full imperial support.
But relentless monster and pirate invasions, the Temir tribal alliance's southward push, and border skirmishes with Raviter wore down the will to defend.
Crucially, the rugged Rual Mountains made supplying reinforcements and logistics a nightmare.
As time passed and dispatched imperial troops died by the ten thousands yearly, the court and nobles lost the will to protect it.
It was territory nearly the size of a duchy, but appointed nobles fled after a month or two, leaving no hereditary lords now.
'Just a regular imperial Sky Knight, huh.'
But about 15 years ago, Viscount Lukens—a Sky Knight in the imperial army—volunteered here.
Taking advantage of the court's neglect, he rallied Sky Knights and expanded his influence over the Neruman Plains.
Especially after full support for Sky Knights cut off around 10 years ago and imperial forces dwindled to a few tens of thousands, his power surpassed even the count-level supreme commander.
No matter how many tens of thousands the imperial army had, they couldn't hold off monsters swarming from all sides, pirates with wyverns, and the Temir alliance.
They needed the overwhelming power of wyvern-riding Sky Knights, and soon the supreme commander was watching Lukens's mood.
Now, they took imperial requests like mercenaries, getting paid per sortie.
'So that's what "survive on your own" means.'
Surviving in the Neruman Plains was simple, as I'd guessed.
Using the noble title—the Empire's only gift to me—to raise private soldiers and protect and expand my own power.
Word was, the Empire would soon abandon the Neruman Plains outright.
Revenue that couldn't even cover soldiers' pay, endless enemy appearances.
The Emperor and high nobles figured defending the current territory with the Rual Mountains as a shield was smarter.
'A place teeming with rare monsters and magic materials, drawing mage towers and merchant guilds. Yet a lawless hell where your life is collateral.... I could film a Western here.'
The lawless wasteland gunslinger, fighting gangs with a single revolver.
That movie had become my reality.
'But what's Jenis's deal, trying to kill Lukens like that? If it were me, I'd cozy up and live easy.'
Jenis's venomous grudge against Viscount Lukens.
Fortunately for me, she'd promised to station dozens of her private soldiers here starting tomorrow, at least temporarily.
She clearly wielded considerable independent power, if not quite matching Lukens's.
'Starting tomorrow, I need to gather intel. And look for work....'
Kicked out of the Empire.
Screw knightly duty—I'd focus on staying alive first.
'What a waste. If we expanded the Foreign Sky Squadron facilities, I could house thousands of private soldiers.'
The Foreign Sky Squadron's considerable size, seen before landing.
Separate from residential areas, its outer walls were sturdy, if not quite fortress-level.
"Hmm...."
I'd drunk late, shaken off intruding thoughts, and immersed in training.
Opening the empty hangar's door to step out, a single ray of dawn appeared.
From the eastern sky, it slowly unleashed the intense power huddled through the night, revealing itself to the world.
A blazing light silently cutting through the black sky dyed in deep blue starlight.
"Ah!"
Like a triumphant general emerging amid hundreds of thousands of soldiers' escort, the sun appeared with dazzling majesty.
I held my breath, welcoming its splendor.
My first morning in the Neruman Plains.
Gazing at the rising sun, I exhaled the held breath and drew in a long one.
Filling my chest with fresh oxygen and hopeful dreams....
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'What a mess....'
Shortly after dawn, about twenty of Jenis's private soldiers arrived at the hangar, as she'd said.
Twenty soldiers clad in half-plate, armed with spears, swords, and shields.
A commanding knight was with them too.
There wasn't much to guard, but Derbal was an issue.
Taking him hunting on Bebeto was problematic, and the hangar needed repairs in spots.
So I left Derbal in charge and took off early on Bebeto.
To scout at least around Denfos city and secure Bebeto's meal.
'The coastal villages are mostly razed....'
Passing the worn but sizable port within Denfos city limits, I followed the coast south.
Places near the city still had some settlements and people.
But not even 30 minutes on Bebeto, and my face soured.
Ruined villages, castles, and forts everywhere.
No massive monster hordes in sight, but few villages remained along the coast.
'They say the population doesn't even hit 200,000 across this vast land....'
Once, forced migration policies had brought over a million souls.
But constant enemy harassment killed or drove them off, leaving maybe 200,000 now.
Kuooooo!
'Orc pack.'
Not just animals—monsters were prime wyvern chow.
A band of orcs armed with crude swords and spears crossed the plains.
Hungry Bebeto spotted them, eyes rolling back as it bellowed in delight.
'Hm?'
Turning to stuff the orcs into its belly, I caught sight of a scene.
'A village?'
Far from the last inhabited one.
Protected by thick barricades, it housed hundreds of homes.
The problem was.
'Who the hell are these uncooked frying pan bastards!'
Hundreds of villagers armed and clustered at the barricades.
Orcs and assorted monster trash charging from all sides to smash them.
Over a thousand monsters swarming the village.
"Bebeto! Let's go!"
I saw ogre-like brutes pounding the barricades with fists.
Villagers shot arrows and thrust spears desperately, but to my eyes, it wasn't enough.
What they needed now was raw power to repel the monsters.
If I hadn't seen it, fine—but I couldn't just fly past.
'Ogre! You're mine!'
Beyond the fight, Jenis's monster auction from yesterday flashed.
Ding-a-ling.
The five or so ogres hammering the barricade suddenly tallied in gold coins.
'Your fun lives end today~! All dead, repeat after me!'
Kuaaaaaaaa!
Shrieeeeeek.
Sensing my intent, Bebeto dove like a hawk chasing a rabbit.
Its roar and the wind's howl rang through my helmet.
"....."
Then, thousands of eyes—human defenders and attacking monsters alike—froze on me and Bebeto.
Everyone halted.
'Wahahahaha! The king of the skies, Kayer, takes the stage! Make way!'
The thrill only the powerful could savor.
Flash!
In that instant, the Blest Spear in my right hand gleamed blue.
The moment Neruman's new overlord, Baronet Kayer dr Adalon, made his stylish entrance.
TO BE CONTINUED