Chapter 173
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: A Hero's Welcome
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─!
Nasgrim's upper body swayed violently. Without giving it a moment's rest, the sword fell once more.
─!
But this time, it was Gismond who was sent flying.
Gismond stumbled back frantically, overwhelmed by the two sickles that coiled and struck relentlessly like snakes.
“He-help…!”
Gismond stopped himself before he could shout.
The assault had ceased. No, it was more accurate to say that Nasgrim had vanished.
“Ha…!”
He let out a hollow laugh. Nasgrim was already running toward Pernyan—or more precisely, toward Adguif, who was slumped against a wall as if dead.
“…Isn’t this a bit much?”
No matter how weak I am, and even if you are a 2nd-grade demonic beast.
“I’m not so weak that you can just turn your back on me.”
Flashes of the days he’d spent stealing and eating Aint’s elixirs, of being thrown to the Bercefe knights, crossed his mind like a panorama.
*Grind.* Gismond gritted his teeth.
He squeezed out his aura. Into his entire body, into his sword, and especially into his feet.
*Craaack!* The aura exploded, shattering the ground. At the same moment, Gismond shot forward like an arrow.
“The Quick Sword is!”
An explosion, you bastard!
The sword drew a long arc through the air.
“N-no…!”
“Yes!”
Gismond’s sword pierced Nasgrim’s heart. Hyde’s sword severed its neck. The body, which had been swelling to self-destruct, deflated.
The creature fell.
“Gasp, gasp…! Did I win? Me?”
Gismond trembled at the miracle he had just performed. To think he’d actually defeated a 2nd-grade demonic beast.
Even if all he could do was hold on.
And even if, at the end, that thing called Nasgrim had stubbornly tried to crawl to Adguif’s corpse to self-destruct. Still.
“I won!”
He raised both hands. His entire body ached, but he was filled with euphoria.
Compared to when he first descended upon this place, the difference was like that between a firefly and a full moon. How could he not be overjoyed?
“Why are these creatures always the same?”
Pernyan clicked his tongue, looking down at Nasgrim’s corpse.
Why did it try to self-destruct on a corpse? Is there something special about Adguif’s body?
Pernyan didn't know that the order had been delayed, and that after Adguif's death, the creature was trying to at least destroy the body.
“Let’s go back, Sunbaenim. We’ve gotten everything we came for.”
“Didn’t you say it wasn’t a Vile Breed? Don’t we need to go catch the real one?”
Gismond was brimming with confidence.
“It’s fine, we know who the culprit is. Besides, unless he’s a complete idiot, there’s no way he’d stick around.”
He would be long gone by now.
*Ruuuumble-*
“Whoa! What is this!”
As if to prove his point, demonic beasts were flocking in their direction. They weren’t attacking, but rather retreating the way they came. In other words, they were fleeing.
“It’s proof that the Vile Breed is escaping.”
“…We’re going to die before that happens.”
“If you fight hard, Sunbaenim, we definitely won’t die.”
“And you!”
“One does not simply put a mage on the front lines.”
“Only in times like this?”
Gismond let out a cry and gripped his sword.
After weathering the treacherous wave of demonic beasts with his entire body, they finally escaped the passage.
“The demonic beasts are fleeing!”
“We’ve won!”
“We’ve defeated the demonic beasts!”
The dwarves were cheering.
It was a victory.
A victory scarred by the complete destruction of the eastern district.
* * *
*Bwoooooo-*
The sound of a horn echoed throughout the underground city.
From the ruined cityscape, dwarves in black formal wear emerged, and hundreds of coffins passed between their sobbing figures.
“Damn demonic beasts…!”
“Karoi! Why must you go before your parents! Karoi!”
“Mommy, is Daddy not coming back?”
Children searching for their parents, parents wailing at their children’s funerals, lovers who had lost their partners. Everyone grieved, and everyone was enraged.
And at the head of the procession was the coffin bearing Adguif’s body.
“Lord Adguif!”
“Lord Adguif!”
The dwarves cried out his name, shedding tears.
“Captain Adguif and his thirty guardsmen laid down their lives to buy even a moment of time against the overwhelming tide of demonic beasts! We will forever remember their sacrifice!”
When the coffins arrived at the city hall, the mayor delivered the final eulogy.
“He’s got it good in death. The bastard who sacrificed hundreds of dwarves to a Vile Breed gets to be a hero.”
“Because it’s the better choice.”
The dwarves had already suffered a great loss.
Hundreds had died over the years, and hundreds more in this recent attack.
If, in their already difficult situation, they were told that the culprit was their respected guard captain, the fallout would be irreversible.
The mayor and the councilmen did not wish to inflict further despair upon the dwarves, who had to rebuild their shattered city and bury their lost families in their hearts.
Thus, they were allowed to die as heroes.
Immediately after the joint funeral ended, Pernyan was summoned by the mayor.
“We had grown soft with peace.”
The mayor, his complexion rather poor, spoke as soon as Pernyan sat down.
“We chose to avoid and hide rather than to fight.”
They had hidden away in an underground city.
Thanks to that, the dwarves enjoyed peace for hundreds of years without invasion. But in return, they became unaccustomed to war.
This was the price.
Dwarves who grew sick of hiding and fleeing appeared, and they nearly became prey for the Vile Breeds who exploited them.
“If not for your help, our city might have been gradually worn down and eventually destroyed.”
It wasn't a matter of "might have been"; it would have been destroyed. But Pernyan didn't bother to bring up that future.
“We have realized our shortcomings. A second, third, or fourth invasion would surely wipe us out.”
The dwarves lacked the strength to fend off an invasion of demonic beasts.
Given enough time, perhaps it would be possible. The problem was that the Vile Breeds would never allow that.
“Therefore, I intend to make a choice to save my people. Among the options available now, I plan to grasp the sturdiest lifeline.”
At those words, Pernyan sat up even straighter.
“I have already reached an agreement with the council. We should have done this long ago.”
“Let me be perfectly clear.”
Pernyan cut the mayor off.
“The Fallenbergs don’t offer help for free.”
“Creating things is what we do best. I am confident our work will meet even the Fallenbergs’ standards.”
“Once the contract is signed, it cannot be erased.”
“That goes without saying.”
Even if you are the hero who saved our city, I am not foolish enough to decide the future of my people without careful thought.
“The council and I have reviewed the contract again, and we have determined the terms to be quite acceptable.”
Before the mayor had even finished his last sentence, Pernyan produced the contract he had prepared in advance.
“In that case, let’s sign first and talk later.”
“But before that, I have something to ask.”
The mayor, who had taken out a pen, paused just above the contract.
“The elves must not find out that we have been hiding here.”
“That is not something we desire either.”
If the elves were to discover a large dwarven city within their territory, and that the Fallenbergs were absorbing them, they would never stand idly by.
Pernyan wanted no such conflict.
“So, bring me a plan.”
“A plan to relocate the dwarves to the promised land without anyone knowing?”
“The promised land. A grand term, but yes.”
“You need not worry about that.”
Moving things is what the Fallenbergs do best.
“Even if it is difficult, I will do it. Even if it is impossible, I will do it. Even if they say it can’t be done, I will do it.”
“…Do you really have to put it so frighteningly?”
“I am simply telling you my honest intentions.”
So you must not make a deal with anyone other than the Fallenbergs.
“Do you understand?”
Pernyan’s eyes burned with greed.
* * *
While Pernyan was fighting demonic beasts in the underground city and finally obtaining what he wanted through negotiations with the mayor, Aint was on the verge of his own battle.
“…It’s been a year and a half.”
Aint took a deep breath as he gazed at the towering castle in the distance.
-Aren’t you a little too tense for someone who’s just come home?
“If I were just coming home, there’d be no need to be tense.”
But Aint had a heavy mission.
He had to persuade his father and earn forgiveness for what he had already done.
“He’ll definitely be angry when he finds out I borrowed that much money from the Fallenbergs.”
-If he knew the terms you got, he’d probably carry you on his back.
“They are that good.”
It was a testament to how much Pernyan had accommodated Aint.
“I can’t even imagine what enormous demands you’ll make, Sunbaenim, when I become emperor.”
-You can worry about that after you become emperor. There’s no guarantee you will.
“I have to.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t desire the title of emperor, but Aint’s primary goal was his family.
He wanted to make his family great again, and for that, he absolutely had to become emperor.
With a renewed look of determination, he reached the city. Atrin, the great city that had become the new capital after the old one was lost.
“Young Master?”
“Is that the Young Master?”
The only advantage of the fallen Armian family was the strong bond that remained among its people.
The guards at the city gate recognized the young master returning after a year and a half.
“It’s really the Young Master! The Young Master is here!”
“Quick, tell His Grace!”
Guards flocked over, and a few ran toward the lord’s castle to announce Aint’s return.
“Has everyone been well?”
“Of course, Young Master. We read about you in the newspapers. We were so proud…”
“It was nothing. Don’t praise me so much.”
“Nothing! You caught a demon, did you not? It’s like the second coming of the first emperor!”
“It was a Vile Breed, not a demon, you idiot.”
“Same difference.”
Aint chuckled, watching the bickering guards. The warmth of his hometown put his heart at ease.
“May I go in, then?”
“Of course. But…”
Aint belatedly noticed that everyone’s gaze was directed not at him, but at his shoulder.
“…Is that really a Saint Bird?”
“T-two pairs of wings…!”
It was Silver, the Saint Bird Pernyan had entrusted to him, saying it would be helpful in persuading his father.
-Peep!
As all eyes focused on her, Silver waved one of her wings as if in greeting.
The sight drew gasps of awe from the guards and the surrounding people.
“…To think I’d see a real Saint Bird in my lifetime.”
“Why is it so cute…?”
“A Saint Bird has returned to Armian!”
The area in front of the gate instantly became a clamor of excitement.
“Young Master, may I perhaps touch it…?”
“She’s not used to being touched by strangers, so I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“Ah…”
When the commotion showed no signs of calming, Aint gestured with his eyes.
“May I go in now?”
“O-of course! The Young Master is here and you still haven’t opened the gate? You bastards!”
Aint passed through the gate. Even after a year and a half, Atrin hadn’t changed much.
-They kept saying you were ruined, ruined. I thought you’d be completely broke, but a city of this size must be quite wealthy.
‘As they say, even a rich family has three years of prosperity after it falls.’
Such was the case with the Armians. Though they had lost most of their lands, what remained were relatively fertile, prime territories.
-The Fallenbergs look like they’d last not three years, but three hundred years after falling.
‘Is it even possible for you to go bankrupt in the first place, Sunbaenim?’
-True, that Pernyan would never stand by and watch himself lose all his money.
That greed gave Aint strength and brought punishment to the Vile Breeds.
“Young Master!”
As he walked down the main street, slowly taking in the city, a group of knights came running.
They were the Saint Bird Knights, the only knight order remaining in Armian.
“Sir Gamelun.”
“I heard you had arrived and dropped everything to come running.”
“There was no need for that.”
“We’ve been following your exploits in the newspapers, Young Master. It made our hearts pound with excitement.”
“Your words say one thing, but your eyes are looking at something else.”
While his mouth was directed at Aint, his eyes were fixed on Silver.
“Ah, my apologies. But I never imagined you would actually have a Saint Bird…”
“I was lucky.”
-To say you were lucky when Pernyan took it and you’re just borrowing it back…
Aint did his best to ignore Gardner’s commentary.
-So this guy is the knight commander?
‘Yes.’
-He seems quite capable. But he’s a far cry from the knights of my time. A man who isn’t even a Royal Knight is the commander of the Saint Bird Knights. The end of days, I tell you.
-Ah, is that why the demons are trying to descend again?
Aint barely suppressed the laugh that threatened to burst out at Gardner’s sudden joke. He couldn’t just start laughing in front of the knights he was meeting after so long.
“His Grace is waiting.”
“Yes. Let’s go. I came here to see my father, after all.”
The family head’s office, located at the top of the lord’s castle.
The office was sparsely furnished. Its owner was not one for extravagance.
“Sit.”
“Aint, it’s been so long… Oh my, is that a real Saint Bird?”
As Aint entered the office, two people who had been waiting with refreshments greeted him.
A middle-aged man with brilliant blond hair, a symbol of the Armian family, and eyes as blue as the sea.
And a middle-aged woman with brown hair that fell to her waist and golden eyes.
“Father, Mother.”
They were the master of Armian, Perdicas Armian, and his wife, Olivia Armian.
“Let me see your face.”
Olivia immediately grabbed Aint’s cheeks and examined his face with concern.
“Your face looks so worn. And you seem to have lost so much weight. How much have you suffered?”
“…I’ve actually gained a little weight.”
“This won’t do. I’ll go at once and have them make all your favorite dishes… Ah, by any chance, what does that bird like to eat?”
“Her name is Silver. She likes beef. The highest quality.”
“Even what a divine beast eats is out of the ordinary.”
Without even finishing their short reunion, she went outside to find the chef.
“…Mother is still the same.”
“That personality of hers will never change.”
The duke, in contrast, remained seated and calmly observed his son.
“A real Saint Bird. How on earth did you get it?”
“Are you more curious about that than your own son?”
“This is the first I’ve heard of a Saint Bird being tamed by human hands since the first emperor.”
“I was lucky.”
“It couldn’t have been mere luck.”
A Saint Bird was not something one could raise through luck alone.
The duke stared at Silver, fascinated, before regaining his composure.
Then he threw out a casual remark.
“By the way, it seems four years have already passed.”
“Ahem. That was just a bit of youthful bravado…”
Aint cleared his throat, avoiding the duke’s gaze.
-Four years?
‘I told him I would graduate from the academy no matter what, and that I wouldn’t come back before then.’
It wasn’t that anything special had happened.
The duke had warned him of the treatment a member of the fallen Armian family would receive upon entering the academy, yet Aint had insisted on going.
/“I respect your wishes. But there is no need to push yourself too hard. If things get difficult, you can always return home. No one here will blame you.”/
He had hated that.
He knew the words were meant for his own good, but it sounded as if his father was already anticipating his failure.
“A year and a half is a long time, though.”
“…I came today because I have a valid reason.”
“A reason?”
“I have something to say, not as a son to his father, but as a subject to his duke.”
Aint took a deep breath, setting the mood.
Not as a son to his father, but as a subject to his duke.
His solemnity made the duke grow serious as well.
The boy who had vowed not to return until he graduated had come back from the academy after only a year and a half, having fought Vile Breeds. It couldn’t be an ordinary matter.
“Speak.”
“You mustn’t be too surprised.”
“Don’t worry, just say it.”
But he wondered just how significant the story could be.
Could it be as surprising as when his son, the first from Armian in over a hundred years, declared his bold ambition to attend the academy?
Or as surprising as when he learned his son was suddenly being hailed as a hero for catching a Vile Breed?
Or perhaps as surprising as the news that a demon had descended for the first time in a thousand years?
The duke felt that nothing his son could say would particularly surprise him.
“I borrowed money from the Fallenbergs.”
“…You’re going to borrow money from the Fallenbergs?”
“No. I already borrowed it.”
“…Ah.”
The world turned yellow.
*Thud-*
The duke collapsed face-first onto the table.
-Peep! Peep!
And at the mention of the Fallenberg name, Silver chirped with delight.