Chapter 84
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: The Missing Itarium
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 84.
He had passed the note, but nothing happened right away.
The margrave who was supposed to receive it was not in the capital.
A day passed, and in the early dawn, Pernyan awoke. He had already washed his face and was changing his clothes when Ruina knocked on the door.
“Are you awake?”
“I am.”
“You’re up early.”
“That’s not something you should be saying, having gone out to swing your sword since dawn.”
The first thing he saw when he drew the curtains after waking was Ruina, sword in hand, heading toward the training grounds.
“It’s what most knights do.”
“So it would seem.”
And so were Aint, Almon, Alia, and Verian.
All the students from the Knight Department had borrowed Altriark’s training grounds to conduct their dawn training.
It was a good sign. Whether mentioned in the Prophecy Book or not, they would have to fight demons all the same.
Unless they sold their souls to a demon and became one of the Vile Breed.
“It seems they were inspired by you.”
“By me…?”
“The top student of the Knight Department’s second year.”
“Of course, being the top student is special, but to that extent…”
“First place in the jousting tournament. And…”
“And?”
“A future Royal Knight.”
“…Do you think I will become a Royal Knight?”
“Absolutely.”
Pernyan answered instantly, without a hint of hesitation.
“You will be a Royal Knight, Ruina. An exceptionally skilled one at that.”
At his words, Ruina’s expression grew somber again. But she couldn’t hide the yearning within.
Taking a deep breath, Ruina barely managed to control her pounding heart.
“I still have a long way to go. Compared to the prowess of true Royal Knights, I am but a firefly.”
“Is that so?”
“But I want to be sure to repay your faith. For my own sake.”
“That’s enough.”
Pernyan offered her a piece of chocolate.
“Want some?”
“Where do you keep getting these?”
“A subspace.”
“Do you normally carry them around?”
“I don’t particularly like sweets.”
“Right, you said that last time too…”
The chocolate crumbs in Ruina’s hand fell to the floor.
“…What do you mean by that? Explain yourself properly!”
Ruina’s flustered cry came from behind Pernyan.
* * *
Dawn, before the sun had fully risen.
The academy students stood facing fifty knights of the Ironblood Order and two hundred soldiers.
“I am Elion Sloth, captain of the Ironblood Knights.”
The captain of the Ironblood Knights was a formidable man with a dignified air.
“I am Grad, a professor from the academy. If I am correct, the Ironblood Knights are Altriark’s…”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s embarrassing to say, but we are the First Knight Order of Altriark.”
That meant they were the finest knight order Altriark had to boast.
*No wonder each and every one of them has an extraordinary presence.*
He had never imagined the Ironblood Knights themselves would escort them.
But it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible. For whatever reason, the academy students were currently guests of Altriark.
And just look at who they were.
The heir of Fallenberg.
The daughter of Bercefe.
The daughter of Friedien.
Even a prince of Schwaben and a descendant of Armian.
There were five students with the blood of current or former Electors, and the likes of the Calburden family and others were not to be ignored either.
*If you include the professor, there’s a Vienderk too.*
If anything were to happen to the academy contingent, the burden Altriark would have to bear would be anything but light.
“We will now depart.”
“We’re in your hands.”
The Altriark side provided horses for the academy students, and horsemanship was a basic skill for all of them.
And so, the party of 262, all on horseback, left the capital.
“The horses are in good condition.”
“They are certainly on par with the horses from my family’s estate.”
Both Bercefe and Altriark had great plains within their territories.
They raised horses by letting them roam free there, and the horses from both domains were renowned as being of the highest quality.
*When war comes, we’ll need a lot of horses. We need to raise as many as possible.*
As Bercefe was ravaged by monsters, its horse industry declined with it.
With one of the three pillars of the Empire having crumbled, they needed to either find a new path or properly restore the old one.
*It won’t be easy. The best option is still to restore Bercefe.*
Considering the demonic beasts nesting in the northern parts of Bercefe, the territory was like a candle in the wind.
*Even so, Bercefe must be defended.*
It would be a mistake to abandon the skills and fortresses they had built over a thousand years.
Even if they made a strategic retreat, the potential for greater losses was high.
Most importantly.
*If Bercefe is abandoned, the Empire loses two Royal Knights.*
Albinus Bercefe, the Margrave.
And Ruina Bercefe, the future Royal Knight.
The Bercefes that Pernyan knew and had experienced were people who would make their domain their grave rather than abandon it and flee.
*But how?*
Should he just throw money at the problem?
On what grounds?
Was there any guarantee that pouring money into it would solve everything?
The answer did not come easily.
* * *
“……”
A pair of eyes watched Pernyan, who was lost in deep thought.
*How on earth did it come to this…*
The owner of that gaze, Carlo Deneve, had not considered the current situation in the slightest when the first semester began.
He would have accepted it if he had lost the top spot to Ludger Schwaben.
But Pernyan?
During their first year, the guy had been ranked tenth. To think that it was all an act still sent shivers down his spine.
He had been fooled by the man’s act…
*No, in the end, my skills were simply lacking.*
Whether he used an artifact or concealed his abilities, if Carlo’s own skills had been sufficient, he could have overcome it all.
Later on, hadn’t Pernyan also fought without using an artifact?
Still, he couldn’t help but feel resentful.
*Aria Friedien…!*
His head turned. Aria came into view, chatting with Aint and Verian.
A mistake even more painful than losing the top spot came to mind.
*To lose to a first-year.*
And to someone who wasn't even the Saint of the Dragon God Cult, who were known to be mages of an extraordinary caliber.
It would have been better if she were the Saint. The Cult was a gathering of fanatics mad for magic, and the Saint was a particularly insane monster among them.
Saints throughout history had been monsters who transcended their academic year, and a defeat to one would have been, in a way, understandable.
But Aria Friedien was not the Saint.
Even if she was from an Elector family, even if she was an elf, even if his mind was troubled because of Pernyan and his mana flow was unstable.
*I should never have lost to Aria Friedien.*
Overcome with self-loathing, he had his first taste of alcohol. It was an act that went against his master’s teaching that a mage must always keep a clear head.
But it helped.
When he saw his own reflection in the mirror—drenched in alcohol after losing to a junior.
That pathetic sight made him face reality. This was not the time to be drowning in drink, but to devote himself even more to magic.
That was why he had volunteered for this dispatch.
He had been provoked by Pernyan’s volunteering, but it was also to temper his dulled self through real combat.
To ensure something like this would never happen again.
“Sunbaenim? Did you have something to say to me?”
“Nothing.”
“Ah, are the injuries from last time okay? My spirit was a little rough.”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
“It doesn’t seem that way.”
“Losing to you won’t happen a second time.”
“We’ll see. You know what they say, right? The first time is the hardest, but the second is easy.”
Carlo Deneve barely suppressed the urge to call down a lightning strike.
“Go away.”
“But you were the one staring at me first, Sunbaenim.”
“Are all elves like this?”
“What do you mean, ‘like this’?”
As Carlo pressed a hand to his forehead, nursing a throbbing headache.
“Aint, let’s go another round when we make camp later.”
“Anytime you want.”
“Damn it, I’m sure you were far below me when we first enrolled…”
“Are you still talking about back then?”
Aint and Verian were bickering with each other. And also.
“The last match was invalid.”
“There’s no such thing as an invalid match. A loss is a loss, and a win is a win.”
“Have you no shame?”
“Is there any reason I should be ashamed of a legitimate victory?”
“My body wasn’t in top condition.”
“That would be your fault for not managing your condition properly.”
“…When did you get so good with your words?”
“Must I answer that as well?”
Almon, still seemingly disappointed that their jousting match hadn't been properly concluded, was pestering Ruina.
“What an interesting sight.”
And Ludger watched it all, holding the reins of his horse.
“I never imagined I’d see something like this in my lifetime.”
“You say it’s interesting, but you’re not smiling at all.”
“How could I smile, Pernyan? When you get down to it, you’re the biggest problem here.”
Me? Pernyan shrugged.
“Yes, you. It seems you have no intention of hiding it anymore. Is it because of the Vile Breed?”
“Your words are a bit strange.”
Pernyan scoffed.
“Just because you’re a prince, just because the Schwabens are the imperial family, it would be a mistake to think everything in the Empire is yours. There’s no reason for me to be concerned with your opinion.”
The reason he had been cautious in the beginning was because he wasn’t yet certain, and he hadn’t wanted to make unnecessary enemies.
But now that things had come this far, such matters were trivial.
At the crossroads of whether the world would fall into the hands of demons or not, Pernyan had realized he needed to support Aint with everything he had.
“Ah, of course. Naturally. As if I wouldn't know that.”
But I’m just…
Ludger’s voice lowered.
“I’m just curious what you plan to do using Armian.”
“I’m forging a blade that can slay demons more effectively. You can’t slaughter a bull with a chicken knife.”
“That’s a legend from a thousand years ago. The Armians have already lost their secret swordsmanship, their pride, their legacy, haven’t they?”
*Well, that’s where you’re mistaken.* He didn’t provoke Ludger with such words.
It would be quite a hassle if the Schwabens began to seriously interfere with Aint.
“That does seem to be the case. Still, I’ve judged that it’s better than nothing.”
“I suppose having half of something is better than having nothing at all.”
“And what about you? What are you scheming? Surely you don’t actually think Aint Armian is a threat?”
“Of course not. He’s an annoyance, but that’s all. Comparing Armian and Schwaben now is simply absurd.”
Even if Aint was exceptional, he wouldn’t become emperor overnight. Without a power base to support him, he was just a person with the Armian name.
The first emperor had the Kingdom of Armian behind him, but all Aint Armian had was a fallen house.
“Even with the Vile Breed causing a ruckus, that’s the extent of it. He can’t accomplish anything truly great with a half-baked legacy.”
Nevertheless, there was symbolism. And if a wealthy patron who wanted to use that symbolism were to attach himself, it was clear things would get quite tiresome.
Ludger’s eyes turned cold.
Their eyes met. Pernyan could clearly feel the anger latent within that chill.
“What was it again? That Fallenberg motto?”
“Make money, not enemies?”
“Yes. That one.”
“I am merely acting in accordance with that motto.”
“I know. I trust you too…”
“Halt!”
Just then, the knights at the head of the column came to a stop. Their conversation was cut short.
“We will make camp here for the night. If we wake at dawn tomorrow and set out, we should be able to reach the barrier before noon.”
The sun was already setting. The soldiers began to set up camp.
“This is all good experience, so we will set up our own campsite. Ask the soldiers for know-how.”
“Yes.”
The students began to pitch tents and dig drainage ditches alongside the soldiers.
Pernyan used magic to lightly handle the ditch work as he surveyed the surroundings.
They were on the mid-slope of a vast mountain, on a small plateau large enough for several hundred people.
Not too far away, he could see rocky mountains.
*This is the place.*
After setting up camp, Ludger would go out on patrol with Almon and some soldiers as part of their training, and he would discover the Itarium.
News of the Itarium would spread throughout the camp, and Ludger, claiming the right of first discovery, would take its fruit and leaves.
But he didn't know. No, everyone except Gardner didn't know.
The Itarium's roots held a much richer mana than its leaves or fruit.
Aint would secretly take those roots for himself.
That was the full story of this elixir incident as recorded in the Prophecy Book.
What Pernyan was aiming for was simple.
*I’ll take the leaves and fruit that Ludger would have taken.*
Then the roots would naturally go to Aint. That would be enough.
It wasn't that he wasn't tempted by the roots, but he couldn't even bear to imagine the terrible future where Aint was too weak to defeat the demons.
While the camp was being set up, Professor Grad gathered the students once more.
Beside him stood soldiers, ready for patrol.
“Setting up camp and scouting the surrounding area is a mandatory task. This, too, is good experience. I'm taking volunteers to accompany the soldiers on their patrol.”
“I’ll go.”
Pernyan raised his hand without a moment’s hesitation.
Ludger, who had been halfway through raising his own hand, faltered and lowered it again.
“I’ll go too.”
“Me too!”
Instead, it was Ruina and Aria who raised their hands.
“Two will be enough. Ruina, you can go.”
“Yes.”
Pernyan and Ruina gathered their gear and joined the patrol.
“Follow us and watch carefully what we check and how we conduct our patrol. If you have any questions, feel free to ask at any time.”
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
The ten-person patrol left the camp and began to run. Their well-trained horses galloped powerfully up the rough mountain path.
“What is it?”
Ruina, riding alongside him, whispered.
“What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“You’re not one to do something that isn’t profitable, are you? Are you after something?”
“…It’s nothing like that.”
Feeling as if she had read his mind, Pernyan avoided her gaze.
After some time, the patrol focused on checking for traces of monsters.
“It’s not common, but sometimes monsters cross the barrier and come this far.”
“It seems the barrier can’t protect every single place.”
“We call it a barrier, but it’s really a general term for the various fortresses placed at strategic points. It can’t protect everything.”
“I understand.”
In the meantime, Pernyan finally found what he was looking for.
[It was in a crevice between three rock walls, shaped like a trident.]
Ahead, he saw three trident-shaped rock formations.
“How about we check over there? It looks like monsters could be hiding in the gaps between those rock walls.”
“Let’s do that.”
The patrol entered the space between the trident-like formations. The gap between the rock walls resembled a canyon.
They proceeded for a short while.
According to the Prophecy Book, the Itarium should be right there. Rooted in the rock wall.
It had to be…
It should be…
“…What the.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
…Why isn’t it here?
He infused his eyes with mana and looked again, but saw nothing.
“……”
Did someone already dig it up, roots and all?
Only an empty hole dug into the rock proved that the Itarium had ever been there.