Chapter 49
Chapter 49
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Into Narvik
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Arsen explained in detail what it meant to serve under him—perhaps even more strictly than necessary. Sweet-talking with empty promises would only backfire later, leaving no room for complaints if betrayal followed.
He also wanted to test their spirit of adventure, determination, and respect for the law.
Arsen wanted an army that followed him, not an unruly gang of thugs.
"Soldiers get to live comfortably, but in return, they must patrol the territory to maintain order and stand guard on the border regions against potential invasions. Of course, you might die in battle. Sometimes, you'll accompany knights or squires on expeditions, serving as their attendants. It's dangerous, naturally."
"So, as long as someone can withstand the outer poison, they can become a soldier? No matter their background?"
"Outsiders face some restrictions, but if a knight vouches for them, it's fine. Naturally, I'd vouch for my own subordinates."
"You can make a living just by guarding and attending without fighting... That's a luxury reserved for proper organization members."
But Arsen and Rino's conversation kept missing the mark somehow.
Every time Arsen mentioned risks and duties, Rino glossed over the dangers as if he hadn't heard them and marveled only at the rewards.
This stemmed from their fundamentally different standards for a "good life."
To Rino, the risks and obligations Arsen described were child's play or par for the course compared to surviving in Narvik, while the rewards felt outrageously generous.
Having lived in a world where he had to risk his life hunting just to scrape by, Belluan's soldiers seemed like the cushiest job in existence to him.
Seeing Rino's attitude as recklessness, Arsen delved into the specific rules soldiers had to follow.
They would be treated with honor and earn the respect of civilians, but when the territory was in danger, they had to fight at the front lines.
Positions could be revoked for crimes like theft or assault, while unauthorized desertion or murder meant instant execution.
For lesser felonies like rape or manslaughter, they'd be thrown into mines so deep they'd never see daylight again.
He laid out the rules so stringently that Eloise, listening nearby, whispered, "Are you trying to scare him off on purpose?"
But despite all that, after a brief moment of thought, Rino declared he'd follow Arsen.
Better to risk it all once and live far better than toil endlessly in Narvik with no future.
Worried about disappointing him, Arsen had painted the bleakest picture possible, but even that seemed like paradise compared to Narvik. Rino acted as if Arsen, the savior, had come to whisk him away to the promised land of Belluan.
Confirming Rino's resolve, Arsen nodded and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Good. Looking forward to working with you, Rino."
"So, how should I address you from now on, sir? We usually call the knight leading the organization 'Boss'..."
"Call me Sir Arsen or Boss, whatever suits you. And this is Lady Eloise, descendant of noble estate lord blood. Always show her proper respect."
"Understood, Boss!"
Eloise gazed down at Rino with the haughty expression befitting a noble lady.
Arsen, who knew her true self around friends, found it amusing, but the mix of a mage's aloofness and her status as someone to serve made Rino bow his head in fearful submission.
"If I offered the same deal, do you think others would come along?"
"Plenty, I'd bet! They're stuck here with no way out—who'd choose this life? They haven't felt your bravery and kindness firsthand like I have, so they might hesitate... but I'll convince them!"
"Even though I can't take anyone who can't handle the poison?"
"In my neighborhood, anyone who can't withstand it by fifteen is dead. Once they hit that age, they fend for themselves. Folks with kids in tow won't be able to go, though."
"Alright, then go persuade them. And just so we're clear—relay exactly what I told you. No embellishing with lies."
On the way back to Narvik, Rino unfortunately had to go on foot.
In case enemies appeared, someone might need to fight, so Arsen's jin couldn't carry extras, and riding with Eloise would be mentally hazardous.
Even if it were fine, Rino showed no inclination to commit the "blasphemy" of sharing Arsen's jin.
And since the group moved slowly, they encountered a magic beast en route.
"Eek!"
With a sudden shriek, a magic beast resembling an armadillo with bat wings dropped from the trees.
Ironclad Bat.
Over two meters tall and covered in metallic scales, this beast was a major threat to local hunters. Blades barely pierced it, and it was armed with razor-sharp claws.
It hid in trees and glided down on passing prey—that was its main hunting method.
But the moment Rino yelped in alarm, Arsen had already drawn his sword and leaped forward like the wind.
He timed it perfectly with the beast's sluggish glide, thrusting his blade straight into its head.
There was a brief resistance, then a crunch as it crumpled, the sword embedding deep.
Arsen kicked the beast away upon landing.
Kieee!
Despite the fatal blow, it was still alive—just brain-mashed and helpless.
Screaming as it hit the ground, it writhed with meaningless groans.
Arsen yanked out his sword, spraying white brain matter, and the beast finally went silent.
"Tough one."
Rino replied with a mix of disbelief and awe.
"First time I've seen one of those scales pierced."
"How do you usually take them down?"
"Hunters just run. It's slow on the ground anyway. Like you saw, one drops from the trees and gets someone, but it only targets one, so the rest escape."
Not hunters so much as prey—that was their survival tactic. The only option without proper gear or protecting knights.
"Anything valuable on it?"
"Not really... The scales lose their value after death. Even knights who kill them toss 'em."
Arsen gripped a handful of scales from the beast's flank and squeezed.
Unlike their resistance to his blackstar steel sword moments ago, they crumbled helplessly under his grip.
They were only hard while alive, it seemed—useless for selling even if harvested.
Arsen tossed the carcass aside.
"Leave it."
They pressed on toward the territory.
As sunset draped over the distant mountains, hinting at nightfall, Rino called out.
"We're here!"
Arsen and Eloise finally laid eyes on another territory for the first time in their lives.
* * *
To avoid attention, they waited until full dark before entering.
Narvik looked like a once-glorious ancient city, now abandoned and decayed.
Grand buildings stretched in rows, marble facades etched with beautiful patterns evoking ancient Greece or Rome.
But time had eroded them—most were half-collapsed or missing entire walls.
Ivy-like vines choked the walls as standard fare, leaving Arsen unsure if he'd entered a proper territory or humanity's post-apocalyptic ruins.
Not all were like that; some well-maintained buildings dotted the area.
Medieval-style structures of stone, wood, and earth—similar to Belluan's—stood here and there. Smaller and newer-looking, they reeked of human habitation.
Arsen thought of shanties erected amid ruined skyscrapers.
"No border guards?"
"We have vigilantes patrolling by day, but magic beasts don't come out at night. Raiders sometimes hit... but it's rare. Just bad luck."
An absurdly lax and irresponsible system.
Even in Belluan, night raids happened occasionally, but constant patrols limited them to grabbing unharvested grain and fleeing.
This alone showed how indifferent the knight organizations in the territory's core were to the outskirts.
"Decided where to stay? The outskirts keep a low profile, but the houses here are pretty shabby. Staying deeper in... you'd stand out."
"Then the outskirts it is. I don't want trouble with the local knights yet. Can you show us an empty house?"
"Plenty of empty ones—cheap lives around here. One of today's dead lived alone; his place should work. Ownerless now anyway."
Their temporary home was far smaller than expected.
A thatched hut of stone and wood walls, with just a bed, table, cabinet, and pot inside.
Arsen had to duck through the door, and even inside, he minded his head on the ceiling.
Parking their jins in the corner made the space feel packed.
Rino peered in, groaning in dismay.
"Didn't think about your mounts, Boss, Lady. Want to stay at my place instead? I'll take this one."
"No, we'll manage here tonight. We'll sort the rest tomorrow."
"Got it. Good night, Boss."
Arsen closed the door on Rino's bowing retreat.
Inside, Eloise had already lit the room with magic.
"We'll stay here for a bit. It'll be rough."
"This is luxurious. Roof over our heads, at least? We've been camping nonstop."
Weeks of wilderness trekking after leaving the lord's manor hadn't soured her easygoing nature.
They unpacked lightly, shed armor, and unrolled sleeping bags on the floor.
The single bed was too filthy even for that.
"Can we trust that guy?"
"For now. Doesn't seem like he'd lie or betray right away. To me, he seems like..."
Arsen trailed off, embarrassed to say he practically worshipped him like a god.
"Priority is gathering people and forming an army, then linking up with Byulburmi. They've sent a decent force too, so together we'll have something solid."
"Then straight to the ruins?"
"Yeah. But first, we need to keep the army fed to maintain loyalty. Promising a good life is our pitch—if we starve them and get betrayed, that's on us."
Eloise nodded, then extinguished the light with magic. Darkness fell, but Arsen's eyes pierced it clearly.
"Leading people seems so hard. Deroy and Liddat lived well, yet betrayed Father. Even the poisoners were knights he treated generously."
"It's not about having enough—others decide that. Some aren't satisfied with everything."
"And you, Sen?"
Her oddly toned question made Arsen stare.
Though darkness hid him, Eloise looked straight at him as if she could see.
Her clear face was expressionless, thoughts unreadable.
"At least he wouldn't kill Father for the territory. Never liked him, though."
Silence followed, soon broken by her sudden giggle.
Still chuckling, Eloise buried her face in her sleeping bag.
"Sorry, stupid question."
"I get it."
"I'm such an idiot... really dumb. Night, Sen. Forget what I just said..."
Fatigue overtook her mid-sentence, and she drifted off. Arsen gazed at the sleeping girl, then gently stroked her hair.
"Yeah, sweet dreams."
Exhaustion hitting its limit, Arsen closed his eyes and sank into the cozy sleeping bag.
A vertiginous drop, like the floor giving way, and consciousness faded.