Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Cutting the Grass and Uprooting the Roots (1)
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Iriel watched Chezen Castle from a hilly area outside the walls.
“Hmm.”
Veron, asleep inside the fur blanket, mumbled in her sleep and tossed about. She gently patted the girl.
The two were waiting outside the castle in advance, ready to leave as soon as the assassination was complete. It was also preparation for any unexpected situations.
Iriel, brushing back Veron’s hair, turned her gaze back to Chezen Castle.
The spire with the flag planted on it was still intact.
Jenes had said he would cut it down after killing Vitero.
‘…Is that even possible?’
Iriel stared piercingly at the spire in the darkness. Thanks to the lights lit for the banquet, its silhouette was faintly visible even beyond the walls.
The spire was needle-like, narrowing toward the tip, not something one could cut with a sword.
Yet he said he’d slice it down.
It didn’t make sense logically.
That was when a blue flash streaked across.
A vivid beam of light sliced diagonally through the pitch-black night, passing the spire.
And moments later, the upper part of the spire began to slide down along the path the light had taken.
Jenes had cut down the spire.
Rumble…
A massive roar echoed faintly from beyond the walls.
It was like thunder striking over there.
“It actually worked…”
Iriel stared blankly at the castle, which spewed thick clouds of dust.
To cut down such a massive structure like chopping a bundle of straw…
Suddenly, a small hand grasped hers.
“Did Jenes do it?”
Veron rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked.
She must have woken to the crashing sound of the spire collapsing.
Iriel nodded and squeezed the girl’s hand tightly.
“Yeah, he did it.”
Veron stared silently at Chezen Castle, where the flag no longer existed, then closed her eyes and prayed, clasping Iriel’s small hand in return.
After praying for a long while, the child slowly opened her eyes and spoke.
“Jenes said before that he’d cut that down for me.”
“Did he?”
Veron continued.
“Yeah. I thought it was a lie.”
“Why?”
“Grown-ups sometimes tell sweet lies.”
Veron was young, but not completely unaware of the situation. That castle housed far more knights than those who had trampled her village, and its lord was their leader.
The ones who had crushed her small world overnight.
Their shadows loomed larger than anything to Veron.
Yet for one man to cut them all down alone?
Even a nine-year-old wouldn’t believe it.
But it had become reality.
“Veron knows everything.”
Iriel smiled faintly and ruffled the girl’s hair. Veron looked up at her.
“Mom, Dad… did they hear my voice?”
She was talking about the prayer from earlier.
“Of course. They’re watching everything from heaven.”
“They’d be happy, right?”
“Naturally. But they’d be even happier seeing you living so bravely like this, rather than just Vitero dying.”
Veron bit her lower lip and nodded determinedly. Iriel gazed proudly at the child.
Veron furrowed her small brow and spoke, her expression unusually serious for a child.
“From now on, like Uncle Allen, I’ll believe whatever Jenes says unconditionally!”
Iriel chuckled and nodded in agreement.
“I will… to some extent.”
She looked toward Chezen Castle, now flagless.
“That guy’s got a rotten personality, but he doesn’t lie.”
Starlight filled the empty space where the spire had vanished.
Was that why?
The world seemed a little brighter.
* * *
“You’ve done a great job. Thanks to you, the pent-up resentment of ten years feels all released.”
Corern, having hung Vitero’s head on the gibbet, climbed down the ladder and dusted off his hands.
I nodded in response.
With this, all the planned events were complete.
Corern admired his handiwork, rubbed under his nose, and looked at me.
“To think you took down Vitero alone. Even watching it, I can’t believe it. You said you’re heading to the capital?”
“Yeah.”
“Planning to take Halent’s head once you get there? You could sleep soundly for life.”
I glanced at him, and he laughed heartily, slapping my shoulder.
“Hahaha. Just kidding, kidding.”
He chuckled to himself, then met eyes with Allen nearby and looked back at me.
A brief silence fell.
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
“N-No way, you’re actually planning to do it!?”
At my silent affirmation, he gaped, speechless.
I said,
“Let’s part ways here.”
With Chezen Castle in chaos, the guards were unlikely to come to the northern plaza where we were, but we couldn’t linger.
We had to leave immediately.
Allen shared a tight embrace with Corern in farewell, and I shook his hand lightly.
He clasped my hand between his thick palms, his eyes gleaming.
“Keep up the good work. I’ll trust only you and live carefree with legs stretched out.”
“Do as you please.”
At my perfunctory reply, Corern grinned, revealing white teeth hidden in his beard.
The next day.
Chezen was in an uproar from early morning.
Because Vitero and several others’ heads were gibbeted in the northern plaza.
A cloth hung below listed their crimes in detail.
“Get out of the way!”
Guards pushed through the crowded plaza toward the gibbet with Vitero’s head.
Their fierce momentum halted simultaneously upon reaching it.
Because of the line drawn around the gibbet.
Along with a warning that none who crossed it would survive.
“…”
They only glanced at each other, not daring to step forward. They knew well what had happened in the castle last night.
The gibbets were finally dismantled in the afternoon.
By then, no territory folk were unaware of last night’s events.
* * *
After leaving Chezen Castle and meeting Iriel, we rode on without delay.
There was no gain in staying.
Best to depart swiftly.
Back on the road, we galloped through the vast Gutwan Forest for two straight days.
And we had just emerged from it now.
The green-filled view opened wide to a vast plain.
“Let’s rest here a bit.”
Allen, leading the way, pulled the reins.
The uneven ground must have tired the horses.
We settled where the forest met the plain. As I quenched my thirst from a leather waterskin, Allen approached.
“Jenes, we need to decide the route to Lennon City.”
He sat beside me and unfolded a map.
Lennon City was our next destination.
Because of the orphanage there to take Veron.
It pained to leave the child who had just lost her parents and grown attached to us, but we couldn’t keep her with us.
Better to part before bonds deepened, for her sake.
Allen continued.
“There are two ways: an easy but long route, or a hard but fast one.”
He pointed on the map with his finger.
“Over the Kterer Mountains takes a week; around via Cartusi takes two. Assuming tight travel; could take longer depending. I think via Cartusi is better. What do you think?”
I looked up at the massive mountains shimmering in the distance.
I said,
“Let’s go around via Cartusi.”
“Yes! Wise choice.”
Allen, pleased with my decision, folded the map energetically.
The Kterer Mountains consisted of extremely rugged peaks.
Not only impassable by horse, but monsters dwelled in the deep interiors.
Monsters were beings between beasts and yokai.
Absent from low hills or near cities, but still lurking in harsh, deep ranges.
With our group, better to take the longer safe way.
“Why? What’s in the sky?”
Iriel, packing gear, looked up following Veron. Veron pointed at the sky.
“Crows keep circling above us.”
Following the child’s finger, a single crow circled in place high above.
Allen grinned at Veron.
“Remember the story I told you? In ‘Midcray,’ a flock of arihawks circled my head.”
“Yes! Tell it again!”
As Veron’s eyes sparkled, Allen crooked his fingers like hooks and lowered his voice eerily.
“You sure? This time it’s the scary one about arihawks pecking corpses.”
“I-It’s okay.”
As Allen crept closer, frightened Veron huddled, even stuttering.
“When arihawks hover in the sky, never look up.”
“…Why?”
“If you do, they’ll go for the eyes of anyone staring at the sky!”
Allen terrified her with just his tone, then lunged, tickling her side with hooked fingers.
Startled, Veron burst into screams of laughter, delighted.
“How’s that? Scary?”
“Yeah, super scary!”
…Really, nothing scary about it.
Veron loved Allen’s silly tales.
Especially those featuring me.
“Tell one about Jenes.”
“Again?”
“Yeah!”
“…I’m out now.”
Allen scratched his cheek sheepishly.
Stories about me had been retold hundreds of times since meeting Veron.
No wonder material ran dry after milking it so much.
Veron looked disappointed.
I tossed a line to Allen, struggling to squeeze out more.
“Soon, there’ll be one more story.”
“Huh?”
Allen stared blankly at me.
I replied with a question.
“Nothing come to mind with crows?”
“The Crow Knight Order!”
Veron shot her hand up.
“You’re sharp.”
“What’s that mean?”
Iriel, who’d been quiet, raised a brow.
Allen eyed me anxiously too.
They all seemed to catch my drift.
“Hey, don’t scare us for nothing.”
Allen waved it off.
“When have I ever?”
Allen fell silent.
I never joke idly.
Others just don’t believe me.
Realizing that, Allen paled.
“They’re coming.”
I nodded toward one direction of the vast plain.
Thanks to the diligent ones, my words proved true immediately.
Allen and Iriel jumped up, looking where I indicated.
Dust clouds billowing from afar.
Something approached us.
“What do we do? Do they know Jenes assassinated Vitero?”
Allen fidgeted like he needed the bathroom.
“No idea.”
The Crow Knight Order was under the Governor-General’s Office.
Reasons to chase us: the national seal, Vitero’s assassination, or our independence army ties.
But none likely known to them.
So probably not coming at us as enemies.
Then why head our way?
Like I said, no idea.
Thus, I pondered briefly.
With Allen, Iriel, and Veron here, couldn’t turn this into a battlefield.
Two options.
Strike first and kill, or talk to learn their purpose.
Uncharacteristically, I chose the latter.
“Let’s wait first. We’ll find out why soon enough.”
They didn’t seem to see us as foes. Enemies wouldn’t approach so noisily.
Uncertain if they were alone nearby.
Preemptive strike risks calling reinforcements, headache.
Other unforeseen variables possible.
When situation unclear, better wait than act rashly.
As expected, likely just questions about Chezen, then pass.
Thud thud thud!
Hoofbeats pounding the earth neared rapidly.
The ground vibrated faintly.
Twelve knights in black armor charged at high speed.
As distance closed, Allen and Iriel stood alert again.
Veron clung to Iriel’s side.
Slowing, they encircled us and halted fully.
The dust they kicked up swirled once, then dispersed.
Panting, they controlled their heaving mounts while glaring sharply down.
Matching the mood, I stood too.
Three bundles to protect.
Best avoid fighting now.
‘I won’t kill here,’ I decided, so stay meek like a dead rat.
Whether I could, unsure.
Facing their fierce gazes, seemed harder than expected.
Should’ve killed preemptively?
Regret crept in for my choice, but too late now.