Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: Old Tales, Rookie Knights, and the Moonlight Pomegranate Stone (1)
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How did I escape from that place?
I devoured them all.
***
“You’ve been cursed by the Divine Tree too?”
The black-haired man I ran into at the training grounds asked me that.
“I hear you’re another child of the World Tree.”
I looked into his golden eyes.
I knew his name. How could I not? A few months ago, he’d knelt at the Emperor’s feet—the infamous young powerhouse of the nomadic tribes. He’d tried to end his own life, but his enemy general and kin had talked him out of it, forcing him to sheath his sword. He’d accepted his knighthood with eyes full of hatred, unhidden, and kissed the Emperor’s ring.
And within the knight order, he’d been treated like a “pathetic conquered savage” until his overwhelming skill turned the tables.
I nodded to Kyle, slowly.
“Yes.”
“Speak freely. I’m just a regular knight too.”
Kyle replied briskly.
“You haven’t been one for long either. You joined in this exam cycle, right?”
“Yeah.”
He’d told me to be casual, so I was.
It was the kind of behavior that could earn you punishment drills. The proper response would’ve been something like, “How dare I,” then at the banquet, accepting a glass of fine fruit wine while asking, “May I call you brother?” And after that, sticking to honorifics and treating superiors with respect—that was the custom.
A typical senior knight would’ve furrowed his brow at my response and reached for the baton.
But Kyle didn’t care.
If anything, he seemed pleased.
“Which unit?”
At Kyle’s question, I recalled.
“West.”
“Oh.”
Kyle met my eyes and flashed a bright smile.
“Knew it.”
I stared at him blankly.
He could tell I wanted more explanation. Kyle gave a handsome smile as he added context.
“The noble lords’ precious sons all get assigned to cushy southern units.”
The Empire’s south must be peaceful.
“East gets the knights from the Empire’s prestigious training academy. Not nobles, but sons from families rich enough to get in.”
“Aha. North?”
“Commoners with mediocre skills.”
That didn’t click right away.
Kyle laughed, as if understanding my confusion.
“Nothing comes out of that barren place.”
“Ah, pretty logical.”
“West Side’s a mess, though.”
The man narrowed his sharp, golden eyes in a grin.
“Guys like you and me? We’re straight to the West. Heard you cut off Kisis’s hair in the entrance exam?”
“Didn’t think it’d blow up like this.”
Only after the exam did I learn Kisis was a famed continental Swordmaster—and the Emperor’s bastard son.
Famous for his striking looks, exceptional skill, rebellious attitude, and scandalous private life. Rumor had it he’d wandered in to watch the exam out of boredom, then taken a huge interest in the rookie knight who’d clipped his hair.
I hadn’t meant to draw this much attention.
But the water was spilled.
Kyle threw his head back and burst out laughing at my words.
“You’re growing on me.”
Why?
“I hate those kinds of guys too. Let’s get along, Hildebert Talib.”
“Call me Hilde.”
“Got it, Hilde. I’m Kyle. No family name.”
His curly black hair fluttered in the wind.
I took in the ebony locks contrasting with his pale skin.
Warrior of a fallen nation…
“I tossed it when I kissed that blood-red ring.”
The hatred flashing in his eyes was vivid, I’d thought.
***
“I asked to switch to the West.”
At Ray’s words, I looked up from my plate.
I’d been gnawing on unidentifiable tough meat in the ragtag mess hall tent. Even back in the capital, the West Side’s food had been worse than the South’s.
Not that that surprised me.
But Ray’s announcement did.
“Why?”
I held the mystery meat up to his eye level.
“You blind?”
“Prime redhorn meat.”
“What’s wrong with it.”
Seeing Ray’s forced smile, I let out a dumbfounded voice.
What the hell.
“Don’t like the South? That unit’s full of famous knights.”
“Hey!”
Ray slammed his fist on the table.
Cracked plates and utensils flew up and clattered down. Eyes turned our way. Knights with noses buried in their sand-scented plates scowled at us.
But they didn’t dare touch me—the “rookie who caught Kisis’s eye.”
Ray, third son of a count’s family, even less so.
Ray glared at my stunned face with blazing eyes.
“Is our friendship that weak?”
“Huh?”
What bullshit.
“What nonsense is this, all of a sudden?”
“Your best friend says he’s joining your unit, and you’re not happy? Is that all our bond means? Huh?”
“It’s not that. You’re making a dumb choice.”
I raised both hands skyward, expressing my exasperation.
“Why pass up such a golden opportunity!”
Ray furrowed his brow.
I finally saw his real feelings. He’d never been good at hiding them anyway. I’d probably get punched for saying this, but he had that noble brat’s arrogance.
The sullen guy glaring at the table finally replied.
“I’m not planning to rot away in comfort.”
God help me.
“I didn’t become a knight to take it easy.”
“It’s not rotting—it’s climbing the ranks, my friend. Most fame-making knights come from the South!”
“Kisis is in the West.”
“Ah.”
The Emperor’s bastard.
A continental Swordmaster. I hadn’t even known he existed before the exam, but lately, his name was everywhere.
I narrowed my eyes and stared at my sulky friend across the table.
“You idolize him too?”
“What knight doesn’t?”
Ray shot back.
I gave his puzzled face a bored reply.
I’d crossed swords with him, so I knew how skilled he was.
“Not really...”
“Hurts my feelings.”
My body jolted at the voice from behind.
Ray’s eyes went wide like a rabbit’s, staring past me. Seeing his shocked freeze told me everything.
Ha...
I rolled my eyes a few times before reluctantly turning.
“Sir Kisis.”
Word was, calling him “Your Highness” here would get your head chopped off.
I bowed my head halfway.
Laughter followed.
“Chin up. We’re both knights.”
Easy for you to say.
But I did as told.
His near-silver platinum hair caught my eye. Bright violet eyes that everyone raved about. They said you couldn’t look away.
I didn’t disagree.
But that didn’t mean I wanted to get tangled up with him.
“Welcome to the West Side.”
“Thank you.”
“And you’re the third son of House Renoir?”
Ray nodded with a weird expression and stood.
Pleased Kisis knew him, but miffed at the family mention.
Kisis ignored Ray’s half-hearted reaction.
After a perfunctory handshake with Ray, he clapped my shoulder.
“Clear your sixth-day evening.”
“Huh?”
“We need to finish our duel.”
Kisis leaned in, peering at me with a grin.
“We didn’t go all the way that day, did we?”
His eyes were half-rolled back.
Was my life ending that sixth-day evening? He’d been furious about the interrupted match in the exam. Ranting in front of the finance minister, knight commander, archbishop, and assorted nobles.
I’d backed off then.
Not this time. Problem was, I didn’t have the skill to beat him yet—and once a fight started, he didn’t hold back.
Gotta brace for losing a limb.
I swallowed a sigh and nodded when someone approached.
“Hilde!”
Knights’ heads turned.
Kyle approached, his wild curls loosely tied.
The knights around me reacted in unison. Ray and Kyle were strangers, but Kisis and Kyle knew each other.
“Kyle.”
“Ah, Sir Kyle.”
Kisis spoke leisurely right after I did.
Kyle, approaching with a bright smile, clocked Ray and Kisis.
His cheerful grin froze into ice.
So predictable.
Kyle’s smile was lips-only.
“Sir Kisis. What brings such a busy man to this dump?”
“Cut the fake crap. And ‘what brings me’? You forget I’m a West Side knight sometimes.”
“Perish the thought.”
Kyle flashed a fake smile and stopped across from me.
His good looks made even the fakery photogenic.
Even an idiot could tell Kisis and Kyle didn’t get along.
“If you’re done, I’ll borrow Sir Hildebert. He’s due for a mission briefing...”
“No need. I’ll give it now.”
“Huh?”
I’m eating here?
“Know the Moonlight Pomegranate Stone?”
I don’t wanna know...
But my opinion didn’t count. Kisis grinned mischievously and barreled on. Some gem on a cliff in a western forest. Mission: fetch it.
Knights do that?
I wondered, but it sounded insanely dangerous—tons of casualties. Super valuable, so the royals hesitated to order other nobles’ houses.
Kisis named the team amid the details.
He nodded at Ray, Kyle, and me.
“Three’s perfect.”
The Swordmaster breezily ignored Kyle’s furrowed brow.
“All top regular knights.”
Clear my evening, he says, then switches.
I rolled my eyes internally but kept complaints zipped. I’d heard about his whims.
I ignored the knights snickering at us and finished eating. Ignored the beauty drawing gasps as she dragged Kisis off. Ignored Ray and Kyle’s awkward intros.
Be grateful my limbs were intact.
I chewed the meat that showed no sign of falling off bones.
***
“Here, look.”
I cut off—yet again—Kyle and Ray’s bickering.
“You both hate the same targets anyway.”
We were en route to that forest.
Ridiculously far. Past foggy swamps, spider-infested woods, bandit-ridden ruins. Now through a gorge with hypnotic pipe music.
And Kyle and Ray at it again.
Predictable.
Kyle hated all Empire nobles, thought stubborn Ray choosing West was a joke. Ray couldn’t grasp Kyle’s endless grudge despite kissing the Emperor’s ring.
Sick of mediating.
“Gossip about count’s family dirt over dinner later.”
My half-hearted peacemaking earned twin “unbelievable” stares.
I shamelessly shrugged them off.
“Who’s on dinner duty tonight?”
“You.”
Ray and Kyle chimed.
“Me already? Something’s off...”
“Let’s ditch the dried redhorn. My teeth’ll crack.”
“No other rations. Won’t hit town tonight... I like redhorn fine. Hate it? Take my shift.”
“In your dreams.”
“We need more food anyway. Forest after gorge—hunt there...”
Kyle’s wise words trailed.
Ray’s “who’s messing around?” glare at me, my head turned toward Kyle’s shift bait—both snapped around.
Pipe music.
Mournful, beautiful melody tugging heartstrings.