From Serf to Swordmaster, Chapter 10
From Serf to Swordmaster, Chapter 10
Roban shouted.
"Berak! Stay by the wagon! I'll hold them off as best I can, but if any slip through toward you...!"
"Leave it to me."
The company members who had been walking outside were already gathered around the wagon, crouching. Berak ran straight over and stood in front of them.
Bzz—
The sound rushed right up to his face. The rush of air from beating wings brushed his cheek.
"They're coming!"
The insects did not charge all at once. The moment the distance to the group narrowed, they scattered to both sides in an instant.
In that split second, Roban leaped forward.
A single straight thrust. It pierced through an insect's chest. Immediately the deflected blade cut another one's leg, then continued in a diagonal line and split a wing.
The three mercenaries also ran forward and swung their swords. But they could not cut through as smoothly as Roban.
The insects climbed, turned, suddenly dropped. They moved frantically.
Because of that, weapons often sliced through empty air.
Meanwhile, some got past the mercenaries and flew onward. Roban twisted his body sharply.
"Hup—!"
Berak opened his eyes wide and watched the scene.
From a distance.
The blade had not even touched them, yet two insects twisted and their carapaces burst open. Their bodies shattered to pieces in midair and pattered down.
But some still managed to veer out of that trajectory.
Berak stepped forward.
A fear-stricken groan escaped from behind him.
"Uuugh...."
The ones that had gathered toward Berak plunged down from the air in a straight line.
Whoosh—!
A sharp climb right after the descent. The swung axe blade grazed the air by a hair's breadth.
Whoosh—!
The second attack missed too. Now that he was actually clashing with them, their movements were far more irregular and nimble than they had looked. Berak gritted his teeth.
'They're hard to hit, but I can't let them get behind me.'
The wagon where the non-combatants were crouching. If he let the insects head there, there was no point in him standing here.
Berak raised the axe high. Then he brought it straight down vertically. He followed with a sideways swing, then spun it behind him.
Like that, he layered heavy arcs of iron around himself, one after another—a rough, intimidating barrage that left no opening to slip through.
Crunch—!
One got caught. Even though it had only lightly clipped the flat of the swinging axe, the insect's carapace crumpled whole and was sent flying.
'Focus more. More... more than now!'
Berak's world narrowed to a single point. The forest scenery blurred, and the presence of the people behind him grew distant. Only the chilling sound of wingbeats stood out with unnatural clarity.
Bzzzz— bzzzz—
He could hear each texture of vibration separately.
The vibrations revealed their direction.
The sound when they climbed was different from when they descended.
The wind flowed, and the lines overlapped.
The moment their trajectories connected themselves in his head—
「Senses + 1」
A short phrase flashed past like lightning. Berak understood immediately. It was not that their movements had slowed. The surrounding sounds had finally begun to register as "information."
Berak adjusted his grip on the axe. The point where the sound grew sharpest. He drove the axe toward the moment an insect came closest.
Crunch!
The axe blade crushed the insect's body.
Another one. This time he felt it without looking. A vibration cutting through the air behind his back. He twisted reflexively and drew the axe horizontally.
Thwack!
As if it had run into the axe blade of its own accord, the insect's chest caught on the heavy iron and burst open.
The rise in his senses was a small change. But combined with Berak's overwhelming strength, it led to lethal results. One at a time. Every time the axe moved, insects burst apart, spraying body fluids.
「Axe Proficiency + 1」
Thud.
One more dropped to the ground. When he turned his head, he saw Roban taking down the last one.
"B-Berak...?"
"Did you see that just now? The bug shattered the moment the axe touched it."
The company members, who had been catching their breath, stared blankly at Berak. Roban also sheathed his sword and looked at him with fresh surprise.
"Berak! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Renabel hurried over and checked Berak's arms and shoulders.
"I'm fine."
"That just now... I didn't know you could fight like that. You were really brave. No, not just brave...."
Renabel could not finish her sentence. Roban, who had come up beside her, chimed in.
"Good work. At first I thought you were swinging blind, but as it went on you cut off their paths precisely. I wasn't just surprised by your strength, but by how calmly you adapted. If not for you, the rear would have been overrun."
The company members came over one by one and expressed their thanks.
"Berak, thank you so much. We survived because you held them off."
"Those tough things bursting apart from a single axe swing...."
At the sudden shower of praise, Berak immediately shut his lips and turned his head away. The excessive goodwill felt awkward. Berak tried to act indifferent and changed the subject.
"But you said these things aren't from around here, right?"
Roban rubbed his chin once.
"Normally, that would be true."
He spoke while looking at the scattered insect pieces.
"Shadow Beetles. They aren't from this region, but if that were all, it would have been a bit easier."
Roban's gaze briefly followed the fluid on Berak's axe.
"That species usually moves in lines at regular intervals. So if you read their trajectory, they're easy to deal with. But these ones had completely broken patterns."
"Definitely. I felt that too."
"More than anything, they aren't a species that charges in so frenziedly. They're the type to pull back at least once when wounded... but this time they kept pressing in as if they felt no pain at all."
Renabel spoke cautiously.
"That's not good. This is a route the company uses often."
"Yes. It looks like a report will be needed."
Roban shook off his sword and spoke to Berak.
"Wipe your axe right away. If the fluid dries, it rusts fast."
Berak took the rag he was handed and wiped the axe blade. The others also checked the horses and reorganized the cargo.
Then, suddenly, he turned his gaze back toward Roban. He walked closer and looked him over.
The three mercenaries were already standing fine, catching their breath. Their sweat had mostly cooled.
But Roban was different. Sweat was pooled on his forehead and the back of his neck, and his breathing was rough. Fatigue flickered through his eyes too.
'Why is he like that? Roban fought far better than the others.'
The question rose to the tip of his tongue. But soon, another question that surfaced in his mind slipped out first.
"That thing earlier... it was Anima, wasn't it?"
"What are you referring to?"
"The bugs bursting even though your sword didn't touch them."
After a short silence, Roban turned his gaze aside. There was almost nothing that could be called emotion on his face.
"...It's not the real thing."
"What do you mean...?"
"Rest. We'll be moving soon."
It was not an atmosphere for further questions, so Berak left the spot. When he glanced back, Roban's expression was still unreadable.
* * *
It did not take long to reach Ebra.
"That was fast...."
Berak muttered.
"Of course. This is a border city. If Branvalt has Braingard, then Valken has Ebra."
Berak leaned against the carriage window and looked around the city. By his standards, even this was fairly bustling. He had only ever seen two cities in his life. Even so....
"...I think Braingard was better?"
The buildings there were taller, and the roads were wider.
Renabel's eyes went round for a moment.
"What, that! Ebra is way sturdier! The inner wall is double-layered, and the surrounding cliffs work like another wall. And the market district is bigger too. Not just equipment and supplies—Ebra has far more variety even in unusual materials! It's much more practical than Braingard, which is just wide."
"Ah, okay."
"Ahem, ahem."
Renabel cleared her throat and composed herself. Berak did not really understand the subtle rivalry between people of neighboring countries. He just took it as affection for her homeland.
Anyway, this was a new side of Renabel. Berak looked at her for a moment, then turned his gaze back out the window.
After passing the lively market street Renabel had mentioned, a district of solidly built stone buildings appeared.
"Berak, once the carriage stops, let's go to the main building together."
As the carriage neared the company building and began to slow, Renabel spoke as if it were obvious. Berak, who had been looking out the window, turned his head.
"We're not going to part ways the moment we arrive in Ebra. Stay at our company lodging for a few days and think about your next move. You really helped us a lot during this journey. You should give us a chance to treat you as a guest."
Berak fell into thought for a moment. He had left Delmore and come this far, but he had not decided on a place to stay or his next destination. Renabel smiled lightly and continued.
"The lodging in the main building for members and guests is pretty clean. Rest up there and get your strength back. Okay?"
He had no particular reason to refuse, and more than anything, staying here was far more efficient than wandering an unfamiliar city looking for a place to sleep.
"...Sure."
At Berak's short agreement, Renabel smiled, looking satisfied. Before long, the carriage entered a place where a signboard engraved with Ebra's name hung.
The carriage stopped in the company's inner courtyard. Before getting down, Berak took in the new scenery.
The buildings and warehouses were orderly, and people moved quickly along set paths.
"Berak, this way. This is the main building."
Following Renabel's gesture, a large, clean building came into view.
"Once you go inside, one of the workers will show you to a place where you can rest comfortably. I have to report and settle accounts, so it'll take a while. Can you wait?"
"Yes."
Soon a woman from the company approached and spoke politely.
"We have prepared a room for the guest. Please follow me."
Berak followed silently. He climbed the stairs and stopped where the hallway turned once.
"Please rest comfortably."
"Uh... thank you."
Berak scratched his head once. It was the first time anyone had spoken to him so politely.
He looked around the room.
The heat outside did not reach inside the room. On the table sat a water bottle and a few pieces of fruit, and there was a chair that looked soft. He naturally walked over and sat down.
'Wow.'
His back sank in and his body tilted back on its own. It even felt like he was sliding, so he instinctively braced his lower back.
Knock, knock.
A moment later, two light knocks sounded at the door.
Berak raised his head and looked at the door. He only looked.
Then the same sound came again.
Knock, knock.
This time, a voice accompanied the knocks.
"Is no one inside?"
"I'm here."
"Then may I come in?"
"Huh? Ah, yes."
So the company signals before opening a door.
Berak filed the newly learned knowledge away in his head.
What the attendant brought was a large wooden basin and two jars filled with cooled water. Beside them lay a clean towel and a strange lump about the size of a palm.
"You must have been traveling, so I prepared this so you could wash up, even briefly."
She set the basin down in one corner of the room and poured about half of the jar's water into it. With practiced movements, she first laid a cloth on the floor to keep water from splashing.
"Um, this is...?"
Berak walked closer and pointed at the strange lump. It was too crude to be a carving, and it had almost no smell. It was not dirt, and not stone either.
The woman blinked in surprise, then immediately explained.
"Ah, that's soap. It's hardened with lye, so it's good for washing off grime. Wet it slightly and rub it, and it'll lather a little."
"......?"
Berak looked down at the lump again.
He could not quite understand how this small thing could remove the dust and sweat on his body.
The woman added.
"You may use it lightly on just your hands and face. It is not strong enough to harm your skin, so do not worry."
"Okay."
Berak answered and immediately set the lump down.
It was a strange object.
But judging by the woman's tone, it seemed to be something everyone here used.
Once the door closed and the room grew quiet again, Berak washed himself with the strange object. Then he sat back down in the chair.
By now, both the room itself and the feel of the chair were less unfamiliar than before.
"My body's comfortable... but my mind isn't."
He muttered to himself for no real reason.
The space had become familiar. But time spent doing nothing like this was strange. For Berak, rest had always been "a state of being unable to work."
Like when rain or snow poured down and it was hard to go outside.
Resting just because someone told him to rest was strange.
On top of that, the Record Sheet was quiet too.
During the journey, his intelligence rose every time he learned the western language, and there had been chances to experience real combat. Now it was not like that. He even felt his body stiffening.
'There doesn't seem to be any reason to stay here long.'
That was why he felt physically comfortable yet still uneasy.
If he did not move, nothing changed.
That was a fact he knew all too well.
Berak slowly rose from the chair.
'It's indoors, but there should be something I can do here too.'
The word "training" surfaced in his mind. If his understanding of the meaning was right, it was something he could do alone.
Berak walked to the middle of the room and stood the axe upright. The space was wider than he had thought. The ceiling was high too, so even a big swing did not seem like it would hit.
At first he only twisted his wrist lightly.
But soon, the sense he had built up until now came back to life.
Turn with the waist as the axis. Let the arms flow along.
Unlike when he had swung recklessly, he now had a feel for where the axe should extend.
'Like this?'
The axe blade swept smoothly through the empty air.
The room was wide, but not without things in the way. There were ornaments, the corners of furniture, and the basin the woman had brought.
Avoiding them forced him to focus even harder. It felt like searching for the axe's path.
After what felt to Berak like a long while.
「Axe Proficiency + 1」
Maybe because it was not real combat, the signal came late this time.
Still, the effort had paid off.
Then, the sound of knocking came again.
Knock, knock.
"...Whew. Come in."
"Berak. Are you resting well...?"
Renabel, who had been entering, stopped at the doorway.
"What are you doing standing in the middle of the room holding an axe?"
Roban was standing behind her.
"Looks like we arrived just in time, before you smashed the whole room because you felt cooped up."
Berak did not laugh at the joke. He simply set the axe down and caught his breath.
He looked back and forth between the two of them and spoke.
"I have something to say."