From Serf to Swordmaster, Chapter 8
From Serf to Swordmaster, Chapter 8
The eyes following him with every step were slightly uncomfortable, but Berak returned to his seat without showing it. Renabel, who had been frozen in place, moved a little late.
"Hey, wait a moment."
The distance was much closer than before. Berak hesitated briefly. It was an unfamiliar scent and presence. Neat cloth and lace. A soft voice. A gentle manner. She was the kind of girl he had never seen in his life.
That felt a little awkward, so Berak turned his head slightly.
"Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten out of here today."
Renabel lowered her head.
"You gave me a water bottle. That was enough."
Berak did not add anything to that. He still needed these people. For now, it was better to leave behind goodwill rather than show off his help.
Renabel looked at Berak for a moment, then let out a small laugh.
"Heh."
Seeing that laugh, Berak relaxed a little. It was the reaction he had wanted.
"Still, I owe you a great deal. As the daughter of the head of the Ebra Merchant Company, I'd like to thank you properly."
After she finished speaking, she looked around for a moment.
"Um...... are you traveling alone?"
"That's right."
"Then where were you planning to go now?"
"I was going to go to Delmore."
It was actually the place he needed to get farthest away from. But for now, Berak said that.
It was the only place name he knew as a serf, and the only way to gauge his current location without drawing suspicion.
"Delmore...? Where was that again...?"
Renabel murmured. Beside her, one of the company men answered.
"It's a city next to Frintel. But from here, it would take about five days on horseback."
"Frintel? Ah, in Count Godric's territory. It really is far."
It really was far. Berak felt a little relieved at those words. He had moved without rest for roughly three days. That effort had been worth it.
Now he just needed to come up with a suitable excuse and ask to accompany them for a while. Berak considered how to phrase it. But Renabel was faster.
"Then, why not come with us? We'll take you to the nearest city. From there, I'll help you find a way to get to Delmore."
"Yes, I'd like that."
For Berak, who had been about to ask to join them, there was no reason to refuse.
"Good. We should be leaving soon, so......."
Renabel raised one hand to gauge the strength of the sunlight.
"Get in the carriage. Let's talk more on the way."
* * *
Berak had expected to climb onto the cargo wagon he had pulled free, but the seat he was guided to was directly across from Renabel.
It was treatment he had never received before, so it felt a little awkward.
However, sitting beside the mercenary made him a little uncomfortable, so Berak left some distance between them.
"I got a rough look earlier, but you're not hurt, are you?"
"No."
"Then, may I ask how you ended up in that state?"
"I ran into a bear."
He could not deny the strength that had already been exposed. Berak had learned that clumsy concealment only made things worse. What he needed now was not an excuse. A simple fact that would convince them. That was enough.
"What? You ran into a bear? You escaped on your own?"
Renabel's eyes swept over his tattered clothes and stains again.
"Yeah. You really went through something terrible... It's truly the Lord God's grace that you weren't hurt. What about the people who were with you... ah, no. I'm sorry."
As if thinking she had brought up something unnecessary, Renabel closed her lips.
"I don't know what you're imagining, but I wasn't attacked by the bear. I caught it."
"C-caught it?"
The mercenary, who had been silent, chimed in.
"It's not impossible. Looking at the strength he used to lift the wagon, that is."
"Hmm... well, that was certainly impressive... but a bear alone... I really can't quite imagine it......."
Renabel paused for a moment.
"Wait. Then where is the bear you caught? Is it nearby?"
"I just left it. It's probably quite far from here."
"Huh, what a waste."
"A waste?"
"A bear hide would fetch a pretty good price, and the meat, if salted......."
Then she looked at Berak and cleared her throat.
"Ah, of course. You weren't in a situation to take it with you. And going back to find it doesn't make sense anyway. Sorry, it's just a merchant's habit."
But for Berak, it was new information: catching a bear could earn money.
After that, small talk continued. There were no questions that made Berak tense. At some point, silence settled naturally, and the sound of the carriage wheels continued steadily.
After a while, the sound of the wheels changed as they rolled over gravel. The coachman up front shouted.
"We've arrived! It's a village!"
It was the first large village Berak had ever entered. From the entrance, he saw a wide stone road stretching straight ahead, with shops lining both sides.
Was the inside of Delmore like this too?
It felt as if a scene he had only imagined was unfolding before his eyes.
The group headed straight for an inn. Berak washed off the dried blood and dust separately at a nearby well. Then a company man brought him new clothes obtained in the village. They were a little big, so he had to roll them up to wear them.
When he entered the inn, the faint aroma of freshly made soup drifted through the air.
"You're hungry, right? Let's eat quickly."
A large bowl was placed in front of Berak. He could tell just from the aroma. It was completely different from anything Berak had ever eaten. He immediately brought the spoon to his mouth.
It was hot.
It was smooth.
And there was something to chew.
Berak paused for a moment, rolling the texture of the meat remaining in his mouth.
'Is this... what real meat tastes like?'
It couldn't compare to the bland porridge he'd always eaten. Every spoonful brought up pieces of meat, and the vegetables held their shape yet yielded softly when he chewed them. The broth coating the chunks was rich and savory on his tongue.
Berak quickly pulled the bowl closer. He moved the spoon frantically.
"Y-you can eat slowly. There's still plenty."
Renabel said, a little flustered.
The bowl was emptied in an instant. Berak smacked his lips as if regretful.
Renabel quietly raised her hand and called a server over.
"Excuse me... one more of these for this child, please."
When the second bowl arrived, Berak picked up the spoon again. This time, he slowed down a little compared to the first. He seemed to be trying to savor the taste, but he swallowed after only a few chews.
Renabel watched him with satisfaction.
"You eat well. Tell me if you need anything else. You can eat as much as you want today."
Berak hurriedly swallowed what he was chewing and answered.
"Thank you."
Berak kept his spoon moving until he soon set down a spotless bowl. Warmth spread through his stomach, and his fatigue seemed to ease a little.
Renabel walked over to the counter and spoke with the innkeeper. When she returned, she called Berak.
"Hey, you know."
Berak raised his head.
"......It's Berak."
"Huh?"
"My name."
Renabel was briefly surprised, then smiled brightly.
"Ah, I see. Berak. Thank you for telling me."
Then she exchanged a nod with the mercenary beside her.
"Today... I think it would be best for you to share a room with him."
When Berak stared at her quietly, Renabel hurriedly added.
"I thought it might be dangerous if you slept alone. And there aren't many rooms left."
Sleeping alone would have been the most comfortable for him... but he could not find a good reason to refuse.
"Yes, I understand."
"Let's go."
The mercenary went ahead. Berak followed him up to the second floor.
* * *
The room was quiet. A single candle cast long, flickering shadows on the wall. Berak tossed and turned under the blanket.
Then the mercenary, who had been sitting at the end of the bed tending his sword, spoke.
"Seems like you can't sleep."
"Yeah."
"My name is Roban."
Roban turned his gaze from the tip of his sword toward Berak.
"That strength... are you using Anima?"
Berak half sat up.
Anima.
The slave trader's guard had said something like that to Berak too.
"What... is that?"
"So you don't know."
Roban said, sheathing his sword.
"Anima is... how should I put it? Put simply, it's the ability to govern the soul."
"The soul?"
"What mages use is drawn from the mind. They call it mana. But warriors are different. They handle the flow that rises from the body—the power that controls and amplifies blood, bone, and muscle."
"Hmm...."
It was still difficult content for Berak to fully understand. As if noticing that, Roban continued his explanation.
"Simply put, it's power beyond human limits. Movements that could never come from a human body appear. You can push back an opponent with presence alone, and blood can burst even before a blade touches them."
"How do you learn that?"
"Through secret manuals. They're books passed down only to nobles. Knights are said to study them from childhood to learn how to wield Anima."
"There are probably other ways too."
If it was something only nobles learned, then why would others think that he could handle it?
"There are. There's exactly one case where warriors who aren't nobles handle Anima."
Berak unconsciously leaned forward.
"Those who survive deadly fights. If you endure miraculously again and again on countless life-or-death battlefields...... one day, your body suddenly starts listening to you differently."
Roban's eyes turned to Berak.
"So a kid like you shouldn't be able to use that power... normally, anyway."
Berak sank into thought without answering.
His own ability to see letters and have his body change. Was this Anima?
It didn't seem like it. Berak had no memory of seeing anything like a secret manual. The same went for life-or-death fights.
Then, if he did learn to handle Anima, would that also be recorded in letters? Or was it a completely different ability?
Either way, a new possibility had emerged. That alone was exciting.
"If that's not Anima, don't reveal your strength openly like you did today. Powers people don't understand are perfect for the church to brand as heresy. Here in Branvalt, even more so."
Hearing that, Berak felt certain.
He had been right to run away.
Even if he reported that the forest warden had tried to sell him as a slave, if other adults decided to, he would obviously end up captured.
◎ Education
- Kingdom Language (Branvalt): Beginner
Berak glanced at the letters and asked.
"Then what if it's not Branvalt?"
Roban thought about Berak's question for a moment, then nodded.
"Right. Not Branvalt. Valken is a little better. The people of Valken do listen to the church, but they look at strength first. If you're good with a sword, they'll respect you regardless of your origins, and if you show some strange power, instead of immediately suspecting you..."
Roban jabbed the air with his fist.
"More of them will try to test you: 'Let's see how hard you can hit with that power.'"
"Roban must be from Valken too."
At that, Roban chuckled for the first time.
"Didn't I say Ebra Merchant Company? Ebra is the name of a city in Valken. Everyone here is from Valken."
"I see......."
Berak lay back down and pulled up the blanket.
'Continuing on with these people wouldn't be bad.'
It would be a proper fresh start, and in a place like that, there would surely be somewhere to use his strength.
* * *
The next morning, outside the inn.
The group had packed their luggage and gathered beside the carriage.
Renabel was writing something in a ledger and giving instructions to the people. Berak quietly approached.
As the pages of the ledger turned, the letters he had seen yesterday caught his eye.
Berak murmured without thinking.
"Branvalt."
Renabel's hand stopped.
"...Berak, did you just read that?"
"Yes."
"You know how to read?"
"Only a very little. But if possible, I want to read all of it."
Berak's gaze turned to the object he was holding. It was the blood-soaked picture book he had taken out because it was uncomfortable to carry.
Renabel's eyes moved to the picture book.
"That book, is it yours?"
"Yes."
"So you were trying to read it on your own."
Instead of answering, Berak hugged the book. Renabel smiled slightly.
"If you want to learn, I'll help you."
Renabel said, closing the ledger.
"Let's learn a little at a time on the way."
◎ Education
- Western Language (Branvalt·Valken): Beginner