Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Do You Not Feel Gratitude?
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That day, too, Kang Geohan was taking a break in the Petal Forest, eating and drinking with Helena, Loen, and Harkruks.
Suddenly, Loen's eyes sparkled.
"It's tomorrow, right? The announcement?"
Harkruks nodded.
"Yeah. Grades and unit assignments come out together. Already tomorrow... Our time at the training camp is finally coming to an end."
"Where's everyone aiming for? The Pioneer Corps, I bet?"
Everyone nodded.
All the rider candidates aspired to the Pioneer Corps. The reason was simple.
"We have to go to the Pioneer Corps to ride better Giants."
Helena was right.
The Pioneer Corps handled missions to develop areas beyond the zones. Since it involved constant combat and abundant resources, excluding the front-line borders, they had the most advanced Giant technology and the easiest access to parts.
Riders in the Pioneer Corps, who piloted superior Giants and gained tons of combat experience, were guaranteed rapid promotions. There was no reason not to aim for it.
"Grades and assignments... That's a big deal, but honestly, I'm dying to know about that thing."
Loen switched topics with an excited expression.
"That thing? What?"
"You know. That."
In response to Harkruks's question, she jerked her head toward the center of the forest—the massive tree that once held the core.
All its branches now hung limp like they were crawling on the ground, but the tree wasn't dead.
Flowers bloomed in winding patterns along its enormous branches. And at the center was the Celestial Clan relic, glowing white.
The young Celestial Clan's corpse, impaled by a sword where the core had been, remained untouched.
The only change since the core's destruction was that the branches encasing the relic had fallen away, revealing the white glow of the armor and sword.
The white light swelled and receded like it was breathing.
The pure white Celestial Clan boy, sprawled amid the flowers, had become a mystical sight in itself.
"A Celestial Clan relic... Something you only see in old stories. It won't really go to us, right?"
As Loen spoke, Harkruks stared at it, entranced, before replying.
"But... The camp commander ordered us not to touch it. That's why the technicians are just drooling from afar, observing only."
"That's true. But that doesn't mean it's not ours, does it? By custom, knights have rights to spoils of war. In the end..."
Harkruks swallowed hard at Loen's words.
"You think so?"
Kang Geohan sat up from where he'd been lounging, showing interest.
'That becomes ours?'
Especially for Kang Geohan, who sensed demonic energy more acutely than anyone, his interest was inevitable.
'Celestial Clan relics... They hold tremendous power.'
Using his full-body mirror ability, he could clearly see the demonic energy in the helmet quivering faintly.
'That tiny armor and sword hold Giant-level power...'
It was befitting of the superior Celestial Clan. Their technology, evolved in a completely different direction from humanity's, seemed alien yet overwhelmingly powerful.
'What if that became mine?'
Kang Geohan eyed the Celestial Clan relic with sparkling eyes.
But Helena scoffed.
"Us? Humans wielding Celestial Clan gear? In your dreams..."
Loen bristled at her words.
"Why not? It's our spoils!"
"Do you think the Celestial Clan gives a damn about human customs? Those elitist pricks aren't handing over their relics."
"So you're saying the Celestial Clan will come take it back?"
"Of course."
"How would they even know it's here?"
"They're the Celestial Clan. They surpass human imagination. They might not have noticed before, hidden by the core's energy, but now that it's gone... They'll come. That's why the camp commander ordered no touching."
Helena's firm declaration.
'...Is that true?'
Kang Geohan glanced sideways at Kalts Black, standing rigidly beside him.
He figured Kalts, who'd been a special instructor until recently, would know more.
Kalts stood straight and answered.
"The camp commander didn't definitively say whether the Celestial Clan would come or not. He simply said to preserve it in its original state, per national law against touching Celestial Clan items."
At Kalts's words, the group suddenly became aware of his presence. They all looked uncomfortable.
He'd been a special instructor until recently, and even without that, he was a senior with the prestigious Black surname.
For such a person to suddenly declare himself Kang Geohan's squire and stand there like that—it was awkward.
But Kalts ignored any discomfort, and Kang Geohan tried to treat him as naturally as possible, considering his resolve.
Loen, who'd been gauging reactions, muttered.
"So it might not end up in our hands...? Then who compensates us for our spoils? Ugh... Better if the Celestial Clan shows up quick. At least we'd get an eyeful. Are they all really that handsome and pretty?"
'We're leaving the camp tomorrow. Will we see how this Celestial Clan thing plays out first?'
As Loen sang about wanting to see the Celestial Clan,
Whoosh!
The Celestial Clan relic and corpse embedded in the tree suddenly began glowing brightly.
"Huh? What's that?"
"Hey! Record it quick! Pure white... What material glows like that?"
The technicians nearby, who'd been observing the relic with the naked eye, reacted first.
But the commotion soon spread rapidly in all directions.
"W-Wait! Look at the sky!"
Someone shouted. All eyes turned upward.
Against a clear blue sky without a single cloud, bathed in rainbow sunlight, they descended, flapping wings silently.
"A... wyvern?"
"Griffins!"
"Those wings on the armor..."
One wyvern gleamed with silver scales, shaking its long neck. Known as the king of the skies, it flew at high speed spewing fire.
Atop it sat a knight in blue armor.
Two griffins followed—one with a lion's body and eagle's head. Their massive wings revealed glimpses of white-armored knights riding them.
Folded neatly on the knights' backs were wings as pure white as an angel's.
Their faces were hidden by helmets as they sat atop wyverns and griffins, gazing down at the humans below.
Somehow, despite the flapping of enormous wings, not a sound reached them.
'A fragrance... Like sun-dried blankets in summer.'
A warm scent enveloped the clearing.
Kang Geohan instinctively knew.
'Celestial Clan.'
The very ones they'd been discussing had arrived.
One wyvern and two griffins landed in the clearing like illusions, without a sound.
"Mm..."
"Urgh..."
The knights in the clearing hurriedly backed away. Some impulsively reached for their sword hilts.
It was the pressure. Like facing a Giant, an oppressive weight crushed their chests from the Celestial Clan.
But the Celestial Clan paid no mind to the humans' reactions. Their gazes remained fixed on the Celestial Clan corpse and relic.
Thud. Thud.
The three Celestial Clan members headed toward the central tree, still not dismounting their wyverns and griffins. The crowd parted in startled awe.
The Celestial Clan acted as if the humans were invisible, and people scattered from their path like fleeing the blinding sun.
"We greet the ones from the heavens."
Halting their steps was the booming voice of Harun Basio, Junior Baron—the highest-ranking man at the training camp.
Rustle—
The forest petals showered down from his voice, infused with majestic mana.
The three Celestial Clan knights stopped. They didn't dismount their wyverns and griffins even to face Basio.
One of them, in white armor, slightly turned his head. Then he spoke.
"...Ah."
That was it. Not even a word or sentence—just a meaningless exclamation. After that single "Ah," the Celestial Clan simply stared at Harun Basio.
Kang Geohan saw Harun Basio's eyes tremble.
A Junior Baron, proud member of a noble house with its own name. Such blatant disrespect would grind anyone's teeth, but Harun Basio kept his smile.
"I am Harun Basio, commander of the 13th Selection Training Camp. Have you come from the heavens to retrieve the young Celestial Clan's body and relics?"
Nod.
This time, the Celestial Clan just nodded once. He seemed to utterly disdain mingling words with humans.
'...Too lowly to converse with. Is that it?'
Kang Geohan narrowed his eyes, observing their behavior.
Harun Basio pressed on, unshaken by the overt disdain.
"As expected. What belongs to the Celestial Clan should return to them. But my subordinates protected that body and relic from the monster. They deserve recognition for that. It is our law, acknowledged even by the great King of Linekar."
Harun Basio stared at the Celestial Clan with unwavering eyes. The white-armored knight sighed, "Ha..."
Suddenly, the aura shifted.
"So?"
It felt like facing a steaming Giant. No—even denser, more feral killing intent.
Grrrrr—
The wyvern and griffins reacted to the knight's aura, their eyes glowing red as they growled through bared fangs. Steam from their maws clouded vision.
"Subordinates? Not you? You're butting in with that filthy mouth when you're not even the one involved?"
Gulp.
Harun Basio swallowed.
Overwhelming presence. Even in a Giant, one might cower... No matter how skilled a knight Harun Basio was, he couldn't withstand such savage pressure barehanded.
He couldn't speak. He could only struggle not to retreat.
'Royal titles mean nothing to them?'
The site commander was speaking, yet they openly hostile-ized him as "not the party involved."
One more word, and they'd exact a price for rudeness... Harun Basio seethed, but was helpless.
He lacked the stature to risk a massive diplomatic incident with the Celestial Clan.
But how could mere trainees, the actual parties, speak up against such ferocious aura?
The Celestial Clan knight slowly scanned the human crowd.
Was there anyone to step forward? Anyone here claiming rights? Dare they?
Eyes laden with such questions. Those meeting that icy gaze froze stiff.
Loen, who'd been thrilled about claiming the relic, could only dart her eyes silently. Harkruks sweated coldly.
Even Helena, who'd mocked the Celestial Clan, bit her lip.
"Hmph..."
The sneering knight turned away.
The blue-armored Celestial Clan knight, who seemed highest-ranked, hadn't glanced at the humans once. The other white-armored one hadn't twitched, eyes forward.
They thoroughly ignored the humans.
"I will retrieve that child's body."
The white-armored knight, who'd dealt with Harun Basio, politely addressed the blue-armored one and moved to dismount his griffin.
That's when Kang Geohan gritted his teeth and stepped forward. He raised his voice.
"Here. The one who defeated the mighty monster here and protected that Celestial Clan relic and body is right here."
In that instant,
Wind blew.
Like a dragon's breath, like a volley of arrows—hot, sharp aura poured toward Kang Geohan.
'Hup...!'
Kang Geohan drew a deep breath. He poured power into the demonic energy at his core, planting his feet firmly. He barely overcame the fear threatening to make him stagger back.
Thus, tensing his gut, he spat out the rest.
"People usually feel something called 'gratitude' in situations like this, but it seems the Celestial Clan lords do not?"
At those words,
The blue-armored Celestial Clan knight turned his head for the first time.
Kang Geohan's gaze met his.