Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: A Long-Lingering Memory
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It lingered long in memory.
The moment Kang Geohan seized the crown, the lizardmen screamed and rolled across the ground. Some shook their heads and staggered to their feet, but they showed none of their former agility or coordination. Creatures like that were nothing more than prey for the Gigants.
Of course, Kang Geohan and his comrades were so drained that they could barely handle even these weakened foes.
“Raaargh!”
But there was Saxon Silver, completely unhinged.
Crack! Thud! Slash!
Until the entire swamp was dyed green. Saxon Silver’s greatsword cleaved the air without pause.
And at last, every last lizardman sank beneath the waters of the swamp.
An exclamation burst from someone’s lips.
-Conquest… achieved!!!
The conquest of the uncharted territory.
And from that moment, the northern swamp underwent a dramatic transformation.
The first change was to the surface of the swamp.
No matter how much they had stirred and churned it, the water had always reflected the sky like a mirror, revealing nothing of what lay beneath. Now it turned crystal clear.
From above, it still mirrored the heavens perfectly, but if you lowered your head to change the angle or splashed the water, the bottom came into sharp view. Sunlight sparkled through the ripples.
Next came the swamp floor.
The sticky, squelching muck that had sucked at their feet drained away, replaced by smooth white pebbles that bubbled up from below.
This was no longer a swamp. It had become a shallow, beautiful lake.
The changes continued.
The lizardmen’s green blood purified into transparency. The corpses that had sunk into the lake looked almost peaceful, as if merely asleep.
Flowers bloomed along the lake’s edges, withered trees sprang back to life, and moss and grass overgrew the animal bones.
“Wow…”
Loen (17) stared at the transformation in a daze.
The extreme tension melted away, the sun dipped toward the horizon, her friends were all alive, and the scene before her was breathtaking.
Thump.
Her heart suddenly pounded.
Didn’t everyone have moments like that?
Right before falling asleep or just after waking, when the sunlight streaming through the window and the patterns on the wallpaper felt surreal yet endlessly peaceful.
That was Loen in this moment.
‘Ah… am I really here?’
Uncharted territory. Fierce battle. Victory. A landscape transformed into beauty. All of it was what the young Loen had dreamed of while preparing for the Gigant Rider exam.
She glanced back and realized she had plunged straight into the heart of that dream.
‘Precious…’
The thought came unbidden.
In Loen’s neighborhood, she was the only one preparing to become a Gigant Rider.
Her family were freemen, but not wealthy, and the same went for her street. She was the only one there with the talent to dream of becoming a Gigant Rider.
She studied and practiced every day, but no one could relate to what she did.
When she’d excitedly say, ‘This feels just like mana!’, the response was:
‘…What are you talking about?’
When she’d ask, ‘What if I used mana like this?’, she got:
‘Don’t act all high and mighty!’
The world was cold and sharp to Loen, who loved chattering and sharing what she knew.
Even her parents, who always supported her, didn’t truly understand the world she inhabited.
Back then, she had been lonely.
The warm light of friendship had seeped into her life starting at the selection training camp.
Everything was different there, and later in the Eastern Pioneering Unit.
She had comrades who trained alongside her, friends who listened to her worries and offered advice.
Ah, her precious friends.
That was why this moment felt so dear.
Her friends had all survived.
They were alive, sharing this victorious peace together.
And that was possible because…
Loen White looked around. Her gaze instinctively sought out Kang Geohan.
The sun had stretched into a long sunset.
Against the orange world and the shimmering lake, Kang Geohan opened the hatch and climbed out. A breeze from somewhere tousled his black hair.
Kang Geohan rummaged in his pocket, pulled out some dried ogre meat, popped it in his mouth, and chewed slowly. He closed his eyes and faced the wind.
Loen watched him quietly.
For some reason, the scene lingered long in memory.
* * *
The sun set quickly, and night fell.
The battle had been brutal, and the Gigants were battered. Armor plates torn in places was the least of it—arms severed, hatches ripped off. The Gigants needed maintenance, and so did they.
The next morning,
Saxon Silver decided to return to the Eastern Border Fortress.
Kaltz Black and his squad stayed behind at the outpost. For the week or so until they returned, they would scout the newly pioneered ‘Mirror Lake’ (formerly the northern swamp).
The day they returned to the Eastern Border Fortress, dragging their ragged, beggar-like Gigants, the group collapsed into bed without even washing and slept.
And the next day.
Saxon Silver rose early, went to the squires and the market, then settled the spoils from the mission.
“Distribution ratio: 60% to me, 15% to Rafal Black, 9% to Kang Geohan, 4% each to the rest.”
A standard split reflecting rank and merit. But Saxon Silver had no intention of sticking to it.
“This mission was extremely dangerous, and that was my fault. So it wouldn’t be right for me to take my full share. I’ll split my portion and redistribute. 10% each to Rafal and Kang Geohan, 5% each to the rest.”
Final split: Saxon Silver 20%, Rafal Black 25%, Kang Geohan 19%, the rest 9% each.
“Now for the big number. Don’t faint. We killed 7,637 lizardmen over the past six days. At 10 silver each, that’s 76,370 silver coins. Plus 80,000 silver from selling the Gigant weapons carried by the Lizard King’s minions. And 50,000 silver in conquest rewards from the fortress. Total: 206,370 silver coins.”
Everyone’s eyes bulged. Even Gerot, from a wealthy noble house, was stunned by the sum.
By those numbers, Kang Geohan’s share was 39,210 silver.
At his estimate of one silver coin equaling about 100,000 won on Earth, that was nearly 3.92 billion won earned in under a week.
Less than Kang Geohan, but his comrades would receive massive sums too.
Per-person share: 18,573 silver. Everyone beamed, faces flushed.
“Oh, and the crown the Lizard King wore—that Op Arts item—goes to Kang Geohan. Take it to the royal workshop, and they’ll make Gigant upgrade parts from it.”
Kang Geohan’s ears perked up. Already loaded with cash, and now a Gigant upgrade too? It was almost too good to be true.
Saxon Silver grinned at the beaming Whites.
“Happy?”
“Yes! Very!”
“But the next part will bring tears.”
“Huh?”
“As Riders, we’re guaranteed spoils rights, but we cover Gigant repairs ourselves.”
“Huh? You mean…”
“Yeah. Gigants are expensive. Insanely so.”
Gerot, minus an arm, and Harkrux, minus a hatch, grimaced.
Saxon Silver laughed at them.
“No need to despair. Tradition among kingdom Riders is brigade liability for repairs. Actual payout deducts repair costs.”
Gerot and Harkrux’s faces brightened subtly.
“Turns out total repair for seven Gigants is 130,000 silver. Net profit: 76,370 silver.”
Recalculated, Kang Geohan’s share came to 14,510 silver.
Kang Geohan received 135 pure gold coins, 48 gold coins, and 50 silver coins.
‘So this is a pure gold coin… beautiful.’
His first time seeing one. Each pure gold coin was worth five gold or a hundred silver, and it emanated a warm glow like sunlight.
His comrades each got 6,873 silver.
Still an enormous sum.
“That’s why… my parents wanted me to become a Gigant Rider…”
Loen’s eyes welled up.
“Ha… haha? What is this? Pure gold? As a kid, owning one silver coin was my dream…”
Harkrux, born a serf, held his warm pure gold coin up to the sun with a dazed smile.
Kang Geohan was thrilled too. 14,510 silver in his pocket. Now he could confidently upgrade his Gigant heart—with 4,000 silver left over. His head lifted proudly.
A sweet victory.
* * *
“Congratulations on the victory.”
“Thank you.”
“But… there are matters I can’t simply celebrate.”
The Eastern Border Fortress commander, Countess Kali Stehold, was away on expedition.
In her stead, Viscount Luc Heyend acted as interim commander.
A noble renowned more for strategy than valor.
Saxon Silver reported events at ease, and deep furrows creased the viscount’s brow.
“…So. The lizardmen used Gigant equipment?”
“Yes, sir.”
Viscount Luc Heyend’s gaze deepened.
“And they knew how to fight Gigants?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Haa…”
Viscount Heyend sighed deeply.
“The key is which nation’s Gigants they’d fought before. That’s the crux.”
“…Rogot, perhaps?”
“No other possibilities.”
Viscount Luc Heyend’s eyes turned icy.
“Lizardmen fighting in Rogot Kingdom territory came all the way to our borderlands. Why?”
Saxon Silver swallowed hard. A vague worry was crystallizing into reality.
“No way… or rather, as expected…”
“No. No need to jump to conclusions yet. It’s still unknown. But… we must prepare for the worst. What’s the status of personnel left at the outpost?”
“…Reliable knights. Even if the worst happens… they’ll fulfill their duty.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Viscount Luc Heyend rang the bell on his desk.
“Yes! You called?”
His adjutant hurried in from outside.
“Emergency. Summon all Riders from front line, second line, third line.”
Shock spread across the adjutant’s face.
“All Riders, emergency muster?”
“Affirmative.”
Viscount Heyend bit his lip, scribbled a letter, and handed it over. A hint of anxiety and urgency laced his voice.
“Deliver this to Countess on expedition.”
“Yes, sir!”
As the adjutant dashed off, Viscount Heyend groaned softly.
“I hope… this is just baseless worry.”
In the heavy atmosphere, Saxon Silver swallowed again.
“Should I ready my Blacks and Whites too?”
Viscount Heyend shook his head.
“Rest fully when resting. That’s how you fight again. Harsh as it sounds… go rest properly.”
Viscount Heyend stood, smiled, and clapped Saxon Silver on the back.
But once Saxon Silver left the office, his face darkened with concern once more.
“I wonder if this will be enough…”