Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Chapter 4: The Departure Ceremony (2)
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An ivory surface of well-oiled cowhide.
It was long enough to cover an adult man’s thighs, with sleeves that reached the elbows.
“A buff coat.”
A leather coat often worn by knights who valued finesse.
It looked like a thick piece of clothing, but it was said to block most sword strikes.
“You’d outgrow any decent armor in no time. I suppose that’s why our little squire here didn’t order any armor for himself.”
The old man was right.
Those rich nobles from the central region might commission custom-fitted steel armor for their quickly growing children, but that had nothing to do with me.
Gunther and I were too poor to spend a fortune on armor I would wear for only a short time.
Of course, going into battle unprotected was foolish, but I had no intention of crawling into the heart of a sword-strewn battlefield when I had a perfectly good Knight Slayer.
How much help could I be with these short arms and legs anyway?
“It’s a gift I’ll treasure.”
I was truly delighted by the old man’s gift, which perfectly suited my circumstances.
It had been worth seeking out this shabby forge among the countless others.
I immediately took the coat from the chest and put it on.
“That’s it. For now, you can wear it like a big cloak, and once you’ve grown, you can wear it as intended. Here. If you fasten the belt and tie the straps on the sleeves like this, it won’t be too uncomfortable.”
After adjusting the coat here and there with the old man’s help, I was quite pleased with it.
The stiff material made it a bit awkward to move in, but protection and comfort were always at odds.
Of course, items that defied such common sense did exist in this world, but those nonsensical items came with nonsensical price tags.
An item far beyond the reach of my very sensible budget.
Anyway.
“Thank you.”
I wore the coat and asked for the other items to be delivered to the inn.
As I finished my business and was about to leave the forge, a misshapen sword tucked away in a corner caught my eye.
Too long to be a dagger, too short to be a shortsword, with a serrated blade and an excessively long crossguard.
“A left-handed sword. They call it a swordbreaker across the sea.”
Unlike the knights of the Empire, who would break out in hives if they weren’t clad in steel, it was a weapon favored by the swordsmen of the kingdom across the sea, who preferred light armor.
“I made it based on the description of a mercenary from across the sea, but once it was finished, I realized there was no one to use it.”
The old man’s explanatory tone quickly turned into a grumble.
I said to him.
“I’ll buy it.”
The old man’s face lit up, but he soon tried to dissuade me with a somber tone.
He said it wasn’t suited for an Imperial.
Regardless, I forced two one-shilling coins into his hand and left the forge.
My heart pounded as I walked away.
The weapon that had been a nuisance and a failure to the old man just so happened to be one of my favorite tools in my past life.
[Swordbreaker]
Contrary to its name, which suggests it destroys an opponent’s sword, its actual purpose is to catch, push away, or bind an enemy’s blade with its serrated edge.
I learned how to use it from a squire who served a knight from across the sea.
“First the Knight Slayer, now a swordbreaker. Roman would have fainted if he saw this.”
Roman, who had always disapproved of my reliance on unorthodox weapons, would have been disgusted, saying I’d relapsed into my bad habits even after returning to the past.
“Ah, if you have a problem with it, show up and say something.”
I chuckled to myself as I walked on for a while.
Suddenly.
Someone blocked my path.
“...?”
I looked up to see a familiar kid.
It was the squire who had been trailing after Giftrang’s Grand Prince.
Iden, was it?
“Pfft.”
The boy looked me up and down and burst out laughing.
“What are you wearing, a sack? You look ridiculous. Don’t you have any shame...?”
I ignored him and started walking, but he blocked my path again.
“How dare you ignore someone who is speaking to you. Such insolence is worthy of a northern barbarian. I shall personally teach you some manners.”
“Is that today, by any chance?”
“...What?”
“I’m asking if the etiquette lesson is scheduled for today.”
“Hmph! I came only to give you a warning today!”
“Whew. That’s a relief. I’m a bit busy today.”
When I spoke as if I were genuinely relieved, his face flushed with anger.
But it was only for a moment; he soon smirked and said.
“Well, your arrogance won’t last long. Go on, be as arrogant as you want while you still can.”
*Shakes.*
Since he told me to be as arrogant as I wanted, I lifted my chin and put on the most insolent expression I could muster. I even shifted my weight to one leg and started shaking it.
“You’re truly insufferable.”
The boy, quickly going back on his word, warned me.
“It’s tomorrow. I will personally educate you, so don’t you dare run away. Make sure you attend the departure ceremony.”
“As you command.”
“...Eek!”
I walked past the spineless, impatient squire and opened the door to the inn.
“How did it go?”
The mercenaries asked the moment I opened the door.
“How do you think?”
I glanced toward the door and answered.
“They took the bait.”
The mercenaries erupted in cheers the moment I finished speaking.
“Did Giftrang really provoke you?”
“Wow. At this point, shouldn’t you set up a stall in the market and tell fortunes?”
I put on a serious face and explained to the mercenaries, who were looking at me as if I were a skilled fortune-teller.
This wasn’t fortune-telling or prophecy, but a prediction of their movements based on careful calculation.
In truth, there weren’t many moves the Giftrang family could make at this point.
Crushing us thoroughly at the departure ceremony.
But they couldn’t do it too openly.
It was beneath their station, and they lacked a proper justification.
The card they could play in such a situation was obvious.
A duel between squires.
They could come up with any pretext they wanted.
“But are you really confident?”
“The squire of Grand Prince Klail is a genius whose talent was recognized early on by the family head, who personally gave him the Giftrang name, adopted him, and made him his eldest son’s squire.”
The mercenaries vied to share information about my opponent.
That at the young age of twelve, he had mastered the secrets of Giftrang swordsmanship and could create two afterimages with a single thrust.
That even when the eldest son was cast out due to a conflict with the head, Iden’s position was saved by those who didn’t want to waste his prodigious talent, allowing him to become the current Grand Prince’s squire.
That he had already caught the eye of a star and could use a fraction of a knight’s power.
“There’s the age difference, too. Are you really going to be okay?”
Bok’s face was filled with concern as he asked.
I thought he was just a spineless, impatient brat, but it seemed he was a highly anticipated prodigy, famous in the area.
No wonder I disliked him from the moment I saw him.
I generally didn’t get along with geniuses.
Roman, who worked me like a dog for ten years before abandoning me at the last minute to ascend alone, and the squire who crippled my leg—they were all geniuses.
*Throb.*
My left foot, which had been healed upon returning to the past, tingled. Just like in those days when I was a cripple.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll handle it just fine.”
“You must have had a plan when you set all this up.”
By now, I was used to the mercenaries’ bottomless trust in me, so I simply nodded.
“Oh! I see you got yourself a new coat.”
“Anyone would think a neighborhood kid just threw on a sack... Ack!”
“Isn’t that the one Old Man Furnace made? Our Esquire picked up the one nobody wanted.”
I left the mercenaries, who were now spouting nonsense, and headed for the second floor.
The bedroom was dark, without a single lamp lit.
“Ugh. Master, you could at least open the curtains.”
I set down the items from the forge in a corner of the room and opened the curtains. Gunther, sitting on the edge of the bed, still didn't react.
With his eyes tightly shut and his hands clasped, he looked as solemn as if he were praying.
How many days has it been?
Ever since the Grand Prince of Giftrang’s visit, Gunther had barely eaten, spending all day meditating like this.
It wasn't a particularly unusual sight for me, as I had often seen knights sharpen their focus before battle in this manner in my past life.
Still, it seemed a bit excessive.
I had never seen anyone continue a meditation—which usually lasted a day at most, or half a day at the least—for several days on end.
“Old Man Furnace sent the items. Shall I put them here in front of you?”
Just then, the equipment sent by the old blacksmith arrived.
I began to carefully tend to the gear, making sure not to disturb Gunther’s meditation.
There wasn’t much to do, thanks to the old blacksmith’s work, but it was foolish for someone heading into battle to rely solely on others for equipment checks.
*Scrape, scrape.*
I took out the whetstone I had bought earlier and sharpened the longsword’s blade, then meticulously inspected the armor’s joints and straps. With time to spare, I tried on the gear, arranging and fastening it for convenient storage and use.
The sun set, and the night deepened.
Gunther remained motionless with his eyes closed.
“I’m heading out, Master.”
I grabbed the longsword and the swordbreaker and quietly left the room.
When I went downstairs, the fully armed mercenaries were waiting.
Their faces were completely different from their usual selves, who would laugh and joke around.
“I trust you’ve all memorized the target’s description.”
“Memorized it? I see him every time I close my eyes, like a long-lost lover!”
“A long-lost lover? You’ve never even been in a relationship!”
The mercenaries burst out laughing.
But even as they cackled, their eyes shone with a sharp light.
They had the fierce gaze of hungry wolves.
“Then let the hunt begin.”
The hungry wolves’ prey were the jackals hiding among the sheep.
The wanted criminals who had settled in Komlat.
Their heads would be more than enough of a gift for the Relief Knights to present to the citizens of Komlat.
“Let’s go.”
I led the mercenaries out of the inn.
The mercenaries dispersed, following the beggars and slum boys who were waiting for them.
I, too, followed a beggar and melted into the city’s shadows.
***
Pelon chewed his nails incessantly.
He had volunteered for night duty at Esquire Yan's request and had been guarding the barracks for some time, but reports were flooding in from all over.
Reports of sword fights,
of rough-looking men with swords roaming around, turning the city upside down.
These were incidents that should have had him ringing the barracks bell several times over.
“Hey now. Keep your seat. Did you not hear what our big brother—I mean, the Esquire—said?”
As he shifted nervously in his seat, an annoyingly calm voice spoke up.
“No reports came in today.”
Sasha, was it?
The beggar, who had been Esquire Yan’s liaison and frequented the barracks, had now settled in and showed no signs of leaving.
“What in the world is the Esquire doing...?”
He asked out of frustration, but the only reply he got was the cryptic word, “Cleaning.”
“Urgh.”
He tried to calm himself.
Thankfully, most of the reports were from the slums.
His superiors wouldn’t care about disturbances in the slums.
But he couldn’t just ignore the reports coming from the residential areas of ordinary citizens.
Pelon decided he would finally ring the bell and stood up, but the beggar boy blocked his way.
“Have faith, and you shall be rewarded.”
At those carefree words, Pelon shouted back.
“I’ll be reprimanded for this later! The reports I’ve already ignored are enough to get me disciplined, not just reprimanded!”
“Jeez. You’re a grown man, why are you so timid? I’m telling you, this is good for Komlat and good for you, soldier.”
After pacing anxiously, sitting down and standing up again, he finally plopped back into his chair.
*‘Don’t you want a promotion? Then just do as I say for one day.’*
Recalling the promise from Esquire Yan, the man who had taken down a vicious criminal in an instant, Pelon tried to steady his wavering heart.
And so he guarded the barracks until the night was over.
The flood of reports from all over had long since stopped.
“Anything unusual?”
“Huh? Oh.”
Pelon gave a vague answer to his colleague who arrived for the shift change and fled the barracks.
He headed straight for the square where the departure ceremony would be held.
*Murmur, murmur.*
The square was already packed with a crowd that had gathered early in the morning to watch the departure ceremony.
Pelon pushed through the crowd toward the center of the square.
After securing a good spot, he quietly waited for the stars of the ceremony to appear.
The Relief Knights and the Giftrang family.
“It’s the Giftrang family!”
Of the two, the Giftrang family appeared first.