Chapter 31
Chapter 31
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Rewarding Merit (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“I have long awaited the moment to break free from the main family's shadow.”
I was waiting to see what reward would replace our original agreement, so her words came out of nowhere.
“It wasn't an easy decision. A half-hearted declaration of independence would never be accepted by them. It was obvious they would dispatch knights, if necessary, to bring us back under their thumb.”
Whether she knew of my confusion or not, Gritta continued on with her story.
“It's something you can't even attempt unless you're confident you can rise to the ranks of a renowned family.”
I straightened my posture unconsciously.
It was because I understood the weight behind the title of a renowned family.
A renowned family wasn't made simply by having immense wealth, nor by possessing a multitude of exceptional knights.
Nor was it something achieved through high prestige alone.
「An Ascended and Renowned Family」
A 'renowned family' was another name for a family that had produced an Ascendant.
It was no easy feat.
In the long history of the Empire, fewer than one hundred families had ever produced an Ascendant.
Among them, only thirty-three—including the imperial family and the Empire's Eight Great Families—still flourished as renowned families of Ascendants.
To begin with, few individuals met the minimum qualifications for ascension, and even fewer families could afford the immense cost of the ceremony.
The only families in the Empire who regularly attempted ascension were the imperial family and the Eight Great Families.
Even then, the success rate was low.
It was said to be a blessing if even one out of five attempts succeeded.
This was true even for the imperial family and the Eight Great Families, which were filled with high-ranking knights.
To say nothing of other families.
Most families couldn't even dare to try.
The average family couldn't possibly bear the enormous material losses that came with a failed ascension.
Furthermore, a knight who failed to ascend would suffer from devastating aftereffects.
Losing a limb or having their core power damaged was considered a fortunate outcome.
Becoming a madman or dying on the spot was commonplace.
A family's prosperity couldn't possibly continue after its greatest knight was crippled overnight.
It wasn't for nothing that only thirty-three of the hundred-odd renowned families of Ascendants remained.
“I intended to ascend to the heavens myself, to be reborn as a renowned family with a star of its own.”
And now, the knight before me was saying she had been preparing for that very ascension.
“But I overlooked the worldly principle that fragrant food always attracts flies.”
Her words continued while I was lost in thought.
“For that complacency, we paid with too much blood.”
Gritta took a small wooden box from within her clothes.
“Because of this very thing.”
She said the root of the disaster that struck Komlat was inside.
What on earth could it be?
“A timeless treasure that grants the ascension all knights desire.”
Even as I listened to her explanation, I thought, *No way, it can't be.*
“It is the Gaecheondan.”
And my unbelievable suspicion was correct.
My god.
The Gaecheondan.
They say the heavens open wide for anyone who consumes it.
As if they could ascend at any moment just by taking a single step.
It was no exaggeration.
In fact, every knight who consumed a Gaecheondan had successfully ascended.
In other words, the Gaecheondan raised the roughly twenty percent success rate of ascension to a full one hundred percent.
A treasure unlike any other in the world.
But looking at the wooden box, I couldn't help but feel uneasy.
The terrible war in my past life—its catalyst had been the Gaecheondan.
One day, three Gaecheondan pills suddenly appeared.
The world was turned upside down, and every knight who desired ascension flocked to where the treasure lay.
Countless knights died.
Countless grudges were born.
Those who obtained the Gaecheondan all successfully ascended and became stars.
But the families and loved ones they were meant to watch over were already gone.
The newly risen stars in the sky desired revenge, and those who aspired to knighthood readily swore to carry it out.
Then, stars who lived and died for war joined the fray.
And so, the Great War began.
I instinctively glanced around.
To me, who remembered the horrific disaster from my past life, the Gaecheondan wasn't a treasure, but a cursed object.
My heart pounded painfully at the thought that someone nearby might have overheard us.
“Our conversation won't be overheard, so there's no need for you to make such a fuss, little squire.”
Fortunately, Gritta wasn't foolish.
It seemed she had already taken measures to prevent the sound from leaking out.
I let out an unconscious sigh of relief.
Seeing my reaction, she expressed a hint of admiration.
“To see a timeless treasure before you and not covet it, but instead be wary of the danger it brings.”
Having seen what became of the world because of the Gaecheondan, my reaction was only natural.
But she, ignorant of that fact, looked at me as if I were some rare creature.
“Little squire. I believe I was right to come to you.”
With a look of relief on her face, Gritta announced unilaterally.
“This.”
But her announcement was so sudden.
“I'm giving it to you.”
I could only stare, my eyes wide.
* * *
Gritta left.
The expression on her face just before she turned to leave seemed somehow relieved.
It was the face of someone who had set down a heavy burden, or perhaps one who had cast off all attachments and felt cleansed.
I stopped her just before she left and asked.
Why would she give a treasure that guarantees ascension to someone like me.
Wasn't ascension the ultimate desire of every knight?
‘My greed has brought great disaster upon my family. For me to ascend now would be utterly irresponsible. I intend to remain and do what I must.’
I was convinced by her answer that she intended to remain in the lower world and fulfill her duties as the family head.
In my past life, I had already seen the tragedies that befell the owners of the Gaecheondan.
They had become stars as they'd wished, but in return, they lost the families and loved ones they were meant to watch over.
Suddenly, I saw Gritta in a new light.
She had called me peculiar for being wary of the treasure instead of coveting it, but wasn't she even more so?
To go beyond mere wariness and actually give the treasure to someone else—that wasn't a decision just anyone could make.
If people could give it up so rationally, so much blood would never have been shed in my past life.
It was a treasure, and a cursed object, because people couldn't cast off their greed even knowing blood would be shed.
I revised my assessment of Gritta.
Because her name was one I'd never heard in my past life.
Because she was the head of a collateral branch of the Giftrang family, not the main house.
I'd thought she was just another run-of-the-mill knight, but I was wrong.
Wasn't she more remarkable than the famous knights of the central region?
In any case, she departed with that relieved expression.
Leaving word that she would return on a certain evening.
I looked up at the sky.
The sun was slowly setting over the walls of the inner castle.
A fair amount of time had passed while I was talking with Gritta.
The inner castle gates would be closing soon.
It looked like I'd have to give up on going out today.
Returning to my room, I found a visitor was already there.
A portly figure wrapped in extravagant clothes.
“My lord?”
It was the Lord of Komlat, Godrek Komlat.
“Oh! Esquire Yan!”
Godrek, who was constantly dabbing the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, brightened at the sight of me.
“Why didn't you go inside?”
“Well, no matter what sound I made, there was no reply from within! Even if I am the lord of this castle, I couldn't just barge into a guest's room, so I've been waiting out here.”
“Ah.”
Only then did I remember Gunther was meditating.
I asked Godrek to excuse me for a moment and peeked through the door.
Gunther was still meditating.
I explained the situation to Godrek.
That once he enters a meditative state, he sometimes doesn't open his eyes for days.
“Oh! I've heard that the monks of the holy orders pray for days on end. Knight Gunther's meditation must be the same!”
A true holy knight. I nodded indifferently at Godrek's admiration.
I had served a court knight in my past life.
The imperial nobles I saw back then all made a fuss over such trivial matters.
It was supposedly the aristocratic way of speaking.
In any case, after playing along with Godrek's empty admiration, I asked the reason for his visit.
Though it was obvious why Godrek would drag his portly frame all the way here.
“Has Knight Gunther still not given a firm answer to my proposal?”
As I thought.
Ever since the castle was laid to waste, Godrek had been trying his best to convince Gunther to stay in Komlat.
That was why he had offered lodgings in the inner castle and provided all sorts of amenities.
But Gunther had refused all the amenities and spent his time outside.
If Godrek hadn't forgotten his dignity and practically begged him, Gunther probably wouldn't have even accepted the lodgings.
For Godrek, who was terrified the sorcerer might attack again, it was no surprise that Gunther's distant attitude was wearing him down.
“Let me know as soon as Knight Gunther finishes his meditation.”
In the end, Godrek's choice was to butter me up.
He took a pouch from his coat and handed it to me.
“Of course, my lord.”
I deftly snatched the pouch he offered.
“I'm counting on you, Esquire Yan.”
“Yes. You can count on me.”
I bowed at a ninety-degree angle as I saw Godrek off.
“Take care, my lord!”
I waited until Godrek disappeared down the end of the hall before straightening up.
“Whew. Our lord has so much money. If he has money for this, he should be spending it on the restoration efforts.”
The heavy weight of the pouch made me smile with satisfaction.
At the same time, however, a corner of my heart ached with guilt.
It was my conscience.
A few days ago, Godrek had come to me and asked me to persuade Gunther to become the resident knight of Komlat Castle.
Of course, I hadn't even relayed the offer to Gunther.
It was obvious he would refuse.
The moment Gunther refused the lord's offer, all the luxuries I was currently enjoying would come to an end.
I planned to stall for as long as possible.
That was the plan.
“Yan.”
As I entered, jingling the pouch of coins, Gunther was waiting for me.
He had been deep in meditation just a moment ago.
I stealthily hid the coin pouch behind my back.
“It seems you've made a deal with the lord.”
But unfortunately for me, Gunther already knew everything.
“Ah, about that. The thing is, I was going to tell you, but you went into meditation right away, Master. I didn't get the chance.”
I rattled off excuses, but it was already too late.
“If the lord comes looking again, tell him I refuse.”
Gunther didn't ask for the details of the offer; he simply stated his refusal.
“Yes, sir.”
Knowing his personality, I didn't waste my breath trying to persuade him and simply agreed.
“And.”
After nodding, Gunther held out his hand.
I sighed and handed over the coin pouch.
“This will be given to the citizens who suffered in the attack, so don't feel too sorry about losing it.”
“Sorry? Not at all.”
I've pocketed several of these over the past few days. What's one more?
I tiptoed toward the bed, careful not to let the other pouches hidden in my clothes jingle.
“Yan.”
Gunther called out to me.
“Once things have settled down here, we will leave Komlat.”
It was a bit sudden, but I had expected as much.
Even in my past life, Gunther hadn't stayed in the west for long.
The destination was obvious too.
He would probably head south.
“Over the mountains, to the central region.”
But I was wrong.
The central region, out of nowhere?
“We are going to the imperial capital, Gesentium.”
And the final destination was the imperial capital, no less.
I had to ask.
“The imperial capital? Why?”
No matter how I wracked my brain, I couldn't think of a single reason for Gunther to go to the imperial capital.
And yet.
“The Cradle of Stars. You are to enter it.”
It turned out it was because of me.