Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: An Old Grudge, Part 3
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The spirit and dignity of the Black Knight, Navian Gaznae, were the real deal.
Her talk of showing mercy to a Star-Eating Sorcerer didn't seem arrogant in the slightest.
Of course, my perspective, having never reached such heights, was merely that of a man on the ground trying to gauge the height of a colossal tree.
Nevertheless, I dared to surmise that the Black Knight was in no way Roman's inferior.
The proof was that even Roman, in his prime, couldn't make the Star-Eating Sorcerer retreat on his own.
That's why I found it all the more incomprehensible.
“Why couldn’t she ascend?”
In my past life, the Black Knight had failed to ascend.
A figure of her caliber didn't just fail while attempting to ascend on her own; she failed spectacularly, even with the full backing of her family.
And because of that incident, the Gaznae family began its decline.
The immense material losses were a problem, but the even greater loss of personnel was the real issue.
Knights who failed to ascend were bound to suffer from aftereffects, both great and small.
A slight change in temperament was considered relatively lucky; losing the use of a limb was considered rather unlucky.
The Black Knight’s case was among the most disastrous.
“Navian the Mad.”
The madness of a knight who had once aspired to the heavens was a disaster in itself.
In the end, the Gaznae family had to make tremendous sacrifices to subdue the maddened Black Knight, and among the fallen were direct blood relatives and knights who were meant to lead the next generation.
The tragedy was so shocking that all the other great families canceled their own ascension rites afterward.
No one wanted to become the next Gaznae.
Anyway.
“Esquire?”
The voices of the mercenaries calling my name snapped me out of my thoughts.
“What are you talking about, couldn’t ascend?”
“And why the serious face?”
Bok, Garon, and the other Forsaken Dogs were looking at me with grim expressions.
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Unable to tell them the truth, I mumbled a vague reply.
“Doesn’t look like nothing…”
“You had that same look during the last subjugation, and then all hell broke loose.”
The mercenaries kept pressing me, but I refused to say anything more.
These were mercenaries who, if I told them an orc and an elf got married, would at least consider it before asking if it made sense. But this time, they would surely think I was crazy.
That’s how immense the Black Knight’s stature was before she went mad.
So much so that no one would object even if she openly chided the heir to the Empire.
“Should you really be calling on this child so often, when he must be exhausted from wandering the mountains with such a burden on his back?”
Navian Gaznae remarked casually, now dressed in light clothing instead of the black plate armor she wore when we first met. Slumped deep in her chair with her legs crossed, she looked not just lax, but insolent.
“Are you perhaps referring to me as that burden?”
“I was speaking of the considerable burdens a squire must constantly bear. Did you think of yourself as one?”
The Crown Prince flared up, only to be shot down and left trembling with indignation.
“The House of Gaznae claims to be the foremost of the Empire’s eight great families. Shouldn’t its head, who must be busy with public and private affairs, not be spending so much time entertaining guests?”
He belatedly tried to rebuke her for neglecting her duties as the family head, but…
“Entertaining distinguished guests is also one of the duties of a family head. Is there a problem?”
As expected, his words had no effect.
Based on my experience so far, the Crown Prince was by no means a simple man.
Sometimes he was endlessly arrogant and flippant, while at other times he displayed a sharp insight, as if he could see through everything.
He was a completely unpredictable person.
Unfortunately for him, he was up against the wrong opponent.
When it came to being unpredictable, the Black Knight was far worse.
“You two, how about standing under the banner of Gaznae?”
She was just like that, suddenly turning her attention to us after teasing the Crown Prince.
“Especially the young squire over there. If you wish, I can arrange a Starseeker for you right now. I could even introduce you to one of my most fiery stars. The stars of my family are quite famous for that sort of thing.”
She was just like that, hawking the names of stars like a merchant selling wares from a stall.
“I’ve noticed this before, but the head of Gaznae has a nasty habit of drooling on other people’s food.”
“And I’ve noticed that Your Highness seems to have a peculiar habit of comparing people to food…”
Watching the two bicker, Gunther mouthed something to me.
It was basically a question of whether I enjoyed being the center of attention for two such powerful figures.
As if.
It was obvious that Navian Gaznae’s interest wasn’t genuine.
She was merely prodding him because she found his constant reactions amusing.
Even if it were real, it would still be a problem.
One of them was about to die, and the other was about to become a madwoman.
I had no desire for attention from either of them.
The best course of action was to part ways before I got entangled.
The problem was that the Crown Prince showed no intention of leaving Sodion.
By now, the court knights had more or less recovered from the injuries inflicted by Ingna.
With the City Watch and Gaznae’s knights offering to escort him all the way to the capital, there was no reason to linger.
“I’m not feeling well.”
The Crown Prince kept dragging his feet.
His reason was that the fatigue from climbing the mountains without proper food or sleep had yet to dissipate.
And indeed, the Crown Prince spent his entire stay in Sodion lying in bed.
I felt a pang of guilt at the thought of leaving him behind.
It was an undeniable fact that I had benefited from his help on our journey here.
Besides, I still hadn’t received everything I was owed.
The bet we made about the Azure Tower’s attack.
The Crown Prince had promised that if he lost, he would write me a letter of recommendation to get into not just the Cradle, but anywhere.
Relying on that promise, I had left Komlat before even receiving a reply from the Cradle.
To ensure my journey wasn’t in vain, I had to get that letter of recommendation, one way or another.
“How about taking your time and studying at the palace?”
But the Crown Prince kept stalling, trying to coax me.
He said that if I calmly cultivated my skills and waited for the right opportunity, I would meet an even better star.
The ‘better star’ he spoke of would, in all likelihood, be one of the stars protecting the imperial family or the Empire itself.
Either way, he was telling me to stay by his side.
He definitely wasn’t this persistent at first.
I deeply regretted it.
After I suggested entrusting the Giftrang family with the rights to manage the passage connecting the central and western regions, the Crown Prince's attempts to persuade me became even more relentless.
He constantly urged me to stay by his side, as if I were some great sage with profound wisdom.
Of course, I had no intention of accepting.
Putting aside the fact that the Empire’s days were numbered, one lifetime of living in the palace while adhering to its strict etiquette was more than enough.
I’d rather wander the battlefields a hundred times over.
I made all sorts of excuses to refuse the Crown Prince’s persuasion.
Then, the Crown Prince changed his tactics and started trying to persuade Gunther instead of me.
Of course, Gunther didn’t budge an inch.
“I’m sorry. I cannot accept.”
His reply was so firm that even I, watching from the side, felt awkward.
“Why not? I heard you once belonged to a monastic order. Life in the palace is not so different from that of an order, so you would surely settle in quickly as a court knight.”
Sleep when you’re sleepy, eat when you’re hungry.
Gunther was the epitome of self-indulgence.
I didn’t know what he was like in the past, but the Gunther I knew was a man far removed from discipline.
Although Gunther had been acting more serious lately, the essence of the Beggar Knight hadn’t gone anywhere.
“Reconsider.”
“No matter how many times you ask, my answer will be the same.”
Faced with Gunther’s flat refusal, the Crown Prince looked dumbfounded.
It seemed he was quite unaccustomed to being unable to get his way, even with the weight of his royal authority.
“The rules at Gaznae are quite lax.”
“It seems Gaznae could use some stricter rules.”
Seizing the opportunity, the Black Knight chimed in again, and the Crown Prince retorted with displeasure.
“Well then, we’ll be…”
“taking our leave…”
Watching their childish argument, I quietly excused myself with Gunther.
The sound of the two titans bickering leaked from beyond the firmly closed door.
“Ahem.”
The court knights and Gaznae’s knights standing guard at the door cleared their throats and turned their heads away.
It seemed even they were embarrassed by their masters.
“Master. You can head back first.”
After leaving the Crown Prince’s quarters, I told Gunther to return to our lodgings ahead of me.
“I have some business at the guild.”
“You don’t even know the way.”
“City layouts are all pretty much the same.”
Gunther, still worried about me, insisted on sending the Forsaken Dogs along as my babysitters.
“…Just don’t go causing any trouble.”
I waved my hand at his repeated warnings.
“I’m not some snot-nosed kid.”
I wasn’t so reckless as to cause trouble in a strange land where I had no connections.
“I’m telling you! I absolutely won’t cause any trouble, so don’t worry!”
But then.
Sometimes, things happen in this world that are unavoidable—situations that are practically force majeure.
So one should never use the word ‘absolutely’ so lightly.
“I’ve never seen you lot before.”
I had forgotten that fact until I heard an impossibly arrogant voice.
“State your purpose and affiliation.”
I turned my head to see a boy with an arrogant face looking me up and down.
“Purpose and affiliation.”
The punk repeated his question in a low, condescending voice.
“Do you not understand me?”
I didn’t even have a chance to answer.
He strode forward and shoved the mercenaries in the chest with his scabbard.
As I watched the Forsaken Dogs stumble backward, their faces bewildered…
*Throb, throb.*
A sudden pain shot through one of my legs.
It was as if I had returned to my past self, to the time when I was a cripple.
*Throb, throb.*
The foot planted on the ground felt so awkward I couldn't bear it.
I don’t remember much after that.
“Hah! Esquire!”
“Esquire Yan!”
When I came to my senses, the mercenaries were staring at me, their faces pale.
“…?”
In front of them stood the punk, one of his cheeks red and swollen.
The very enemy who had made me a cripple in my past life.
At the feet of the dazed-looking punk lay a gauntlet.
But the gauntlet looked terribly familiar.
Of course it did.
It was my combat gauntlet, which I hadn’t taken off for a moment since leaving Komlat.
*Swoop.*
I bent down, picked up the gauntlet, and dusted it off.
“Esquire Yan, from the West, in service to Knight Gunther.”
Straightening up, I put the gauntlet back on.
“I challenge you to a duel.”
I looked up and glared at him.
“The purpose of the duel is vengeance.”
I slammed my fists together and asked him.
“Sword, spear, or bare-handed combat. I’ll face you in any discipline you choose.”
The exact same words someone had once said to me in my past life.