Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Don Quixote (5)
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Don Quixote was a novel born to satirize the overflowing knightly literature.
How abundant it must have been—many of the works cited in the book were knightly tales.
Myths were referenced too, but they paled in comparison to the sheer volume of knightly literature.
As such, this book was more than capable of drawing in the existing readers who loved knightly tales.
The fact that it was a knightly work penned by a popular and unique author only added to its appeal.
"Well now, to think this book would show up here."
"Have you read it?"
"I have. Seeing it referenced here feels oddly nostalgic."
The salon-goers gathered as usual today, soon clustering together in lively discussion.
But the topic differed from the norm.
This salon had originally been a place for debating knightly literature, with occasional mentions of Sherlock Holmes cropping up lately.
Now, a work poised to shatter the knightly literature ecosystem had emerged.
"Everyone's read Don Quixote, right?"
"Of course! It's the new work from Prometheus, the author of Sherlock Holmes!"
The pot-bellied man chuckled heartily, unable to hide his excitement.
The skinny man, by contrast, sighed and shook his head.
"Truth be told, this is my first encounter with one of his works."
"What? Why, Petik? Does that mean you haven't even read Sherlock Holmes?!"
The pot-bellied man exclaimed in shock.
His widened eyes made him look as if he'd witnessed something utterly impossible.
"It's just not my taste. Still, I gave it a shot since it dealt with chivalry."
"So, what did you think?"
Petik stroked his chin, as if recalling the book's contents.
Then he shook his head.
"Not for me."
"What? Why?!"
The pot-bellied man shouted in agitation, prompting Petik to furrow his brow sharply.
"Ugh, quit yelling, you mangy cur! Anyway, it wasn't my cup of tea. Depicting chivalry as outright ridiculous? These are end times, I tell you!"
"Ridiculous? You just don't get romance!"
The man called Mangdre slammed his fist on the table.
Petik, however, glared back as if he'd heard something outrageous, growling in response.
"Romance? Didn't they burn chivalric novels midway through?"
"That couldn't be helped! If you'd seen the priest sorting them, you'd know— the good ones weren't burned!"
"Heh! Not a single chivalric book so far has been subpar!"
In the end, a fight broke out just like with Sherlock Holmes.
The difference was that everyone here loved knightly literature.
There were no calm discussants like during the Sherlock Holmes debates.
The salon quickly split into two factions, brawling away.
Broadly, they divided into Don Quixote supporters and opponents.
Within those, moderates and radicals emerged, but that hardly mattered now.
"Don Quixote understands romance! He's devoured countless chivalric novels and truly cherishes them!"
That was the supporters' claim.
Don Quixote had read countless knightly works and remembered them all.
How could such a man dreaming of becoming a wandering knight be ridiculous?
"Romance? Hah, that's an insult to chivalry!"
Opponents argued thus.
Chivalry demanded justice and loyalty at all times.
Protecting ladies and upholding norms—that was the ideal knight.
Wandering knights chose freedom among them.
They journeyed to elevate their own and their lord's honor.
Not to cause trouble like Don Quixote, bereft of judgment!
The two camps were evenly matched.
They looked ready to lunge at each other and trade blows any second.
This powder-keg tension arose because both sides were right.
The same work could be judged differently depending on one's focus.
Were you zeroing in on the man called Don Quixote?
Or on knightly literature itself?
Seeing different facets, neither side yielded.
As the standoff held taut,
someone timidly raised a hand.
All eyes in the room snapped to him.
He shrugged uncomfortably under the scrutiny, then spoke.
"Uh, isn't Don Quixote just plain crazy? Wandering knight or whatever..."
His brief words were met with prolonged silence.
Then it exploded in an instant.
"Demon! He's possessed by a demon!"
"What?! Are you insulting chivalry right now?!"
One man's dropped bomb ignited total chaos.
Soon, everyone was pummeling each other in a free-for-all.
The usual salon scene.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In a world where magic and knights existed,
Don Quixote—dreaming of becoming a wandering knight—was swiftly gaining popularity.
And here was one who'd truly earned a knight's honor, riding forth on a single steed.
"Why didn't I think of this myself?"
He'd fallen head over heels for Don Quixote.
It was entertaining, sure, but the comically portrayed Don Quixote struck him as cool instead.
Even if it bordered on madness, dreaming of wandering knighthood from a state of poverty...
A knight's life was lifelong service to a fixed place and lord—dull as dishwater.
High nobility aside,
most knights hailed from low nobility or even common stock.
They garrisoned in one spot, awaiting orders—that was it.
He'd grown bored of such routine when Don Quixote entered his life.
"Haha! A free wandering knight at last. Now I can show the world my justice."
He'd always yearned for righteousness since childhood.
To that end, he'd entered a high noble's service as a squire, toiling for years.
His efforts earned him a knighthood.
Yet his status remained low, with no further ascent possible.
His sole consolation was vice-captain of Count Puttantak's knight order.
Dissatisfied, he'd bolted.
Had he been content, boredom wouldn't have struck.
"The finest depiction of chivalry in any book."
He patted the Don Quixote tucked in the saddlebag like a cherished treasure.
He was the type who read knightly tales sporadically.
Too dim for erudite pursuits, too busy for circuses.
Novels you could dip into anytime—fun ones—fit perfectly.
"Hoo. I shall follow in the footsteps of the great knight, Don Quixote."
With such bold aspirations, he'd set forth.
Edn, spotting him, would've scoffed, "Are you Don Quixote?"
But Edn wasn't here, so none stood to stop the knight.
Beaming with joy, he urged his horse slowly onward.
The horse hesitated on the unfamiliar path.
A light kick to the flanks set it moving as desired.
After a while,
spotting the horse tiring, he sought a nearby stream.
Luckily, water flowed; man and mount quenched their thirst.
Brief rest taken, he remounted.
The knight gripped the reins and slapped the horse's flank.
"Our destination is the Demon Realm, Entelos."
Unlike his casual pat and words to the horse, the content weighed heavy.
The Demon Realm he named brimmed with perils.
Powerful magical beasts and demonic creatures swarmed it—an empire-shunning powder keg.
One reason drew him to such danger:
to amass great feats.
"Slay a dragon, and all shall praise me. With a major threat gone, my justice manifests naturally!"
Lost in happy dreams, he pressed on.
Others would've stopped him.
But jaded by monotony, he'd seek freedom somehow.
Moreover, cutting off at Don Quixote's most thrilling point fueled his wanderlust.
He even planned to pen the sequel himself.
Thus, perhaps fate linked him to Don Quixote.
"Oh, the Demon Realm's outskirts at last."
He flipped up his helmet's visor, drinking in the forest view.
The so-named Demon Realm forest lived up to it.
Dark, gloomy trees evoked dread and eeriness.
Their heights dwarfed normal woods—seventeen grown men stacked end-to-end.
Yet the knight felt no fear.
He yearned to plunge right in.
Even scatterbrained, instinctual caution lingered.
He planned to resupply in a nearby village first.
"Wonder if there's a village near the Demon Realm."
If not, camping it was. He rode on.
"Ah! A village!"
His worry proved unfounded.
Astonishingly, one hugged the Demon Realm.
More a campsite, but to him, a full village.
Eyes gleaming, he spurred his horse forward and called out.
"Hey, friend! I've a question!"
The figures he addressed all wore varied robes.
Black, white, red—every hue.
He sensed nothing amiss.
Just communal garb for village bonding, he figured.
Choosing words carefully, he flashed a warm, dignified smile.
"Might I trouble you for a night's stay? I'm a wandering knight. You may not know your duties, but I ask your hospitality."
Drawing from knightly tales and Don Quixote, he spoke politely.
The robed ones stayed silent.
No glances exchanged, no seeking consensus.
They merely stared blankly at the foolhardy knight.
Noticing, irritation flickering, he opened his mouth—
Stupid fool. If you'd ignored us, you might have lived. "What—"
He never finished.
His head had cleanly severed from his body.
His horse, dubbed Entelos, met the same fate.
Two lives fell without resistance.
The robed figures eyed the fresh corpses, then each other.
"We should move."
"Yeah. Deeper in."
Emotionless voices rang out. In a blink, the campsite vanished.
They moved slowly, habituated—no first offense.
Then an impatient voice from the red robe:
"When do we start?"
"Wait a bit more. Can't endure for the greater cause?"
The black robe's reply dripped weary menace.
The red robe nodded faintly.
"Of course I can. Just don't make it too long."
"Months at worst."
They vanished into the Demon Realm's depths.
Only the knight's and horse's blood pooled where the camp had stood.
Silence reigned—until a new presence appeared.
"Hm? What's this?"
A fluffy pink fox tail swished.
Large fox ears perked as she smiled languidly.
"Who did this here?"
The sultry voice's owner sought culprits in the empty space.
The perpetrators had long fled, of course.
Sniff.
A light whiff yielded only the dead knight and horse's blood.
Pursuit promised hassle.
"Eh, anything worth taking?"
Interest in the chase waned swiftly.
No hive to poke, no ties to the dead.
Scanning about, she spotted a book.
From the knight's small saddlebag. Her ears twitched.
"Don... Quixote? Shall I read it?"
Seating on a nearby rock, she delved in slowly.
Soon engrossed, her tail swished excitedly.
"Heehee, fun read? Humans never disappoint."
Blushing at this acquisition for her collection, she grinned.
As a book collector, Don Quixote was prime addition.
Rising, she stretched—tail extending too.
"Ahh...! Gotta display it quick."
Pink fox tail swaying joyfully, she vanished into the Demon Realm.