Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The Sword Master Teacher
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Dan, who had been looking at me for a moment, spoke again.
“I asked first. Answer me. Are you Delac's son?”
“……”
As his tone changed, so did the atmosphere.
Somehow, I had a feeling that unlike the previous question, I had to answer this one honestly.
“That's right. My name is Ruan Bednicker.”
“Ruan? Ruan Bednicker… I've never heard of you.”
Dan muttered as if to himself.
‘This is unexpected.’
To think he's never heard my name.
I'm not saying this to brag, but at that time, I was quite infamous both inside and outside the family.
After all, I was the madman who sold the family's treasured sword.
‘No.’
If this man named Dan has been staying in the Jewel Mountains for several years, it's not strange that he wouldn't know me.
“I've revealed my identity. Now, you should tell me who you are.”
“Hmm…”
After a moment of thought, Dan spoke.
“I suppose I should. First of all… Dan isn't my real name. It's an alias.”
“Yes.”
When I readily agreed, Dan looked puzzled and said,
“What. Why aren't you surprised?”
“It was obviously an alias.”
“Is that so?”
Dan sighed with a shocked expression, then shook his head.
“Well, whatever. My real name is Kaljak.”
“Kaljak…!”
Arjan, who was beside me, exclaimed in a low voice, her surprised expression unconcealed.
“Are you perhaps a Grand Master Teacher from the main family?”
Kaljak then nodded.
“I am the Sword Master Teacher.”
***
The influence wielded by the Bednickers is felt across the nation.
It's not just because of the family's physical might.
They are one of the Great Families.
They rule a fertile domain in the family's name.
Heroes active in various regions.
The symbolism behind the name 'Iron-Blooded Duke.'
And the Bednicker main family, which only the chosen may enter.
Commonly known as the Rose Mansion.
I've heard the archives of the Rose Mansion are filled with secret manuals gathered from across the empire, the armory with all sorts of weapons and accessories crafted by master artisans, and the storehouse with elixirs and potions more varied than the stars in the sky.
These abundant resources are permitted only to those affiliated with the Bednicker family.
Thus, there is always an overflow of people seeking to enter the Bednicker's fold.
Blood relation isn't necessary.
Be it a knight, a guard, a servant, or even a gardener, as long as one is within the Bednicker's walls, they can enjoy at least a portion of these resources.
Therefore, those who work for the Bednickers must pass a rigorous selection process, and even a mere servant takes pride in contributing to the family.
And the Grand Master Teachers.
They are fundamentally different beings from such people.
Unlike ordinary individuals, they did not knock on the Bednicker's door themselves.
They are powerful individuals personally scouted by the Iron-Blooded Duke himself, who roamed the empire for the sake of his children's education and training.
‘The Sword Master Teacher.’
Even I, who was cast out from the main family, know his reputation well.
Among the ten Grand Master Teachers, he is the master of the sword.
Because of that, he was the most popular among the siblings.
This was because swordsmanship was the most celebrated martial art in the Bednicker family.
To be honest.
When I was in the main family, I also dreamed of becoming the Sword Master Teacher's disciple.
I never spoke to him directly, and all I ever did was attend a few of the general classes that all the children could participate in.
Besides, I heard the Sword Master Teacher's personality was so rotten that he had no disciples.
On top of that, a few years ago…
‘He went missing.’
I narrowed my eyes.
Perhaps…
Before I regressed, Kaljak might have failed to subjugate the Jewel Beast in the end.
He might have continued this tiresome battle up until the moment I lost my life.
Or he might have been killed by that serpent Jewel Beast.
Whatever the outcome, his tenacity is remarkable.
A battle from which any person with an ordinary mentality would have long since fled, this man had been continuing it alone for years.
“You look like you have something to ask.”
Kaljak said, looking at me.
“I have two questions.”
“What are they?”
“You said you lost your arm to the Jewel Beast. Is that true?”
At that, Kaljak's gaze on me intensified.
“What's the intent behind that question?”
“The cult could have intervened…”
I was about to speak indirectly, but he didn't seem like the type to care for formalities, so I spoke frankly.
“It's just that I can't imagine the Sword Master Teacher being weaker than the Jewel Beast.”
“Hahaha!”
Kaljak suddenly burst into laughter.
“In short, you can't believe that a so-called Grand Master Teacher lost to a mere monster.”
Is he twisting my words?
I had no intention of being sarcastic.
Fortunately, Kaljak continued his explanation without any sign of anger.
“It was a disadvantageous fight for me in many ways. The battlefield was a swamp, that thing mobilized its underlings, and I had lost my sword.”
“I see.”
Seeing my reaction, Kaljak chuckled and said,
“Does it seem pathetic for a Grand Master Teacher to lose and then make excuses?”
“Not at all.”
Fearing the misunderstanding would deepen if I left it at that, I added,
“Under such overlapping adverse conditions, it's amazing that you even survived. Besides…”
“Besides?”
“The battle isn't over yet, is it?”
At that, Kaljak, the one who had asked the question, looked at me with a strange expression.
Then, looking somewhat abashed, he scratched his head roughly before speaking to me again.
“You said you had two questions, right? What's the other one?”
My expression tensed.
In truth, this question was more important.
“Why ‘Dan’?”
“Hm?”
“Your real name is Kaljak, so why did you introduce yourself as Dan? There's no way to shorten Kaljak to Dan.”
“…That's exactly why.”
Kaljak grinned.
“If I say my name is Dan, people will try to connect it to my real name when they guess, won't they? They'll think it's a nickname. But in reality, there's no connection at all.”
“…”
“Watching people waste their effort like that puts me in a good mood.”
He truly had a personality as twisted as his appearance.
Separately, my mood plummeted into the abyss, because I had been completely fooled by Kaljak's shallow trick.
If my fourth brother had seen this, he probably would have said with his characteristically cool expression, ‘Youngest brother. You've been tricked again.’
“So, what brings you two to the mountains? Don't tell me you're here to imitate the Family Head in his younger days.”
“It's different. Though it's not entirely unrelated to the Family Head.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
I briefly explained the circumstances that led us to this cave.
After hearing the whole story, Kaljak let out a hollow laugh.
“Assassins in the Bednicker family? And they're worshipers of the Calamity God, you say?”
“I know it's hard to believe. But everything I just told you is true.”
“Hah… The Bednicker family has gone to the dogs while I was away. Does the Family Head know about this?”
“I'm not sure. I'll have to go and ask him.”
“I see. Alright.”
He then rummaged inside his clothes and lightly tossed something to us.
When I caught it, I saw it was a strange-looking fruit.
“What is this?”
“Crush it and sprinkle it over your heads.”
Kaljak tapped his nose.
“You're probably exposed to the cultists' tracking scent right now.”
“Tracking scent?”
“It's a scent that's coated on the hidden weapons they use. Normally, you can't smell it. There's another scent that pairs with the tracking scent, and I hear you can only faintly sense it after smelling that one.”
“Ah.”
So it wasn't our tracks that were the problem.
I clicked my tongue and immediately did as Kaljak instructed.
*Crack-.*
“Ugh.”
As I crushed the walnut-like fruit, a foul smell assaulted my nose.
I looked at Kaljak with a dumbfounded expression.
“…Is this the only way?”
“Yep.”
It certainly seemed like it would be more than enough to cover our scent.
I sighed and sprinkled the fruit over my head.
Surprisingly, Arjan seemed unfazed, but on closer inspection, her face was extremely stiff.
Meanwhile, Kaljak watched us with a peculiar expression before speaking.
“Now that you've sprinkled that, the assassins will retreat soon.”
“I don't think the cult's assassins would give up so easily.”
“Normally, that would be the case. But strangely, they avoid lingering in this cave for too long. It's probably because of the Jewel Beast.”
I wondered if that was too convenient an interpretation for us, but it also sounded plausible.
After all, the map showed no troops stationed in this area.
“And they probably won't all retreat. A few will stay behind to continue scouting, but I can take care of them.”
“Have you often dealt with the cult's forces like this?”
“Whenever I had the time. Assassins make for good sparring partners. They keep me on my toes.”
As expected, I suppose.
The identity of the interloper the cult was wary of was Kaljak.
Indeed, for someone of his skill, it would be no difficult task to not only dispatch the assassins but also to leave no trace behind in the process.
In any case.
An unexpected ally has joined us.
If I join forces with this man, it should be possible to break through the cultists' encirclement.
I finally felt a sense of relief.
“Good.”
Kaljak grinned and said something completely out of the blue.
“Then you two will help me with my revenge.”
“What?”
“The Jewel Beast. Let's catch it together. The sooner we catch it, the sooner I can return to the Bednicker family.”
What is he talking about now?
***
Arjan asked with a flustered expression.
“What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. I'm saying we should catch the Jewel Beast together.”
“…I don't understand how the conversation led to this.”
“Because it's the only way. And it won't be a bad deal for you either.”
I interjected at this point.
“Are you saying the cult is more dangerous than the Jewel Beast?”
“That's right. Because the cult's High Priest is here.”
“……!”
Arjan was startled.
My reaction was less pronounced, but I was quite surprised as well.
A High Priest of the Dark Cult is one of its executives.
They are beings who possess the right to communicate directly with the Demon King.
Excluding the veiled leader and their closest aides, they are, in effect, the strongest and most dangerous beings in the cult.
“…Are they that strong?”
“Honestly, I couldn't get a proper grasp of his full power. I didn't even realize what was happening until I lost my arm. I managed to land a hit on him too, but when you tally it up, it was clearly my loss.”
I said, looking at Kaljak's empty sleeve.
“So you didn't lose it to the Jewel Beast.”
A question momentarily arose in my mind.
I had thought Kaljak lost his arm to the Jewel Beast and was staying here for revenge.
But it turns out the one who took his arm was the cult's High Priest.
In that case… did Kaljak lose something far more precious than an arm to the Jewel Beast?
There was another question.
“There's something I don't understand.”
“What is it?”
“If what you say is true, it means the cult is stronger than the Jewel Beast. Then why haven't they subjugated it?”
“I don't know.”
Kaljak answered confidently.
“What?”
“I've thought about that myself, but I couldn't come up with an answer. However, the cult has never set foot deep inside this cave. Even when they had to enter, they moved cautiously.”
“…”
Is there some other secret in this cave?
A secret that only the cultists know.
Feeling perplexed, I took the map from my coat and unfolded it.
Kaljak showed interest.
“What's that?”
“It's a map I took from one of the cult's assassins.”
“To be carrying a map, he must have been a big shot. Let me see it.”
I handed the map to Kaljak.
I thought that Kaljak, who had fought the cult for a long time, might notice something that Arjan and I had missed.
After looking at the map for a moment, Kaljak's brow furrowed.
“…I see. So this was it.”
“Did you find something?”
“Yeah. I know why those bastards can't run wild in the cave.”
Kaljak showed me the map and pointed to a spot.