Kumar
* * *
Arf, arf, arf!
Lotte spun in tight circles through the forest, drawing out the orcs. Ion slipped in alone among the scattered ones, moving silently until he silenced their breaths.
Stipe, Ferdi, and Hadwin stood guard around Emil and Martin on horseback while distant clashes echoed only occasionally from the dark woods.
Ferdi swallowed hard and scanned the surroundings.
Stipe asked him, “I know Ion’s strong, but seeing him take out three orcs in an instant surprised me again. What happened… after we left?”
“It’ll take a long time to explain. Here, it’s too dangerous. But Ion… is twice as strong as he appears.”
“Hmm…”
“The thing I regret most right now is how rudely I treated Ion. There were mistakes….”
Ferdi shrugged with a grin.
“Apologize properly. Just remember that making an enemy of him could be disastrous.”
“…”
Stipe stayed silent.
The mission had come first, and he had expected Ion and Ferdi to slow the enemy just a little. That assumption had been completely wrong.
They guarded everything while listening only to Lotte’s barking.
Arf, arf, arf!
Lotte kept circling and chasing the orcs until exhaustion forced her to pause for a moment.
Then one orc stepped out of the forest, axe raised.
“Chwik! That wolf has been annoying us! Die now!”
The orc lifted his axe to throw it at the tired Lotte, but his armpit suddenly tingled.
“…”
Ion burst forward and drove his sword straight into the orc’s armpit. The blade punched through the serratus muscle and burst out the other side.
He sliced upward, severing the arm clean, then jammed the sword into the orc’s temple as it collapsed. The creature couldn’t even scream before it died.
By noon he had finished them one by one with careful strikes. Now, hidden in darkness, he had taken out ten orcs.
Killing a strong opponent made him grow faster.
‘If I face Kumar again, I might not just cut the sack—I could take an arm!’
He reached into the water pouch on his shoulder, scooped some up, and handed it to Lotte. The tired wolf drank eagerly.
When Lotte finished and stepped back, Ion quenched his own thirst.
On the map, only Lotte’s green dot and the blue dots of the others remained.
They would descend the mountain tonight.
·
·
·
Finally, at dawn, they reached the foot of the mountain.
They were still deep inside orc territory, yet the lowlands felt safer.
With three injured people, they needed to rest despite the danger.
They lit a small fire, boiled a thick stew of biscuits and dried meat, and added wild greens they gathered. The soup tasted surprisingly good.
“Thank you. It’s… delicious.”
Stipe sipped from his wooden bowl and frowned.
His ribs were probably cracked or splintered.
Ion pointed at the sleeping Martin leaning against a tree.
“Should we force-feed our hostage like this? He’ll die if he doesn’t eat.”
“Ugh. He’s weakened not only from not eating but from other problems.”
“Rest should help.”
“I hope so. Martin was stubborn, but at least he’s alive.”
Stipe sighed.
The rescue had succeeded, yet the hostage was in bad shape and Stipe himself was injured.
Emil had lost a large amount of strength in his left arm and three horses.
Success had come at a heavy price.
“The thing I didn’t expect at the time… was that I would put the mission first. Even if I had to return, I would make the same choice. But I truly regret how we left things.”
“It wasn’t a pleasant experience, but I understand.”
“Thank you.”
Stipe was exactly like the Ion of before.
He had lived as a knight who possessed skill but never rose to a position of responsibility. Seeing him now reminded Ion how different his own pre-regression life had been. That was why he could relate.
They rested a while longer, then set out for Reinen.
Moving slowly because of the injured, they reached the estate after five days.
The moment they arrived, Stipe handed over Martin and rushed inside with Emil for treatment.
The free knights received five gold coins from the security chief and parted ways. Ion returned to the inn he had stayed at before and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
He woke well rested and rose around noon.
He went down to the dining hall, ate, received an introduction to a blacksmith from the innkeeper Franz, and stepped outside.
Ion had been using the sword he inherited from his father Anton all along.
It was a plain longsword, nothing special.
Through the blessing it had grown stronger, and with every clash against increasingly powerful foes, the blade had taken a heavy beating.
It felt a little loose now, and he worried it might break at any moment.
He would either repair it or buy a new one with his money.
The blacksmith in the estate was always owned by the lord.
But if multiple people held the skill, they could obtain permission and open their own forge.
Naturally, they paid more in taxes to the lord.
That was why the blacksmiths who owned their own shops were the best in the craft.
Someone like Dieter of Graf Estate, who had repaired Ion’s armor.
And the one Franz had introduced—Dennis.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Dennis swung a massive hammer down onto glowing hot iron. Anyone who had never seen a dwarf would mistake his short, thick-set body for one.
Ion had seen dwarfs before his regression.
They stood around 120 centimeters tall. The man before him was only slightly under 160.
Ion waited with Lotte for the hammering to finish.
Chiiik!
Dennis dipped the hot metal into water to cool it.
Ion spoke up. “Are you Dennis?”
“Yes. I am Dennis, knight.”
“Franz at the inn said you’re a skilled blacksmith, so I came.”
“Haha, people ask if I’m a dwarf just from looking at me. So my skill is decent.”
“You hear that a lot?”
“If I deny it, there are so many who still ask that I’ve stopped caring. What brings you here?”
Ion drew his sword halfway from its sheath and showed it.
“It’s this sword.”
“Just a moment.”
Dennis smiled, drew the blade, and examined it closely. His eyes sharpened into those of a true craftsman.
He held it up to the light for a long time before lowering it.
“Do you have any special attachment to this sword?”
“I inherited it from my father, but it doesn’t carry any special meaning.”
“Then how about replacing everything except the handle?”
“Are there problems with the sword?”
“It’s missing a tooth, but that’s not serious.”
Dennis lifted the blade and pointed with a finger.
Ion bowed to look at the spot.
“If you look closely, there’s a very fine crack. It seems to have taken a lot of strong impacts lately. It’s in a state where the sword could break at any moment.”
According to Dennis, the crack ran along the edge like a hairline fracture.
He had been taking care of the blade every day yet had never noticed.
“Then let’s replace it. Keep the handle exactly as it is, as you wished.”
“Understood.”
“I don’t mind paying extra if you make it from very strong steel. They say this armor is made of dwarf steel. Is there such steel?”
Ion tapped his chest plate.
“Just a moment.”
Dennis examined the armor closely, stroking it with his hand, then looked up.
“Yes. A lot of dwarf steel was used. It’s strong yet light. But it can’t be used for weapons. If a sword is too light, it won’t strike properly.”
“Then what should I do?”
“I don’t have special steel for weapons. But even with the same iron, the maker’s technique changes the result. I will craft something more sturdy than anything sold in the weapon shop.”
“How much will it cost?”
“Four or five times the price of a sword from the weapon shop.”
“Then one gold should be enough?”
“I will give you the sword and fix every dent on the armor you’re wearing for one gold.”
Ion immediately pulled out his pouch and handed over the coin.
“Here it is. How long will it take?”
“A week is fine.”
“I’ll wait.”
Ion removed the armor, including the chest plate.
The dents and slight warping from the fight had been fixed.
He returned to the inn lighter and more comfortable.
·
·
·
At the inn, the security chief of Reinen Estate—Ernst—was waiting.
Ion ordered a beer and took a seat.
“What is it?”
“We were too busy yesterday and sent you away immediately. Only now have we heard the full story from Stipe.”
“What’s the problem?”
Ernst straightened and spoke.
“The lord of Reinen, Baron Lars von Kluge, is concerned. If Ion has no place to stay, will he remain in our estate?”
“Are you proposing I become a knight of this estate?”
“Yes. After praising his great contribution to the hostage rescue operation, the lord made the offer.”
“I’m grateful for the generous suggestion, but I have places I must go. I must decline.”
“Hmm. Of course you would. Even if you already know you’ll refuse, you should at least hear the proposal.”
If the baron truly wanted to bind Ion, he would have come himself.
Among wandering knights, many seek a place to settle. It was just a conversation.
“Understood.”
Ion was about to drink his beer when he suddenly remembered something.
“There’s a very strong orc among them.”
“I heard from free knight Ferdi. He said he fought an orc warrior.”
“That’s correct. He really is strong.”
“Apparently he managed to disarm him?”
“He barely managed to cut the sack.”
“Why did you bring that up?”
Ernst had simply heard there was such a person.
To Ion, however, it felt like it wasn’t the end of the story.
“They were furious that we lured them. They might attack us.”
“Hmm. I see. I’ll prepare thoroughly.”
Ernst nodded, but he didn’t seem to take it seriously.
After a few more words, they said goodbye and Ernst rose.
They couldn’t know exactly when the orcs would strike again, but it wouldn’t be long.
‘Well, I already gave the warning.’
Ion finished his beer.
* * *
A week had passed.
The season had changed and Ion had aged one year.
Unlike regions with drastic seasonal shifts, the central lands remained warm year-round. Most people didn’t pay much attention to the sun’s new position.
Ion felt no special thrill at turning another year older.
He went to the blacksmith and met Dennis again.
First he put on the repaired armor. The gleaming finish pleased him.
“It looks like something new.”
“The craftsman who made the armor bent the slightly warped parts back and polished them clean.”
Dennis handed him the new scabbard.
Ion buckled it at his waist and drew the sword.
The familiar grip fit his hand perfectly. The draw was smooth and effortless.
Before examining the blade, he gave it a light swing.
It felt different.
He stopped and checked the balance. Dennis explained.
“The center of gravity has shifted a little. But you shouldn’t worry about that.”
“You’re right. It feels more comfortable.”
“The old sword was the one you already had. This one is fitted to your knight’s body. Swinging it will reduce fatigue somewhat.”
“Really?”
Ion lifted the sword and studied it.
Toward the edge, soft wave patterns shimmered from the center.
He had heard stories of swords made from steel with wave patterns.
Legendary named weapons were like that.
Dennis smiled with satisfaction.
“I may not reach the skill of my predecessors, but with age I have caught up. Unless it’s a named weapon, it won’t break or lose teeth.”
“Thank you. It’s perfect.”
“Haha. It’s an honor to forge a sword for a great knight.”
“I’ll use it well.”
Ion sheathed the blade and left the forge.
It was time to leave Reinen Estate.
He bought supplies at the market and returned to the inn.
·
·
·
The next day he left Reinen.
Three days west would bring him to the Bask Kingdom.
After one day’s travel, on the second morning, Lotte perked up her ears and looked back the way they had come.
“What’s wrong?”
Lotte’s ears stood straight and her tail rose as she stared at something. Ion followed her direction and saw a massive figure approaching.
It was the orc warrior Kumar.
Kumar walked alone, axe resting on his shoulder.
Ion stepped down from the path.
“Stay safe over there!”
Following his instruction, Lotte and the wagon pulled to the side.
Ion walked into the center of the road and waited for Kumar.
Kumar stopped a few steps ahead.
“Warrior of the orcs, Kumar! What brings you here?”
“Chwik! Human knight! You left the city. I came to fight you! Why did you leave the city?”
“I’m not from that estate. I did what I was asked, then left.”
Kumar raised his axe toward Ion.
“Chwik! I expected another fight! Let’s fight before you go!”
“I’m glad too! I regretted not cutting the sack last time!”
Kumar displayed the sack-slicing axe he had brought.
“This time I’ll kill you! I brought a sturdy axe!”
“So did I!”
Ion drew his sword.
He was stronger than just days ago and had replaced the blade with something even tougher.
It would do.
Kumar suddenly swung the axe down with full force.
Kaang!
The solid-steel axe collided with Ion’s sword. Sparks flew from the impact, and the shockwave pushed back. Kumar’s brows furrowed.
“Chwik! You’ve grown stronger!”