Chapter 227
Chapter 227
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 227
Chapter Title: The Second Hundred Steps Ceremony (1)
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It had been the same last year, the year before that, and this year was no different.
Every year, the first thing the new incoming cadets did was pair up in groups of twos and threes and board the two-horse carriages.
“This carriage you're boarding now will be the first and last luxury you'll enjoy in the Cradle. We've prepared plenty of them, so pair up as you like and get on.”
Duran spat out the same words he said every year, not missing a single syllable, then waved his hand dismissively as if it were a hassle.
Just like the 50th Cohort the previous year, he left the awestruck preliminary cadets—who were shocked to see that these were mere baggage wagons—behind and strolled away leisurely.
And so, Duran boarded the very first carriage.
Clop-clop—clop-clop—.
After the carriages set off, he casually turned his head to glance at the line of wagons trailing behind.
At the same time, a click of his tongue escaped Duran's lips.
“Tsk.”
The procession following his own carriage was ridiculously short compared to last year's.
The reason lay with the 50th Cohort.
‘Did those guys all snort drugs or something...? Why are they all going berserk like maniacs?’
Thanks to the 50th Cohort's chaos, only 85 members of the 51st Batch had made it through the Forest of Beginnings.
On top of the inexplicable incidents already giving him headaches, the 50th Cohort pulling off back-to-back disasters made him tut involuntarily.
But that lasted only a moment.
“Well, it'll work itself out somehow.”
What was done was done.
Those who got eliminated due to the 50th Cohort's antics were just unlucky.
With that thought, Duran pillowed his head on his arms and flopped down flat.
Rattle-rattle—rattle-rattle—.
How long had they been traveling?
“Vice Captain.”
An adjutant who had galloped up from afar climbed onto the carriage where Duran lay.
Pat—.
“You're here?”
The adjutant sighed at the sight of Duran greeting her with a dangling leg.
Anticipating the nagging that would soon pour from her mouth, Duran struck first.
“I'm working. Guiding these rookies, aren't I?”
“...I haven't said a word yet?”
“Obvious, isn't it? You were about to nag me about slacking off instead of preparing for the ceremony.”
“No, I'm not.”
“See? Wait... no? You're not?”
“Yes.”
“Why not?”
“Why bother nagging a vice captain who won't listen anyway? It just wears out my mouth.”
“Tch, talking back to your superior like that—our chain of command is a total mess.”
“If that bothers you, just fire me.”
“Who'd do that for you?”
“Obviously, it'd be good for me.”
She was the adjutant whom his subordinates called “Mom” and handled most of his workload in his stead.
Duran could overlook this level of insolence a hundred times over, since firing her would multiply his own troubles several-fold.
He hurriedly changed the subject.
“Ahem, so why the sigh then?”
At Duran's question, the adjutant sighed again.
“Sigh, there's good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”
“You know I always save the best for first. Obviously the good news. What's this good news?”
In response to Duran's eager voice, the adjutant replied with a hint of irritation.
“Vice Captain, looks like you're going on a business trip.”
“A business trip? Me?”
Duran blinked in confusion.
‘A business trip at this time?’
The assignments for vice captain-level officers rotated every few years.
For the next five years, his duty was to hole up in the Cradle managing rookies and graduates.
A business trip for him?
“...For real?”
“Yes, the Captain's orders. He said to send you on a trip.”
“Oh!”
Duran's single eye lit up with joy.
‘What is this?!’
He had been twisting himself into knots—practically turning to dust—at the thought of managing greenhorns in this stuffy Cradle for years.
And now, a chance to get some fresh air!
‘Heh heh, where should I stop by first?’
Was he already itching at the thought of roaming freely?
Seeing Duran fidgeting excitedly, the adjutant's sigh deepened.
Duran chuckled and tossed out a question.
“Alright, so what's the bad news?”
“He wants you to procure an Elixir.”
“Huh?”
Duran's smiling face froze instantly.
Thinking he might have misheard, he scratched his ear and asked again.
“An Elixir?”
“Yes.”
“...And he wants me to get it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Sigh...”
The adjutant sighed once more and explained.
“Do you remember the Elixir sold at the special auction last year?”
“How could I forget? Some lunatic bought it, and I got chewed out by the Captain for it.”
“And that's why.”
“Huh?”
“That lunatic bought another Elixir. Or rather, he drew it.”
“...What the hell does that mean?”
Seeing Duran's confusion, the adjutant detailed what had happened around midnight today.
Upon hearing it, Duran muttered in disbelief.
“So, that nutjob Yuri Holland drew an Elixir from a lottery box at dawn today?”
“Yes.”
“And the reason I'm going on this trip is to get an Elixir for that guy?”
“You've got it exactly right.”
“......”
Duran looked up at the sky with hollow eyes.
‘Me, Duran Vikovich... have to go on a trip just to fetch an Elixir to hand over to some rookie?’
As Duran gazed vacantly at the heavens, the adjutant's finishing blow pierced his eardrums.
“The Captain said to relay this too.”
“...What?”
“If you don't bring back an Elixir within a year, you'll swap duties with Coco... that's what he said.”
“What?! ”
Swapping duties with Coco.
Duran, who knew full well that meant demoting to a housebound guard dog on a leash, leaped to his feet.
At the same time, regret washed over him.
‘Damn it, I shouldn't have let that guy go!’
He should have somehow kept Yuri pinned in the Forest of Beginnings back then.
* * *
Yuri sat cross-legged, eyes half-closed.
Around him lay a dozen or so small wooden boxes that had been opened.
Hooo—.
A long exhalation dyed golden, then it was drawn back into him with his next breath.
This process repeated for quite some time.
Flash—.
Finally, Yuri's fully opened eyes gleamed with crystalline light.
Finishing his mana circulation, Yuri patted his abdomen where his core resided and smiled faintly.
“Feels good.”
It was his first impression upon opening his eyes, and he was thoroughly satisfied with his current state.
‘At this rate... about 80% full?’
The mana core that had reached 70% after devouring that unidentified dark-red spirit.
And now, consuming all the potions he'd obtained this time had added another 10%.
A noticeable achievement.
It was certainly good news, but afterward, Yuri couldn't help clicking his tongue in amazement.
‘And it only went up by about 10% even after scarfing down that many potions?’
The potions Yuri had consumed this time: two special-grade, one top-grade, three high-grade, four mid-grade, and seven low-grade.
In other words, he'd dumped every potion he'd collected so far into his stomach, and it was still just 10%.
At this point, he was starting to wonder about the true nature of that dark-red pearl he'd eaten.
‘A drug that fills this massive mana core that much in one go... Wonder if I can find more like that?’
But such spirit essences weren't easy to come by.
You'd need something on the level of a Black Dragon's core.
The silver lining was that he only needed another 20% or so to fill the rest of his mana core.
‘Just need to down about five or six more special-grade potions.’
The problem was that special-grade potions weren't easy to obtain either...
‘But if you desperately want something and seek it out, you'll get it!’
Yuri had a solution.
Stealing, that was.
‘The Origin Council's secret warehouse... I need to find that.’
An organization with a long history surely had stockpiles of potions.
Yuri planned to approach the Origin Council's warehouse step by step.
‘No rush anyway, since even the Cradle said it takes time to procure an Elixir... I can take it slow and steady.’
He had claimed all the other items from the lottery box, but not the Elixir.
Because there wasn't one in the Cradle right now.
Instead, they'd given him a top-grade potion on the condition of waiting for them to deliver an Elixir within a year, so Yuri hadn't lost out.
‘Even if they had an Elixir right now, I wasn't planning to use it until my mana core was full anyway.’
If anything, it was a gain.
So, Yuri's goal for this year was to fill his mana core to 100% before the Cradle brought the Elixir.
‘Busy year ahead.’
Having set his New Year's resolution, Yuri rose from his seat.
At that moment.
“Hey, kid, look at that greasy face—must've eaten well.”
Johan, who had commandeered Yuri's bed like it was his own and was gnawing on jerky, picked a fight.
At that brazen sight, a vein bulged on Yuri's forehead.
“Hey, I told you not to eat on my bed!”
Thwack—!
Before he could protest further, a piece of jerky flew and smacked his forehead, sending Yuri tumbling backward.
“You little shit, who are you to tell an adult how to eat? Eat however!”
Clutching his forehead, Yuri sprang up.
“Kyaak! Then don't drop crumbs everywhere!”
“Tch, wait till you grow up—stuff always spills sideways when you eat.”
“Ugh, so gross.”
Muttering that words were useless, Yuri turned his back on Johan with a huff.
Toward Yuri's back, Johan casually asked.
“Today's the day, huh? That Hundred Steps Ceremony or whatever.”
“......”
“Last time you said you managed fifteen steps? How far you think you'll go this time?”
Yuri's bristling shoulders went still at Johan's question.
Then he abruptly stood and headed for the door.
Clack—.
As he gripped the doorknob, a flat voice came from Yuri.
“If you're curious, come watch.”
With that, Yuri opened the door and left without looking back.
Creak—thud—.
Staring at the closed door, Johan smirked and muttered.
“Kid's all show.”
Grumbling softly, Johan rose from his seat.
Whoosh—.
With a small gust of wind, he vanished.
* * *
Clop-clop—clop-clop—.
The carriages' seven-hour journey finally came to an end.
Dozens of wagons ground to a complete halt.
“Ugh.”
“Oof... my back.”
Groans and moans erupted here and there as the preliminary cadets disembarked.
And at the very end of the procession.
“Miss, time to wake up.”
“Mmm... We there?”
Shaken awake by a girl, the pretty lemon-haired girl, Lisa Berfort, rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up.
Yawning widely, she stretched long and hopped down from the carriage.
Immediately, ten boys and girls gathered around Lisa.
“This way.”
They surrounded her like bodyguards.
Lisa, accustomed to such treatment, naturally accepted their escort and walked on.
They soon joined the ranks of the other assembled peers and headed toward the circular arena.
Along the way, Lisa looked around in wonder.
“So this is the Cradle?”
Stepping into the real Cradle, which she'd only heard rumors about, filled her with excitement.
Her eyes held no worries or fears about the future.
Just pure delight at what might happen next.
How far had they walked?
“Wow? What's this?”
The 51st Batch's procession finally reached the north gate of the circular arena.
Lisa's eyes widened at the sight of the person standing there waiting.
“Huh? That kid?”
Brown hair and green eyes.
Plus an enormous build.
He was a boy with an unforgettable presence.
‘Muchi Schnell? Didn't he get eliminated?’
There definitely hadn't been a Muchi on the black ships from the Forest of Beginnings to the main island.
Yet here he was, plopped right in the middle of the Cradle's main island?
At this suspicious turn, Lisa's eyes sparkled.
Meanwhile, Muchi finished talking with Duran, scratched the back of his head, and approached the rear of the line.
And then.
“...Huh?”
He startled slightly upon eye contact with Lisa, who was staring blatantly, and took a small step back.
Seeing this, Lisa beamed and waved lightly.
“Hey, fancy meeting you again?”
She spoke casually, as if nothing had happened between them.
But Muchi pretended not to hear her greeting, turned his head, and subtly put some distance between them.
Just as Lisa pouted and opened her mouth to call out again.
Step-step—.
The front row began to move.
Thanks to that, Muchi naturally escaped Lisa.
And of course, Lisa's cheeks puffed out in response.
Step-step—.
Moments later, the 51st Batch passed through the north gate and entered the arena's passageway.
“Hup!”
“W-what is this?!”
Like all their seniors before them, they sensed the changed air and froze stiff.
Then finally.
Boom—.
The 51st Batch emerged from the dim passage into the circular arena.
* * *
The 50th Cohort watching the incoming 51st Batch felt emotion well up in their eyes.
“They made it!”
“Hah... Who'd have thought I'd see this from here. You guys held on—seriously!”
The Hundred Steps Ceremony.
Seeing the 51st Batch in the spots where they themselves had stood last year stirred strange feelings in the 50th Cohort.
Meanwhile, the other cohorts clicked their tongues upon seeing the headcount of the entering 51st Batch.
“Why only so few of them...?”
“What the hell did the 50th Cohort do?”
As their gazes turned toward the 50th Cohort, those receiving the glares naturally looked one way.
Toward Gunter, who had contributed the most to reducing the 51st Batch to this paltry number.
‘He seemed so polite and honest usually...’
‘They say the quiet ones are the scariest when they snap...’
Describing Gunter from the Forest of Beginnings, when his eyes had briefly turned feral, he was a “politely insane” guy.
While the 50th Cohort stared at Gunter, the other cohorts were placing bets again.
“How many steps this time?”
“6 steps, 1,000 points!”
“I'm on 7 steps, 2,000 points!”
Conversations like that flew around the stands about the Hundred Steps Ceremony results, but unlike the others, one section of the audience was wrapped in silence.
The area for the 48th Cohort, now in their fourth year.
The 48th Cohort exchanged not a single word.
The reason sat at their center, arms crossed: Gunter Rider.
Gunter, making his first official appearance since the last Muryong Tournament.
Whooo—.
Overwhelmed by the suffocating aura and presence he exuded, the 48th Cohort simply kept quiet and stared at the arena.
Amid this varied atmosphere in the stands, Duran stepped forward to announce the start of the entrance ceremony.
The subsequent will-writing ceremony followed.
With fewer in the 51st Batch, it wrapped up quickly.
And then.
“Congratulations, you moths leaping into the hellfire pit yourselves! With this, you are now the Cradle's 51st Batch.”
Boom—!
As Duran stomped the ground, everyone in the stands rose and saluted.
While all Black Sword Knights and cadets paid their respects.
Step-step—.
The Sword Lord entered the special spectator seats.
“And now, the Hundred Steps Ceremony begins!”
At last, the 51st Batch's Hundred Steps Ceremony commenced.