The Path They Were Walking (1)
“Vice Commander, what are you doing still awake at this hour?”
It was the Raven Knight Order’s dispatch mission—one that came around maybe once a year. As he always did before something important, Maxim sat on his cot in a lotus position, deep in meditation.
“Can’t you tell? I’m meditating.”
Despite his concentration, his sharpened senses caught the all-too-familiar presence pacing restlessly outside the tent. After receiving his permission, she opened the flap and stepped inside only to ask why he was still awake.
That was why Maxim answered in a slightly grumpy voice.
“You’re the one still awake. Are you on night watch?”
“Obviously. Why else would I be up?”
Maxim let out a disbelieving snort. Christine was speaking to him with an utterly shameless expression and teasing tone.
“Where’s the guy who’s supposed to be standing watch with you?”
“What answer are you hoping for? That he’s asleep? That he’s snoring? That he’s unconscious? Which one would you like to hear?”
“Never mind.”
Meditation was ruined. Maxim shook his head and fully released his focused state. The campfire burning in the camp cast a faint glow inside the tent.
“So why are you staying up all night meditating when you can barely use mana properly? You’ll wear yourself out.”
When Christine scolded him, Maxim simply shrugged.
“I’m fine. And if I really can’t endure it, I can always ask you for help.”
At his gaze and tone, Christine squeezed her eyes shut as if holding back her irritation and let out a sigh.
“Yes, yes. In the end I’m nothing but a servant who casts a little recovery magic for the Vice Commander. That’s all I am. Or maybe just an herbal tea that relieves fatigue.”
“If you don’t want to play servant, then stop pacing in front of my tent, coming in to pick fights, and go stand your watch properly. Or how about this—since I’m not sleeping anyway, why don’t the Vice Commander and I have a nice, cozy night watch together?”
Christine pretended not to hear Maxim’s pointed remark. He felt a vein throbbing at his temple. Maybe it’s her who’s really draining my mental health.
“Just answer me. Why are you meditating instead of sleeping?”
Maxim let out another reluctant sigh before replying.
“…It’s just a habit.”
“A habit?”
“More like a routine. A kind of ritual I perform to face something in peak condition.”
“I’ve never heard that skipping sleep puts you in peak condition.”
Maxim shrugged again.
“Everyone’s different.”
“At least I’m not like that.”
Christine gave him the playful smile she always wore around him—eyes curving beautifully into crescents, full of mischief and beauty. Maxim could recall that smile with perfect clarity.
The smile faded. The night from back then gradually scattered like clouds in his mind. From the deepest part of his unconscious, Maxim’s awareness slowly rose. His senses returned, and the sound of birdsong reached him. He was waking from a deep meditation.
Far beyond the window, dawn was breaking. Maxim sat in the center of the bed with his eyes closed. Though he hadn’t slept, his body moved without issue and his mind was clearer than it had ever been.
Light seeped through his eyelids. Maxim slowly opened his eyes.
“…Let’s go.”
His mind had been honed like a treasured blade. Radiating a sharp spirit that seemed ready to cut anything it touched, Maxim rose from the bed.
It was the day of the Magic Tower subjugation. The day he would rescue Christine.
His gear was fully prepared. Maxim gave his sword hilt one final stroke, then took a step forward. The vivid red rays of sunrise lit his back.
A sharp smack landed on the back of Denis’s head as he yawned with his mouth wide open. The crisp sound of the impact was followed by a short, strangled “Ack!” from Denis. The sight was so ridiculous that anyone would have laughed—yet almost no one did.
“Yawning on the way to a mission? Get your head straight.”
“There was nothing else to hit… Damn it, I bit my tongue…”
This was the usual scene Maxim had always seen when the three of them were together. The only difference was that both Denis and Charlotte were fully armed, swords at their hips.
Denis glanced back at the dozen or so knights lined up with them and the even larger number of soldiers. Twenty percent of the 1st Royal Guard’s total strength. Soldiers and knights drawn from the Benning County. Though they each dreamed different dreams, their immediate goals aligned.
The subjugation of the black mages the Magic Tower had secretly cultivated.
The murderous aura radiating from the knights about to enter real combat dominated the entrance of the Royal Palace.
“Quite the crowd,” Denis muttered as he looked around.
The knights and private soldiers sent by the Benning family. Denis frowned at them and lowered his voice.
“I wonder what they’re really thinking.”
In truth, a current of mutual wariness flowed between the Benning knights and the Royal Guard. Different uniforms, unfamiliar faces. Denis observed the Benning knights with narrowed eyes, while they glared back at him from behind their visors.
“By the way, why is Arsene missing from a mission this important? His skills aren’t the kind that should be left out.”
At Denis’s question, Charlotte shrugged.
“…Maybe he was given a separate assignment.”
“A separate assignment? When the mission is this big…?”
At that moment, footsteps approached. Denis stopped talking and smiled at the familiar presence.
“The Commander’s here.”
Despite his light tone, Denis’s expression tightened with tension. Charlotte also frowned at the aura that pricked her senses. The fighting spirit blazing from the knights was gradually being devoured by something else. Like the moon being swallowed during an eclipse, a single overwhelming presence engulfed every knight as it appeared.
“The Commander of the Royal Guard enters!”
At the short announcement, the knights instantly parted to create a path. The pressure was so overwhelming that even breathing felt forbidden. The Commander of the Royal Guard, now at the head of the formation, carried only a single sword at his waist. His pitch-black eyes swept over the ranks with absolute dominance.
“Anyone who resists or refuses inspection is to be arrested and taken in.”
The Commander’s voice rang low and heavy.
“Use force. Those who attempt to resist with black magic may be killed.”
Fighting spirit turned into killing intent. It belonged to the 1st Royal Guard that served the King. The Benning knights shifted uncomfortably at the aura. Regardless of their discomfort, the Commander turned his back and declared in a short voice.
“Move out.”
The march began. The sound of the knights’ plate boots striking the ground caused citizens to murmur and hurriedly clear the way at the unusual sight of so many knights heading out.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know… but from the direction, it looks like they’re heading to the plaza?”
“The plaza? What could be happening that they’re going to the plaza?”
Citizens heading to the plaza and those leaving it all scattered in panic upon seeing the knights’ procession. If the knights had simply been walking, a brave citizen of the Royal Capital might have asked what was happening. But with the knights radiating an aura that suggested they might draw their swords at any moment, no one dared approach.
The knights crossed the plaza. They stopped before the Magic Tower’s entrance, which still glowed softly with its characteristic ivory light. The guards protecting the entrance turned deathly pale and stepped aside. The mages who had rushed out thinking it was another inspection froze in place.
“What is the meaning of this! Knights suddenly arriving fully armed in such numbers…”
An elderly mage who hadn’t grasped the situation raised his voice. The Commander of the Royal Guard said nothing. He simply raised the warrant and declared in a deep, resonant voice so that every mage in the tower could hear.
“We have discovered evidence that the Magic Tower has been concealing black magic research from the Royal Palace.”
A silence like shattered glass descended upon the Magic Tower. The mages who had rushed out to block the knights turned deathly white. A few exchanged quick glances. The elderly mage tried to compose himself and stepped forward.
“P-proof…”
“Arrest every single person standing in our way.”
The moment the Commander’s order fell, the sharp ring of metal echoed. Shing—! The sound of dozens of swords being drawn at once caused some mages, already terrified by the aura alone, to stumble backward.
“Y-you’re making a mistake! All that the Magic Tower has done for the Royal Palace and for you—”
Soldiers seized the mage’s arms.
“Let go! Let go of me!”
“Begin the search.”
Ignoring the mage’s protests, the Commander gave the order. The knights drew their shining blades and began tearing through the Magic Tower.
“Ah… aah…”
The elderly mage who had been watching in despair as the knights ransacked the tower began letting out deranged laughter.
“Heh heh heh… So the Royal Palace has finally gone mad now that it’s losing the power struggle. Do you truly not know that the Magic Tower stands behind Count Benning’s prestige?!”
At that moment, one of the knights standing near the elderly mage lifted his visor, revealing his face. A Benning knight. The old mage’s face filled with confusion at the familiar countenance.
“You—! What are you doing here… You must report this madness to the Count at once. Immediately…!”
“I am simply doing what must be done.”
The knight tilted his head. The elderly mage grew even more furious at the brazen attitude.
“You madman! Has the Count forgotten his relationship with the Magic Tower?!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. It is true that the Count has interacted with the Magic Tower, but he was extremely displeased to learn that you have been hiding black magic research from the Royal Palace.”
At the knight’s cold reply, the mage’s face filled with despair. A hollow laugh spilled endlessly from the old man’s lips, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
“Heh heh… heh heh… Leon Benning…! After using the Magic Tower as he pleased all this time, now that the black mages have become useless, he intends to discard us like a used tool?!”
The mage’s cry was filled with bitter resentment. The knight covered his ears as if annoyed by the noise.
“Do you think the Magic Tower will help you again…? Do you think they’ll cast even a single spell for you…? With this, the relationship between the Magic Tower and Benning is over. It’s over between us and you!!”
“How convenient. The Count will be pleased to hear that.”
The knight rolled his shoulders as if preparing to move. Then, as if remembering something he had forgotten, he gave a short exclamation and slightly bowed his head to the elderly mage.
“Now that I think about it, haven’t quite a few mages gone missing after saying they were leaving on business trips?”
The elderly mage glared at the knight with a still-furious expression, demanding to know what he was talking about.
“I wonder where they all went?”
The knight smiled brightly. The mage simply stared at him with an expression as if he had been struck in the head with a hammer. Had they truly been nothing but tools to be used and discarded from the beginning?
The elderly mage could only let out weak, broken sounds. Heavy manacles were clamped onto the mage’s wrists. Once the conversation with the knight ended, the soldiers dragged the now-limp old mage away without further resistance.
Carriages lined up outside the Magic Tower to transport the captured mages one by one. A Benning knight who had been turning away suddenly stopped the soldiers dragging the mages. He seemed to have instructions for them and began giving various orders.
The elderly mage lifted his head, filled with rage, and his eyes met those of the Benning knight.
“You… you…”
The mage began pouring out all his fury. It was a cry so filled with madness and rage that it hardly seemed to come from an old man.
“Count, you bastard!! How dare you betray us!”
At the thunderous shout, the soldiers holding the mage jumped in surprise and gripped him even harder. Ignoring the pain of his shoulders being twisted back, the mage glared with bloodshot eyes, spraying spit as he hurled curses at the knight and an invisible target.
“If only that man hadn’t existed…! He broke into my workshop, knocked me unconscious, stole all my research data, killed all the chimeras…! If not for him, I wouldn’t have been so pathetically abandoned by the Count…!”
The mage suddenly realized he had said too much and glanced around nervously. The two soldiers seemed completely uninterested in his words, and there didn’t appear to be anyone else listening. By then, the Benning knight was staring directly at him.
“I see.”
The knight’s voice was chillingly low. He gestured for the soldiers to withdraw. They hesitated but eventually obeyed reluctantly. The mage continued screaming even while in manacles. Clinging desperately to his last hope, the old mage pathetically begged the Benning knight.
“Just listen to me once. There was an intruder…! It might be someone neither you nor the Count knows. If not for them, the research we conducted last night would never have been discovered by those damned knights…!”
Crunch.Cough. The mage’s breathing was cut off. The knight had grabbed him by the throat and dragged him into an alley.
When they entered the laboratory, soldiers could be seen rummaging through his books and tools. Even while being held by the throat and making gurgling sounds, the elderly mage couldn’t hide his anguish at the sight of his research being destroyed and stolen.
“Get out.”
The soldiers exchanged glances, quickly abandoned the documents, and left the laboratory. The door slammed shut. The knight threw the elderly mage to the floor.
“Guhk!”
The mage rolled across the floor, letting out a pained sound. Slice.
“Huh?”
The elderly mage felt a chill in his lower body. Looking down at his severed leg spraying black liquid, he wore a puzzled expression.
“The Count gave me a separate request. He ordered me to find out exactly what you people were hiding so desperately.”
Stab. The sword tip pierced his back. A chilling killing intent hovered barely an inch from his heart.
“You’ve gone mad. Do you truly wish to see us bare our fangs at the Count?”
“No, the ones who’ve gone mad are the Magic Tower and its mages for daring to hide things from the Count. Come to think of it, there seems to be quite a lot you’re hiding. I can’t just let you go.”
The elderly mage swallowed dryly. He had not yet completed his transformation into a black mage; if his heart was pierced, he could not recover. He could not die yet. Even if captured and thrown into prison, he needed to live long enough to achieve the completion he had never reached.
The Benning knight playfully twisted the blade buried in the old man’s back.
“How about it? Obediently spit out everything you know. We should start with that hidden research of yours.”
“I curse… you…”
The elderly mage spat out the words in a lamenting tone, his speech broken and halting. He revealed information about his research. He confessed that they had hidden Christine Watson in the Magic Tower’s basement, and since the Count would obviously use her as a hostage, they had concealed that fact and used her as a test subject. He also spilled the truth about various other experiments conducted outside Benning’s sight. He even revealed that an intruder had openly invaded his dungeon, turned his research upside down, and fled.
A faint smile spread across the Benning knight’s face as he listened.
“I see. That’s enough.”
“Then how about removing this damned sword?”
“Before that, show me the entrance to the dungeon you were hiding. I’ll judge after seeing it myself.”
The mage, who had calmed his mind while speaking, asked in a much steadier voice. Since he had confessed everything, perhaps he would be deemed useful and spared. Maybe he would even be taken into the Count’s service. The mage hurriedly cleared the carpet on the floor. A heavy iron door leading to the dungeon appeared.
What a miserable fate. Not only did I allow an intruder, but now I’m forced to invite another into my workshop under threat of death.
When the mage placed his hand on the iron door, it opened with a heavy clank. From behind, the Benning knight let out a short exclamation of admiration.
“So this is the dungeon entrance.”
“Yes. So withdraw your sword already.”
“Understood.”
The moment the knight finished speaking, the sword tip pierced the mage’s heart. The mage looked down in panic at his suddenly stopped heartbeat. The sword tip, dripping with black blood, protruded from his chest.
“You… bastard…”
“Well, I now know what you were hiding. You’re useless to take under the Count, and too dangerous to leave alive. Let’s just say you died here. Doesn’t that sound clean?”
“I’ll kill—!”
A massive surge of mana swelled from the mage, but before it could erupt, the knight’s sword flashed. The mage’s body was torn to shreds and flew through the air. Split in half and staring at the floor with different eyes, the knight gave a cold smile at the end of that gaze.
When the bisected heart stopped and the mage realized his long-cherished wish would never come true, the world was swallowed by an unfamiliar darkness.
The knight turned slightly toward the mage’s corpse and let out a hollow laugh.
“An intruder, huh.”
The Benning knight tapped his sword hilt with apparent pleasure and walked toward the dungeon entrance that gaped open like a black maw.
Each step felt heavy. Maxim continued forward. The murmuring of the Royal Capital’s citizens and the wind blowing through the streets felt impossibly distant to him now. There was still time before the investigation of the Magic Tower began. Maxim intended to use that window to slip into the tower’s basement.
His body moved swiftly, as if riding the wind. Leaping over alleys entirely, Maxim crossed rooftops and flew toward his destination.
His body did not tire, but his heart pounded as if it would burst. Though his breathing remained steady, his thoughts swirled chaotically inside his head.
“Here…”
Maxim reached a certain spot in the alley—the place where he and Adeline had escaped from the dungeon. The hole he had created two dawns ago still gaped open. Maxim walked through the alley and stood before the opening where the paving stones had been cut away.
He could not enter immediately. Someone stood behind him, radiating a sharp presence like a drawn blade.
“Why are you here?”
When he turned, Adeline stood with her sword drawn. Her dark blue hair fluttered like waves in the wind. Her eyes were covered with black cloth, and her lips remained expressionless as always. Perhaps because of the unusually cold weather, her pale cheeks were flushed red.
Adeline pretended to be perfectly fine as she pointed her sword at Maxim. He received the sharp, somehow sorrowful fighting spirit with his entire body.
“…It is the Count’s order.”
Her voice sounded pained as she spoke those words.
Maxim’s face twisted as he asked, “Was the Count’s order to kill me?”
Adeline did not answer. Maxim faced her without drawing his own sword. The only thing he could do was speak the truth he had never told her.
“Adeline, your eyes and your memories were—”
Adeline cut him off.
“Yes. For a moment, I did wonder if that might be the case.”
Her words were sincere. Her voice trembled with a kind of heartbreaking fragility.
“I had my suspicions. I even tried to recall traces of my memories.”
Adeline’s aura began to rise.
“But deep in my heart, I still believe I must follow that order. And in reality, my body is helplessly telling me to kill you.”
She seemed unwilling to speak any further. When Maxim still hesitated to draw his sword, Adeline revealed her intent first.
“I do not wish to fight you. At least not right now.”
Maxim spoke in a low voice. It was useless. Adeline acted as if she refused to hear him. Maxim gripped his sword hilt. After hesitating for a long time, he finally drew his blade.
Only after confirming that Maxim had drawn his sword did Adeline take her stance. Maxim closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again to face her. The hand gripping the hilt ached. The fact that he had to point his sword at someone who should not be his opponent was painful.
“You must fight with the intent to kill me.”
Strangely, the warning carried no killing intent. As if trying to hide that fact, Adeline leaped toward Maxim with her dark blue hair streaming behind her. The two swords collided in the early winter air.