Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Confrontation in the Inn
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Knight Captain Mild entered the Lord's office.
"So, what's the latest on that bastard?"
"He's staying at an inn called Song of the Stars. He's holed up in his room without moving a muscle. When we questioned the innkeeper, he said the man arrived just before lunchtime today."
"So he came straight here to Karemsi after arriving."
"Yes, that's right."
If he'd returned, why hadn't he come directly to the castle instead of booking a room in Karemsi?
"That guy's definitely plotting something. Isn't the wedding exactly a month away?"
Mild seemed to share the same thoughts. Finishing business at the baron's estate and heading straight to an inn suggested Jamie had decided to stay long-term.
"It looks that way."
Mild's expression was grim. Any respect he'd felt for Jamie's display of true knighthood had been short-lived.
The sword he'd brought back—Ryle's Sword—had turned out to be a fake.
Mild felt a deep sense of betrayal. The other knights felt the same.
"Can you take him down?"
Mild's heart burned with rage, but his mind remained rational.
"It's humiliating to admit, but his skill is equal to mine... or perhaps a step above."
"Hmm."
Baron Willis nodded slowly. That was precisely why he'd tried so hard to bind the Knight of the Wind, Jamie, to his family.
"But if I team up with one other knight, we can kill him. With two, we could capture him."
Mild was known for his cool judgment. If he said it, it was likely certain.
"Take the entire knight order. We must eliminate him."
Mild flinched in surprise.
"Eliminate him, you say?"
He'd expected orders to capture and interrogate him for his crimes. Besides, the command to retrieve Ryle's Sword had been absurd to begin with. Just because Jamie had lied didn't mean he'd committed a capital offense.
"I misspoke. Capture him. If I'm right, he's targeting Young Lord Komora."
Even Mild could think of no other reason why Jamie hadn't left the city.
"Understood."
After Mild bowed and left, Baron Willis shook his head ruefully.
Interrogating and executing an innocent man was distasteful, but there was no choice.
The problem was that killing him would provoke a strong backlash from the knights.
"Trouble either way."
Just a few months ago, Jamie had been indispensable to the Willis family. Now, he was their biggest headache.
With the situation like this, all the countless merits he'd earned vanished from Baron Willis's mind as if they'd never existed.
To him, Jamie was nothing but an obstacle now.
"Still, impressive. How did he find Ryle's Sword?"
If he truly were Jamie's brother rather than Jamie himself, it would have been extraordinary.
Retrieving the sword from White Dragon Crokshu's lair, no less.
But even the abilities of a knight like Jamie, who knew no impossibility, paled before the formidable backing of the Diel family.
Abandoning the Knight of the Wind was a worthwhile trade for the Diel count's favor.
So Gun-ak, having returned, found it an awkward hour for dinner, and with the first floor packed with rowdy guests, he decided to postpone his meal.
He planned to spend the night in meditation anyway, so he could eat whenever hunger struck.
Up in his room, So Gun-ak immediately began circulating his energy. Only after a long while did he exhale deeply.
"Huuuuu."
Finishing his meditation, So Gun-ak lit a candle, noticing how dark it had become around him.
The sunset visible earlier from the window had given way to a sky full of stars.
His stomach growled; he figured he'd grab a quick bite.
Rushing downstairs before the innkeeper retired, he descended to the first floor.
Despite the late hour, the brightly lit interior held sixteen men seated at tables.
As So Gun-ak appeared, all eyes turned to him.
"Knights from the castle."
Their faces were familiar—the ones he'd seen that morning.
He easily guessed why they were here.
"You've come for me, I see."
As if confirming his words, they all rose from their seats. Baldron stepped forward.
"Jamie! Why did you deceive us?"
So Gun-ak's head throbbed. They'd ultimately chosen not to believe him.
"How could we understand the sorrow of sending Lady Sophia away? But bringing a fake Ryle's Sword and deceiving the lord and us knights—that we cannot forgive."
So Gun-ak's eyebrow twitched.
"What are you talking about? Fake?"
"Planning to deny it to the end?"
"What I brought was genuine."
The interrogating knight faltered at So Gun-ak's words. His confidence threw them off.
"The deceiver isn't me. It's your lord you serve. Or perhaps your family can't even recognize its own heirloom."
"Jamie!"
Mild stepped forward in anger at So Gun-ak's words. So Gun-ak met his aura without backing down.
"You keep calling me that. I am not Jamie."
So Gun-ak continued down the stairs.
The encircling knights hesitated and stepped back. Once he reached the first floor, they formed a perfect circle around him. Yet So Gun-ak's presence showed no sign of faltering.
"My name is So Gun-ak. Don't bother me anymore."
The knights, unsure, looked to their captain, Mild. So Gun-ak's boldness made them wonder if they'd been wrong.
Mild demanded,
"If you're truly not Jamie but his twin brother, why haven't you left the city?"
"I was planning to leave tomorrow anyway."
So Gun-ak spoke without a hint of falsehood, but these fools had already decided their answers and were asking pointless questions.
"Whether you're Jamie or his brother, it doesn't matter. Aren't you here to stop Lady Sophia's wedding?"
So Gun-ak smirked. What did her marriage have to do with him?
"It has nothing to do with me."
"Tch! I can't believe you."
So Gun-ak narrowed his eyes.
They weren't worth talking to anyway.
"Seize him!"
A dozen knights charged at once. So Gun-ak swiftly dropped low and kicked the nearest one's shin.
Crack!
"Argh."
Before the knight with the broken shin could scream, So Gun-ak grabbed his waist and hurled him aside. Slipping through the gap, he broke the encirclement—only for Baldron to charge after him.
Feeling the deepest betrayal among them, Baldron went all out.
"Raaah!"
Whoosh.
Baldron lunged with surprising agility for his bulk, his fist powerful enough to fell an ox in one blow.
Tap.
So Gun-ak deftly caught the punch with both hands, then yanked him forward. Baldron, momentum carrying him, was helplessly pulled in.
Thud!
"Guhhh."
So Gun-ak's fist sank deep into Baldron's gut. From the outside, it looked like Baldron had run into it.
"Grab him now!"
Thump! Thud!
As the knights fell one by one, Mild swallowed hard.
"Can a person change this much in two months?"
This wasn't the Jamie he knew.
Jamie had been roughly on par with him, the knight captain—and that was when using the wind spirit.
"Why isn't he using the spirit?"
Jamie with the wind spirit wielded swordsmanship like art. But So Gun-ak's hand-to-hand prowess was beyond expectation.
While Mild hesitated, all the knights hit the floor.
"Ugh... ngh."
So Gun-ak's gaze turned to Mild. Mild flinched, then drew his sword with resolve.
Shing.
So Gun-ak had returned Ryle's Sword and Jamie's spear.
He had only his leather tunic with the dagger sheath—and even that was left in his room.
So Gun-ak was unarmed.
He raised both arms and beckoned Mild.
"Come at me."
Mild felt shame at So Gun-ak provoking him without even drawing a weapon.
Aiming a sword at an unarmed foe—what humiliation.
There was only one way left to determine if he was Jamie.
"If you don't use your signature wind spirit, your life is in danger."
Mild lunged without delay.
"Hah!"
His sword aimed for So Gun-ak's chest—a strike that would pierce it if not dodged.
Jamie specialized in agile hit-and-run tactics with the wind spirit.
This speed was easily avoidable with spirit magic.
"Dodge already!"
Mild screamed inwardly. But So Gun-ak neither used the spirit nor dodged.
His left hand traced a large circle, his right a small one, converging at his chest.
Clang.
So Gun-ak twisted his hand blade, deflecting the sword upward.
"Barehanded?!"
Mild's eyes nearly bulged in shock. He'd never dreamed of facing a sword empty-handed.
Whoosh.
The sword flew up, exposing Mild's chest. So Gun-ak seized the opening.
Pop!
His palm strike connected.
Thump!
"Urk."
Mild's back arched like a shrimp as he flew backward.
Clang!
The masterless sword clattered to the floor.
"Cough!"
Mild spat blood. His eyes toward So Gun-ak were filled with disbelief.
"Cough... hack. You're not Jamie."
"How many times do I have to say it?"
Mild gave a bitter smile. This man couldn't be Jamie. Jamie didn't have this level of skill.
At twenty-three, Jamie matched a man twice his age only thanks to his wind spirit affinity.
Yet this man had crushed the entire order with pure physical might, no spirit involved.
Mild shuddered imagining him with a sword in hand.
"Don't bother me anymore. I've tolerated you as Jamie's comrades—until today. Come again, and you'll stake your lives."
"Ngh... one question."
Clutching his aching chest, Mild asked,
"Why haven't you left Karemsi?"
"You're repeating yourself. I was leaving tomorrow."
Mild's face darkened.
So Gun-ak eyed him thoughtfully. Why had they come for him specifically? The answer was obvious—he just hadn't paid it mind.
"Even if that woman Sophia was once my brother's lover, I have no reason to disrupt her wedding. Nor any intention to."
"Can I believe you?"
"Keep provoking me, and I might change my mind."
Mild knew it wasn't an empty threat.
So Gun-ak had the power if he wanted.
The castle knights had charged and been routed. They couldn't stop him if he turned malicious.
"Go back."
With subtle inner energy in his voice, the fallen knights endured their pain and staggered out of the inn.
Some had injured backs, others broken limbs.
To avoid permanent disability, they'd need holy potions—and those weren't cheap.
So Gun-ak glanced at the innkeeper and server peeking from behind the counter.
"Eek!"
They ducked at eye contact.
"I'm hungry. Bring some food."
At his casual request, the owner bolted to the kitchen in terror. So Gun-ak sat at an upright table.
Moments later, alone in the vast dining hall, food was hastily served before him.
The owner's face, stealing glances, was pale as if seeing a ghost.
Oblivious to his feat, So Gun-ak ate calmly.
Having demolished the baron's knights, it was a wonder food went down his throat.
"Some liquor too?"
"Y-yes? Ah, right away."
The owner brought his finest reserved bottle, plus extra sides. A far cry from lunch.
"Why the sudden hospitality?"
The owner jumped at the question.
"Sudden? No, not at all."
So Gun-ak chuckled, pouring and sipping. The aroma alone outshone the lunchtime swill.
After sour fruit wine, the fiery brandy cleared his insides like a blast.
"Whew, delicious."
The innkeeper sat at the counter, glancing repeatedly, nudging the wary server.
"Hey, the knights got wrecked and left. Think it'll be fine?"
The server shrugged.
"What can they do? They couldn't even touch him."
"Hmm, they say he's Sir Jamie's twin. Really looks like him?"
The owner hadn't met Jamie, but the server had seen him on castle errands.
"Eh, I've seen Sir Jamie a few times... kinda looks like him, kinda doesn't."
"Man, my heart's still racing. How'd he take on the knights like that?"
"Incredible. Even top knight Sir Mild drew his sword and went down in one hit."
"Watch your mouth, kid."
Their hushed exchange rang clear to So Gun-ak, like chatter right beside him.
Pour.
His face brightened as he drank.
His inner energy now slightly exceeded twenty-five years' worth. He could easily infuse a blade, and his martial arts had advanced accordingly.
Above all, Jamie's body finally felt like his own.
Weak foes were no issue, even dozens. But against equals, a minor imbalance could decide victory.
He'd fully assimilated Jamie's memories up to age twenty.
Perfectly adapted, it felt like living a second life as another person.
Gaining experience from a wholly different world.
Even indirect recollection of another's life brought profound insight.
Jamie's spirit swordsmanship especially intrigued him.
"Once I get a weapon, I need to find a way to melt the gem."
He wanted secluded closed-door training, but couldn't leave his subordinates in Crokshu's lair forever.
He'd seek a solution swiftly and prepare thoroughly.
Ideally, reaching qi projection to slice the gem—but he needed backups if that failed.
He'd once thought building power alone sufficed. But Jamie's memories revealed this world's unknowns, necessitating preparations.
Thankfully, those memories helped. Mages in the Magic Tower, alchemists' guild, or the kingdom's Royal Academy of scholars.
This world's materials—not Middle Earth's—meant consulting them could yield answers.