Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Returned Sword
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Sophia was just as shocked. The corners of her eyes trembled faintly.
'Why did you come back?'
Jamie wasn't the type to abandon a knight's honor. No one knew him better than Sophia. The Jamie she knew would have gone after Ryle's Sword even if it meant certain death.
'Were you afraid of dying?'
It was a pointless question. He wasn't a knight who feared death. That left only one answer.
'Ah... why do you have to make things so hard for me?'
Sophia squeezed her eyes shut.
Jamie had defied the lord's orders and returned. She couldn't understand why someone as clever as him would do something so agonizing. He'd forsaken his knightly honor, so he could never see her again.
Jamie had made a grueling choice—for both himself and Sophia.
A choice that would leave nothing but dark crimson blood in its wake.
"Argh, that bastard! Fetch Sir Mild right now. Call every knight immediately!"
Baron Willis stormed out of Sophia's room in a rage.
Left alone, Sophia's eyes snapped open. Her usual gentle expression was gone. Her delicate hand gripped the vase on the vanity.
Crash!
She hurled it across the room, and it shattered against the floor.
"Why, why, why! Why on earth did you come back?!"
Sophia's anguished scream echoed through the room.
A small castle perched atop a hill.
The emblem on the flags fluttering along the walls was identical to the one embroidered on the clothes Jamie had worn when they first met.
"That's Willis Castle."
So Gun-ak spurred his horse toward the large town at the base of the hill.
It was Carem City, the most developed place in Baron Willis's territory. It had taken exactly ten full days since leaving Chirato Village.
He'd passed two small villages along the way but had camped out the rest of the time, leaving his body weary.
After a hearty meal at an inn for the first time in ages, he headed straight for the commercial district.
He wandered around hoping to find a skilled blacksmith, but none met So Gun-ak's standards.
It was a city in name only—a place that barely qualified as a large village.
"Should I head to Todun City?"
Todun City was the wealthiest in Viscount Jamby's neighboring territory.
Viscount Jamby owned two mines, making mining their economic backbone. Ralph had mentioned that Todun was full of skilled blacksmiths thanks to that.
"I'll return this quickly and go to Todun."
So Gun-ak patted Ryle's Sword tucked in his bosom.
With no more business here, he planned to deliver the sword and move on to Todun.
The problem was his appearance—identical to Jamie's. If the Willis folk mistook him for Jamie, it could spell trouble.
"I'll say I'm his twin brother."
So Gun-ak already knew everything about Jamie up to age twenty from his memories. Jamie, orphaned, had no brother, but that didn't matter.
After contracting with the wind spirit, Jamie had lived as a wandering mercenary, building his fame as the Knight of the Wind at a young age. He'd settled with Baron Willis's family at twenty.
He'd fallen in love with Sophia, sworn to become her knight, pledged loyalty to the Willis family, and been knighted.
No one in the Willis household knew the details of his life before twenty, so claiming a twin brother should fool them.
His hair color had changed, and his face had altered slightly over time, so a twin story would fit perfectly.
A human-skin mask was a hassle to procure, and he didn't want to bother with transformation arts for something as simple as returning a sword.
Even if caught, no one would suspect another soul had taken over Jamie's body.
With his thoughts sorted, So Gun-ak rode straight for the lord's castle.
Knight Baldron, guarding Willis Castle's main gate, widened his eyes at the lone rider approaching up the road. A black-clad knight sat astride a brown horse.
The horse soon halted before the gate.
"Halt!"
Soldiers resting near Baldron's post grabbed their spears and stepped forward.
"Dismount!"
At Baldron's shout, So Gun-ak obediently got off his horse.
"I have something to deliver. I need to see the lord."
Baldron started drawing his sword in anger at the curt words but froze, his eyes bulging like a rabbit's.
"S-Sir Jamie?"
So Gun-ak's face darkened as the gate guard recognized him. What did a little acting matter if it avoided hassle?
"Jamie is my younger brother. I'm his twin."
Baldron didn't know what to do.
The face was unmistakably Jamie's, but the hair color and aura were completely different.
Baldron knew the castle's situation all too well.
Jamie had gone for Ryle's Sword two months ago—an impossible task. Returning alive meant defying the lord's command.
Why come back? Anyone would feel wronged.
"Jamie, I understand how you feel. But what do you expect now? This will only hurt the lady more."
So Gun-ak shook his head slowly.
"Jamie is already dead. I need to see the lord and tell him everything."
Baldron swallowed hard. He was starting to doubt if this was truly Jamie's brother or Jamie in disguise.
Butler Cowan, tending the garden, was visible in the distance, running off. Knights would arrive soon.
Baldron was at a loss.
Even if the black knight was Jamie's brother, he was dangerous. What if he sought revenge for his brother's death?
Moments later, Baron Willis appeared with the knights, including Sir Mild, who rivaled Jamie in the household's hierarchy.
Nine knights including Mild could protect the lord, no matter how vengeful Jamie might be.
"Jamie, why have you returned?!"
So Gun-ak gazed impassively at the furious baron.
"Jamie is dead."
"What nonsense is this? Where do you get off with this amateur theatrics?"
Believe it or not, it didn't matter. So Gun-ak drew Ryle's Sword from his bosom. Nearby Baldron took it and handed it to Baron Willis.
"Ryle's Sword."
"W-what?"
The baron was more stunned than when Jamie had appeared.
A heirloom lost ten years ago had returned. Examining it closely, he swallowed hard.
'I-it's real.'
He never imagined Jamie would succeed. Hadn't he promised marriage to Sophia if he brought back Ryle's Sword?
But with the betrothal to the Diel family already set, breaking it off was impossible.
"Y-you fraud!"
So Gun-ak's expression remained unchanged.
"I'm Jamie's twin brother. I came to deliver this sword at his request."
"How dare you! I've never heard Jamie mention a brother!"
So Gun-ak spoke indifferently—the brief excuse he'd prepared on the way.
"I left the orphanage with Jamie. We swore to wander the world, hone our skills, and meet again. A few years ago, I heard he'd settled here. Then three months ago, he contacted me."
Everyone fell silent, eyes fixed on his lips.
"He said he needed to retrieve Ryle's Sword and asked me to go to Crokshu Mountain with him."
A soldier's gulp echoed loudly in the hush.
All were riveted to So Gun-ak's tale.
"I gladly joined him. We climbed Crokshu Mountain for a month."
"D-did you see it? The White Dragon?"
Baldron, caught up in the story, forgot the situation.
As So Gun-ak nodded, sighs rippled through the crowd.
"Then how did you survive?"
The lord asked suspiciously, though inwardly starting to believe. Ryle's Sword was irrefutable proof.
So Gun-ak grimaced as if reliving a painful memory, dragging out the tale reluctantly.
"We tried to face Crokshu. But standing before it, we couldn't even think of fighting. Jamie sensed he couldn't return alive. He offered his life to Crokshu in exchange for the sword—to prove his love. Before the dragon could reply, he took his own life right there."
"Hah..."
A knight close to Jamie sighed softly. He'd known Jamie was brave, but this stirred his heart anew.
So Gun-ak trembled, crying out in grief.
"After that, Crokshu silently gave me the sword. I'm here to deliver it as my brother asked."
No one spoke easily after his words.
Even Baron Willis stayed silent, scrutinizing So Gun-ak.
The clothes and hair differed, but the face was Jamie's. Who could believe a sudden twin brother?
"I've said my piece. I'll be going."
With that, So Gun-ak thrust Jamie's spear into the ground.
"I couldn't recover his body... Take this spear and hold the funeral in his stead."
He mounted his horse and rode away.
"L-Lord, what should we do?"
The butler's question twisted the baron's face.
"Mild."
"Yes."
"Send reliable soldiers to monitor him discreetly."
"Understood."
Baldron clutched Jamie's spear, tears flowing.
He truly admired his fellow knight now. Completing the mission with his death...
What a noble, heroic example of knighthood. A legend worthy of hero worship.
"Lord, what about Jamie's funeral?"
"Funeral? What do you..."
The lord trailed off, gauging reactions.
The knights looked ready to revolt at a misstep.
Baldron was the worst, but others were much the same—all moved.
Neglecting the funeral might break their oaths.
"W-we'll hold a grand funeral for Jamie. But Komora arrives in a week. We can't do funerals before the wedding."
The knights' faces softened in understanding.
Jamie was their ideal, but for Sophia's sake, he needed hiding from Komora.
"And has anyone ever heard Jamie had a twin?"
"..."
The knights shook their heads.
"What if it's Jamie dyed his hair and acting? Once his death is confirmed, we'll honor him properly. Keep tabs on this 'twin brother.'"
"Yes."
"If it's Jamie with some scheme... what might happen when Komora arrives?"
"Hm."
Sophia and Jamie's relationship was known to all in the castle.
Thankfully, Carem City was mostly unaware—if the castle kept quiet, it was fine.
An ex-lover appearing before the wedding wouldn't please Komora.
"Understand?"
"We'll watch him closely."
The baron patted Mild's shoulder in approval.
"I trust you."
Clutching Ryle's Sword, he hurried to the mansion.
He needed to verify it quickly. It looked genuine, but what if it was a master forgery?
'Your story had better be true. Or you'll die.'
The baron narrowed his eyes.
If it was Jamie acting, he'd kill him. If truly the twin, Jamie becomes a family hero.
Ryle's Sword's return was unexpected fortune for Baron Willis.
"I-it's real."
"Truly?"
Baron Willis pressed.
"Absolutely. It's definitely Ryle's Sword, lost ten years ago."
Butler Cowan teared up at the storekeeper's certainty.
"Congratulations, my lord."
The lord wept too.
"Ah, now I can finally face our ancestors."
The baron shed the guilt of losing the heirloom due to his own failings.
"Sir Jamie was truly remarkable."
"Few knights uphold chivalry like that."
The storekeeper and butler chatted, then noticed the baron's grim face and clammed up.
Thinking of Jamie soured the baron's mood.
'Is this the right thing?'
He'd coveted Jamie first.
He'd turned a blind eye when Jamie and Sophia became lovers.
Jamie was young and capable. The baron had even considered him son-in-law material.
Jamie had completed every order—even the final impossible one.
But Jamie was dead now. Regret was too late, and useless.
'I should reward his brother.'
With the sword authentic, the brother's tale rang true.
He might harbor grudge for Jamie's death, so soothe him and send him away before Komora arrived.
'Yes, all for the family's revival.'
Sorry to dead Jamie, but that lightened his heart. As he gathered his thoughts to leave, Sophia entered.
"Father, I need to speak with you."
"Hm, you two, leave us."
As butler and storekeeper moved to exit, Sophia stopped them.
"Keep quiet about Ryle's Sword."
"Lady? What do you mean?"
"It's not real."
"But I checked it myself..."
Sophia cut him off.
"No. It's fake. I trust you understand."
The baron quickly ordered.
"Silence on Ryle's Sword. Got it?"
"Yes, of course."
They pledged amid the tense air and left.
The baron couldn't fathom Sophia's sudden behavior.
"What is it?"
"The sword is fake."
"How would you know?"
Gazing at his daughter, he tilted his head.
Sophia wasn't one for tantrums. She was sharp as any boy. She wouldn't say this without reason.
"Explain so I understand."
"Real or fake, it doesn't matter."
"What?!"
"Spread word that Jamie brought a fake to deceive you. Have the knights seize him."
"But he's Jamie's bro..."
"Father! He's not."
The baron's face hardened.
"What do you mean?"
"I was his woman for three years. I know him better than anyone. He dyed his hair, but it's Jamie."
The lord felt dizzy at her words.
It pained him to see his daughter drive Jamie to death so relentlessly. Wasn't he once her love?
But he couldn't take her words at face value. He'd made her this cold-blooded.
"Are you sure?"
"He's just an obstacle now."
Her words chilled him. He steeled his resolve.
Jamie or twin—it didn't matter. No risks with Komora coming.
"I'll handle it."
Sophia nodded.
Jamie had been honest with her, sharing his past.
Orphanage life, spirit's choice, worldwide adventures. But never a twin.
She bit her lip hard.
"Daring to lie to me?"
His survival irked her less than his secrets.
Why return?
She couldn't grasp his intent. She'd expected him to report success proudly and demand marriage approval.
But he'd acted like someone else.
It baffled her. Wasn't his goal their love?
The Diel marriage was underway. Was he pretending ignorance for her sake?
If so, idiotic.
But welcome to Sophia.
"A doomed life anyway..."
If he'd begged for marriage after succeeding, she'd and the baron would be in a bind.
But his "brother" act gave pretext—fake sword—to frame and kill him again.