Chapter 5
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Northway (2)
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"Huh?"
But even as the guard was startled by Blake's odd hand gesture, he tilted his head in confusion.
Waving his hand back and forth while showing the back of it was clearly...
"Uh, just keep sleeping...?"
Hoping against hope, the guard voiced it aloud.
The other man nodded.
The guard stared blankly at him for a moment, scratched his head a few times, then awkwardly bowed his head once before returning to the campfire and lying down.
What could he do? The guy was standing in for his watch, no matter the reason.
He had no choice but to gratefully accept.
"..."
As the guard returned to the fire, Blake lay sprawled atop the leather covering the baggage wagon, staring blankly at the sky.
Stars that had been hidden behind black clouds until last night were now faintly visible.
He didn't particularly feel like sleeping tonight either, just like the night before.
Of course, not sleeping didn't cause him much discomfort.
Compared to those ten days of battling Maltar Tribe warriors without a wink of sleep, this was far too easy.
Whoosh...
The relentless icy winds had quieted for a moment, leaving only the soft crackle of the dying campfire in the profound silence.
Apart from the occasional snoring that sounded like choking gasps, it felt no different from being deep in the lizardfolk territory beyond the mountains.
But Blake knew that wasn't true at all.
There were no lizardfolk warriors here plotting to take his life day and night, no beasts lurking for a chance to savor their favorite human flesh.
No foolish recruits who acted on their own and ended up skinned alive with only bones and hide left, no fortress knights who shunned him as the reaper despite him being second only to the commander in seniority.
Murder after murder after murder.
The denizens of the Northern Great Mountains, driven solely by blood, fear, and madness, were nowhere to be found here.
Under the same sky, this place was a completely different world from just a few days ago.
-Once you've completed the final order, you can do as you please.
The commander had said that.
But he couldn't quite grasp it.
Do as he pleased?
Did that mean deciding friend from foe by his own judgment instead of orders, and executing enemies accordingly?
Just like he had deep in the barbarian lands beyond the mountains?
But no, that couldn't be right.
His squad leaders, who had always been wary of him despite years together, had cautiously advised that once outside the Northern Great Mountains, he shouldn't kill people recklessly.
"Snort!"
At the sudden snore, Blake frowned slightly and turned his gaze.
The one snoring was the young knight from the capital who had annoyed him from the day they met.
The commander had told him to stick close if possible, but Blake didn't fully trust this Lindelmann Zaroph.
Judging by his behavior these past few days, if they entered barbarian territory, he'd be skinned whole and hung from a tree before a day passed.
'No skill, utterly incompetent.'
That was Blake's conclusion about him.
He couldn't understand why the commander wanted him to stay by the young capital knight's side, observe closely, and seek advice.
"Hm."
But Blake shook his head.
The commander's parting words came to mind.
There were no wars beyond Northway.
There might be minor squabbles—like duels, which he didn't quite understand—but no brutal fights where you killed enemies by any means to survive.
So he couldn't keep living by Northernrocks ways. Even if the capital knight wasn't entirely reliable, he should travel with him until they left the North and learn the ways of the world.
Blake steeled his resolve.
Even though he'd been discharged and thrust into an unfamiliar world, the commander's orders were absolute as far as he knew.
The commander was his mentor who taught him everything, his father figure who raised him.
So he had to reach the place the commander mentioned within three months and deliver the letter to the person named.
After that, the commander said he could live freely, but Blake would return to Northernrocks Fortress.
That was the only way of life he knew.
"Grrrh! Hack!"
"..."
So at minimum, until they left Northway, he should try to get a little closer to the unreliable capital knight—even if just enduring that snoring—or at least figure out what kind of person he was.
"Mm."
Lindelmann was uneasy.
He'd felt anxious ever since waking, doing morning stretches, and setting off.
Of course, he knew the reason.
But no solution came to mind.
He couldn't exactly call out someone for just staring.
"Ugh!"
Glancing toward the wagon, Lindelmann let out a low groan.
Those cold, emotionless blue eyes were still fixed on him.
Ever since his blunder a few days ago, the occasional glances had turned into blatant, unblinking stares.
'Big guy, but petty personality. Northerners are all the same... Tch!'
Lindelmann clicked his tongue inwardly.
It seemed the man was holding onto those words from days ago and now, almost at their destination, was giving him the cold shoulder.
Otherwise, why glare like that from morning?
'We kept making eye contact these past days. If it bothered him, say it then. Now that we're almost there, he pulls this?'
Still, Lindelmann had no choice but to yield.
No matter the reason, this was a brave man with over ten years in the Imperial Army and an honorable discharge.
He'd been the first to offend, and not apologizing for days was indefensible.
Above all, admitting his mistake was the duty of an honorable knight.
Even if it was 'just a little' late.
"Ahem! Blake."
At Lindelmann's call, Blake, who had been watching him, nodded calmly.
Seeing that arrogant demeanor, Lindelmann briefly reconsidered apologizing, but muttered curses under his breath and spoke as politely as he could.
"Ahem! Well, uh... A few days ago, this knight was quite rude."
"Rude?"
"Ahem! Indeed. I've been fascinated by the legion that quelled the Rebel King's remnants since childhood, so when the topic came up, my judgment clouded a bit."
"Hm. I see."
Lindelmann raised his voice slightly, incredulous at Blake sincerely accepting his perfunctory excuse.
"A-anyway! Even if you're a discharged soldier, you were part of the Imperial Army. I, no direct superior, can't demand answers. So, though a bit late—ahem!—I formally apologize."
Lindelmann emphasized 'a bit' with a solemn expression, his best effort as a noble-born from Alteria. He was certain it would be accepted.
But unfortunately, the other man didn't appreciate it.
"..."
Blake just stared with emotionless eyes, saying nothing.
"Mm!"
Lindelmann's face hardened.
Even the guards, who had been watching with interest, tensed at the chilling atmosphere.
"Blake, you won't accept this knight's apology because it's a bit late? Are you, right now, dismissing Lindelmann Zaroph over a few days' delay?"
His voice carried confusion and anger.
"...Dismiss?"
Blake cocked his head, murmuring lowly—or so he thought, but to Lindelmann and the guards, it looked provocative.
Lindelmann's face flushed red as his hand went to his sword hilt.
"You—you really won't accept it? Truly over a few days late? If so, I can't hold back any—"
"If accepting the apology is enough? Then I accept. And I apologize too."
"...Huh?"
Blake's response deflated Lindelmann's surging rage in an instant—more from sheer bafflement than anything, but the tension eased.
"H-heh, ahem! If you put it that way, I accept your apology too. So, no issues between us now, right?"
"Issues? None."
Blake nodded lightly.
Far from issues, it was highly satisfactory.
-Give back what you receive.
The commander's advice worked in the outside world too.
He'd accepted the apology and returned it, calming the capital knight who seemed ready to explode.
"Ahem! Good then. So..."
A mix of relief and unease lingered, but Lindelmann urged his horse toward the wagon's front.
Then Blake's low voice sounded.
"By the way, may I call you Sir Zaroph from now on?"
"...Appreciated."
Lindelmann felt a strange emptiness amid the relief.
Blake's face and voice held no emotion, but no malice either.
For someone who'd likely killed countless over the years, he seemed remarkably normal.
Plus, an Imperial Army veteran calling him 'sir' and treating him like a knight gave a slight swell of pride.
His hopes of Rebel King suppression duty were gone, but the weight of ten Northernrocks years remained.
'Come to think of it...'
Lindelmann glanced at Blake anew.
Under the emperor's long reign of peace, the empire enjoyed an unprecedented golden age.
But no world was without problems.
Its vast territory meant imperial law couldn't reach everywhere, allowing bandit groups—mountain raiders, river pirates, plain thieves—to thrive.
Cities under direct imperial governors and nearby areas were fine, with garrison forces maintaining order.
But farther out, security faltered inevitably.
Villages of dozens or hundreds of farming households relied on militias of young men for defense.
Yet militias alone couldn't guarantee safety.
You couldn't deploy the full army everywhere.
Conditions had improved from the days of unchecked noble exploitation and banditry, but peasants still faced anxieties and losses.
The emperor devised a bold solution: granting fiefs and autonomy to a select few among hundreds of imperial meritorious nobles—those with great deeds and longstanding regional influence.
These 'Seven Great Lords' were tasked with securing their vicinities.
'With his caliber, could he serve as a retainer—or even knight—for one of the Great Lords' houses?'
Lindelmann eyed Blake with fresh appreciation.
(To be continued in the next installment)