Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Black-Haired Knight King
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The next dawn after safely arriving at the village, I trained swordsmanship with Snow-Covered as usual.
Even after more than a fortnight of grueling forced marches, the child wanted it so badly.
Deep down, Snow-Covered knew it too.
That once we entered those deep mountains for training, she wouldn't see me for a good while.
"Hm."
In a way, this was the first time we'd be apart since forming our master-disciple bond.
I crossed my arms quietly, pondering what advice I should give her.
But there wasn't much to say, surprisingly.
Snow-Covered had outperformed any candidate so far, and I was confident she would continue to do so.
"...You'll do great."
Yeah, no need to confuse her with unnecessary words.
I ended my brief advice with my usual line: trust yourself.
As I straightened the slightly rumpled hem of her clothes and spent the remaining time, a voice called from afar. Gray Wolf had finished preparing to depart.
"Time to go."
Gray Wolf and his disciple, Barley Ear, were already standing there with large packs on their backs.
They looked ready to head straight into the deep mountains as soon as Snow-Covered was set.
The moment had finally come.
With a small sigh, I gave Snow-Covered, who was carrying a big pack, a gentle push forward.
"Have a safe trip."
Just holding it in your hands won't make you fly.
I quietly let go of my lingering feelings, praying she would soar higher than any bird.
Squeeze.
"?"
But in that instant, something warm that had started walking away turned back and hugged my waist.
Snow-Covered, whom I'd thought wouldn't look back, was giving her own farewell.
"I'll be back, Master."
The embrace was as brief as my reluctance.
But the strange warmth lingered, letting me set aside my worries for a moment.
Snow-Covered waved her hand.
Then Gray Wolf gave me a curt nod and slowly walked into the endless mountains with the two of them.
Chirp chirp chirp...
Spring was coming; the birds were returning.
In the full bloom of the North's spring day, I waited for Snow-Covered's return and turned my steps back the way I'd come.
Suddenly, old memories surfaced.
Days when learning the sword from the King had filled me with excitement every single moment.
Of course, now my body and heart had aged, dulling even those emotions, but I could still feel a faint scar of reminiscence.
'She'll make me proud.'
On the way back to my lodgings, I neatly brushed off the handful of lingering reluctance that remained.
Aura was no longer my shame.
Last year, while the candidates trained in aura, I would've idled away time in the mountains or fished in the river.
But this year, with a proper base in the village, there seemed to be plenty I could help with in place of Gray Wolf.
Of course, I had no intention of using the authority granted by the lord to act as a bodyguard, so I volunteered for the patrols—the group that recruited support the most frequently.
Isn't true dedication doing the hardest work from the lowest position?
I'd heard it was the post with the highest casualties among soldiers, so it seemed good to reduce those rates, pass on some know-how, and come back.
Remembering preparations started tomorrow, I pulled some grains from my pocket.
Roll roll roll, plop.
A snow pigeon flapped over and landed on my palm full of grains.
But no matter how well-trained it was, it didn't peck at the tempting food.
Good bird.
It seemed to know well how dangerous hasty greed could be.
I stroked its fluffy head and fed it the grains.
"The training went well, right?"
The young pigeon trainer in charge approached with a smiling face and asked.
He must've wanted to show off the snow pigeons he'd raised from chicks.
"Excellent."
The cages full of snow pigeons were ready for immediate deployment.
I generously praised the capable young trainer.
"Quite a number. All these messengers heading to the outposts?"
"Yes, they return once in the morning and once in the afternoon to report the village's status."
"Very systematic."
The seasoned Gray Wolf had set up small outposts to observe key points and conflict zones away from the village.
He used messenger pigeons to preemptively report all threats in this vast mountain region for efficient responses.
Organic and systematic.
Operating defenses like this allowed control over a wide area without many personnel.
Once again, I pondered how to apply this to our territory.
But before my thoughts finished, the trainer took a small snow pigeon from the cage and spoke to me.
"This one's trained to go to the mountains. The lord pre-approved it, so you can use it once a week."
I'd almost forgotten my original purpose here.
I carefully took the snow pigeon with both hands—the only link to the deep mountains during training.
I put pre-prepared sweet treats in its container and released it out the window.
Flap flap!
This messenger was Gray Wolf's courtesy, to check on Snow-Covered's well-being occasionally.
But instead of a letter, I sent her favorite sweets.
Don't share with anyone; eat them alone.
Watching it vanish into the mountain mist, a faint smile escaped me.
The trainer, finishing his work, asked me.
"All done?"
"Yes, thank you."
Business here was finished.
Now, time to scout the patrol team's atmosphere while bustling around the village.
I shook off the dusty hood, put it on, grabbed my weapons and bag.
And to leave as quietly as possible, I tiptoed toward the door.
"?"
But as I grabbed the doorknob to exit, a document caught my eye.
It was the reply the trainer was writing after receiving a pigeon.
'Do not engage unidentified wolf pack. Patrol team will be sent from barracks in half a day.'
'Dispatch: Small Bear, Orchid Flower, Silent Bird, and one more—4 total.'
'Barley Ear and lord absent.'
It was a status report from the outpost and the appropriate response.
The problem was that every sentence and word was in plain, unencrypted language.
I'd planned to stay out of things, but this time, even if rude, I had to speak up.
"...You're sending it like this?"
"Yes. Why? Problem?"
Of course there's a problem.
This wasn't personal mail—who sends military info unencrypted?
If someone targeted the pigeons deliberately, leaking documents was just a matter of time.
Including village location, soldier numbers, even the term "lord."
I said with a serious face.
"Spring's almost here. I don't know last year, but change it now. Just substitute words—not hard."
In the North, spring isn't just melting snow and ice.
Looking back through history, most invasions started with spring.
Be cautious.
Especially now, with orc camps from below being redeployed north—we needed to tread carefully.
No wonder I'd advised our village not to expand scouting range.
This wasn't something to gloss over.
"Ah... yes."
"You must! Absolutely."
"I'll mention it."
The young trainer looked annoyed.
But after I emphasized two or three times, he finally nodded in resignation.
He didn't seem bad-hearted, so he wouldn't completely ignore me.
I shook off the rising unease and quietly opened the door to leave.
I'd have to come back and check later.
Yeah, definitely next time.
"Tch, acting like he knows."
As Broken Sword closed the door and left, the young trainer snorted mockingly.
He pretended to listen but kept writing in plain language, grumbling.
No matter the good intentions, there are things to meddle in and not.
How much could an outsider who just arrived know about operations?
He'd been recognized for his messenger pigeon skills to get here, and there'd been no issues—pure overreach.
The young trainer rationalized it that way to falsely bolster his pride.
"Hm."
But after venting his irritation, he couldn't shake the inner unease.
He'd heard the girl who came with that man left with the lord—maybe he was more important than thought?
The trainer stood to at least mention it to his superior.
But then the door he'd just closed burst open with a rattle.
"Hey! Lunch time!"
"Wah, you scared me."
"What? Why so jumpy?"
The one entering was his childhood neighbor and same-age friend.
Lunchtime had come, so he'd climbed up to eat together.
Time flew.
The trainer calmed his surprise and shook his head.
"Nothing."
He had to finish work.
The trainer attached the completed dispatch to the pigeons' legs and released them outside.
Then he followed his urging friend, closing the door quietly as they left.
But suddenly recalling his earlier worry, he cautiously asked his innocently smiling friend.
"Hey, about that man and girl who came recently—heard anything?"
"Huh? Them? Why?"
"Just curious."
"Uh... not sure about the girl, but the man's joined the patrols?"
Joined the patrols, the village's most dangerous post by rumor?
The trainer's face lit up with "knew it" upon hearing.
If that man were an important guest, he wouldn't join such a tough unit.
The girl going with the lord alone made sense too—he was nobody.
The trainer erased the "change soon" advice from his mind and offered hollow sympathy.
"Poor guy."
"Yeah... tougher in spring, they say."
Gray Wolf was unnecessarily aloof.
Broken Sword was overly humble.
If either had shown their fame, this foolish trainer wouldn't have ignored the advice.
But what could be done?
The world, people—none can fully perceive, and hearts don't obey.
The ominous coincidence had already woven with another misfortune, rising like thread to the sky.
And it followed the departed pigeon to an unknown destination.
But at the end of those two paths wasn't total ruin,
but toward 'Broken Sword' walking through the village center.
The started peril and hero's arrival.
The North called it fate.