Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 007
Chapter Title: With a Firm Resolve, Nothing is Impossible
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That night, contrary to what he'd said at first, Shan let Roden sleep inside the cabin.
With only one bed, Roden had to sleep on the floor, but even that was luxurious compared to roughing it outdoors.
The problem was that lying in the same space as another person made it impossible to fall asleep.
Shan hid a dagger in his embrace, yet he tossed and turned through nightmares of Roden suddenly leaping up to strangle him.
The next morning, Roden rose full of energy and eyed Shan's haggard face with puzzlement.
"What's wrong with your face? Did I snore too much?"
"No......"
It was uncomfortable, but something he'd have to get used to.
They were heading to Pendia together, which meant weeks of sharing close quarters—staying up all night every time wasn't feasible.
Shan blinked his eyes and yawned as he began packing for the long journey in earnest.
Truth be told, he didn't have much to take.
Most of the loot from the bandits had been ruined from rough handling or neglect, and the food taken from Leaf Village was nearly gone.
The only worthwhile items were the silver candlestick and silver plate from Willow Village's church, plus some scraps of gold and silver that had been melted down.
He bundled them into his cloak, and Roden let out a small sigh.
"Put everything in my bag for now. We'll have to get you one of your own. I can't carry it all forever."
"Can't we just ask for one in the next village? No, we can't, right?"
"Absolutely not!"
At the firm refusal, Shan smacked his lips in disappointment.
Roden had told him to drop the formalities and speak casually, but Shan, who'd spent his whole life using honorifics, just couldn't get comfortable with it.
This would probably sort itself out with time, too.
Once packed, the two headed east toward Cuckoo Village—the first place destroyed in the bandits' attack a few months back.
They weren't following the northern road Roden had taken because of the infamous reputation of the "Green-Eyed Devil" that had built up.
Passing near the lord's castle risked running into his troops.
No matter how genius a warrior Shan was, there was no guarantee he could beat dozens of armed soldiers plus knights—and winning wouldn't help, either.
For now, they could claim it was just donated goods, but actually fighting would brand them as real bandits.
Shan moved lightly in his thin cloth and leather shirt, glancing at Roden's clanking metal boots.
"Aren't those heavy...... No, they are heavy?"
"They are. But going barefoot would be a hassle in its own way."
Roden wore chainmail armor and pants, plate gauntlets, and boots, yet kept pace with Shan.
His long legs helped with stride length, but he was also blessed with freakish strength fitting his massive build.
From last night's chat, he'd once punched a man-eating leopard to death in a single blow while traveling alone.
If not for his fear of blades, he might have become the fine knight he'd wanted to be.
As they walked, they chatted idly to pass the time—mostly Roden schooling Shan in basic knowledge.
Having grown up in the sticks without proper guardians, treated like a slave, Shan was sorely lacking in fundamentals.
If Selina hadn't gossiped about traveling merchants' tales now and then, he might not have even known there was a world beyond the village.
"The five western nations originating from the old Arman Empire are commonly called the Arman Alliance: Libert Kingdom where we are now, Pendia, Azun, Luman, and Horais."
"No idea what 'alliance' means."
"Hmm, friendly relations...... like friends. Though they've fought wars among themselves and even killed each other's kings."
Thanks to a merchant father who treated information like lifeblood, Roden knew plenty about this stuff.
In just hours of chit-chat, Shan learned more about the world than from years of Selina's stories.
He even corrected misconceptions, like how elephants were bigger than mountains.
Most astonishing were the tales of mages he'd heard whispers of before.
"Pendia has an organization called the Magic Academy for mages."
"Mages form groups!?"
Roden chuckled at Shan's shocked expression.
"Hang a shingle like that in an Old Faith country, and you'd be for the pyre. But Pendia declared religious neutrality. Western lords near Libert have lots of Old Faith followers, though, so mages stick to the capital or east."
According to him, mages weren't as impressive as imagined.
They just used various materials, long incantations, and rituals to pull off a few special feats.
Roden wasn't one himself, so details were fuzzy, but unlike the heyday of the old Alto Empire, magic had weakened nowadays.
By contrast, Goddess Faith priests' miracles were far more practical and potent.
No wonder Roden had decided to scare Shan off after hearing his story.
Altoins weren't especially gifted in magic, and powerful mages who could neutralize armed warriors were rare to the point of nonexistent.
The lesson, starting with geography and common knowledge, soon shifted to basic survival skills.
The bandits' bow he'd used for hunting broke because the string wasn't loosened when idle; metal tools needed honing on whetstones and oil-rag cleaning to prevent rust......
"So that's why the bow failed."
"Warm it lightly by fire afterward to dry out moisture."
Shan, who'd ruined multiple valuable weapons through neglect, memorized every word like a spell.
How long had they been talking like this?
In exchange for all that useful info, Shan taught Roden his one specialty: body movement.
"Look. When swinging your arm, start from the small muscle by your shoulder and flow to the big ones. Smoothly...... No, that's too stiff. Like this, see."
Unfortunately, Shan made a poor teacher.
More precisely, what he was trying to teach was far too advanced.
After pointing out forearm muscles repeatedly, he sighed at Roden flailing an imaginary mace in the air.
"Your bones, joints, and muscles are fighting each other. Coordinate 'em for that crisp crack......"
Roden gave a wry smile at the utterly unhelpful explanation, then recalled an old conversation.
It was from the retired knight who'd trained him.
'Refine your techniques, and eventually the flow becomes natural—you'll achieve great results with minimal effort. Mastering more techniques at higher consistency: that's the ultimate realm you should pursue.'
'Did you reach it, Master?'
'Just one—my lifelong secret art. Even Abel Marquis couldn't bring every skill to that level.'
The pinnacle even the king's in-law and kingdom's strongest knight, the Protector Duke, couldn't attain.
Could this untrained boy have reached it innately?
If so, what monstrous being would Shan become once grown and experienced......
Feeling a mix of unease and excitement quicken his heart, Roden shook his head firmly.
"Let's stop here. It won't happen overnight, and overdoing it tires you out."
"Got it."
"So, lunch?"
"Smoked duck!"
Anyway, right now Shan was just a curiosity-driven kid.
The two arrived at the site of Cuckoo Village late in the afternoon.
Shan, with sharper eyes, spotted the remnants and let out a small gasp.
"Ah......"
"What?"
"No corpses."
The burned ruins resembled Shadow Village, but no scattered skeletons here.
In one clearing stood a large mound and stone marker—Shan, illiterate, couldn't read it.
"Cuckoo Village communal grave," Roden read.
"I see......"
"Looks like travelers or folks from other villages cleared the bodies. Long after the incident, hard to identify individuals."
Shan glanced back at the traces.
Selina had probably lived here, been killed, and buried there.
Without seeing it firsthand, unlike with Priest Ador, it didn't feel real at all.
Roden watched Shan's dazed face, then knelt before the grave, hands clasped.
"Let's pray. May the departed find the Goddess's embrace."
"Yeah."
A nasty thought flickered—that these villagers had scorned him too—but he knelt and prayed beside Roden.
At least Selina deserved the Goddess's embrace.
After prayer and debate, they decided to press east.
Roden wasn't local, but heading east would eventually reach Pendia for sure.
Now entering trackless wilds of forest and plain, Roden pulled out his secret weapon.
"What's that?"
"Compass. Shows direction. Expensive treasure."
"Whoa......"
Shan marveled at the glass face and black needle always pointing one way—even spinning or flipping it.
Roden chuckled at his cat-like curiosity.
"Needle always points north. So east is that way."
"With this, we'd never get lost."
"Not quite. Impassable mountains, valleys, rivers. I don't even know exactly where we are. Asking passersby is most reliable."
Listening, Shan realized he couldn't have traveled alone.
Without Roden, he'd have wandered aimlessly, hoping to stumble on civilization.
Heading east, they found no villages by nightfall and camped in the open plain.
Unsure when monsters might come, they lit a torch and took turns on watch.
"What'd you do solo?"
"Hm? Avoid camping on roads if possible. If forced, block a cave with rocks."
"Ah."
"I'll sleep first. Wake me when the moon shadow passes that mark. Got it?"
"Got it."
That night, after watch swap, Shan slept deeply without nightmares.
Not just from walking all day and half-sleepless night—knowing the hulking threat watched over him let him relax.
For the first time, Shan felt protected by someone.
Too embarrassing to say, he just thanked Roden for the good sleep.
They washed in a nearby stream, ate breakfast, and followed the compass east.
"When'll we hit civilization?"
"Dunno. Probably today—Libert's prosperous and populous; empty land's rare. Northeast here's the boonies, though."
"Libert's prosperous?"
"Most in the Arman Alliance."
Northern Azun was half ice, western Horais dry plains good for horses but poor farming.
Southern Luman mostly islands; Pendia in the east matched Libert's bounty.
"But Pendia's east borders the Demon Realm. Monsters pour out, so few small villages—mostly stone fortresses as bases."
"Demon Realm......"
Priest Ador had called it the Goddess's curse, womb of all monsters, site of the old Altoins' mighty magic empire.
"Makes demand high for skilled warriors, though. Can't swarm strong ones. Know cockatrice?"
"Nope."
"Chicken-lizard hybrid, stone-skinned. Common folk's spears and arrows barely scratch. Only skilled knights behead 'em."
"Whoa......"
"Cut a dragon invading the kingdom, you'd get a dukedom."
"Could I? Axes and swords dull or snap on big trees."
Shan couldn't imagine severing a rock-armored neck—his prized bandit leader's sword would shatter.
Roden laughed heartily.
"Obviously not with any old weapon. Needs priestly blessings or magic, plus spirit infused."
"Spirit?"
"Hmm, tricky concept."
Pondering, Roden explained softly.
Elite warriors could impose trained mental force on reality to some degree.
Will to cut loads a plain sword to slice boulders; will to block lets a shield halt monster charges beyond its weight.
"Doesn't make 'em invincible, though. Even iron will can't stop blades on bare skin or poison. And it tires you fast."
"How do you get spirit?"
"Push yourself to extremes in training; it comes naturally."
Key point: spirit didn't mean stronger overall.
Slicing iron like cheese means nothing if speared in the throat.
Best seen as edge from superior gear.
Shan gasped at the mystical tales—then caught an odd noise.
"Hold up."
"What?"
"Something weird that way."
"I don't hear...... What kind?"
"Screams and shouts. Fight, maybe?"
Roden's face hardened; he breathed deep.
"Let's check. Where?"
"That way."
Following Shan's lead, they hurried through the woods faster than usual.
Soon the din reached Roden's ears clearly.
The source lay below the hill they'd climbed.
"Don't fall back! Hold formation!"
"Archers! Loose!"
"Arrrghhh—!"
The once-green field soaked blood-red.
Soldiers in cloth, leather, some metal armor thrust spears, swung swords, loosed arrows at each other.
No amateur skirmish—this was war, hundreds, maybe thousands clashing below.
"Ugh......"
Roden paled at the scattered blades but held since none aimed at him.
Checking banners, he nodded.
"Morayen Duke and Varik Count...... Heard they were mustering armies into each other's lands, but didn't expect to see 'em clash here."
"You know 'em?"
"Just rumors on the road. Uncle and grandfather-in-law to young Libert's king. Varik accused Morayen of raiding his villages lately."
Uncle and grandfather-in-law were fuzzy, but village raids clicked.
"Ah, that must be......"
"Right—the bandits you killed."
"Morayen hired them?"
"Who knows. Could be true, or a plot to spark feud."
Only nobles knew.
Explained why Leaf Village's lord hadn't sent troops after Shan—busy mustering vassal forces for his liege.
As Roden pondered politics, Shan fixated on the primal melee below.
'What if I fought there......'
Armored warriors moved stronger, faster than average farmers.
Far below Shan, still—but a wall of shields baffled him.
Leaping to kill one or two, others would gut him.
How to handle volley from dozens of archers?
A few arrows, maybe; ten-plus would overwhelm dual weapons—need a shield?
Absorbed in thought, Shan spotted four riders charging from one side.
'Ah, that must be......'
Knights in full plate, on huge horses, lances and shields ready.
Horses chain-armored too, shrugging off arrows.
They targeted the shield wall Shan deemed impenetrable.
From above, instinct screamed:
'Won't break it.'
Fierce charge, but mass and speed lacked against dozens interlocked.
Front one or two down, then halt.
As thought, knights thrust lances on impact.
A thunderous crash echoed to the hilltop; over twenty soldiers sprawled, opening a path.