Aspen: One Must Die (1)
Aspen admitted it. Nothing ever begins alone. She had lost count of how many clashes they had. There had never been any point in numbering each time they grabbed each other by the collar. The twentieth? Or perhaps the twenty-first. But she remembered exactly when it happened.
“Today, one of us isn’t walking away alive.”
Three days before that day. The Lion Wing Knights, the iron fist of the Federation, had discovered a cultist den serving the Abyss God Agnago. The knights had thoroughly dismantled the Abyss ritual the cultists had been preparing.
Two days before that. The townspeople who had nearly been sacrificed without understanding why saw the Lion Wings off with generous rewards and bright smiles. Their send-off was a little hurried. The Lion Wings left the city feeling somewhat pushed out—probably because of the cultists stuffed inside those drums. After a brief discussion, the Lion Wing Knights decided not to interfere with where those lead-lined barrels might disappear along the coastal city.
One day before that. The surviving cultists had ambushed and kidnapped several townspeople. Nathan and a few Federation soldiers who had stayed behind in the rear guard because their instincts felt off were among those rolled up like dumplings in a spiderweb. Fortunately, they were rescued soon after—unfortunately for Nathan, by Aspen’s hands.
No losses during the operation. The magic words that made even the tasteless dried rations seem delicious. Thanks to that, everyone returning wore refreshed expressions. Everyone except Nathan.
“Damn it…”
The fifteen-year-old boy, brimming with discontent and fighting spirit, had tucked away Aspen’s triumphant sneer deep in his heart. Aspen didn’t like that look.
“What did you say, you little shit?”
“Get lost.”
“Get lost? Do I look like I’ve got time to be ordered around by some brat?”
“How much more could you possibly eat? Damn it, what do you even want?”
“What do I want? How about wiping that ugly scowl off your face? Or should I just—”
“Have you lost your mind, you—”
The argument exploded again. That was the day “it” happened.
Till, who had been watching the latest outburst, whispered into the captain’s ear. If there had been any law about maintaining dignity during operations, both of them might have ended up on the gallows. The captain nodded with a sigh and stepped between the two kids.
“Nathan, show some respect to your senior. If you don’t want to keep hearing that we’re carrying around a bomb. And Aspen, act your age as the elder here.”
“Sorry, Captain. But that half-grown bean sprout started it. I came to save him and instead of showing gratitude, he’s got the nerve to talk back. You saw it, right?”
“You’re the one who taught him every curse word he knows.”
Till’s grinning head received a swift punishment from the captain’s gauntlet. Till clutched his stinging nape with a pained expression.
“Even I wouldn’t feel good in Nathan’s position. You saved his life, so now you’re lording it over him for the rest of his days? Instead of treating him better now that he’s alive—”
The next moment, the captain burst into hearty laughter. Aspen had stuck out her tongue as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?” When the captain’s glove flew toward that tongue, he yelped in alarm. Who the hell throws things while riding? Did she want to see a fellow knight fall off their horse?
While the furious captain shouted, Nathan was yelling on his own.
“Who needs a gag in their mouth? I survived just fine without anyone’s help!”
Aspen slowly brushed the glove off her face.
“Who asked you anything, you bastard?”
It was true that Aspen’s mouth had been foul when she was young. She had deliberately picked up the habit, worried that her highborn status might make her unapproachable. Most of the curses Nathan knew came from Aspen’s vocabulary. Perhaps it was karma. Looking back, both of them should have been more careful with their words if they wanted to avoid this embarrassment now.
She couldn’t clearly remember what was said after that. Both of them had been seeing red. But the conclusion was clear.
“You bastard. Get off your horse. Today, one of us isn’t walking away alive.”
If those two were going to stay quiet for a while after the fire truly caught, one of them had to break the other’s nose. The captain, giving up on mediation, sighed as if the ground might swallow him and gestured to Till. Till grinned and pulled two wooden swords from the pack hanging on his horse.
The Lion Wing Knights handled it with practiced ease. Some, thoroughly fed up, rode ahead. Most of the shameless adults who wanted to watch the kids fight stayed behind.
“What are the odds? Who’s favored?”
“Even if Nathan’s the underdog, he’s caught up a lot. Can’t say anymore.”
“Shh. If Khan hears, we’re dead.”
Khan, who was vice-captain at the time, served as the referee. His role was to use his massive frame to stop them before they actually cracked each other’s skulls. From inside his thick helmet, Khan muttered.
“The moment I see a clear winner, I’ll end it. That’s final. The loser accepts it quietly—”
“You hear that, Nathan?”
“Shut up.”
“…Right. The order’s doing great.”
Watching the growling teenagers and the snickering adults, Khan pressed a hand to his forehead. It was a sight that could have ruined the Lion Wings’ fearsome reputation for slaying monsters.
“Do you even remember how many times you’ve lost to me? How much dirt you’ve swallowed? Keep acting up and your growth plates will close.”
“That’s ancient history.”
The two circled each other like beasts before colliding. Nathan thought he had overcome the Crescent Moon Slash. He had been hit with it countless times and finally found a way to counter it. That memory of beating Aspen last time was still vivid. But Aspen unveiled a new technique. The wooden sword, which had been flying straight, twisted midair and aimed for his chin instead of the armor straps. Nathan barely dodged, but the sword caught the straps anyway. Modified Crescent Moon Slash—direct hit.
Nathan, who had been launched in a semicircle from the ground, was slammed down with a loud crash just like hundreds of times before. At the moment of impact, he thought his lungs had burst. While Nathan twitched on the ground, Aspen made a show of yawning. Nathan staggered to his feet and snarled.
“Redhead. Who taught you that?”
“Who do you think? You keep falling for the same move because you never learn—”
“Same move? Bullshit.”
Nathan sneered, still unsteady. “You didn’t come up with that on your own with that tiny head of yours. Who helped you? Got no pride?”
Aspen bristled, but Nathan was half right. She had never asked for it, but the senior knights had been actively giving her pointers. And honestly, taking their advice was far better than losing to Nathan. Every time Nathan charged at Aspen without knowing his place and got put in his, the entire order had enjoyed it. Once Nathan started occasionally pulling off successful insubordination, most of them had switched to Aspen’s side. They all secretly hoped Aspen would tame this wild beast of a junior.
In truth, Nathan had been unknowingly ramming into the entire order. He caught his breath and charged again. After four more throws, a few knights whispered among themselves. Usually, if someone got thrown more than three times, Aspen had won. But this time was different.
“Huh?”
The moment he should have been rolling on the ground, Nathan suddenly appeared right in front of Aspen. Aspen blinked, one leg caught. “Wait, what—how—”
Nathan, who had endured the shock by rolling his eyes back, finally overcame everything. He grabbed Aspen’s lower body and flipped her over without a sound.
“Huh? Huh? Aaaagh—!”
Aspen crashed straight into the ground. Thanks to her fall technique, it didn’t hurt. But the crisis wasn’t over. As she immediately tried to scramble up, she saw Nathan raising the wooden sword’s hilt like a hammer and froze. In an instant, he had assumed the perfect pommel-strike position. If he had actually swung, her head would have bounced off the ground like a ball, blood pouring from her nose. But Nathan stopped just before impact. Unlike the last time he had seized the advantage, this had never happened between them before.
Their ragged breaths crossed. The match was essentially over. Nathan still had a firm grip on one of Aspen’s thighs, one knee pinning her down. Completely immobilized, Aspen had no way out. Their rough breathing continued. Nathan did nothing. Aspen, who had been struggling to push him off, hesitated. Then she looked up at Nathan’s face.
The anger had long since vanished from Nathan’s expression. Instead, his eyes trembled like they had been thrown into a storm.
“…Hey.”
The ragged breaths gradually stilled.
“Let go.”
Nathan looked like he hadn’t heard.
“Let go, I said. Can you hear me, Nathan?”
“…Yes?”
It was the first time she had heard him use formal speech. Aspen was just as startled as Nathan. His expression was something to behold—he clearly had no idea what he was doing. It was the same face he had made in the cave when he tried to hold her tightly. Just as things were about to become truly, irreversibly awkward, Vice-Captain Khan pulled Nathan to his feet.
“Nathan wins. It’s over. Everyone, back on your horses. Show’s over. We’re returning.”
Laughter and complaints mingled. The knights turned and mounted. The moment Aspen stood up, brushing off her rear, she was quietly surprised. Their eye levels were almost the same now. Last year, Nathan had only reached her chin. Then she felt another headache coming on. What on earth had possessed him to offer his hand like he was trying to help her up?
“Damn it.”
Aspen deliberately swatted it away as if her fighting spirit still remained. They avoided each other’s eyes for the entire return journey, as they always did when a fight left them unsatisfied. But this time, something felt different. Both of them were actively trying not to meet each other’s gaze. And afterward, whenever that day came to mind, they would look away from each other.
“Those two are finally learning to control their tempers.”
The captain looked pleased.
“That’s right. Fight like adults from now on. Don’t make me consider expelling one of you.”
---------------
Two years later.
“I’ll do as you said.”
Aspen lowered her eyes. The grass planted on the new grave was fresh and green.
“Including fighting more like adults with Nathan. We haven’t been fighting much lately. And I… for the first time, I think—”
For the first time, someone. No, she wasn’t at the stage of certainty yet. She didn’t even know if she had the courage to push it that far. Aspen, who had been about to say more, shook her head and turned away from the gravestone. There were still more than ten days left of her month-long leave. If she decided what to say, she could come back then.
When her toes brushed the power-stone tiles on the ground, a recorded voice played.
The Lion Wing Knights’ Captain, Alexandros Aldo, was a warrior who served as a model for others…
As the rain grew heavier, Aspen changed her plans. Instead of walking, she boarded the family carriage waiting at the cemetery entrance. The waiting butler smiled meaningfully, as if to say he had told her it would rain. Aspen returned the smile. She didn’t want to worry him by showing her gloom. Peter the butler had been a retainer of the Peres family since Aspen was an infant. Thanks to that, he easily saw through her act and left her to her thoughts.
“The duties of a noble house, my ass. It’s just a high-class penal unit.”
Peter, who had been watching Aspen with concern, frowned at the profane noise outside the window.
“Alejandro died like a dog, don’t you know? If he’d just carried barrels like he was meant to—”
“Stop the carriage.”
At Aspen’s sharp voice, Peter made up his mind. He would try to stop her just once, staking his thirty-year-old mustache on it. He wouldn’t do it twice. Aspen had inherited her late mother’s temperament. Whoever that foul-mouthed drunk was, he had picked the wrong time and place today.
“It’s just a drunkard, my lady. No need to get angry over some random fool’s nonsense—”
“Damn it, Peter! Stop the carriage! That person’s going to die!”
Aspen didn’t wait. She threw herself out the window with the agility of a marten slipping through a cat flap. Peter, unable to grab her, could only stare with wide eyes.
“You. What did you just say?”
The drunken patrons, thoroughly soaked in alcohol, looked up with bright smiles at the smell of liquor.
“Toca, you idiot, did you rent the bathroom? Why are you taking so long—”
Then they froze. A Nodin tribesman well over 180 centimeters stood before them. It definitely wasn’t Toca.
“What did you say?”
Nathan Maia’s face twisted like a beast’s. From behind the retreating drunks, a savior appeared. As Nathan closed the distance one step at a time, he stopped dead when his eyes met Aspen’s, who had jumped down from the carriage.
“Stop, Nathan.”
“Hello, Aspen. Sorry to say this right away, but could you move aside? I’ve got something to say to these friends.”
“No.”
When the rain-soaked Nathan glared at her with venom in his eyes, Aspen had an odd thought. For some reason, she had missed this tension.
“Damn it, did you hear what they said? I—”
“They’re the bereaved family.”
Aspen approached Nathan and grabbed her junior’s shoulder firmly.
“This is Ilario Aldo. The captain’s younger brother. The rest are close relatives too.”
Nathan’s eyes turned to the drunks. Clear sorrow was etched on their flinching faces. After breathing heavily for a while, Nathan slowly lowered his bright red face.
“I’m sorry. May they rest in peace.”
“You should be grateful I stopped you.”
Nathan, sitting beside Aspen, answered indifferently.
“Why? Because they’re from a noble house?”
“No. The Aldo family isn’t some great powerhouse. They’re merchants who deal in liquor. But sometimes, people who seem that ordinary are the most frightening.”
Aspen narrowed her eyes.
“You almost got banned from drinking in Baylard. Though, looking at you now, maybe that would’ve been for the best.”
Nathan’s face had flushed all the way to the skin beneath his closely cropped hair.
“First time drinking, I assume? Who let you get this wasted?”
“It tasted like alcohol, so I kept going. When they saw the Lion Wing crest, they gave it to me for free. Said it was to cheer me up.”
“If your first drink was going to end with you assaulting citizens, don’t look for alcohol again. I was this close to beating you senseless in the street.”
Nathan let out a small laugh.
“Assault? It wasn’t like that. I just wanted an apology.”
“And if they refused to apologize, what were you planning to do?”
“What else? Curse them out a bit, then go back and have another drink.”
Aspen tilted her head and studied Nathan. Had he gotten better at lying, or was he being sincere?
“Really?”
“You said lies show on my face. How does it look?”
“Hmm. Might be real. Yeah, you held back well.”
Aspen reached out and stroked Nathan’s hair.
“You’ve grown up. Even the official Lion Wing troublemaker knows how to control his emotions now.”
“If I know how to control it, can I have one more drink?”
Nathan pointed at Peter’s pocket. Peter hurriedly hid his portable flask. Then he wondered how Nathan had even known it was there.
“Weren’t you going to cut him off, Peter?”
Aspen’s eyes widened at the sight.
“And Nathan, stop drinking. Trying to become a drunkard? What’s a seventeen-year-old doing with alcohol?”
“Seventeen? How did you know?”
After pushing the weakly smiling Nathan down onto the seat, Aspen reached behind her own seat with both arms and, grunting, pulled something out. Inside the small box was a pie.
“Happy birthday.”
Nathan looked between Aspen and the box, then let out a small laugh.
“Heh.”
That was the last sound he made. Nathan collapsed forward. Onto Aspen’s shoulder. When Peter moved to help in alarm, Aspen stopped him with a gesture and gave quiet instructions. The carriage, now moving slower, glided along Baylard’s main avenue. The coachman, oblivious to what was happening behind him, the thoroughly drunk teenage fool, the dismayed butler, and Aspen—whose face was just as red as the drunkard’s on her shoulder—continued on their way.