Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: The Knight Enveloped in Blue Light (7)
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Father paused mid-sip, his cup hovering as he stared at me intently.
"...Yeah."
He said it, but his face showed he already knew what question I was about to ask.
I set my half-empty teacup down on the bed.
"Why do you dislike the Silver Guard Knight so much? Is it because of that old fight?"
"That's all in the past. Ancient history now."
"But you two still don't get along..."
I didn't even need to mention what had happened in front of the dining tent earlier.
Father let out a faint groan and sighed softly.
"Alright. That wasn't like me."
"Really."
Father moved my teacup to the table and sat beside me, rubbing his face as he pondered what to say.
"I got angry because the Silver Guard Knight was trying to test you."
"Test me? You said it was to scout for Gattras..."
I blinked in surprise. Father just shook his head calmly.
"Magic tools can handle that sort of thing, and there was no need to risk a dangerous patrol. We're a delegation, not monster hunters."
Ah, that made sense. Now that Father explained it, I could see why.
Our delegation was leaving tomorrow morning—no point stirring up the scattered Gattra packs.
"If it had been any other mage, they'd have spent hours setting up the camp's barrier and collapsed from exhaustion. No one would include their only asset like that in a risky patrol."
"Then why...?"
"To join the Silver Moon Knights, you need to be able to judge and respond in emergencies yourself."
It didn't require amazing combat skills—just the ability to protect yourself at minimum.
"The Silver Guard Knight wanted to check your situational judgment and response, among other things."
"And you didn't like that?"
Father gave a bitter smile.
"What else was I supposed to think?"
"During the day, at the rear of the procession, the Silver Guard Knight took down over ten Gattras alone and caught a Black Gattra."
His techniques relied on mana control, which let him block lightning, but it turned the other knights into bait for the Gattras.
"Most of the injured came from that side. A few will have to head back to Prion."
"Th-that might not be the Silver Guard Knight's fault."
I said cautiously. Father sighed softly.
"The White Guard Knight said the same. But I see it differently."
Whether the knights messed up or it was bad luck, the Silver Guard Knight should have helped and protected those weaker than him.
He didn't. So it was easy to guess he wouldn't this time either.
The Silver Guard Knight hadn't.
Instead, he'd swiftly eliminated the threatening Gattras with skill superior to anyone else's.
That was the battlefield a knight guarding the seal site had to handle.
I understood both the Silver Guard Knight's actions and Father's disapproval.
As a Blue Guard Knight, Father led and protected weaker knights, growing stronger together. The Silver Guard Knight had no such luxury.
They were just different.
"The Silver Guard Knight said he doesn't select weak knights."
His words from the forest suddenly came back to me.
Father placed a warm hand on my head.
"I'm glad you're not weak."
"Feels good to be acknowledged, but... it's heavy."
I grabbed Father's hand with a hollow laugh.
If I had been weak, the Silver Guard Knight wouldn't have reached out or trusted me at his back.
"Yeah, recognition isn't all sunshine."
Father gave a wry smile.
"He'll probably call on you again. If you don't want it, I can make sure he doesn't."
"...No, it's fine."
I sat up from the bed.
As I tugged my collar, the Perpetual Crest around my neck brushed my fingers.
The smooth inscription radiated gentle warmth at the slightest touch.
"I've decided to see it through. And Father, don't fight with the Silver Guard Knight over me."
Father finally burst out laughing.
"Got it. I'll take your advice. Guess I'll have to try understanding his way now."
After laughing, Father showed a faint smile.
"He mentioned it to me too. Someone seems to have manipulated the Gattras into attacking."
"Yeah, he said he found suspicious traces."
"Normally we'd track them further, but with our schedule... we'll just have to be more careful."
"Lib, do you need a Melgram? If you're worried..."
I smiled at Father, who looked at me with concern.
When I was little, he'd given me a Melgram whenever I was anxious.
It would warn me of danger, he'd said. That warmth had saved me countless times.
"I'm good. I can make my own Melgrams now."
"...Didn't know that."
Father was genuinely surprised.
I no longer needed to rely on Melgrams—I wouldn't fall for demons or illusions.
I trusted what I could do myself.
I bid Father goodbye and left the tent.
A few knights stood watch, but most had retired for the night.
A handful of campfires crackled quietly, and the massive crystal pillar I'd created loomed in the center, sparkling with an eerie sense of displacement.
Before heading to my assigned tent, I stopped by Shuren, Belpons, and Regnit's tent.
As expected, Wedin was treating the knights' wounds.
Even minor scratches annoyed him if they festered, so he tended to them meticulously.
After that, I dragged out Wedin, who was staggering like his heart might burst.
"I'm really at my limit now."
Wedin collapsed onto his sleeping bag inside the tent.
I took off my overcoat, chuckling.
"You worked hard today."
"You too..."
Wedin mumbled before passing out immediately.
He hadn't even washed properly, still in his coat, but I couldn't bear to wake him.
I placed my bag by the head of my sleeping bag and unbuckled my belt with staff, dagger sheath, and pouches.
With my gear off, tension melted away, bringing a wave of fatigue.
Liberic.
Ash's voice.
I blinked. It sounded distant somehow.
"...Ash?"
I whispered his name, but Ash didn't come closer. Strange.
Liberic, come here.
I stood and left the tent without my coat.
Ash's voice came from just beyond the campsite.
This way.
I followed it to a dark spot untouched by the camp's torches.
No patrolling knights in sight—a secluded area.
Ash hovered at the edge of a clearing.
"Ash? What's wrong?"
I can't get in.
Spotting me, Ash sat with relieved eyes.
Not understanding, I approached him.
Then I realized what he meant.
Ash was right outside the barrier I'd set up to protect the camp. He couldn't enter.
Probably this.
With that, Ash held out a small metal key.
With my visible mana sight, I instantly knew it was a magic tool.
A very powerful one.
"This is..."
I picked it up.
To normal eyes, it was just a plain metal key, but mine saw wildly tangled, incredibly complex runes.
Be careful.
As I absentmindedly touched the barrier with it, a sizzling sound rang out, and the barrier's runes began unraveling.
Startled, I dropped the key.
"Wh-what?"
It fell outside the barrier, halting the collapse.
I stared up in shock at the half-unraveled runes.
Forced to unravel, mana tried to backflow along them.
My fingertips tingled from the contact.
First, repair the barrier. I'd left my staff, but this was manageable.
As I rewrote the runes, my eyes kept drifting to the key on the ground.
Found it while moving the Black Gattra corpse.
Ash nudged the key farther from the barrier.
"Black Gattra... Was it drawn by this magic tool?"
Possible. It's powerful.
Confirming the barrier stable, I stepped outside and picked up the key for a closer look at its runes.
Ash backed away anxiously.
"It's broken... The runes are out of control. Normal tools activate with injected mana, but this is using its own stored power."
I set it on the ground and channeled visible mana to project its internal runes outward, enlarged.
Letters, numbers, symbols, and diagrams sprawled everywhere—complex, delicate, even beautiful.
"Whoa... This is incredible."
Is it?
Ash had retreated two more steps.
I ignored him, dissecting the construction runes one by one.
"These are ancient runes. Rarely used now. And this part... How did they connect it?"
"You mentioned stored mana? It's lightning mana from the Black Gattra."
No visible ecronium, but part of the runes mimicked it independently.
So whenever the Black Gattra discharged lightning, mana accumulated here bit by bit...
How did they... It resembles Althur's study construction.
You've disassembled Althur's study.
"Ah."
I glanced at Ash through the glowing runes.
Couldn't see his face well, but he was definitely pitying me.
I cleared my throat awkwardly.
"Pretend you didn't hear that... Ah, I know how to fix it."
I twisted my fingers, carefully mending the warped runes.
A scratch on the surface suggested external damage.
Luckily, I could repair it using known runes without touching the complex core.
Imperial magic and visible mana made it possible.
"Wow."
As I finished, all runes activated in unison.
A intricate pattern of bluish light etched across the metal surface, runes flowing back inside.
Moments later, the key dropped still, inert.
"Just as I thought. This is another Lagot Althur creation."
I picked it up.
The moon and staff emblem symbolized Lagot Althur. The same was engraved on Althur's study.
Gazing at it, I marveled at the exquisite craftsmanship.
"Lagot Althur was an amazing mage. How did he make things like this? Shame we couldn't talk more."
I'd seen him riding that moving chair back then. With time, maybe we could have chatted.
Ash stared curiously.
Lagot Althur lived ages ago.
"...R-right. Teacher of my teacher's teacher, Claus Sage. Just wished I could've met him."
My heart pounded as I reined it in. Ash let it slide.
Why's a Lagot Althur item here? Shouldn't Prius manage them?
"Most are at Althur Tower. I've seen a few with Master and Teacher."
I decided to take the key back.
Repaired, it passed the barrier silently, a tame tool once more.
"But I've never seen a key like this... Never even heard of one that unlocks barriers."
A key that unlocks barriers.
Staring down at it, I halted.
Liberic?
Ash turned back from ahead.
"Coming."
I gripped the key tight and tucked it deep in my inner pocket.
Just thinking of the danger this could bring to the seal site sent chills down my spine.