Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Wolf Fang
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Scorching Sun Fine Sword, Fernand.
A 4th-tier master who had served as the vice-commander of the First Division.
After all these years, he had now reached the 3rd tier.
The reason he had only grown this much despite twenty years of training was simple.
'How could he train while on the run? Advancing a single tier under those circumstances was impressive enough.'
There were often cases where one's level would rise in an instant through an epiphany gained in real combat.
But the time invested in training could not be ignored.
Only by consistently cycling and improving the quality and quantity of one's aura could one create opportunities to use it in actual battle.
If growth were possible through combat alone, the continent's strongest wouldn't be the Four Stars Beyond the Heavens, but a mercenary.
"Answer my question. How did you know who I am?"
As I was instinctively gauging the man's level, Fernand's impatient voice cut in.
It seemed he was still uncertain.
Suspicious, yes, but I had helped him.
"Don't push so hard. I'm just here to help."
"How can I believe that?"
I gestured toward the knight's corpse with a nod and shrugged.
My meaning was clear: if I were an enemy, would I have bothered?
But that alone wasn't enough to convince Fernand.
They were fugitives who had endured hardship and adversity for a full twenty years.
They must have encountered countless traps.
To survive, they had to doubt and doubt again.
They weren't naive enough to trust a stranger's words.
"If you can't prove yourself properly, you'll be burying your bones here."
"What do you want me to prove?"
"Didn't I ask you how you know me?"
"Ah, alright, alright. Just like the Scorching Sun Fine Sword, impatient as hell."
With a light shrug, I drew the Black Dragon Sword.
My movements were incredibly awkward in my hunched form.
But I could still perform a simple sword technique.
*Vwooom!*
As I stimulated my Demonic Soul, a gray aura erupted with the hum of the blade.
Fernand's eyes widened in shock.
The path of the sword lunging before him was all too familiar.
What I performed was the third form of the Heaven-Severing Demonic Chain Sword, the Heaven-Severing Demonic Moon.
It was my own secret technique, a fusion of the Heaven-Severing Nine Harmony Sword and assassination arts.
It differed from the actual Riverune secret arts, but one thing remained unchanged.
'The depth.'
The subtlety of the Heaven-Severing Nine Harmony Sword woven into my swordsmanship was impossible for a non-family member to replicate.
He would have felt a depth unattainable by merely mimicking the form.
Halting the strike right before Fernand's throat, I grinned.
Scenes like this had often played out when I sparred with him.
Remembering those days, a laugh escaped me naturally.
"Is this enough?"
"Unbelievable. There was no one like you in the family..."
"What you see isn't everything, kid. And is this really the time for proofs? If you want to save the Head Instructor, stop talking and follow me."
"..."
He hadn't yet let go of his suspicion.
But we couldn't afford to linger here any longer.
The fact that a guard was missing would soon be known within the knight order.
Railton Barracks was on high alert.
It was best to get out before then.
Fernand seemed to agree, nodding readily.
Though his gaze was still filled with distrust.
'There's no need to reveal my identity. Saving him is the priority for now.'
* * *
No matter how ironclad the security, there's always a loophole.
As expected, my infiltration skills were top-notch.
Fernand, supporting Robic, simply followed with a dazed expression.
He looked as if he'd been possessed by a ghost.
'That reaction is understandable.'
When would a member of the just and honorable Riverune family have ever experienced such a meticulous infiltration mission?
I suddenly stopped and held up a hand toward Fernand.
The very next moment, two knights appeared, moving along their patrol route.
One more step, and we would have been instantly discovered.
Once the patrol on the wall rounded the corner, I finally moved to the edge of the rampart.
*Shhhhk!*
"Wh-When on earth did you...?"
As I untied the rope I had secured to the wall and let it down, Fernand shook his head in disbelief.
It seemed he hadn't planned an escape route.
It was obvious.
He must have thought he could just fight his way out.
"Pathetic. You planned this operation without even preparing this much? You should have assumed you'd be carrying dead weight on the way out."
"...We'll see about this later. I'll rip that damned mask off and find out who you are."
"If you have time for nonsense, help me tie him up. And what will you do if my rank is higher than yours?"
"Damn it."
Gritting his teeth, Fernand tied the rope around Robic's limp body.
Soon, we were able to carefully lower the Head Instructor down the wall.
It was dozens of meters high, so we had no other choice.
If we had just jumped, Robic's weakened body wouldn't have been able to take it.
"Where do we go now?"
Fernand asked as soon as we reached the dark streets.
It seemed he now accepted that listening to me was the safest option.
"North."
"That's toward the border. There's nothing but open plains there."
"We have to do the unexpected. Going anywhere else is hopeless. There are checkpoints on every road, and even ranger units in the forests."
"Understood."
Following my advice, the group headed for the northern plains.
After all, no one wandered the fields this late at night.
The frequency of monster appearances was higher at night.
Moreover, if we were unlucky enough to run into a cavalry unit, we'd be in trouble.
Dealing with them wouldn't be difficult, but shaking off the pursuit afterward would be.
"No one's following. We should be fine if we keep heading northwest."
Fortunately, we didn't encounter any border guards or patrolling Railton knights.
Still, we couldn't afford to slow down.
By now, Robic's disappearance must have been discovered.
We had to get as far away as possible while we had the chance.
'Still, we've come quite a long way. It won't be easy for them to find our tracks in the middle of the night.'
Having taken the drastic measure of heading into the plains, Railton Barracks would be in chaos.
Fernand and Robic also seemed to feel they were safe now, their expressions somewhat relieved.
"Once we're over that hill, we'll finally be out of the Empire's territory."
"We just need to find a decent place to hide and then slowly make our way back to the hideout. If we move too quickly, we might get caught."
"Enough with the obvious nagging. More importantly, it's time you told us who..."
Just as Fernand was about to demand my identity, I raised a hand to stop him.
I had suddenly sensed a presence.
And sure enough, someone was seen trudging along the trade route ahead.
The person's appearance was a bit unusual.
The composite armor of iron and leather and the long black hair tied back carelessly didn't seem much different from any other mercenary.
But the red cloak worn over it was the problem.
An unbalanced mantle, long on the left and short on the right.
'Ah, I've seen that somewhere before.'
It was none of my business what a traveler wore.
But for someone to appear so suddenly on a trade route this late at night, it was best to be suspicious.
"A traveler at this hour. How strange."
"We're not much different from him. But he doesn't look like a fugitive..."
"Let's just ignore him and pass by."
"That was my plan."
After a quick whisper, Fernand and I acted nonchalantly, as if nothing was amiss.
But the approaching man cast a suspicious glance at Robic and asked a question.
The way he was staggering while being supported must have looked strange.
"Where are you headed? You seem to have a patient with you."
Asking a question so bluntly to a stranger without even a greeting...
Did he trade his manners for a bowl of soup?
For a moment, a spark of anger flared in my eyes, but we were fugitives right now.
There was no need to cause trouble.
This was a trade route connecting the Veldam States Union and the Kraus Holy Theocracy.
An excuse came to mind instantly.
"We're heading to the Theocracy. One of us is ill."
"In need of holy healing, I see."
"Y-Yes, that's right."
Since I was disguised as a shabby hunchback, the excuse came out naturally.
As I bowed and scraped, giving a convincing performance, the man nodded and started to walk past.
But then he casually glanced to his right, and his eyes met Fernand's.
The man's footsteps stopped dead.
In that very instant, I realized one thing.
We were screwed.
"But why that expression?"
As suspicion dawned on him, a thought shot through my mind.
'Wolf Fang?'
Only that mad group of war-crazed ronin—rough men who lived by the sword—wore such a bizarre cloak.
A pack of wild dogs on the plains, a band of homicidal maniacs who sought only war.
Wolf Fang had many nicknames.
In any case, running into this ronin was not a good situation.
Furthermore, he seemed to know a lot about the Riverune survivors.
As I studied his face by the light of the torch, an ominous memory surfaced.
'Valter. Yes. That's him.'
The man's identity, which I'd seen in the assassination guild's intelligence reports, was Valter, the Hyena Pack Leader.
He was one of the four subordinates of the Ronin Lord.
'Of all things, why do I remember this so clearly? But why is a ronin leaving the Veldam States Union?'
Wolf Fang were wanderers who chased after wars.
For them, the Veldam States Union, composed of dozens of nations constantly fighting over interests, was practically paradise.
So, for a ronin to suddenly enter the Empire?
The probability of that happening by chance, without a specific purpose, was extremely low.
It was just a passing thought, but I had obtained some very valuable intelligence.
'So he was planning to sell them to Wolf Fang, not Felton or Everfilt?'
From Marquis Railton's perspective, as long as the price was right, it didn't matter who the buyer was.
There had always been those who coveted the Riverune legacy, so it wasn't strange for the nearby Wolf Fang to be the buyers.
When Fernand flinched and looked away, Valter instantly realized our identities.
His terrible acting had given the man certainty.
"Hehehe! So you're the Riverune survivors."
I quickly stepped between them and chided Fernand.
"Wow! You can't even stand still? Twenty years have passed, and your acting is still just as bad."
"Well, what can I do if I can't? This is the best I can manage."
"Then you should have at least looked down! So damn proud. Tsk, tsk."
"..."
"Leave this to me and keep going."
I said without looking back.
Fernand and Robic's expressions must have been ones of pure astonishment.
They probably never dreamed that I, a man they'd just met today, would show such a spirit of self-sacrifice.
"Th-Thank you. I'll be sure to repay this kindness later..."
"Do you even know who I am to be saying that? Just hurry up and go."
"...Yes."
Soon, I could hear the sound of their footsteps fading behind me.
But I kept my back firmly turned until the end.
You have to never look back in moments like these to look cool.
"So damn charismatic. This is why the ladies swoon."
Valter, who must have heard my mumbling, made a face like he'd swallowed something foul.
"What are you looking at, punk? Never seen a handsome guy before?"
"A complete madman."
This bastard called me crazy?
I may have been reborn, but my original good looks were preserved.
'...'
Ah, right. I'm currently disguised as a hunchbacked old man.
Forgetting I was using the Seven-Joint Face-Changing Technique, I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
I tried to act all cool, but this must have looked really weird.
My face flushing beet red, I hurriedly shouted.
"Hey, this is embarrassing, so let's get this over with quickly."