Chapter 41
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Gates of Bern
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Igor’s eyes widened at the sight of Luon and Strabo trudging down the hill, a massive black horse trailing behind them without a bridle.
“D-did you really catch it?”
The people nearby also stared, their expressions a mixture of shock and awe at the sudden appearance of the muscular steed.
As if displeased by the attention, the black horse was about to snort impatiently, but when Luon raised his hand in a chopping motion without even looking back, it lowered its head obediently.
To an unknowing observer, it looked for all the world like an exceptionally intelligent horse that understood human gestures.
Igor turned to Strabo.
“You kept saying you were a druid, and you really tamed it. That’s incredible.”
Strabo, seeming embarrassed by the admiring gaze, looked away and mumbled.
“Ahem, it wasn’t so much what I did as this guy beating the hell out of it…”
Luon said.
“Let’s finish the job first.”
What followed was a swift and seamless process.
The black horse, which understood commands with surprising clarity, immediately lifted the nightmare curse it had placed on the children at a nod from Luon.
Soon, voices erupted from all around, exclaiming that the children’s complexions had returned to normal. Igor let out a sigh of relief.
“The children were in such a weakened state that we couldn’t risk purifying the curse carelessly. I’m so glad.”
Strabo asked, looking puzzled.
“Hmm? Why’s that?”
“When two conflicting powers meet, they’re bound to create a backlash.”
Igor stared intently into the black horse’s brown eyes. His face was filled with reproach.
“I wonder if you know how many children lost sleep because of you.”
As if not wanting to hear it, the horse subtly shifted its gaze away. Luon remarked.
“It understands you.”
“Pardon?”
“They say it’s a smart one.”
Strabo, who had placed a hand on the black horse’s face, shrugged.
“Says enchanting children is the easiest, you know? Something about their minds not being fully developed yet.”
“What in the…”
Igor’s mouth hung open in disbelief.
Strabo said.
“Anyway, now that we’ve got a sturdy horse, at least we don’t have to worry about our shoulders collapsing! I’ll go find a saddle.”
Strabo walked away with a light step. Watching his retreating back, Igor muttered.
“There’s no blacksmith in this village.”
“Still, it’s a place where people live. There must be a decent workshop somewhere.”
Just then, someone approached them hesitantly. Luon turned to see it was Lena, the girl with a face full of freckles.
“Um, warrior-nim. Here…”
In her outstretched palm lay a small leather pouch. It was obvious what it was without asking.
“That’s not necessary.”
The girl stared blankly up at Luon after his simple refusal, then turned her head toward Igor.
“I’ll have to refuse as well.”
Lena’s face flushed red. With a face that looked like a strawberry because of her freckles, she said.
“It’s not much, but… the villagers all pitched in. Couldn’t you please accept it as a small token of our gratitude?”
*They insist on paying even when I offer to do it for free.*
He had no idea how they had managed to prepare such a sum just minutes after the children had recovered.
Luon took the leather pouch, which had been left hanging in the air. Two refusals were enough.
“I’ll put it to good use.”
Only then did Lena offer a faint smile and look at Igor.
“Actually, we’ve had this money ready since you first started praying for the children, priest-nim.”
“Pardon me?”
The girl smiled warmly at Igor, who had asked the question without thinking.
“Thank you so much for your warm prayers.”
Igor’s eyes widened at her words. He then clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.
“Mother, your mercy has come full circle and returned to this little lamb…”
Luon, watching him with moisture welling in the corners of his eyes from overwhelming emotion, clicked his tongue softly.
“There he goes again.”
***
The first rays of dawn, heralding the end of night, illuminated the walls of the great city.
Backer, observing the golden-glowing silhouette of the city walls from a distance, checked his appearance in a mirror several times.
The full-plate armor covering his body gleamed. With a satisfied smile, Backer tucked his helmet under his arm and stepped outside.
As he walked toward the gate, a few of his colleagues trailed beside him, yawning lazily.
Backer clicked his tongue.
*What a bunch of slackers, yawning while performing the honorable duty of guarding the capital’s gate.*
“You’re here?”
A soldier leaning against the wall greeted Backer.
“Anything happen during the night?”
“Nothing better have, you bastard.”
The soldier, with a mischievous look, lightly tapped Backer’s shoulder and shouted up at the top of the wall.
“Changing of the guard! Open up!”
Before the shout had even finished, the pulleys began to turn, and the iron portcullis started to rise slowly.
“Have a good one.”
As the soldier who had given the curt reply walked away, Backer frowned.
He didn’t like how the man just left without a proper handover, but it wasn’t the first or second time, so there was nothing he could do.
A soldier watching from behind as Backer strode toward the fully opened gate muttered under his breath.
“Now that the needlessly strict bastard is on inspection duty… anyone coming in today is in for a hard time.”
***
*So this is why the line is moving so damn slow. It’s all because of this guy.*
Luon scowled, glaring at the soldier before him.
Ignoring him completely, the soldier continued his questioning in a stiff posture.
“So, your reason for wanting to use the Great Library?”
“There’s a book I’ve wanted to read for some time.”
“And what book is that?”
“Do I really have to tell you that?”
Luon could feel the soldier’s gaze sweeping over his party from behind his helmet as he retorted in an annoyed tone.
The soldier said.
“This is Bern. The capital of Aniara and the great city where the royal palace is located. That uncooperative attitude might have worked at the shoddy inspections in other cities, but this place is an exception.”
Just then, Igor stepped forward.
“As I mentioned earlier, I am a priest of Tivela. The other two gentlemen also share the same faith.”
As the soldier assumed an attentive posture, Igor continued.
“Naturally, we have a profound interest in literature related to Tivela. We came all this way because we wish to know the stories of our Mother as recorded by the world.”
The soldier, who had been nodding along to the flawless explanation, said.
“Aren’t dwarves usually worshippers of Duermyure?”
At that, Strabo, who had been picking his nose, flinched and quickly added.
“W-well, most are, but I’m a bit of an exception. The anvil and flames are fine and all, but for some reason, I find myself more drawn to Tivela’s mercy and peace.”
The soldier looked down at the dwarf, who had stammered through his explanation, then slowly nodded.
“You may pass.”
The moment permission was granted, the party began to move. The soldier, watching them go, added.
“Don’t even think about causing any trouble. This is Bern. I’ll be watching you!”
Hearing the voice from behind, Strabo let out a hollow laugh.
“What a ridiculously strict fellow. No… should I say he has good instincts? It’s not like we’re here just to read books.”
“Having instincts that are only half-decent will just get you killed sooner.”
Luon replied dryly and lifted his head.
In any other city, a clear sky would have greeted him, but Bern was different.
As befitting the kingdom’s capital, a symphony of high and massive structures obscured his view, and beneath them, countless people moved about busily.
He could see little care or worry on their faces.
Luon wasn’t the one looking around the vibrant city streets. Strabo, his head swiveling about, said.
“You’re saying an Apostle of Belducias is in a place like this?”
Igor slowly nodded.
“The minion clearly uttered ‘the Great Library’ before he died.”
“Is that so? I wasn’t there at the time.”
“Luon-nim, has there been any change with the holy sword?”
Luon, who had been resting his hand on the sword’s hilt since they passed through the gate, replied.
“I don’t feel anything yet.”
Igor’s face turned pale, as if the thought that he might have misjudged had just occurred to him.
“…Should we head to the Great Library right away?”
Luon checked the position of the sun, which was already leaning considerably to the west, and shook his head.
“It’s a bit late to make a move now. Let’s find an inn first and get some rest.”
The party immediately made their way to an inn with an attached stable.
Handing the Nightmare’s reins to the stable hand, Luon whispered into the black horse’s ear.
“Don’t try anything stupid. Just eat your hay.”
The black horse flinched and snorted. Leaving it behind, the party entered the inn.
The inn, bearing the rather perplexing name ‘The Stallion Courting a Mare’, was bustling with noise despite the early hour.
After finding a suitable table, the party had a simple meal and briefly discussed their plans.
“For today, let’s focus on recovering from our fatigue. We’ll start making our move tomorrow.”
Igor, who had been chewing on his spoon, responded listlessly to Luon’s words.
“What if I was wrong? We spent the last month suffering to get to Bern, and…”
Strabo, who was gulping down his beer, slapped Igor on the back with a loud thwack.
“Then we just leave and go somewhere else! Why are you so down in the dumps?”
Luon, for once, chimed in.
“We haven’t even been to the Great Library yet, and the holy sword has been pointing west this whole time. I don’t see why you’re so dejected already.”
At that, Igor forced a smile and nodded.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said something so dispiriting.”
With little else to talk about and the food being utterly unremarkable, the party saw no reason to linger and decided to call it an early night.
Luon tossed a silver coin to the innkeeper, asking for hot bathwater, then went straight to his room and lay down on the bed.
Stretching his stiff body, he stared at the ceiling and recalled the past few days. No, there wasn’t really much to recall.
The past month had been nothing but a series of tedious marches.
The ominous warning from the man who had spectacularly blown himself up had proven to be hollow, as their journey had remained peaceful all the way to Bern.
That was likely why Igor was so dispirited.
He probably felt guilty that nothing had happened so far, despite having brought them all the way to Bern on his suggestion.
But Luon’s thoughts were a little different.
*Big trouble always seems to brew when things are this quiet.*
*Knock, knock.*
A light knock sounded from outside the door. Luon, thinking it was the innkeeper with the bathwater, started to get up but suddenly felt a strange sense of dissonance.
His intuition, awake for the first time in a while, was sending a vague warning that the person outside the door was not the innkeeper.
He immediately gripped the hilt of his holy sword, but it remained unchanged.
Still, Luon did not lower his guard. The threats to his life were not always limited to demons or evil monsters.
*The Waning Moon?*
Recalling the name of the assassin group he had encountered long ago, Luon silently drew his holy sword.
Without hesitation, he turned the doorknob, flung the door open, and thrust the holy sword forward.
Or rather, he tried to.
Luon, braking his arm with all his might, furrowed his brow.
“What are you doing here?”
“Whoa, isn’t that a bit of a harsh welcome?”
The man, who was smiling brightly, was not as tall as Luon but had a well-developed physique.
But what stood out most was the large shield slung across his back.
The man said with a laugh.
“It’s been a while, Luon.”