Tailed frequently visited Aranthia and was so fond of Queen Sanadiel that Tanya, albeit reluctantly, came to learn about the Wolf Knights.
About a decade ago, when Tailed left for Aranthia to assist in the war, leaving Tanya behind in Lutia, they lived apart. They exchanged letters once a week, in which Tailed often pressed stories of the Wolf Knights, especially the White Wolves. His lover was Irine. However, the person who occupied the most space in his letters was Lofin.
‘The greatest sorcerer I know is Ruskin. And the greatest knight I know is Grandol.’
One was Lutia’s Grand Master, and the other was the Queen’s Guardian Knight at the time. It was an obvious statement. Tailed added one more thing.
‘However, the greatest sorcerer to be is myself. And the greatest knight to be is Lofin.’
Lofin was essentially the eldest brother in the entire Wolf Knights, holding the de facto captain position before Quain took over. Had he not lost an arm in a duel, he would have naturally become the captain, and the position of Guardian Knight after Master Grandol would have passed to him, in Tailed’s opinion. He was the greatest hero who saved Aranthia from crisis and a knight respected even in Lutia.
Tanya had no interest in such titles. The only reason she wanted to meet Lofin was because he had the most answers about Tailed’s disappearance. But no matter how much she traveled the continent and inquired, she could not find him.
There was no trace of him. It was inexplicable, to the point that attributing it to his wanderlust wasn’t enough! Like Tailed, Lofin too seemed to have vanished from Acrand.
Now she knew why. Ironically, he was beyond the Sky Mountains, in an even dirtier appearance than Jaymer, with an unshaven face.
The hardships she endured searching for him felt unjustly wasted.
‘Then, was my effort to find Master also in vain? Perhaps Master is hiding somewhere in the Sky Mountains, picking acorns.’
Tanya recalled the frustrating situation, then soon dropped the thought.
‘Master wasn’t completely without a trace like Lofin!’
Tanya was indeed surprised upon learning Opai’s true identity. However, staying surprised would only lead to more questions and confuse her, so she asked the most pressing question first.
“If you were close enough to save Kassel, why didn’t you warn us first? The enemies knew our location and path, and you knew it too, didn’t you?”
“Hmm. I knew it.”
Opai, no, Lofin nodded.
Tanya asked.
“If I hadn’t repelled the dragon’s power, we would have been annihilated. Were you just watching that happen?”
“I can say this. Just as I knew those guys would ambush you, they also knew about my movements.”
“How is it possible that you knew about each other?”
“Not exactly sure, but I guess by instinct. They thought I was going to attack them. They were quite cautious. But me, making the first move to contact you guys? That would have been like running into suicide.”
His speech was rough, and the tone was all over the place, switching between the rhythmic accent of Carnelock and the stiff endings typical of Irophis. It was fortunate he didn’t mix in incomprehensible local dialects.
“Then shouldn’t you have stayed hidden with Kassel there? Why did you bring him all the way to the Lemifs’ territory?”
Tanya demanded an answer.
“Hmm, has this lady sorceress become angry?”
Lofin, with a pipe in his mouth, exhaled a puff of white smoke around his lips before casually placing his hand on Tanya’s shoulder.
“Hey, Tanya.”
Tanya glared at him sharply, and Kassel, with an embarrassed look, muttered, ‘Even if it’s Lofin, isn’t it too much…’ but Lofin, unbothered by either of them, continued with his point.
“How exactly did you manage to follow me and Kassel? You must have followed Kassel’s trail. There was a sorcerer with the same power as you on that side. Someone who could track Kassel just as easily as you. And there was even a dragon with them. What do you think I could have done there?”
Lofin tapped on Tanya’s shoulder as if playing a piano keyboard.
“Moreover, how could I trust that you weren’t on their side? If I had suddenly appeared, would you have trusted me? Spend an hour greeting and showing politeness in the Lutian manner, then hold a meeting in Lutiano to explain the situation and persuade you of my position? Then would Guanil say, ‘Oh, look at those folks introducing themselves? I almost rudely jumped in and killed them. I should wait until they finish greeting before killing them.’ Do you think they would have waited? No, it was better to get out of the Sky Mountains, eh.”
Lofin removed his hand from her shoulder much more gently than he had placed it and looked at Tanya with that leisurely and irritating gaze, as if asking, ‘Any other questions?’
‘I thought it was harassment, but it turned out to be treating me like a child.’
Having never been treated this way since becoming Tailed’s disciple, Tanya felt more baffled than angry.
Kassel stepped in to mediate.
“Now, Lofin. Don’t make strange examples just to make the story interesting. We should maintain courtesy. Tanya, calm down too. Lofin really made the best choice. In a way, it’s my fault for becoming a burden.”
Lofin moistened his dry tongue with tobacco and spat out saliva.
“Indeed, it’s surprising that Captain Wolf rather played a role in holding me back.”
Tanya’s suppressed anger surged. She remembered a time when Jaymer got angry because Tanya had made disparaging remarks about Kassel. Now she understood how he felt. But Kassel stood by Tanya’s side, telling her it was okay and to endure it.
‘It seems I’ve developed a resistance to this kind of thing.’
Tanya recalled the words she had hurled at him before, making her position to get angry awkward.
“Lofin, I briefly explained how I became the captain of the Wolf Knights. Now, it’s your turn to tell us how you ended up living in the Lemifs’ village.”
Lofin was sitting on the ground, busy with Lemif children playing with stones in front of him. The number of kids had somehow increased to six. As their voices grew louder, Lofin ordered them to speak more quietly in Lemif, and the children obeyed.
“Sit down. You too, Tanya.”
“Now it’s outright orders.”
Tanya said, standing. If she had been wearing a magic orb, magic might have manifested on its own. Even without such a magic orb, her hair fluttered. Kassel was surprised, but Lofin didn’t blink an eye.
“You are Tailed’s daughter, right? Then that means you are basically my daughter too. So sit down.”
Lofin’s gaze wasn’t coercive. It seemed rather to find her stubbornness endearing. It was maddening.
“I wanted to finish the story earlier, but Captain Wolf here said to wait because more companions were coming, so I’ve saved this story. But didn’t you say two more were coming?”
Lofin asked Kassel, who then turned to Tanya.
“What about Jaymer?”
“I didn’t bring him. He must have left for Lutia following Dethain by now.”
“Do you think those two will come looking for us?”
“If I were Dethain, I’d rather take someone uncontrollable like Jaymer directly to Lutia than have him join a search.”
“That would indeed be better.”
The anger Tanya had intended to pour out on Lofin dissipated, directionless and fading away.
Tanya sat back down on the log chair Lofin had placed beside her. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t a log chair but a living tree itself that didn’t move when someone sat on it.
“But waiting for a companion? Did you know I would come, Kassel?”
Tanya asked.
“I thought you might. After such an incident, if you had disappeared, I would have searched for you too.”
Was it natural to think that a comrade would come to help in such a situation? Tanya just chuckled.
“And how are my damned friends doing?”
Lofin asked.
Kassel laughed awkwardly, not yet accustomed to Lofin’s harsh way of speaking.
“From what I’ve seen, everyone is doing well. Meylumil helped us in Camort. Irine and Quain also defeated the Lord of the Undying at the White Gate.”
“That goddamn bastard keeps sticking to us. Alright, let’s start with that damned being, the Lord of the Undying.”
Unknowingly, Tanya clenched her fists. She had heard the story briefly from Meylumil before, a story that had made her burst into tears towards the end. So, Tanya braced herself to listen again without crying.
All the while, unbeknownst to her, Lofin had already removed one of the magics possessed by the ‘Lord of the Undying.’ Merely mentioning his name had intimidated the masters of Lutia. Ordinary sorcerers dared not utter his name, and even ordinary people who knew nothing of him felt a vague fear. The more one knew, the greater the fear of his name. But Lofin demoted the stature of that dark lord by calling him ‘this guy,’ ‘that guy,’ ‘damned bastard,’ lowering the inherent prestige of his existence.
It was fortunate for Kassel. Having faced the dark lord directly, removing such fear was a priority, and Lofin had just done that.
“Do you know that the purpose of the Lontamon war was different from what was publicly known?”
Lofin asked.
“It was not just a simple war for territorial expansion, but there was some conspiracy…”
Kassel swallowed hard before continuing.
“The war was started by a mysterious sorcerer and religious leader advising the king of Lontamon. It turned out later that this person was originally a count with a rather large territory in northern Lontamon.”
Lofin muttered, trying to recall the man’s name, ‘What was his name again?’
“The religion he founded was a bit different from others. It wasn’t about going to heaven after death, hoping for the eternal life of the soul, or just finding peace of mind. Its goal was to obtain immortal power during one’s lifetime.”
“Yes, it’s still a widespread religion in many areas, including Denmoju in Camort. And like Denmoju, there are places that have directly obtained that power.”
Kassel spoke with a voice filled with fear.
“There might be rulers in Carnelock or Irophis who have directly obtained that power as well.”
“There’s no news from Carnelock yet. Meylumil said he would look into it. But in Irophis, such a being appeared and the royal knights dealt with it.”
“Why would Carnelock be the only exception?”
“What?”
“Never mind. You said you met the Black Knight in Camort, right?”
“Yes.”
“And his armor was the same as that of the Excelon Knights?”
Lofin asked with a smile, as if he already knew the answer.
“Exactly.”
“It had to be. That bastard himself orchestrated the creation of the Excelon Knights directly behind the king of Lontamon. The proof is that those knights all carried a symbol of a cross embedded in a bead. It actually symbolizes a sword piercing through a heart.”
Lofin demonstrated the symbol on the ground. Tanya had seen that emblem several times during her travels across the continent but hadn’t paid much attention to it.
“The war was all started and finished by his hand. It’s not the work of Lontamon’s fat king, who has no hobbies other than eating.”
“Fat?”
Kassel stuttered over a nickname that sounded like something a child would use.
Lofin continued in a lecturing tone.
“His face was as wide as a woman’s waist, and his thighs as thick as my waist. He needed help to get up from a chair, so maids were chosen by arm wrestling, you know? Advising him to choose men was useless; such guys always insist his attendants must be women. They took great care of the body part below his waist, which he couldn’t even see because of his belly…”
Kassel burst into laughter, then coughed awkwardly, glancing at Tanya. In fact, Tanya almost laughed as well.
Lofin paid no attention to their reactions.
“Don’t get me wrong. I like fat people. All the drinking buddies I’ve made everywhere are fat. But the king is different. Can’t be drinking or smoking buddies with him.”
“Have you met him before?”
“Met him about 10 years ago. To dissuade him from preparing for war… Then he, disliking my advice, served me food, about ten servings. The food tasted amazing, but with his lewd jokes, I couldn’t maintain my appetite. I ran out and went straight to the Excelon Knights, asking for their strongest to come out and fought them. Lost my arm then.”
Lofin flicked his loose sleeve as he spoke.
Kassel asked with wide eyes.
“I’m sorry to say this, but I heard that the retired White Wolves are not a bit less skilled than the current White Wolves. Was there someone in the Excelon Knights at that time who could cut off your arm? Was it… Captain Welch?”
“That’s embarrassing. Let’s drop that story. I don’t want to insert a tale of my defeat into a history lesson. Ah, correction. It wasn’t a defeat but a draw. Because I also cut off that guy’s arm!”
Lofin laughed heartily, though it was clear the laughter was forced.
“That guy had a knight’s honor. Even as he was about to faint from losing too much blood, he let me go peacefully. Ah, I almost died…”
Lofin chuckled again, finding something amusing.
“Can we clarify some names for a moment? The sorcerer who helped the emperor, the knight who cut off your arm. What are their names?”
“Let’s just say I forgot and continue with the story.”
Lofin confidently declared he had forgotten such important names before continuing.
“Let’s skip the war stories. Everyone is probably tired of hearing about them. So, after Captain Welch died in the last battle of the Nenadros Plains, Lontamon completely withdrew from Aranthia, and essentially, the war ended there… My real story starts from that point. The greatest contributor to all these events wasn’t the Wolf Knights but Lutia’s Grand Master Tailed. You know that, right?”
“Yes, to some extent.”
Kassel responded, his tone cautious because Tailed was Tanya’s master.
Tanya waited for the rest of the story, looking at Lofin expressionlessly.
“Tailed made almost the entire army that invaded Aranthia unable to fight. Stupid people might attribute it to the curse of the Aranthia Queen or the stupidity of the Lontamon army, but it was all Tailed’s magic. The army that encountered him must have felt as if they were possessed by a ghost. If they had drawn their swords or shed blood, they might have at least been listed as war casualties. But to end up walking away from a battle? ‘Curse’ was probably the only word to describe it.”
Unable to just listen anymore, Tanya spoke up.
“Master’s magic is fundamentally based on not harming life. In Lutia, it’s difficult to find more than one sorcerer who can decide the outcome of a war with their personal power.”
“That’s right. He’s so timid that he trembles even when kissing Irine, but when he picks up his staff, he can turn the world upside down. He was a good teacher for our arrogant Wolf Knights. Of course, he also taught many men in love with Irine that to win over such a woman, one must meet certain criteria. Is Irine still fiercely sexy?”
Caught off guard by the question, Kassel took a moment before responding.
“Well, she… appears strong. Still beautiful.”
“You dodge well! Anyway, the war ended, and Tailed set off to Lontamon to find the sorcerer who caused the war.”
That last letter from Tailed was the final one Tanya received. He had said he would return soon and to prepare wine for their meeting. Tanya never got to open the wine she prepared with care.
“Lontamon wasn’t just sitting with its ears plugged! Negotiating with a sorcerer who played with tens of thousands of Lontamon soldiers in his palm was out of the question. Imagining the fat king squirming at Tailed’s words is enough to make one laugh in their sleep. Tailed demanded that the sorcerer who caused the war be handed over, and the Lontamon royal family issued a warrant for their sorcerer. But that sorcerer was… Count Shraighton! I just remembered the name.”
Lofin snapped his fingers.
“Count Shraighton hid in a castle prepared in the northern ice lands immediately after the war was lost. Tailed discovered that the count was using that as a base to prepare for another war.”
“So, the White Wolves and Master Tailed?”
“Me, Lumil, Irine, and Tailed. Quain stayed behind as the Queen’s guardian knight. He must have had a tough time too, fighting to protect the Queen against the strongest enemies.”
Kassel was worried he might eagerly ask to hear more about Quain’s battles, but he didn’t say anything.
Tanya was curious too, but she wanted to focus on Tailed’s story for now.
“The battle at the ice castle… I don’t want to recall such a horrific battle. To put it briefly, after a long and arduous fight, we made our way to the deepest part of the castle. There, we fought the final battle with Count Shraighton.”
At one moment, Lofin put out his cigarette, and his sleepy eyes were wide open. The eyes of a hero reminiscing about ancient battles captured the sun hidden behind green leaves.
“Up until that point, Irine had been at the forefront, breaking down the ‘walking corpses’ and ‘ice monsters’ with the most vigor, and she was also the one who was the most exhausted when it was crucial to exert strength. So, strictly speaking, it was a mistake on the part of the rest of us, who should have taken her place. At that time, I was still unskilled with swordsmanship using one arm…”
Lofin tried to speak calmly, but at one point, strength entered his voice, and his manner was tinged with sadness.
“Tailed had poured all his effort into tracking the count’s movements, and Lumil and I were wrecked, both body and mind, from blocking his magic. So, we ended up entrusting the final blow to Irine, who was the most battered and exhausted among us. That was our mistake.”
Lofin was filled with regret, a deep regret that was palpable even now.
“With her exhausted body, Irine swung Vena Esarck but failed. I had watched Irine in the Wolf Knights for years, but I had never seen her wield a sword so powerlessly and ineffectively. Irine failed to deliver the final blow, and as a result, she sustained a severe injury from him. When I say injury, I thought she was dead. How else could I not feel any sexual desire when I saw her clothes torn, leaving her naked?”
Lofin mixed in a joke but didn’t laugh himself. He simply continued the story.
“In the moment of Tailed’s distraction, Count Shraighton escaped the barrier and fled. And Tailed chased after him.”
Lofin raised his hands.
“That’s the end.”
Kassel looked at Tanya, hoping for additional explanation. Tanya nodded.
“And Tailed never reappeared. I’ve already heard a similar story from Meylumil, though not as precise as now.”
“I don’t think he’s dead. Irine and I spent years searching for Tailed, finding traces of him all over the continent. And similarly, traces left by the Lord of the Undying also appeared. In my opinion, Tailed is still pursuing him.”
“If that’s true, why hasn’t he shown himself? If he missed the Lord of the Undying at that moment, wouldn’t it make sense to return to Lutia and join forces? He could also contact Master Irine.”
Tanya demanded.
“Look, Tanya. Have you forgotten when I mentioned ‘Count Shraighton’ or ‘that bastard’? He is the Lord of the Undying. Do you think their fight was just a simple exchange of swords and magic? You saw the battle between him and Quain in front of the Aranthia Queen, right? Did that look like a being that the sorcerers of Lutia could kill if they joined forces?”
Tanya was at a loss for words.
“Let’s go back 8 years. After Irine was injured at the ice castle, Tailed went after that demon alone to fight! The final battle created by the greatest sorcerer among humans and a dark sorcerer capable of destroying all humanity, it’s a bit hard to depict what kind of ending it might have had using our common sense. If we were to roughly piece together the outcome based on the current situation, it seems both of them have survived.”
Lofin closed his eyes and concluded.
“But while one side is gradually revealing itself, Tailed has yet to appear before us. Why is that? We won’t know until Tailed himself appears before us and explains.”
“I hadn’t thought that far.”
Tanya turned her head away, feeling tears coming again.
Lofin quietly observed her before speaking.
“I’ll share my thoughts only because you are Tailed’s disciple. The essence of the magic possessed by the Lord of the Undying is largely a curse. Perhaps, in the last moment, Tailed received ‘some curse’ and cannot appear before us because he has been unable to lift it.”
“Why do you think that?”
Tanya asked without turning her head back, still not having calmed her emotions.
“After that fight, neither appeared. If Tailed had died and that bastard survived alone, he should have shown up by now. Why? If the only Grand Master in Lutia capable of opposing his power had died, what’s there to hesitate about? It would have been better to start the war again before another Grand Master emerged. If Tailed had died, Lutia would have been destroyed eight years ago.”
Even though Tailed was missing, Lutia remained unchanged. Tanya had been too saddened by her master’s disappearance to think about it strategically.
“Lutia didn’t face such a fate, did it? That means the Dark Lord also received ‘some attack’ from Tailed and needed a long time to recover. They kept each other in check so much that they both ended up evading each other. You get my drift, right? Tailed is still alive!”
Tanya was secretly grateful that Lofin elaborated on Tailed, despite his usual annoying manner.
Not far off, Pankentin, the hefty Lemif who had guided them to Sinabia’s room, was approaching the trio. Tanya calmed herself and asked,
“So, what does your presence here have to do with my master’s disappearance?”
“Is it a lack of insight as a sorcerer due to your youth, or do you lack the knowledge to exercise such insight? Why do you keep asking? You should have figured it out by now.”
Lofin’s hint about the next part of the story went unnoticed because Tanya was too engrossed in the conversation. However, his nasty way of pointing this out made Tanya immediately forget any gratitude she might have felt.
Lofin put the unlit pipe back in his mouth and turned to Kassel.
“Do you get it, Kassel?”
“Well, I’m not quite sure about the relationship either…”
Kassel scratched the back of his head, seemingly at a loss.
Lofin laughed heartily.
“Let me dispel one misconception you both have. In the events surrounding the sacred sword of Aranthia, there are no coincidental incidents or human relationships. Just think of all that has happened as being linked by one thread. Simple, isn’t it?”
Kassel shook his head.
“It’s not simple.”
Tanya also thought it wasn’t simple.
“Don’t answer without thinking!”
Lofin snapped and continued.
“What role did the Lord of the Undying, under the name Count Shraighton, play when he manipulated the king of Lontamon to start a continental war? A strategizing general? A knight leading the charge? The king’s advisor? No, he was merely a religious leader. Kassel, what was the role of the Red Rose Count in the incident you experienced in Camort?”
Lofin pointed a finger at Kassel, pressing on with his question.
“Who is at the core of the events you two encountered in Aranthia? If we assume those events were not coincidental… So, what’s the common element in these three scenarios?”
Kassel quickly responded.
“The Black Knight?”
“In other words, it would be the Excelon Knights.”
Lofin smiled satisfactorily.
“Captain Welch was resurrected and destroyed the Gold Gate? Who brought him back to life? It seems complex, but when you get down to it, it’s simple. And once you find the answer, you can also figure out who’s attacking Lutia.”
Tanya said emphatically.
“I don’t want to play word games. Who is attacking Lutia? Please tell me.”
“Do you think a solution will just fall out of the sky if I explain it simply? If that were the case, I wouldn’t be wandering around like this; I would have solved this problem on my own long ago. The solution isn’t for me to find, but for the masters of Lutia and Captain Wolf to figure out on their own. How can I not come to a conclusion if I follow the same process I’m advising you to? That would mean I can’t solve a puzzle I haven’t yet resolved!”
Tanya disliked his way of speaking.
“So, you’re giving us the same clues and asking us to think differently to find a solution that you couldn’t?”
Kassel mulled over Lofin’s twisted explanations and asked.
“Not stupid, then.”
“Yes. But I think I understand that Lofin is the fool.”
Lofin’s eyes narrowed threateningly, yet amusingly, his mouth was smiling. Kassel glared at Lofin with wide eyes.
‘Kassel is complicating the complex situation. But I like this provocative approach. Was listening obediently all along just to lay the groundwork for such comments?’
Meanwhile, Lofin spoke to Pankentin, who had approached from behind, in Lemif. It was a routine conversation indicating readiness and asking for a moment’s patience.
“Speak up if you have something to say. I’m busy.”
Lofin told Kassel.
“Why are you busy?”
Kassel didn’t stop his attack. Tanya just observed.
Lofin countered.
“Are you stupid, or just pretending to be?”
“I can’t do Zen questions like Lofin, so I guess I’m stupid.”
“Want to play a game with me? Go ahead, Captain Kassel.”
Lofin rushed out his words.
“I’ve never been someone with time on my hands. I’ve always been busy with many things to do and places to visit. Then the Lutia situation exploded, making me utterly swamped. But then you come along, dumping a load of dangerous stuff happening in Aranthia on me, making me even busier!”
“I mentioned that the issue at the White Gate with the Lord of the Undying was resolved when he fled, didn’t I? How does that make Lofin, who’s far away, busier?”
“Who can guarantee that he won’t invade through the White Gate again?”
“That’s a point. Queen Sanadiel said something similar.”
“But then you showed up. And with that.”
“Are you saying it’s wrong for me to have brought the sacred sword? Didn’t you say something similar when we were escaping from Guanil?”
“The sacred sword of Aranthia needs to protect Nadium. As I just said, who knows if the Lord of the Undying might invade again. The sword would have chosen to stay in Nadium on its own. It has its own will. But you brought it here. Do you know what that means? Even the sword thinks it’s more dangerous here.”
“You talk about the sacred sword as if it’s a person?”
“Of course. Don’t you think so? Just like a girlfriend who’s nothing but temperamental, stubborn, and selfish, only thinking about herself.”
Lofin tapped the sword at his waist. As if responding to his words, the red gem set in the handle of his sword sparkled, and in sync, Kassel’s sacred sword also emitted a faint light. It was a moment when the two swords reacted to each other.
Noticing this, Kassel gripped the handle of his sword slightly and asked,
“Did you figure out my location in the Sky Mountains through such reactions between the swords?”
“Because they are sister swords.”
“Let’s say they are brother and sister swords.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because I feel my sacred sword is masculine. You said yours is like a girlfriend, right? Then they are siblings.”
Lofin frowned as much as he could, appearing on the verge of bursting out in anger. However, he suddenly burst into laughter.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Tanya was about to intervene, thinking Lofin was about to get angry, but stopped.
‘He wasn’t holding back anger; he was holding back laughter.’
Lofin was laughing so hard he started to cry.
“Lofin, let’s not waste our time. I need to take Kassel and leave this place now. Honestly, I can’t understand a thing you’re saying or what you want.”
Tanya reached out her hand to Kassel.
“Come on, Kassel. Let’s go.”
Kassel extended his hand. Tanya naturally took it. However, instead of following her, Kassel grasped her hand to keep her in place.
It was a subtly uncomfortable resistance.
“Look, Tanya. It’s the same on this side, wasting time trying to save Kassel.”
Lofin crossed his arms. At that moment, Tanya realized she had made a strange mistake.
‘He has one arm; how can he cross his arms?’
Like pulling a flower from a sleeve in a magic trick, Lofin used his existing hand to lightly lift the sleeve of his missing arm, mimicking the motion of crossing his arms. To an outsider, it looked completely natural, without any sense of discord.
“We’ve already delayed our plan by a day. We need to hurry and start the meeting.”
Lofin pointed with his thumb at Pankentin, who had been waiting behind them all this time. The giant Lemif blocked the morning sunlight, making Tanya dizzy.
After expending energy against dragons and sorcerers at night, running after Kassel with all her might, and then engaging in needless mental duels with two Lemif sorcerers, she had drained much of her mental strength. Now, this knight named Lofin was demanding she use her intellect.
‘Normally, I’d like to logically fight back, but I don’t want to right now. I’m short on sleep. I’ll think later.’
Tanya challenged Lofin.
“Lofin, maybe not now, but you were once a knight of Aranthia and are bound by duty to maintain an alliance with Lutia. You, as much as Kassel, must prioritize saving Lutia. Is this Lemif meeting so important that you forget such duties?”
“Guardian dragon Guanil of the Fvoe tribe has awakened and intends to attack Larden and Lutia. We still don’t fully understand the identity of Mozes attacking Lutia. But it’s clear that a traitor from Lutia’s side is driving this. “
Lofin uncrossed his arms and scratched his nose, continuing.
“With just their strength as a dragon and a sorcerer, we can’t defeat that alliance. So, we aim to awaken Nontil, the guardian dragon of Larden, to counter that power. At least with Nontil awakened, we can block Guanil. Then the Lemif sorcerers can stop the traitor from Lutia, and we can save Lutia from danger.”
Lofin pointed accusingly at Tanya, pressing the issue.
“Duty to save Lutia? Is there anyone busier than me right now in trying to save Lutia?”
☆ ☆ ☆
Quain was a responsible knight, well aware of what he was doing and what needed to be done. Was it because he became a guardian knight that he acquired such qualities, or was it those qualities that led him to become a guardian knight? In Tanya’s view, Quain could have been directly placed in a master’s position if he were a sorcerer, embodying the same responsibilities.
She had always known Irine through letters, but when she saw her for the first time, she was exactly as Tanya had imagined. Whenever her Master mentioned her in his letters, Tanya felt jealous as if a part of her mentor had been stolen, yet she couldn’t help but want to meet her. Despite believing that more than half of the overwhelming praise she received was exaggerated and thus lowering her expectations, it turned out not to be an exaggeration. Witnessing her abundant initiative and unyielding pride, Tanya involuntarily bowed her head. She was indeed the kind of woman Tailed would fall for.
Meylumil seemed like a delightful bard. He took pleasure in everything and was proactive in all matters. Fond of people, he never treated anyone he spoke with poorly. Even when they met to talk once, he treated Tanya as if she were a long-lost sister, making her feel comfortable.
Compared to the three with definite personalities, opinions on Lofin were mixed.
Queen Sanadiel remarked about Lofin, ‘The fact he came to us and not to our enemies is a blessing from Aranthia.’
Ruskin jokingly assessed, ‘If we ever go to war with Aranthia, I’ll assassinate Lofin Wolf first.’
Tailed also said he was an interesting person because it was impossible to predict what he would do next.
“I’m not interesting.”
Tanya disliked people with unpredictable behavior patterns.
“But you two.”
Lofin said.
“Yes?”
“Yes?”
Kassel and Tanya answered simultaneously.
“Are you lovers?”
“No!”
Kassel didn’t respond, but Tanya said firmly.
“But why have you been holding hands all this time?”
Lofin pointed out. Tanya immediately let go of Kassel’s hand, which tried to hold on until the end, causing his hand to slightly lift before falling.
Lofin chuckled and then said,
“Do as you like, Tanya. Saving Kassel was my duty to Aranthia. And now, I’m performing my duty to Lutia here. If you don’t want to join, go back. Wasting each other’s time is enough for one night.”
Pankentin and Lofin returned to the shack where Tanya had first entered, which was Hopet’s dwelling. Even walking alongside such a large figure, Lofin didn’t seem the least bit intimidated. His loose sleeves did not make him look pitiful.
“He’s an interesting person.”
Kassel said.
“I’m not interesting.”
Tanya voiced the thought she had kept to herself earlier.
The Lemif children were playing with stones and bickering again, and women who had finished their laundry were whispering about them. Lemif women, with their freshly washed hair and baby-like clear skin, looked very beautiful to Tanya. Seeing such beauties made her involuntarily recall her own witch-like face from a fairy tale meant to scare children.
“I don’t know what to do now. It seems Dethain isn’t the only one who has lost their usual composure due to the danger to Lutia.”
Tanya spoke frankly.
Kassel, with his gaze fixed on Lofin’s back, fell into thought. His stare, focused solely ahead, was occasionally frightening.
‘Good heavens, I hope this man breaks the silence soon. The suspense of waiting for him to make a decision is terrifying.’
Tanya swallowed hard and waited for his words. Kassel, aware of her gaze, said,
“Let’s follow Lofin.”
“I refuse.”
“You answer immediately?”
“We came to go to Lutia.”
“Right. But I also want to hear about Lofin’s method to save Lutia. We can make a decision after that.”
“Aren’t you worried about Jaymer or your other friends?”
“It makes my stomach turn.”
Kassel said without changing his expression.
“But why?”
“I know going there would make no difference because I’d be of no use.”
Kassel fiddled with his lips as he spoke.
“Think about it. The situation in Lutia as Dethain described it. It’s a battleground right now.”
“That’s why Loyal Wolf chose you. To lead the army in place of the sorcerers…”
“You’re mistaken about me, Tanya. I’m neither a capable commander who can govern a battlefield, nor am I a genius in swordsmanship like the White Wolves.”
“But at the White Gate, you…”
“I did nothing!”
“You stopped the Excelon Knights.”
“It wasn’t me who stopped them. It was the Black’s knightly deed.”
Kassel lifted his sword as he spoke.
“As Lofin said, it was the selfish and capricious sword that shone light to protect Aranthia, not because I’m a hero.”
‘I don’t think he said it was capricious.’
Tanya recalled those words with a desire to argue but said something else instead.
“Fine, let’s say that’s true. But Loyal wanted you. Aren’t you going to go?”
“What Loyal wants is to save Lutia. If I can help Lutia from here, then that would be fulfilling Loyal’s wish. I thought, seeing the Lemif king interrogate me and the Lemif woman who could see into the past, that such powerful magic could help Lutia.”
Kassel’s voice grew louder as he continued.
“And isn’t Larden already interacting with Lutia? If there’s a common enemy, it’s possible to form an alliance. It would be more useful for me to turn them into allies than to be in Lutia where I can’t be of any help. That’s why I think I was brought here.”
It was a misconception possible only due to a lack of understanding about the Lemifs. They never interfere in the affairs of outsiders. The so-called interactions between Lutia and Larden were entirely different from typical human society and could not be called a cooperative relationship. However, Tanya just nodded silently.
‘He’s calmer than me. More rational and sees the situation better.’
Ordinarily, a human dropped in the middle of the Sky Mountains, let alone a Lemif village, would be too bewildered to think straight.
‘Where did the boldness come from that allowed him to search for books in the library while Welch’s Black Knights were invading? And the calmness to think of joining forces with the Lemifs now? From his father, who said buying books with meal money would lead to death?’
As in Nadium, Kassel was mustering the courage he didn’t have to face what needed to be done.
“Let’s observe the situation for now. But it’s better not to expect the Lemifs to help. There’s nothing more painful than shattered expectations.”
“Yes, I’m prepared for that.”
“If things don’t turn out well, I’ll take you to Lutia by force if necessary.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t try to persuade me with strange logic then. I’m too tired now to think about anything.”
“Understood.”
“Then let’s go to Lofin.”
“Yes.”
Watching Kassel compliantly respond to every statement, Tanya felt a sudden urge to say, ‘Do everything I tell you from now on! Hands up!’ For some reason, she felt he would have just raised his hands.
–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/jB26ePk9