Kassel had not gone far. Just a few steps from the entrance, he tucked his hands into his waistband and looked up at the distant sky.
Tanya also looked up in the same direction. Strange birds with necks and tails longer than their bodies were flying in groups toward the north.
Tanya approached to say something, but he turned around first and said,
“It’s not going as I wish.”
Tanya wanted to give him a noogie on the head.
‘Did you think that would work?’
In fact, Tanya had harbored a slight hope. However, from the beginning, asking for reinforcements from the Lemifs was an impossible task.
“Did you really think those old Lemifs would listen to an outsider?”
“I thought there would be at least a chance for negotiation.”
“The Lemifs don’t know what negotiation is. In dealings, if you don’t agree to the price they set for their goods, they just leave. Whether they suffer a loss or make a profit, they always decide on the prices or items for barter. Even that follows the ‘Gither,’ that’s the lifestyle of the Lemifs. So, in reality, Lutia…”
Tanya stopped mid-sentence and shook her head.
‘Why am I giving this lecture?’
Tanya asked,
“But let me ask you, Kassel. Even putting aside whether it was successful or not, what made you say that with such confidence?”
Kassel, having lost the forcefulness he showed earlier, scratched the back of his head.
“It’s because what the Lemifs are doing seems somewhat human-like. I lost my temper.”
“Have you experienced something similar before?”
“In Camort…”
Kassel seemed about to tell a long story but then gave up.
“I always believed that the fairies of the Sky Mountains were in every way more noble and pure than humans. But seeing them only looking out for their interests, in some ways, they seemed dreadfully similar to humans. So, I guess I was disappointed.”
“You’ve been in the Lemifs’ village for less than a day, and you’re judging too quickly.”
“Is that so? Apart from the Hopet, the other Lemifs around don’t seem much different from the nobles.”
“Maybe. According to the myth, humans were created based on the Lemifs. Anyway, where did you hear the name ‘Rai’? It’s a bit sudden for me.”
Tanya expected some dramatic story behind the mention of that name.
“I heard it from those kids earlier.”
“The kids playing with stones?”
“Yes.”
“You brought up a story you heard from those kids in such a serious meeting?”
“Because it was a serious meeting. A meeting so important and sacred… I thought asking for help for Lutia in such a place wouldn’t work. You said they don’t know about negotiation, right?”
“So, you mentioned some absurd thing you heard from children to attract attention?”
“That’s why everyone focused on me. Pankentin got angry, too…”
“Didn’t you consider that if you failed, it might not just end in embarrassment, but you could also die?”
“I didn’t. And if something like that happened, you or Lofin would have saved me.”
“I don’t know about me, but Lofin wouldn’t.”
“He would have.”
“On what basis? Because he’s a senior?”
“No. Because after spending all night painstakingly saving someone, it would be too wasteful to let them die in such a place. It should be effective at least until tomorrow.”
The meeting room was still chaotic. The stone Kassel had thrown was still causing ripples.
‘Oh? Look at this. It’s too early to give up.’
Tanya, having heard Lemif language leaking from the meeting room, tilted her head in confusion.
“Why do you say that?”
“No, more importantly, who is this Rai that the kids told you about?”
“The kids asked me who I was as soon as they saw me. I didn’t want to get into a complicated discussion and felt like they were somewhat looking down on me, so I simply said, ‘I am the captain of the most powerful knight order in the human world.'”
“Did you say that long sentence in the same way you learned to say ‘sit’?”
“Hand gestures, foot gestures, eye gestures, you know. It probably took about 10 minutes to explain that I’m a knight captain. Fortunately, the kids didn’t seem frustrated at all that I couldn’t speak. Rather, they enjoyed the explanation. It turns out that kids who chatter together are better than teachers who press you when learning a foreign language.”
Recalling Master Golbein’s tedious ancient language classes, Tanya couldn’t help but laugh.
‘Everyone. The ‘z’ sound in Lemif language should be drawn out longer. Let’s try it together. Zuuuu. Wrong, do it again. Zuuuuu. Ah! Use your tongue more. Zuuu…’
“The kids told me they also have the most powerful warrior, and that’s when I learned their name was Rai. I did the same, pointing at Pankentin, asking if that big Lemif over there was not the strongest. But they said no, it’s Rai. They all agreed on that.”
Tanya was momentarily persuaded too. If all the kids were saying the same thing, it seemed like a bait worth throwing in a solemn meeting room.
“Out of curiosity, I said I wanted to meet them, but for some reason, they said it was impossible. It wasn’t deliberately hidden; I just couldn’t find out more because I lacked the words. If I had known there would be such a meeting, I would have asked you and Lofin to interpret for me back then… but at that time, it was just idle talk.”
Kassel continued with a sigh as he looked around the meeting room.
“What’s the use now? It’s over. According to plan, when I left the room, one of the Lemifs should have stopped me, but no one did.”
“What will you do now, Kassel?”
“As promised, I’ll go to Lutia. You can drag me there.”
Tanya burst into laughter at Kassel’s words.
Kassel immediately began to think of the next plan.
“But how do we get there? It’s quite far. Are there horses here?”
“No horses here. Instead, there’s a livestock called Venon. In the forest, they are faster than horses but more troublesome for humans to ride.”
Suddenly, Kagua came to mind. The black-furred Venon could carry a knight on its back and still move at incredible speeds.
‘I never want to encounter it again.’
As Kassel and Tanya were discussing how to get Venon and return to Lutia, the door of the hut opened again. Lofin leaned on the door and gestured.
“Hey, Kassel, leaving a place where oracles are discussed without permission is considered very disrespectful and rude in the world of the Lemifs. Getting upset because your proposal was not accepted is also childish. So come back and apologize.”
Kassel replied in a sullen voice.
“How rude is it? As rude as standing up from the dinner table without the host’s permission?”
Lofin cracked up at such a minor joke.
‘There it goes. Soon, even a leaf rolling by will make him laugh.’
Tanya had long since thrown away the legendary image of Lofin that all her acquaintances revered.
“Your insistence worked a bit. Actually, someone who retorts so aggressively is rare in the Lemif world, so they’re curious and want to hear more… But first, go in and apologize, then we can start the conversation again.”
“It worked?”
Kassel asked, a bit surprised.
Lofin nodded and then said,
“It worked. However, Hudintin is saying you should prove your proposal is legitimate yourself. He’s saying he’s not even sure if it’s okay to interpret the oracle as you say.”
Tanya, puzzled, asked,
“He said he’s not sure? Can a Hopet of the Lemifs say such a thing?”
“If a Hopet said that, it means he’s seriously lowered his pride. In other words, if you can’t prove the oracle, Hopet will consider it a great insult, and Kassel, you might die. I can’t stop that either.”
“Prove the oracle?”
Kassel asked, tensely.
“It means you have to prove whether it’s okay to take this Lemif named Rai along for this matter,”
Lofin explained.
Tanya remembered the unsettled atmosphere in the hut as soon as the name Rai was mentioned.
‘A Lemif famous enough to be identified by the Lemif kids as the fastest flyer, yet one who cannot actually be met, and the excited Pankentin… It means Rai is no ordinary Lemif.’
Several old Lemifs, including Hudintin, walked out of the hut.
Kassel and Lofin stepped aside. The old Hopet spoke, and Lofin stood by to interpret.
“Let’s set aside how an outsider came to know the secret of Larden. As you say, outsider. The fastest flyer is indeed Rai. However, Rai cannot be taken according to the will of the oracle. We couldn’t take them a month ago, and we can’t now. I’m not sure if Opai is interpreting correctly, but we’re not saying we won’t do it; we’re saying we can’t.”
Lofin continued the interpretation, referring to himself in the third person as if he were someone else.
“So, outsider, try to take them. If you do, we’ll recognize you as the white-furred wolf mentioned in the prophecy. However, if you die by Rai’s hand, it means you are not the one from the prophecy.”
After Lofin finished interpreting, Hudintin had already walked a good distance away. Pankentin, following Hudintin, glared menacingly at Kassel.
‘If Kassel is right, Pankentin would be excluded from the prophecy, so that’s why he reacted like that.’
Worried about Kassel, Tanya asked Lofin,
“Did they say that if Kassel fails, he will be killed by Rai, not by them?”
Lofin was filled with cruel curiosity rather than concern for his junior.
“That’s right. If I had misinterpreted, I would have done so in the common language, not in Lemif. I’m more familiar with Lemif now. Thanks to you, I’ll finally meet Rai, whom I’ve only heard about in stories.”
“Who exactly is Rai?”
Tanya asked.
“Well, I’ve only heard rumors too…”
Lofin continued as he followed Pankentin and Hudintin.
“That Pankentin, he’s not actually the real captain of this village. There was an original captain. Pankentin is quite skilled but still learning from me. But the original captain, Teynols, was said to be of similar skill to me.”
“Is it even possible to compare skills with a knight you’ve never fought?”
“It’s what Sinabia told me, so it’s likely true. Of course, I would win in a real fight, but it’s about the objective strength. Anyway, Rai killed that Teynols. Not in an ambush, but in a formal duel! No wonder Pankentin was angry. It’s as if Kassel wounded his pride.”
Lofin teased Kassel as if to provoke him further, then pulled on Kassel’s arm.
“Don’t worry. Your fate wasn’t decided to die here.”
“Thanks. But on what basis?”
“If you die here, it means I’ve wasted a whole night trying to save someone destined to die here. So, you won’t die.”
To Tanya, Kassel seemed like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse. The most malicious part was Lofin making jokes to ease the tension.
☆ ☆ ☆
In Tanya’s view, there were three things that would seem absolutely out of place in Larden, which blended so well with the forest that it seemed part of nature itself: a back alley selling alcohol or women, a quarry filled with piles of broken stones, and a prison with inmates locked behind iron bars. At least one of those existed. On the outskirts of the village, there was a crudely made cave with stairs leading to an underground dungeon at its end.
The iron bars were double-layered, and inside were five cells surrounded by another set of bars. Pankentin led them past four empty cells to the one at the end. Through the large barred window, several old Lemifs, including Hudintin, were peering inside. They looked like spectators boredly waiting for a condemned prisoner to be devoured by wild beasts.
‘It seems like Hudintin is punishing Kassel for defiling the sacred meeting.’
It was unthinkable for a race that couldn’t lie to use such a sophisticated trick, but seeing a Lemif locked behind bars made it hard to think otherwise.
The Lemif inside the thick iron bars was bound with heavy chains, not just around the limbs but also around the wings. Their head was hung low, so from the front, only its bleached ash-gray hair was barely visible. Their limbs drooped like a corpse. It was unlikely that the Lemifs, who didn’t even conceive of tormenting others, would take such measures simply to punish a criminal.
‘If they’ve bound them with chains that thick, there must be a reason.’
Pankentin said something short to Lofin, who translated,
“They’re saying to go inside. And ‘Let’s see if you can bring that bastard, who fights anything in sight, to the sacred Dragon Awakening ritual.'”
“That doesn’t sound like what he said. Did you translate that correctly?”
Kassel asked anxiously, to which Lofin shrugged,
“Ah, I added the last part to ease the tension.”
It was clear Lofin was enjoying this dreadful situation.
Kassel almost looked like he was about to cry but then sighed heavily and shook his head vigorously.
“We need an interpreter.”
“I’ll help from outside,”
Lofin said, and Pankentin added,
“Ho, Pankentin says Rai knows a bit of human language? That’s fortunate. You can go in alone.”
The iron door opened. It hardly ever opened, given the tearing sound from the hinges. As Kassel stepped inside, Tanya followed him.
Lofin said,
“You’re not obliged to follow him in.”
“Obligation?”
Tanya shot Lofin a cold glare and continued,
“Then the obligation-free Lofin can stay outside.”
Tanya stood close behind Kassel.
Kassel thanked her but whispered with a worried look,
“Tanya.”
“I trust your judgment. If I am the being from that prophecy, I’ll survive too. This must be what the Lemifs call ‘Gither.'”
Lofin glanced past the Hopet outside. The other Lemifs seemed indifferent to Tanya’s company. The door closed again.
“Thank you, Tanya,”
Kassel said, taking a deep breath.
“Do as you wish, Kassel. If things go south, I’ll burn that Lemif.”
“Didn’t you say you trusted my judgment?”
“Yes. But you know, defensive magic kind of goes off reflexively.”
“Yes, yes. Just don’t burn me along with it.”
“Starting to sound like Lofin, aren’t you?”
“Really? Oh, heavens. Blessings upon Sanadiel, who didn’t choose Lofin as a knight.”
“You’re all being heard!”
Lofin shouted,
“What? You all heard that? Damn, I muttered that thinking that coward wouldn’t hear!”
Kassel spoke, and Lofin burst into laughter again, slapping the wall. His laughter did not help Tanya relax at all.
“Besides, I wonder how they manage eating and sleeping when tied up like that.”
As Kassel took a step forward, the Lemif, burdened with chains heavy enough to be cumbersome to drag, smoothly rose to their feet. Several strands of the heavy chain hanging on its body clattered to the ground, echoing through the dungeon.
‘So, those chains are no issue for it to carry.’
They took a step towards Kassel. Tanya instinctively felt a threat and stepped back, but Kassel seemed completely frozen in fear, unable to move. Kassel was the first to speak.
“Do you understand the language of Acrand, Rai?”
The Lemif named Rai nodded. Then, without even coughing once, Kassel poured out his words.
“You look weak. Even if you were once the fastest flyer, now it seems impossible. Can you even move your body, Rai?”
Tanya was about to say that was not the case at all but, guessing Kassel’s intention, she kept her mouth shut.
‘He’s provoking Rai now! Why do that?’
The grimy Lemif slowly opened its mouth.
“Give… sword.”
Rai spoke in a halting human language.
“Then, as is, then, kill you.”
Despite not being proper language, his threat carried an immense aura of lethality. Tanya felt suffocated, wanting to either run out of the room or freeze Rai solid with magic. Yet, Kassel did not back down.
‘Here we go again. He can’t move a muscle due to tension before things happen, or he’s trembling with fear, but once something actually happens, he charges into danger. And here I am, standing behind Kassel again. It’s almost as if I’m being protected by him?’
Tanya couldn’t stand the idea of Kassel standing in front of her in the face of danger.
She deliberately stood to Kassel’s right. Only then could she see Kassel’s face. He was so terrified that he couldn’t even blink. To anyone else, he might seem to be ‘staring blankly,’ but Tanya knew. He was speaking with Rai, burdened with fear, yet his voice did not waver.
“Does that mean, you still haven’t lost your skills?”
“Useh.”
Tanya translated Rai’s words.
“He says so.”
Kassel nodded and continued,
“I am the captain of the strongest knights among humans. You’re saying you can defeat such a knight while one of your arms is chained?”
“Useh.”
“There’s the fastest Lemif outside, Pankentin. Can you fight and win against him with that unrecovered body?”
“Useh.”
There was no hesitation in their conversation. Kassel listed absurd conditions, and Rai answered affirmatively to all.
“What crime got you locked up here?”
Kassel asked.
“Lemifs, do not fight. But I, want to fight.”
From the darkness, Rai took another step closer and continued,
“So, sought strong Lemifs. Slowly, one by one, then fought. And won.”
Neither Kassel nor Tanya backed down. Rai’s blue eyes, hidden in the damp darkness, glimmered faintly in the sunlight. His pale complexion and ash-gray hair made his blue eyes seem like sapphires embedded in the remains of ashes.
Kassel asked,
“Humans call that a duel. Was that duel fair?”
“I declared. Those who avoid me, I do not fight. Those who fought with me, did not avoid. Fought. Won. And killed. That is my sin.”
Kassel seemed to have been holding his breath, as he let out a short breath. Tanya, meaning to encourage him, placed her hand on his shoulder.
Kassel turned to look at her and smiled weakly. Even for him, who knew little about swordsmanship, facing the murderous intent emanating from Rai head-on and remaining unscathed was impossible. Beads of cold sweat dotted his forehead.
‘He’s really scared. How many times has he faced such situations today?’
She wanted to suggest giving up and just leaving the room.
‘We’ve done enough. Look. Pankentin and Hudintin are shocked. You won’t be blamed for stopping now. Forget the oracle and let’s go back. To Lutia.’
However, Kassel spoke to Rai again.
“In my world, if both parties consent, killing the other is not considered murder. But is there no such unwritten rule among knights in the world of the Lemifs?”
“None.”
“How many have you killed?”
“Fifty.”
“Did they all accept the duel with you?”
“They did.”
Kassel, as if making a decision, gripped Tanya’s hand on his shoulder tightly. Tanya, not understanding the significance of his grip, was taken aback. Kassel released the grip and walked towards Rai.
“Hey, Kassel.”
Even Lofin shouted a warning from behind.
Tanya did not let go of his hand.
“What are you doing, Kassel?”
“Rai is… not a murderer but a warrior.”
“You can’t know all that from such a short conversation.”
“Lemifs can’t lie, right? Then Rai won’t kill someone who doesn’t want to fight.”
“But you don’t need to get closer for that.”
“You can’t become friends with a lion by just throwing meat at it from behind bars.”
“But we’ve already…”
It was too late; Kassel had made up his mind.
Kassel did not forcefully shake off Tanya’s hand. He looked at her, asking with his eyes to let go.
‘Ah, I see why I feel good when he’s compliant. It’s because he never backs down, not metaphorically speaking, but literally, even in the face of real death!’
Tanya let go of Kassel’s hand.
‘Am I making a mistake? Getting so close, I won’t be able to protect him with my magic.’
Kassel stood a step away from Rai, within reach if Rai extended his hand. Moreover, the chains were loose enough that if Rai decided to move forward, he could take a few more steps towards them. As Kassel had put it, he was already in the lion’s den.
Suddenly, Kassel drew his sword and thrust it powerfully into the ground. The blade, so strong, made a mark on the stone floor and stood quivering, emitting a faint metallic sound.
“Here is the strongest sword in this world. And I am its master. Do you want to fight?”
“Fighting, my Gither.”
Rai spoke weakly. However, the moment Kassel even jokingly suggested a fight, it seemed he could kill Kassel with a single punch. Of course, Kassel was well aware of this.
Tanya was worried if Kassel could even stand properly now.
“Leave that Gither to me. I’ll ensure it’s followed.”
“You, with me?”
Rai asked, his gaze unfocused and blurry.
“No. The opponent is not me. I do not know how to fight. However, as the owner of this sword, I know many warriors worthy of competing with you. Moreover, with this sword, enemies who you must fight are drawn to me, even if I wish to avoid them. I need a warrior to fight those battles in my stead. Stand by my side.”
Rai listened for a moment and then shook his head.
“Human, lies.”
“You don’t believe me?”
Kassel turned his back to Rai, who looked at Kassel’s back with a blurry gaze.
“Lofin, give me the key to the chains binding Rai.”
Kassel’s sudden request startled Lofin.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“You put me in here, didn’t you? If I’m inside, it means I can do as I please, right?”
For the first time, Lofin’s relaxed face crumbled.
“I’m not sure if this will add ‘leading a junior to death’ to my resume.”
Lofin asked Pankentin for the key and got it. He was about to throw it through the bars but then hesitated. For some reason, he opened the door and entered, handing the key directly to Kassel.
“If you die, I’ll join that fate too.”
Kassel smiled wryly.
“You mean we’ll die together?”
“Why would I die? I mean, if you die, I’ll kill that guy.”
“Ah! Now I have the best magician and the best knight as escorts. Even Sanadiel herself would envy me.”
Kassel, holding the key, turned around smiling.
The black blade was pointing right at Kassel’s nose.
The treasured sword of Aranthia, which had been stuck in the ground, was now in Rai’s hand.
☆ ☆ ☆
Kassel, Tanya, and Lofin were all frozen in place. This was not an opponent to be clumsily threatened. Lofin did not draw his sword to avoid unnecessary provocation, and Tanya could not recklessly use her magic.
Even though Rai’s hands and arms were chained, and he seemed utterly powerless, they didn’t feel confident they could cast a spell faster than Rai could use the sword. Plus, unintentionally, Kassel was blocking Lofin and Tanya’s path.
‘I should have been concentrating!’
Lofin and Tanya exchanged glances, silently communicating to each other.
‘Don’t intervene.’
‘Don’t do it.’
Rai, extending the treasured sword forward, examined the black blade closely. But at any moment, a rash swing of the blade would mean the end of Kassel’s life.
Rai, caressing the blade as if it were a lover he hadn’t seen in years, said,
“Human, lies.”
“Have you ever been deceived by humans?”
Kassel, almost reflexively, replied before Rai could say more, as if trying to hide his fear by talking.
“If you have the eye to judge an opponent’s strength properly, you can see I’m defenseless right now, right? But the two behind me are different. If you want to fight, try killing me. Then the two behind me will kill you. You’ll be able to follow your Gither faithfully.”
‘Don’t say that!’
Tanya wanted to scream. Kassel was making a dangerously provocative statement. If Rai were a petty swordsman, he would have been dead the moment he finished speaking…
‘He’s testing his theory that Rai is a true warrior.’
It was suffocating for Tanya to watch.
Kassel spoke with an unwavering voice.
“But if you do that, Rai, you’ll end up killing me only to be locked up here again. Would you choose to kill me and be imprisoned again, or would you choose to follow me and fight?”
After a silence from Rai, the three also remained silent.
After a while, Rai said something completely unexpected.
“Are you afraid of me?”
Kassel laughed. Loudly.
Kassel was laughing loudly, just as Lofin had at Kassel’s unfunny joke earlier.
Lofin looked at Tanya in confusion, and Tanya, just as perplexed, widened her eyes.
“So, you were trying to scare me? Naughty guy. Yes, I was scared.”
“And you, guide me, with your Gither?”
While speaking, Rai kept his gaze firmly on Tanya.
‘He’s just speaking awkwardly. This guy, he’s clever. Knows how to fight a magician.’
Lofin hadn’t drawn his sword yet.
‘And he’s keeping Lofin within striking distance. He believes he can kill both me and Lofin while chained.’
Then Kassel spoke.
“Why, do I not seem capable of leading you to follow your Gither?”
“Useh.”
“Then watch me keep my word to lead you to follow your Gither right now. Try cutting down Lofin to my left.”
Kassel gestured over his shoulder with his thumb.
Lofin’s gaze suddenly turned murderous.
“I, do not kill needlessly.”
Rai refused. Then Kassel yelled.
“Shut up, Rai. No killing will happen in this prison! Try it if you dare!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Rai’s sword flew towards Lofin’s neck. Lofin’s sword, drawn in an instant, clashed with the treasured sword, and almost simultaneously, Tanya unleashed magic on Rai’s face. Rai dodged by tilting his head, but the chains limited his movement, causing one shoulder and a wing to freeze. It was then they noticed Rai’s wings were unreasonably larger compared to other Lemifs.
The two swords were fixed in front of Kassel’s face. Rai and Lofin stood unyielding. Kassel, stopping Tanya from preparing another spell with his hand, said,
“See? No one who can’t scare me can stand by my side, Rai. Want to fight? Then kill me and fight Lofin. Want to follow your Gither? Then follow me.”
Rai gradually relaxed, detaching the treasured sword from Lofin’s blade. Lofin also sheathed his sword, but his gaze still held a trace of murderous intent.
“I want to fight.”
Rai’s response startled Tanya, as if he had decided to kill Kassel. But Kassel calmly waited for his next words.
“I want to fight a lot. A lot.”
A different emotion than the previously seen murderous intent seemed to seep through Rai’s voice.
“Then stand by my side. I’ll make you fight. Follow my commands.”
Kassel approached so closely it seemed they might touch. Rai had to slightly retract the treasured sword. Kassel spoke firmly,
“From now on, I’ll become your Gither!”
Rai’s responding voice sounded somewhat sad.
“Do not… deceive.”
“If you keep your promise, I will keep mine.”
Rai seemed to ponder before handing back the treasured sword of Aranthia. Kassel took the sword, sheathed it, and then stooped to unlock the shackles around Rai’s ankles with the key he held. The locks on his wrists, ankles, and those binding his wings were all released, and the heavy chains slid off his body.
The sound of metal clanking echoed.
Aside from being slightly lean, the bare body showed no particular issues. It was a robust physique, not appearing to have been confined for long. Rai flexed and unflexed his hands, examining his body.
After allowing Rai to enjoy his regained freedom, Kassel turned to Lofin and asked,
“Lofin, what evidence must we show to Hudintin now?”
Lofin didn’t answer but glared fiercely at Kassel.
“What?”
“You, you’re going to have me use my sword against Ztokh Worg?”
“Let’s call it the meeting of the two legendary swords.”
“What did you say earlier? Love your junior? Damn it, kid, take care of your senior!”
Grumbling, Lofin pointed his chin towards the barred door where Hudintin was.
“Look at that old man who pretended to be indifferent to everything in the world, now shocked. You’ve survived in front of the blade of a murderer whom no Lemif dares to stand before. That’s proof your interpretation of the oracle was right.”
“Rai is not a murderer. It’s just that I recognized the concept of dueling before the Lemifs, who lack it.”
Kassel extended his hand to Rai, saying,
“Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Kassel.”
Knowing not only the human language but also human etiquette, Rai shook Kassel’s hand. Then, with a deep voice, he said,
“I am Rai.”
Kassel nodded heavily.
“Thank you for coming to me, Rai.”
Rai stared intensely into Kassel’s eyes for a long time as they shook hands. Kassel tried to end the handshake and step back, but Rai continued.
Finally ending the handshake, Kassel checked if his hand was not broken.
Tanya clung closely to Kassel’s side. As everyone was leaving the prison, and just as the two of them were about to exit last, what she feared happened.
Kassel, belatedly trembling, leaned on Tanya. Barely able to stand by leaning on her, he trembled like a wet puppy.
“Do you want to rest before going out, or after we go out?”
“Let’s do it here and then go out. There are other Lemifs outside, and here it’s just the two of us.”
“Then please hold on for a moment.”
Tanya silently hugged him from behind.
‘Such a pathetic man. Look at the cold sweat on his back. And why are his hands trembling like this? I’ve never seen a man so frail and scared before. From now on, I must always be by his side. No one else should ever see this man’s weakness!’
☆ ☆ ☆
While Rai was washing off the long accumulation of grime in his temporary abode, Kassel waited in front of him. Lemifs who came to see Rai were everywhere. They were full of curiosity despite being afraid of the murderer Rai.
Pankentin stood beside Kassel with his sword, and soldiers were deployed around the house in case of an emergency.
Kassel rested, leaning against a tree shadow to avoid the harsh sunlight. There was shade everywhere, but he needed something to lean on.
Tanya stayed beside Kassel until she saw Lofin gesturing near the hut and went over to him, repeatedly checking that no one was near Kassel.
“Is Kassel alright? He seems a bit uncomfortable.”
“He’s just relaxed. He’s fine.”
“That’s good.”
Lofin chewed on an unlit pipe.
Tanya gestured towards the guards and asked,
“If they had to keep him chained up like that, what’s the point of setting up such a guard now?”
“Needed some peace of mind, I guess. They wanted to, so let them be. But…”
“Earlier…”
They both started speaking at the same time, but Lofin let Tanya go first.
“Earlier, in front of Rai, even you seemed to be momentarily overwhelmed by Kassel’s presence.”
“Damn! But I did act!”
“Certainly, it was your strength that subdued Rai.”
“That’s right. I blocked it so suddenly that my palm still hurts.”
“Do you really think Rai will follow Kassel? Logically, he should follow you.”
“How would I know? I blocked him, yes, but I didn’t subdue him. He’s not the type to follow someone just because they’re stronger.”
“He would have sought more fights. My Gither is to fight! That’s what he would say.”
“Exactly.”
“You know Lemifs well, don’t you? Will Rai follow Kassel’s words?”
“Rai is different from other Lemifs. I actually intended to pull Kassel out if the negotiations failed. If the murderous Lemif tried to kill Kassel, I was prepared to kill him. But none of that happened. What comes next, I don’t know.”
Leaning against a tree, Kassel got up when he saw Lofin approaching.
“Now that things have turned out as I said, it’s time for Larden to send reinforcements to Lutia, right?”
“I don’t know! The decision is for the Hopet to make.”
Lofin’s voice was slightly angry.
‘It seems he’s still not over what happened earlier. But it’s not because he forced him to fight. He’s more upset about being caught off guard.’
Thinking this, Tanya felt a bit of schadenfreude at Lofin’s expense.
“The Lemifs keep their promises.”
“Promise? Kassel, the Hopet never mentioned reinforcements when talking about Rai.”
‘That’s right. They only talked about their own oracle.’
Kassel jumped as if hearing it for the first time.
“What kind of law is that…”
Disappointment filled Kassel’s realization, and Tanya felt a bitter taste rise in her throat.
‘As expected, Lemifs don’t propose deals that are disadvantageous to them from the start.’
Kassel calmed himself down and asked again.
“What do we do now?”
“Let’s just wait and see.”
Despite everything that happened in the prison, Lofin’s attitude towards Kassel had softened significantly. However, Kassel, who should have been proud, was oblivious, engrossed in thinking about how to solve the disadvantageous deal.
“Kassel, what ‘certainty’ did you have when you freed Rai?”
Tanya asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what were you relying on when you plunged into this? You even told him to attack Lofin! It was too risky. We could have been carrying your corpse out of that prison.”
“I had no certainty.”
“You took such a reckless action without certainty? Even risking your life.”
“People with absolute skill in swordsmanship generally don’t cut down just anyone. If Lofin hadn’t been there, Rai wouldn’t have swung his sword, right, Lofin?”
Kassel gave a smile, and Lofin snorted.
“Funny. If I were in Rai’s place, I would have ripped your mouth open.”
Kassel pointed at Lofin with his thumb, boasting,
“See? My luck so far has been because I’ve encountered great knights. If I had done something like that to mediocre ones, they’d say, ‘So what? Die!’ and stab me.”
“Isn’t that exactly what Lofin said? He’d rip your mouth open.”
Tanya pointed out.
“Rai also spoke as if he’d kill me. But he didn’t. Because Rai is neither a murderer nor a street thug. The same goes for Lofin. He talks like that but won’t actually kill.”
Kassel said.
Lofin, playing with his pipe, yawned and then asked,
“So, you recognized Rai from the start?”
“Yes. And since you kept pushing me from behind, if I had backed down, you wouldn’t have acknowledged me as Captain Wolf, right?”
“Did you know I was testing you?”
“Master Quain did so, and so did Irine. Meylumil too. Why would you be any different?”
“All the tasty parts have been eaten by those guys, making you a sly fox, huh?”
“Yes?”
“No, it’s alright, it’s alright. Forget the test and all that crap. I just got tired for no reason dealing with you.”
Lofin took up his pipe again.
‘Such a tiring conversation.’
Tanya wanted to go somewhere and take a nap. But remembering that Kassel also hadn’t slept, she held back.
“Anyway, even if I had been attacked by Rai, the both of you could have defended yourselves. I was the only one taking responsibility, so I boldly threw myself into it. Fortunately, it wasn’t a failure.”
“I feel a bit foolish for worrying even a little.”
“But Lofin, if my proposal succeeds and this matter concludes, Rai will have to swear loyalty to me. If I just keep my promise, given the nature of Lemifs who don’t lie, he’ll naturally follow, right? Then the strongest among the Lemifs…”
A loud noise from behind interrupted Kassel, and everyone turned to look.
Rai had emerged from the door, surveying the Lemifs who had come out to see him. However, showing little interest in them, he instead deeply inhaled the fresh air, looking up at the blue sky hidden by trees. Dressed in clean white clothes like other Lemifs, his ash-gray hair fluttering, he suddenly spread his stark white wings wide. They seemed large even when seen inside the prison, but outside, they were even larger, incomparable to those of other Lemifs.
Rai flapped his wings grandly. The Lemifs murmured in surprise, and the children cheered, trying to spread their wings too. Rai’s body lifted into the air swiftly. The children followed but could only go a few meters with their small wings. Rai, however, did not stop and soared up through the trees into the sky.
The soldiers, thinking for a moment that Rai was escaping, panicked and grabbed their weapons. But Rai made a large circle in the sky and soon returned above the rooftops. A few feathers he dropped fluttered to the ground.
Unable to take his eyes off the scene, Kassel continued,
“…the strongest and a Lemif warrior who can fly will become a Wolf Knight. How can I not be thrilled?”
Lofin spoke with a stern face,
“The fastest flyer… This oracle was terribly faithful to the language of the Lemifs. Not just a ‘symbol’ of the strongest warrior, but literally the fastest flyer.”
Pankentin was shouting for Rai to come down from the roof, while Rai seemed to ignore him, looking into the distance.
‘I’ve never heard of a Lemif who could fly after reaching adulthood.’
Tanya, calming her startled heart, said,
“Look at that, Kassel. Impossible. Such a free being doesn’t seem like it would be controlled by anyone’s hand. And the promise he made and the oath you’re thinking of might have different meanings.”
“It doesn’t matter. A Wolf Knight isn’t a subordinate entity anyway. I just hope there’s no betrayal in Rai’s Gither.”
–TL Notes–
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