Putnai, the Lemif city of the Fvoe.
Ruskin thought that when he arrived in Putnai, he would see Mozes’ grand army ready to invade. He expected Victor, the commander-in-chief, to be at the forefront, armored and armed, heading towards Larunton, another Fvoe Lemif city. Yet, Victor was leisurely sitting in a shack, on a chair, eating fruit with the peel on.
“Thank you for coming, Master Ruskin. Riding Guanil so often, don’t you get seasick?”
As if intentional, Victor’s face was cast in shadows. Perhaps simply because of the heat, but to Ruskin, it seemed as if Victor didn’t want to show his face, hiding in the deep shadows.
“Is there a problem, Captain Victor?”
As his sun-exposed eyes gradually adjusted to the shadows, Ruskin could see Victor’s face more clearly. The usual confident expression was revealed. And so was his single-armed, ragged appearance.
“Problem?”
“You’re not prepared at all, are you? Just to remind you, the Larunton invasion.”
“Ah, that’s been canceled.”
Victor took a big bite of the fruit before continuing.
“And it seems a Lemif in Larunton has awakened Sa-Knadil.”
Ruskin asked in surprise.
“Awakened Knadil? Isn’t that unexpected?”
“Everyone says it’s unexpected. Sorry, but I expected it. No matter how slowly the Lemifs move, if we’ve been messing with them for these past few years, it’s about time they make a move. That’s why I instructed Nathan to eliminate Nontil before invading Lutia. If Nontil had awakened too, we would’ve been in big trouble.”
“That’s fortunate, but didn’t that delay the Lutia attack?”
“Nontil was really good at hiding. Speaking of which, how did it go with Lutia…?”
Victor smiled contentedly and asked after a slight pause.
“…Did you handle it well?”
“Up to a significant portion of our plan.”
“Significant portion? What about the rest?”
“We were defeated by the Queen of Aranthia’s insight.”
“If you were blocked by the Wolf Knights, it didn’t go according to our plan, right? Then is Nathan currently leading the Mozes to invade Aranthia?”
“No. The Queen only sent the White Wolves, not the Wolf Knights.”
“Outstanding. Now that’s unexpected.”
Victor spoke in an exaggerated manner as if wanting to intentionally show his surprise.
Ruskin laughed bitterly.
“I had to be satisfied with merely breaking the White Mystery. It’s caused a setback to our next schedule.”
The next schedule Ruskin mentioned was the invasion of Carnelock.
Victor laughed loudly.
“That witch Sanadiel’s power is limited to Aranthia. You know that, right? She won’t be able to reach Carnelock! Though it’s slightly concerning that Sa-Knadil has awakened…”
Victor thought for a moment, then got up from his seat.
“You’ll figure it out, our Guanil.”
Victor left the shack first, and Ruskin followed. The sunlight pierced his eyes again.
Ruskin asked.
“Then where did all the troops go? Even if the Larunton invasion was canceled, the army should still be here.”
“It’s a bit complicated. Simply put, Tanors broke his promise.”
Victor spoke. He pronounced it close to ‘Tanorus’.
Tanors was the king of Putnai.
“Explain it in more detail then. When it’s too simple, I can’t understand.”
“It seems he tried to attack Larunton alone with the army I was supposed to command, and failed. Just now, the Wazaiybts of Putnai were receiving an oracle that ‘the goddess has awakened’ and at the same time making a fuss that their Hopet died.”
“Wait a minute. So the Larunton invasion wasn’t canceled, but the king of Putnai took his army alone and invaded Larunton? And moreover, he died?”
Victor nodded again as if it was news.
“To sum it up, that’s how it turned out. From my perspective, it was indeed canceled though.”
“Goodness! The plan has gone awry in two ways. Larunton survived.”
As Ruskin spoke in surprise again, Victor closely examined the old man’s face. As expected, his eyes showed childlike curiosity.
“Is that all, Master Ruskin? Goodness?”
“What about it?”
“You truly have no fear. When a plan goes this wrong, shouldn’t you be flustered?”
“If I get flustered, will it solve anything? And you aren’t flustered either, so why should I be the only one? I’m just going to do as I’m told anyway, so I don’t see a reason to be flustered.”
“I really like you.”
Hundreds of Mozes lined up in formation next to the two men walking through Putnai’s downtown. Seeing the gathered Mozes, Ruskin looked disgusted.
‘No matter how many times I see them, these creatures’ appearances are truly horrible. In Lutia, I pretended to fight, but if I had my way, I really wanted to wipe them all out.’
Victor spoke.
“Anyway, I think there will be a counterattack from Larunton.”
“They killed the king of Putnai too. They’ve gained momentum, so it’s quite possible.”
“Of course, they could also head to Tachisel. A fifty-fifty chance. And I don’t think Larunton will counterattack with just momentum.”
“Did they get reinforcements?”
“That’s right. No matter how stupid Tarnos, who leads Putnai’s army, is, he had an overwhelming force compared to Larunton’s army. Honestly, can Larunton’s army even be called an army? Their general Rontlos is quite capable, but one outstanding person doesn’t make the entire army strong. Yet they were defeated? They had other help.”
“For reinforcements strong enough to defeat an army, it can only be dragons, right?”
“I think so too. Probably Ka-Tanthol!”
Victor pronounced it close to ‘Katantor’.
“The very cowardly dragon who foresaw his own assassination by the Ugeh and hid out of fear?”
“That’s right. I thought my disciples would take care of him, but it seems the prophecy was wrong.”
Victor laughed, his shoulders shaking in a way that didn’t match his large build.
“Anyway, if Ka-Tanthol leads Larunton’s soldiers and personally marches, the damage to the Mozes will be great. We barely gathered this many, we can’t let them die. So we need to move up the plan. Ruskin, please guide the Mozes with Guanil beyond the Sky Mountains. ‘Powel’ will take care of the rest, so you just need to watch over the beginning.”
Another knight in black armor, leading the Mozes’ army, approached Ruskin and politely bowed his head. It was Knight Powel, considered the most outstanding Moze commander. He controlled these monster-like creatures, who could barely communicate, through fear.
Ruskin also slightly bowed his head to receive the greeting.
“After that, come straight to Tachisel, Ruskin. I’ll be there first.”
“Why there?”
“To bring my knights. They’ve scattered, so I need to gather them now and take them to Carnelock.”
“You cherish your disciples greatly.”
“Does it seem that way?”
“It’s so obvious it’s embarrassing.”
“It’s worth being obvious. I think my subordinates are perfect knights too.”
“If those perfect knights were blocked by knights called White Wolves?”
The smile completely vanished from Victor’s face, which had been laughing the whole time.
“How could that be? Are you saying some of my disciples died in Lutia?”
“I didn’t see any until I left. I left right before Lutia fell. But if they confronted each other at the end, they wouldn’t have easily dealt with the opponents called White Wolves. Maybe one or two of them died by now. It’s best not to expect to see all three of your disciples safe and sound in Tachisel.”
Victor blinked and looked far at the Mozes’ army. More precisely, at the black dragon next to the Moze army.
‘Ka-Guanil. A living being not allowed to belong anywhere.’
Ruskin had ridden on Guanil’s back numerous times already, but he didn’t understand him.
“That’s possible. Even His Majesty was wary of the White Wolves and actually suffered a defeat by them 8 years ago.”
Victor continued as if it was nothing.
“That’s why I’m confident. My 1st Knights are a match for the White Wolves, and among them, Nathan has the greatest skill I’ve ever seen in a knight. At twenty, he was already the best in the Excelon Knights, and now, ten years later, honestly, I’m not sure if I could beat him.”
“The Wolf Knights overthrew three hundred Excelon Knights with just fifty men 10 years ago. Don’t underestimate the elite force called the White Wolves.”
“The White Wolves took one of my arms, you think I’d underestimate them?”
Showing Ruskin his ragged sleeve, Victor continued.
“I’m not underestimating them, I’m accurately assessing my disciples’ abilities. Remember this well and use it later when you betray us, Master Ruskin. If you don’t want this world dominated under Guanil’s feet, you just need to kill three.”
Victor pointed to himself with his thumb.
“One is me.”
Next, he pointed to Ruskin.
“One is you.”
Then he put his hand on his waist.
“One is Nathan.”
“As if Nathan alone could handle all the White Wolves.”
Ruskin showed a displeased expression.
‘An interesting point. Mentioning just three people, setting aside the thousands of Mozes, Ka-Guanil, and the ‘Carnelock collaborator’.’
Victor spoke.
“Command, combat, tactics. I passed everything on to Nathan and he surpassed me in everything. In fact, there wouldn’t be much problem even without me.”
“Was mentioning three earlier just out of courtesy then?”
Victor burst into laughter.
‘It was real.’
Ruskin also laughed it off.
“I just wanted to tell you to be careful of the White Wolves. Since they hindered the beginning of this matter, I thought they might hinder the end too.”
“You worry about the strangest things. Just think of it as the game beginning.”
“What game?”
“The fight between the White Wolves and Excelon’s 1st Knights.”
Victor seemed satisfied with the expression he used, as if he liked it after saying it. Then he instructed Powel.
“Powel, abandon Putnai and leave as planned. Master Ruskin will accompany you, so follow him.”
Powel, who was far away, nodded to show he understood, and the dragon, who was even farther away, seemed to have heard as well and turned around. Then, in a voice that vibrated the surrounding air all at once, he spoke.
“Hurry. Something is interfering with my foresight.”
Looking in the direction Guanil had been looking, Victor asked.
“Is the interference from very far away or from slightly far away?”
“Both.”
Victor slightly spread both arms and said.
“Then we really need to hurry. Did you hear, Ruskin?”
At Victor’s signal, his well-trained Venon approached and stood next to him.
“Let’s go.”
“Then we’ll meet up in Tachisel after everything is over?”
“That’s right.”
Guanil approached Ruskin with heavy footsteps. Ruskin almost effortlessly leaped onto the dragon’s back.
Victor mounted Venon and backed away. Soon, Guanil spread his wings wide and took off with two leaps. The black wings covered Putnai.
☆ ☆ ☆
“You haven’t left yet?”
Organizing his journal in his office, Sheyden noticed Billy standing at the door and spoke. Unlike the appearance he had seen in the sickbed until now, Billy was neatly dressed and had his hair tidily combed.
As Billy hesitated slightly, Sheyden spoke first.
“Didn’t you say you were planning to leave Nadium within three or four days?”
“I was going to. There’s something I want to talk about regarding that.”
“What is it?”
Sheyden asked as he turned his chair to sit.
Pointing outside with a nod, Billy suggested.
“Shall we walk a bit?”
“Sure.”
Sheyden closed the journal and stood up. He had refrained from going out as much as possible to recover from his injuries quickly, but now it was about time to move his body.
The outside air he hadn’t felt in a while was refreshing. The shouts of Wolf Knights training could be heard from afar.
“I often saw the Wolf Knights training. They teach in a completely different way from how I teach.”
Billy said.
Sheyden asked.
“You said you were a training instructor at Excelon? How do you see it?”
“Terrible.”
Billy answered honestly and Sheyden chuckled. Billy spoke glumly.
“And yet, I don’t know why they’re this strong. Watching them makes me feel like everything I know is wrong.”
“Have you ever fought someone named Jaymer?”
Sheyden asked abruptly.
“If it’s you, Billy, could you teach a guy like that?”
“If I set my mind to teaching, there are more than a couple things I’d want to teach. However…”
Sheyden asked as if he already knew what Billy was going to say next.
“But?”
“But I can’t teach them. It’s different from taming wild horses.”
“That’s right. Wolf Knights are originally like that. They’re prideful guys who don’t know how to fix themselves until they realize it on their own, and they’re also the kind to timidly back down when their flaws are pointed out. Jaymer can become a Wolf Knight. But you can’t. That’s the difference.”
“Guess I got a rejection notice.”
“You’re someone who has to return to Excelon anyway. But it’s not bad to tell you that you failed. In case you lose morale when we meet as enemies later?”
At Sheyden’s words, Billy laughed loudly.
“I’m really laughing after a long time. I’ve been depressed this whole time.”
Billy leaned against the fence for a moment.
‘There’s something he wants to say, but he seems hesitant.’
Suddenly, Sheyden remembered when he had his first long conversation with Billy here.
As if he had finally made up his mind, Billy spoke.
“I had an audience with Her Majesty.”
“How was it?”
“She was beautiful. I sought an audience to report that I would be leaving soon. But…”
Billy paused again before speaking.
“She told me to stay.”
Sheyden was surprised.
“She told you? Why?”
“She spoke in a joking tone, so I still can’t tell how much of it was sincere, but she said exactly this.”
“What did she say?”
“Pay for your sins before you go.”
Sheyden frowned.
“Her Majesty said that? It doesn’t seem like she would call ‘this incident’ your sin though?”
“All the Wolf Knights think like you. In reality, no one died. But it’s true that I killed the Gate’s soldiers with my own hands. I can’t leave without paying for that sin. But that so-called punishment is to temporarily become a Wolf Knight.”
Sheyden was at a loss for words for a moment. Having no choice, Billy continued talking by himself.
“So I met Master Quain and conveyed the message. And you know what he said? ‘Did she say anything about Suvel?’ That’s what he asked. I told Suvel about it. He was very perplexed and just said he would follow my decision. What should I do now? I have no one to ask for advice, so I asked you.”
“I don’t know what Her Majesty is thinking. But it’s clear that it’s not a joke or to genuinely make you pay for your sins. Judging from Her Majesty’s usual conduct…”
Sheyden shuddered as if recalling a troublemaker little sister and spoke again.
“Anyway, if Her Majesty said so, do as she says. Your injuries probably haven’t healed yet, but participate in the training and learn the formations we use.”
Sheyden’s mind was reeling from the recent conversation. It was already difficult to keep his balance since it was a walk after a long time, and he wondered if he would stagger.
“By the way, who’s the best among you guys?”
Billy suddenly asked as he followed behind.
“What a strange question.”
Sheyden retraced his steps without looking back and replied.
“I know it’s a childish question. But I feel like it’d be good to know for some reason.”
“I’ve heard that question a lot, but it’s been a while since someone asked as blatantly as you. There’s no such thing among the White Wolves. Can you answer that? Who’s the best in the Excelon Knights?”
“Nathan.”
Billy answered as abruptly as he had asked. Sheyden stopped and turned around. Billy had been walking and ended up standing next to him, stopping as well.
“I’m hearing that name for the first time. I thought the name Welch would come up.”
“There’s a strange unwritten rule. It’s an amusing name passed down among the Excelon seniors. Whenever anyone asks who’s the best in Excelon, we almost reflexively bring up the name Nathan. Though the best in my heart is still Welch.”
“I’d like to hear more about that story.”
Sheyden asked.
“It’s almost like a legend. The one who first created the Excelon Knights is a knight named Victor, who was sponsored by the Shraighton Count family. He was the captain in the early days. It’s an open secret among us, but it’s a name barely known to outsiders. One day, Victor lost an arm, uh, I don’t really remember why he lost an arm either. Rumors say he let his guard down against some riffraff and that’s how it happened.”
Billy spoke and Sheyden listened carefully with his arms crossed.
“Anyway, after that incident, Victor disappeared from the knights and suddenly brought a young man not even twenty years old, and that young man’s name was Nathan. Since then, he raised him like his disciple. Victor himself went under Captain Welch, and he separately created Excelon’s 1st Knights led by Nathan and moved independently. The fall of Camort’s allied knights, leading the charge in the fall of Irophis’ Royal Knights, and the fall of the Dragon Knights were all by Excelon’s 1st Knights, or so the story goes among the Excelon Knights.”
“I thought that was all Captain Welch’s merit?”
“Of course, the 1st Knights also moved according to Welch’s orders. And even if the 1st Knights took the lead and performed spectacularly, Welch was always ahead of them, so it’s natural. But at least you know that it wasn’t Captain Welch who unseated Captain Deradul Marchi of the Dragon Knights, but an unknown young knight, right?”
That was also something only those in the know were aware of. Perhaps the reason Quain and Welch’s duel was talked about so much by historians was because of Deradul Marchi’s absurd defeat.
Deradul Marchi’s defeat was overshadowed by the shock of the deaths of Lork’s four guardian dragons. Moreover, the deaths of the renowned knights at the time weren’t highlighted much in the defeat of Irophis’ Royal Knights either. The deaths of heroes who should have been glorified were all handled in a dry writing style.
‘Sir so-and-so died in battle, the end.’
Sheyden had long thought it wouldn’t have been described that way if they had died to Welch.
“Is that young knight’s name Nathan?”
Sheyden asked. Billy nodded.
‘Is he saying there was a knight in Excelon who made the heroes of the time simply ‘die’ rather than ‘die after a glorious battle’?’
Sheyden asked,
“Then why wasn’t his name mentioned in the Battle of Aranthia? If there was such an incredible knight, he should have stepped up after Captain Welch was defeated.”
“That’s…”
Billy spoke in a slightly frightened voice to Sheyden, who spoke as if interrogating.
“He disappeared. No one knows the exact whereabouts of Excelon’s 1st Knights after they brought down Carnelock. But there are some rumors. Though it sounds absurd.”
“That they went up to the Sky Mountains?”
Sheyden asked, and Billy replied immediately.
“That’s right. That’s why I asked. Who’s the best among you?”
10 years ago, Captain Deradul of the Dragon Knights was rated higher than Quain. Even Grandol, the previous guardian knight who was said to be the greatest in the history of the Wolf Knights, always told Quain that he had yet to settle the score with Deradul.
‘There was a knight who quietly defeated that very Deradul? And he was still young then?’
Sheyden felt strangely uneasy and asked.
“I still don’t understand why you’re bringing this up. Why are you suddenly mentioning the name Nathan?”
“I’m not the one who mentioned it.”
Billy continued as if making excuses.
“Her Majesty mentioned it!”
“How does Her Majesty know that name?”
“How would I know? When I opened the door and entered, Her Majesty was leaning by the window, looking towards the Sky Mountains. And in a voice I could barely hear, she said, ‘Nathan…’ I wondered what she was talking about. I thought it was just natural mumbling to herself, so I didn’t pay much attention and just talked about my own matters, and suddenly I received a Wolf Knights notice. Thinking about it later, isn’t it strange?”
Sheyden felt like he knew something, but he couldn’t grasp it and felt frustrated. As if sensing his feelings, Billy also spoke with slight frustration.
“That’s why I asked. It’s childishly ridiculous, but I asked. If Welch had come with Excelon’s 1st Knights 10 years ago, would the Gold Gate have held? Is there a knight among you White Wolves who can fight and win against this Nathan guy? The monster who unseated Dragon Knights Captain Deradul when he was at an age when I barely wanted to stop being a trainee and join Excelon, I mean.”
–TL Notes–
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