Loyal’s father was a knight of Irophis who had lost a leg in battle. He wasn’t a knight of a prominent family, nor had he accomplished anything extraordinary, but he always delighted in boasting of his heroics in front of his son. Young Loyal memorized all of his father’s fantastic achievements, knowing full well that they were largely embellished lies.
Loyal loved his father’s stories. When he was with his father, it felt as if a puddle inside his heart filled to the brim, making soft ripples. Inspired by his father, he immersed himself in swordplay and knight training, dreaming of becoming a splendid knight.
When Loyal turned ten, he completed all the exercises his father asked of him and proudly announced:
“Dad, I’ve done everything you asked. I accomplished what you couldn’t.”
“Well done, my boy.”
His father simply responded and hurriedly returned home.
The next day, a few robust men visited their house. Loyal huddled in the next room, listening to his father’s shouting. Did I do something wrong? I did everything he asked!
“Don’t you understand? What I taught the boy was the official training course of the Irophis royal knights. It’s not the symbolic swordsmanship thrown to trainees, but the very training you guys struggled with when you were young!”
“You may see it that way. But the royal knights, who have been out of active service for ten years, won’t believe you’re calling him a genius.”
“Then ask Loyal to do it right now! See for yourself how he does it!”
Loyal didn’t know why, but he instinctively felt his father pushing him away.
Among the men who visited that day, a man named Kyle announced he would take care of Loyal.
“I can’t put him in the royal knight corps at this age, so I’ll look after him until he’s nineteen. The tuition fee will be about ten gold coins per month. I know your circumstances; it’s fair.”
When the men left, only his father, sitting in front of a messy table, was left.
“Come here, Loyal.”
His drunken father asked him to show his swordplay again. Loyal did as he was told. For some reason, his father lamented and burst into tears.
“If only you were not my son… if you were born into a higher place, you’d be receiving tremendous attention by now…”
His father fell asleep crying.
“I’m fine. I don’t need to use a sword, I like being by your side.”
Loyal consoled his sleeping father. But in the morning, his father sent him away.
“Do not come back until you become a knight.”
From that moment, Loyal felt the puddle in his heart starting to dry.
At the swordsmanship academy, Loyal honed his skills and devoted himself to training, but he didn’t take much interest in it. His dormitory mates bullied him. He seemed weak, making him an easy target.
But Loyal didn’t get angry. He didn’t know why he should. Even if he was hit, it didn’t hurt.
‘You shouldn’t use a sword. Not until your opponent draws first.’
A year later, Loyal often missed classes and refused to train.
The school’s instructor was furious.
“Can’t you focus?”
For the first time, Loyal expressed his will.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“What if I hit someone and they die?”
The teacher snatched the small wooden stick that Loyal was holding, rolled up in a piece of cloth, and broke it with one hand.
“Listen well. I see dozens of boys your age every year. And out of those dozens, I pick just one to recommend to the knight corps. But then dozens more are picked from all over Irophis to become trainees of the knight corps. And only a couple out of those people become candidates for the Irophis royal knight corps. That’s the process just to become a candidate. And you’re worried about what?”
Loyal didn’t listen properly, looking elsewhere. But he couldn’t resist making a comment.
“So, are you better than those candidates, teacher?”
The teacher’s face twisted.
Loyal added another sentence.
“Then I don’t need to learn.”
He had fallen several steps away due to the punch, but Loyal neither wept nor showed anger. The one who was excited, the one who had lost, was the teacher.
Inside, Loyal felt a thrill of satisfaction. However, the internal pool of his emotions never filled up again. It kept drying up without ever being replenished.
Loyal left the children who were tormenting him alone. He neither surrendered nor resisted them. Strangely, when they beat him and trampled him, it felt like the emotional pool was filling up.
After that, Loyal consistently skipped his swordsmanship lessons. He simply sat in a corner of the training ground, learning swordsmanship with his eyes. If it were him, he would do it this way, if it were him, he would do it that way. Polishing his skills in his mind was enough.
When he turned thirteen, the number of children who bullied him decreased. Consequently, those who approached him also decreased. It was not strange since he was always alone, but Loyal became more distressed. The emotional pool became shallower.
‘I’m thirsty.’
As the imaginary pool started to reveal its bottom, a real thirst arose. Loyal had to wake up from sleep to drink water. However, the thirst did not go away, and the pool was not filled.
“I heard you not only defy the instructors but have now stopped training altogether. Then you have no need to be here. Get out.”
The instructors, who couldn’t bear it any longer, seemed to have finally called Kyle. When told to leave, Loyal felt a little scared and spoke in a crawling voice.
“But father told me not to come back until I became a knight.”
“Go back?”
Kassel burst into laughter. Loyal could never forget his words.
“You have nowhere to go back to!”
His father had died. A long time ago at that. He didn’t know what happened, but the letter his father sent to his swordsmanship teacher after Loyal left read, ‘Even if I die, do not inform my son and please continue his training.’
That night, Loyal woke up from a nightmare where he was being chased by someone. An extreme thirst was burning his throat. He clutched his throat and ran across the dormitory corridor to the well. Barely pulling out the water bucket, a senior student knocked it down from behind. It was the guy who always bullied him, Roger.
“Were you going to drink water in the middle of the night?”
Loyal hurriedly said.
“I’m sorry, but I just need a sip of water…”
Roger kicked Loyal who was five years younger, just for replying.
“Please, water…”
There were five bullies, but Loyal, desperate for water, punched Roger. Then he ran to the well, grabbed the water bucket, but was knocked down by a wooden sword to the back of his head before he could drink.
Loyal staggered up. Roger was wiping the blood on his mouth with his sleeve, shaking his wooden sword, and said.
“Did you hit me? You’re dead today.”
At his command, four of them rushed in and threw Loyal into the well.
It was a welcome event. The well was not high and the water was deep enough. He wasn’t going to die from falling, and the water was plentiful. Loyal drank to his heart’s content. And then he realized.
‘The pool of the heart is not filled with this kind of water.’
Loyal looked up. He could hear Roger’s mocking voice. There was no moonlight, and only the mouths of people were visible.
“You stupid bastard. Do you want me to tell you how your father died? He froze to death because there was no firewood in winter. He froze to death. His limbs were so stiff that they couldn’t be straightened, and they couldn’t put him in a coffin, so they burned him. You don’t even have a house. They’re probably raising you here without tuition because you’re a bit skilled, but you’ll be kicked out soon.”
Loyal put his hand on the well wall and asked.
“How… how did you know that?”
“My father is friends with a teacher here. He knows the personal affairs of all the students here. But no one has a stupid father like yours. Now say ‘I am the son of a stupid bastard’ three times. Then I’ll pull you up.”
It wasn’t a difficult request.
Loyal said it.
“I am the son of a stupid bastard.”
“Two more times.”
“I am the son of a stupid bastard.”
“One more.”
“I am the son of a stupid bastard.”
“Good job. Pull him up.”
One of the lads lowered the bucket. When it was halfway up, the lad intentionally let go. Loyal slammed his head against the well wall and fell again. The spot where he had just been hit and where he just collided were torn open, and the well water was dyed with blood.
Half-awake, Loyal reached out to grab the bucket rope, but it was already being pulled up.
“Thinking about it, three times isn’t enough. Say it three more times.”
Roger said. Again, it wasn’t a difficult request. If he could get out of the well, he could say it thirty times. Loyal spoke.
“I’m the son of a stupid bastard.”
Loyal could not think of anything.
“I’m the son of a stupid bastard.”
The end of his voice trembled with tears.
‘Why am I crying when all I’m doing is speaking?’
“I’m the son of a stupid bastard.”
Roger and the four others laughed heartily.
“Did you see that? He does everything he’s told. Pull him up. It’s pitiful, so pitiful.”
The bucket came down again. As Loyal reached out to grab it, it was pulled up again.
“Do you think he’ll do it again if we tell him to?”
Another lad said. Everyone laughed heartily.
“Enough. It’s not fun anymore.”
With that, they all left.
Loyal floated in the well until a kitchen assistant came to draw water the next day. He was on the verge of drowning from exhaustion, but Loyal did not cry or feel tormented. No one even asked why Loyal had ended up in such a situation. And no one felt sorry for Loyal.
The day training resumed, Roger appeared before Loyal again.
“Hey, dummy. You’re still alive? Want to say you’re a stupid son of a bastard again?”
Loyal looked back at him and replied.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not the one stuck in the well now.”
For a moment, Roger looked terrified, but as soon as his gang showed up, he quickly regained his bravado and said.
“So?”
Loyal felt thirsty again. But this time, he didn’t rush to the well or look for water.
“One more time, and I will kill you.”
The first to swing his wooden sword was Roger. Loyal dodged and hit back. It was the only attack method Loyal knew.
Roger’s sight as he fell weakly, losing strength in his limbs, was not a pleasant spectacle. The rest of the gang fled.
Loyal also tossed his wooden sword aside and crouched down next to the fallen body.
He didn’t have a single thought. But one thing was clear.
The pool of water in his heart was completely dried up. But he was not thirsty.
☆ ☆ ☆
Latilda woke up in the carriage. As if she had been transported directly from the meadow where she had been, she was lying on Loyal’s legs, and Anna was sitting calmly, looking at the scenery.
Until Latilda rose and looked around sleepily, Anna and Loyal did not break the silence in the shaking carriage. Loyal moved back slightly to avoid Latilda’s rising head, and Anna merely greeted her lightly. Latilda spoke in a sleepy voice while looking outside.
“The scenery looks familiar.”
“Yes. I heard the coachman shout that we arrived at Denmoju earlier. Did you sleep well?”
Loyal asked with a faint smile. Latilda answered with a smile.
A field of autumn wheat, known to be the best in Camort, spread out in green, and in the middle of the field, a large windmill was spinning. The houses were scattered near the windmill, but most of them were located on a gentle and wide hill.
Denmoju, reflecting the recently strengthened power of Count Johnstein, had new-looking windmills and houses. The road seemed newly paved and clean, and the wheat fields were well-kept. Sheyden’s explanation came to mind that despite Aranthia’s small territory, it was wealthy and powerful due to the broad, straight road that almost ran in a straight line from the border to the capital, and the well-maintained fields. Denmoju was a miniature version of Aranthia.
At the highest point of the hill was Count Johnstein’s castle. Workers could be seen carrying stones to the top of the unfinished tower. Despite the construction, the flag adorned with a rose was fluttering.
Even though she had returned home, Latilda’s hardened face did not relax. If anything, it became colder and more composed.
The hill that the weary horse dragged the carriage up marked the entrance of the village. A modest welcoming procession of villagers unfolded. However, Latilda did not bother to extend her hand towards them. Loyal attempted to make conversation, looking at the procession.
“They all seem to like you.”
“Do they? To me, it looks like forced smiles.”
Loyal thought the old woman waving her handkerchief towards the carriage didn’t look like she was feigning a smile at all. What bothered him a little was the necklace that the old woman had on her neck. She was offering it towards the carriage. The pattern on the necklace was peculiar, a similar symbol hung on the roof of a building.
He had seen a similar emblem on the roof of a gathering place for religious believers in Carnelock. In Aranthia and Irophis, different symbols were erected according to their respective religions. However, this symbol was something he had never seen before.
The solid iron gate of the fortress opened. Well-trained soldiers lined up, escorting the knight brigade and Latilda’s carriage. Inside the castle, a dozen or so maids and servants came out to greet Latilda.
“Welcome, Miss.”
They all deeply bowed their heads in greeting. Although Latilda had looked tired just moments ago, she now walked with a proud, upright posture.
“Where is my father?”
At her formally asked question, the elderly butler replied.
“He arrived earlier. And there are three guests here to see you.”
Loyal and Anna descended from the carriage together. Anna, seemingly dizzy, leaned on Loyal’s shoulder. Loyal gently wrapped his arm around her waist. After leaning on Loyal for a moment, as soon as the dizziness passed, Anna quickly stood up on her own.
Latilda glanced at them for a moment before asking the butler.
“Guests?”
“Yes. They had requested to meet you about a month ago. They promised to come at this time…”
“Ah, those people! I forgot about them. Did my father say anything about them?”
“Nothing.”
“That means I can handle it. Let them in the reception room. I will meet them now.”
“Now? You must be tired, why not rest and meet them tomorrow…”
“They are not worth that much effort.”
“Then who first?”
“All three.”
The butler’s expression twisted.
Latilda waved her hand as if she was bothered.
“I’m joking. Let in the one who arrived first. Also, this is my new bodyguard knight. Make sure you all familiarize yourselves with his face. His name is Loyal. He has permission to enter any part of the castle, keep that in mind.”
“Yes, as you command. But about the basement…”
“Ah, right. The basement. I’ll let him know.”
Latilda responded quickly and walked past them. Loyal gave a brief nod to the servants, and they responded with a stoic salute. They were as stern as the Count’s knights.
“Do you understand your way around the castle, Loyal?”
The old butler asked with an unwelcoming expression. It was hard to meet his fierce gaze.
“Lenner.”
“Lenner? So you’re Loyal Lenner… Not a Camort name.”
“I am from Irophis.”
“Welcome to the fortress of the Red Rose Count. My name is Onfurd Bene. You can call me Bene.”
Latilda who had entered the house first beckoned.
“What are you doing? Not coming in?”
Bene extended his hand, guiding Loyal into the house.
“Come in.”
Anna stayed where she was, with other maids. Words of comfort were exchanged for the hard journey they had endured.
After briefly explaining the locations of the dining room, her father’s room, the servants’ quarters, kitchen, bathroom, library, etc, Latilda pointed to an iron door attached next to the stairs. A grotesque monster’s face hung as the door knocker.
“That leads to the basement. You can go anywhere else, but not there.”
“What happens there?”
“I don’t know. Nor am I interested.”
Loyal did not ask further. There was something else he was more curious about.
“Who were the guests you mentioned earlier?”
“Ah, I’ve been forgetting again. There are people throwing themselves at me to marry. With the three that arrived today, it should be about fifty now. How bothersome. I guess I have to wear makeup to meet them, right? All they want to know about me is my appearance.”
Latilda quickened her steps as she ascended the stairs.
“My room is on the second floor. Previously, the second floor was the highest part of the castle, but now that they are raising the castle’s height, it is no longer the case.”
Scattered on the stairs were fragments of stones that had been dropped while being moved, and the farther up they went, the louder the thudding sound of construction echoed. Loyal asked.
“Is the construction still ongoing?”
“It’s been three years. At this rate, it seems like the renovation will only be finished after about ten years. And I have to endure the noise of stone cutting for those ten years. It’s getting to the point where I seriously have to consider whether to run away from this house or jump from the second floor.”
Latilda muttered in a sleepy voice as she opened the door to her room. It was a clean room filled with a soft floral scent.
“They’ve sprayed perfume again.”
Latilda grumbled, flinging off her outerwear. One of the two maids following her immediately picked up the clothes and folded them neatly while the other maid opened the wardrobe. Latilda pulled out several sets of clothes from the wardrobe, put them back in, repeated the process, and finally chose an outfit she liked. Meanwhile, the maids screened off Loyal’s view by unfolding a folding screen, throwing him glances.
‘Should I leave since she’s changing?’
As Loyal was contemplating this, Latilda started speaking, so he decided to just turn around.
“When I was young, I dressed just like boys. My father never particularly complained about it. Since I turned fourteen and started wearing uncomfortable clothes for parties, those kinds of clothes have become my default. But at home, I prefer comfortable clothes. Oh, also, bring some comfortable clothes for Loyal.”
“Yes, miss.”
There was a little more rustling, then Latilda said.
“It’s done now. You can turn around.”
When he turned around, Latilda was dressed in a clean, decoration-free white skirt. She sat down at the vanity, rolled up her sleeves, and began to apply makeup. But it didn’t seem like she was putting much effort into it. The maids watching from the side were evidently impatient.
“Those guys will be quite disappointed, right? They must be expecting me to appear in a dazzling look… Somehow, seeing their disappointed faces after doing this is gratifying.”
“In my opinion, you look beautiful enough for them not to regret coming here.”
Latilda turned around, as if Loyal had made a bad joke.
“They are looking to marry into money. How else can you explain wanting to marry someone you’ve never met or even spoken a word with?”
“Maybe someone saw you somewhere and fell in love at first sight.”
“That makes even less sense. You’re going to choose someone to live with for decades based solely on their face? I’m not dreaming of being a fairy tale heroine. Soon this face will age, and they will dislike it. Then how will they live with such a woman? Like Count Derick, who brings in young wives?”
Latilda spat out sharp words and heaved a sigh. Powder flew towards the mirror and stuck to it, turning it white.
“I won’t marry a man who can’t lead an interesting conversation even if we talk all night. But will such a man exist?”
“So, the people coming this time weren’t invited by Latilda?”
“They were invited. But it’s not because I want to impose these ideals. They kept sending letters and gifts through servants, and I thought it would make things difficult for my father if I didn’t meet them at least once. I should return the gifts they have sent all this time during this occasion. Looking back, it feels a bit sorry to have invited them here to reject them.”
“Doesn’t the Count say anything about these guests who come looking for you? I know he’s busy preparing for the war, but it’s about his daughter’s marriage…”
Latilda paused in her brushing and looked at Loyal reflected in the mirror.
“After the Regeni issue blew up, my father declared to me, he wouldn’t interfere in marriage affairs… Isn’t this a bit ridiculous? To start a war over that very issue of marriage and then say he won’t interfere? I believe father had a hand in Regeni’s sacrifice. I can never forgive that.”
Latilda finished brushing her hair and stood up.
“Loyal, tell me honestly. Was I wrong to push Regeni away back in Normant? Did I contribute, even a little, to his death?”
She asked with a hint of cynicism in her eyes. Loyal read fear in her expression.
‘Why does a woman with such a wealthy and powerful father, and such beauty, act like she’s abandoned? Why does she feel the same thirst as I do? Latilda didn’t kill anyone, nor did she fall into a well.’
Pushing aside the strange resonance he felt, Loyal spoke.
“That’s a hard question to answer honestly. I don’t know.”
“Honest indeed. I thought you would at least tell me it wasn’t my fault, even if it were empty words.”
Latilda lowered her head with a sad smile.
“I’m going to see those people for a moment. You can tour the castle in the meantime.”
Loyal let Latilda leave and was briefly tormented by guilt.
‘Fool, you should have told her it wasn’t her fault, even if it were empty words!’
☆ ☆ ☆
‘Maybe I could live as an ordinary farmer.’
After killing Roger, Loyal was locked up in a room not unlike a prison cell. He stared at the dark wall, thinking.
‘Then the pit will fill with water. Since the water dried up when I started using the sword, I just have to stop using it.’
Instructors came to visit several times. Roger’s father threatened him.
“Don’t think about dying easily. I’ll make you live your life thinking it’s better to commit suicide.”
Loyal said nothing in return.
‘That’s fine too. It’s probably better than living a life feeling thirsty.’
Kyle came and vented his anger.
“My reputation has fallen because of you. How will you take responsibility?”
Surprisingly, Loyal was able to respond calmly.
“How should I take responsibility?”
Kyle handed over a small envelope he had prepared. Inside were two recommendations.
“It’s a mercenary group. A place that does all the dirty work, doesn’t pick and choose. It’s also the only place where a murderer can have a legitimate job.”
Loyal unfolded the second recommendation. Kyle explained it as if Loyal couldn’t read.
“There’s another choice. If you cross the northern border, there’s a gambling den where people gamble with human lives. Of course, it’s illegal under Irophis law, but it’s just over the border so they can’t touch it. Choose. Either way, you’ll pay off your father’s debt in about a year.”
Loyal didn’t ask how much the debt was. He didn’t ask whether this choice was the ‘life that makes you think it’s better to commit suicide’ that Roger’s father had spoken of.
“I will go to the mercenary group first. And if I get a chance, I will go to the arena.”
Kyle didn’t stop him. He just released him from the confinement room.
Loyal went straight to the mercenary group. The purpose of the task given was unclear. But he did everything he was asked, no matter how mundane.
Soon, Loyal began to catch the attention of the mercenary group’s leader.
“You’re only fifteen? You could be a great mercenary in the future, following my footsteps.”
The leader put him on the toughest tasks to gain experience. It was, in the end, about killing people. At first, he killed without questioning if he was told to. But soon, Loyal refused the tasks.
“I don’t understand why I have to kill them.”
“A mercenary’s job is not to question the task received.”
“Then I won’t do it.”
“What? Do you think this is a school where you do what you want and don’t do what you don’t want?”
“In school, I couldn’t do what I wanted either. But I didn’t do what I didn’t want. I haven’t done what I want here either, so I won’t do what I don’t want.”
“Do you want to die?”
“I killed ten men here. I’ll choose the eleventh. Don’t make me do it.”
Loyal spoke, looking at the captain.
The captain laughed loudly.
“Arrogant brat. Running wildly without fear of the heavens, you’ll end up stuck in the mud.”
‘That’s why I’m doing this.’
Loyal left the mercenary group. And he went beyond the border as another recommendation letter instructed him to. It was a place full of people who wanted to fight, people who would risk their lives for money, and people who could be killed without guilt.
‘I’m the same. I don’t know which side I belong to.’
Loyal fought in the arena. He never lost, and he never killed a single person. He only fought opponents he could defeat without killing. In less than two months, the betting was off on the days Loyal fought. After a meeting, the arena officials put the sixteen-year-old Loyal in the adult matches.
A year passed, and Loyal had grown into a monstrous gladiator who never lost a one-on-one match. And that too without killing a single person.
People called Loyal ‘The Kind-hearted Bloodfighter’.
“Why are you here?”
Asked an old man who had survived the arena for over twenty years and had become a legend before retiring.
“I have nowhere else to go.”
Loyal told the truth.
“It’s not that there isn’t, but that you can’t find it. This isn’t where you should be.”
The old man advised Loyal. It was hard to refuse his voice. Loyal wrote a letter to the sword academy.
‘How much debt is left?’
The answer came quickly.
The debt was paid off in the first three months of his arrival at the arena. They just hadn’t told him. At the end of the letter, they had written that they would refund the surplus money if he wanted it. Loyal didn’t bother replying and went back to his hometown.
His father’s house was on the verge of collapsing due to age. The field in front of the house was still there. Loyal took up a hoe instead of a sword, thinking that he would get food for the next year if he worked hard. However, men who arrived a month later shattered Loyal’s last inflated dream.
“You have to pay your father’s debt.”
He wouldn’t have minded any amount of his father’s debt.
“I will pay it next year. I don’t have any money now.”
But there was something he was curious about.
“Why did my father die?”
“We told Lenner that if he couldn’t pay his debts, we would pass them on to his son. He said his son was going to be a knight, and if he was to join the royal knights, a father like him would be a stumbling block. So, he chose to work as a slave.”
“I heard he drowned.”
“He drowned, yeah. Fell into the water, caught a cold the next day and missed work. When we checked a week later, he was dead.”
“Why did he fall into the water?”
They didn’t answer.
‘Did father also fall into a well? Even after falling into a well, did he suffer from thirst?’
Loyal replied,
“I’ll pay tomorrow. Where should I go?”
They told him the location and warned him,
“Don’t think about running away. Even if you become a member of the Irophis Royal Knights, we will get our debt from you.”
They were loan sharks who had amassed so much wealth that even nearby nobles and administrators couldn’t touch them. They had an enormous hideout that could build a wall around it. There were plenty of guards. Slaves, unable to pay their debts, were employed to raise the height of the wall. Seeing the old and sick being whipped while working reminded him of his father.
There was a well inside the fort that wasn’t being used. Loyal asked one of the supervisors,
“Has anyone ever fallen into this and died?”
“There was no such thing. It was used to confine disobedient guys for a day, but not now. Who are you to ask that?”
That was enough for Loyal. Loyal immediately found the loan shark he had met the day before. And he drew his sword.
“You dare to mess with us, you’ve lost your mind.”
That was his first warning. After killing about five people, the warning changed.
“I’m a legitimate money lender. If you mess with me, you’ll be executed! You’ll be chased by bounty hunters for the rest of your life!”
When there were no guards left to protect him, he pleaded. But Loyal wasn’t listening anymore.
“I don’t care what happens.”
☆ ☆ ☆
Loyal was ascending the stone steps of Denmoju Castle. As with most stone structures, the interior was incredibly quiet. The sound of stone grinding, the dry air mixed with stone dust, and the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen combined into a peculiar ambience. He suddenly realized he was terribly hungry, having not yet eaten lunch.
‘Latilda must be meeting those guests by now, right?’
When he descended to the lobby, Loyal caught sight of Linke emerging from a metal door leading to the basement. Linke had shed his armor and was wearing dirty, torn clothes that somehow seemed to suit him.
‘I suppose the “no entry” rule didn’t apply to him.’
Linke greeted him first, a slight nod acknowledging his presence.
“Was your journey pleasant?”
“Ah, it was alright.”
Loyal’s eyes fell on the firmly shut metal door to the basement. Linke noticed his glance but didn’t say anything further.
‘I wasn’t curious, but now I am. I wonder what’s in that basement?’
As Linke led the way, Loyal found himself trailing behind.
“I heard one of my men was rude to you.”
“You mean Kravzic?”
“I will apologize on his behalf. The Thorn Knights all hardened themselves through fierce battles, they have an innate desire to challenge or dominate anyone who shows strength. Don’t take their actions to heart; they often don’t think with their heads.”
Linke spoke with an impassive face, his lips the only moving part of his face. It was astonishing how devoid of emotional expression he was.
“So, it appears I seemed strong enough to incite such behavior?”
“When Miss Latilda was attacked in Normant.”
“I merely defended in a panic.”
“We are not fools who cannot differentiate between a panicked sword swing and a proper one.”
His words were harsh, but his tone remained as unyielding as a stone. Linke passed through the kitchen, traversed a narrow corridor, and headed towards the back door.
“Honestly, I also wish to duel you. If the Count hadn’t wanted to employ you as a Thorn Knight, I wouldn’t have held back. Only three people in my rough life have stimulated me this much.”
Loyal felt uncomfortable with the high praise of his swordsmanship. He preferred to remain inconspicuous as Latilda’s bodyguard.
“Three people? May I ask who they are?”
“I mentioned one when I was with Miss Latilda. Gerald. He was my comrade during my mercenary days.”
Loyal found it hard not to react to that name.
“When he was famous as the Fire Mercenary, I was known as the Ice Devil. Though the nicknames coined by mercenaries were childish, it was a matter of pride back then. Whether it was a sword or a spear, he used it to destroy his enemies. A natural talent for killing, a true devil. If I had to give him a nickname, it would be the Fiend of Flames.”
Upon opening the back door, a large training ground came into view. Scores of burly men, their upper clothes discarded, were stirring up yellow dust as they engaged in sword practice. A few faces were familiar. Kravzic was also there.
“When I suggested he might excel with heavier weapons, especially axes, he ended up surpassing my skills overwhelmingly. I immediately discarded my nickname. Honestly, I regretted that advice. If he’s advanced from his skill level during our time together, he’s guaranteed to hold a fairly high position among the White Wolves by now.”
“Is he that impressive?”
“Extraordinarily so. The weight of his axe swing is indescribable, each block felt like my bones would shatter.”
As he spoke of Gerald, Linke seemed more alive.
Linke leaned his arms on the fence surrounding the training ground. The training men noticed him and paid their respects, to which he lightly responded with a wave of his hand. The training proceeded quietly, yet intensely. Occasionally, a shout would erupt from the men on the podium and a few cries of pain could be heard.
“Who are the other two?”
Loyal didn’t particularly care to know, but he asked a question to shift attention away from himself.
“Well, do you think the only prodigies of the continent I’ve encountered are you two? Let’s move on.”
‘Is he telling me he’s lost interest in me too? That works.’
For a long time, they stood in silence, observing the knights’ training.
Their training regimen was unlike anything Loyal had seen before. Wolf Knights trained together but worked on individual skills, honing their own sword techniques. Thus, when ten gathered, all ten had different sword techniques. But here, eight out of ten knights used the same techniques and motions. And their skill level was high enough that when the same number of people attacked in unison, the synergy seemed formidable.
Gradually, Loyal found himself intrigued by the training.
Knights from the Twelve Thorns were positioned throughout the training grounds. After a while, they all gathered at one spot, soon approaching Linke and Loyal. There were five of them in all. They wore tattered trousers, bare-chested like the other trainees. They were men with lean, well-conditioned muscles sculpted by the pure practice of swordsmanship. Loyal knew full well the impressive strength of such muscles, having observed Sheyden and Gerald. He was eager to see the strength of the Rose Knights, the elite of their order.
‘What’s the point of watching?’
At that point, Loyal reined in his curiosity.
Linke introduced the Thorn Knights.
“From this side, Demiroph, Kravzic, Neph, Tarkont, Alain. You already know Loyal.”
Loyal simply nodded his head in greeting.
Soon, Linke issued instructions to a man named Demiroph about the training methods. This one’s motion was off, another one lacked leg strength, someone else had an injury… All except Demiroph were staring at Loyal.
‘Was I the target? I should have left earlier.’
By the time Linke and Demiroph finished their conversation, Loyal had forgotten everyone’s name except Kravzic, which made the situation even more awkward.
“Would you like to join in the training?”
Kravzic asked, pointing his thumb at the training grounds.
“There are ninety chosen ones who could fairly challenge the three hundred of the Black Lion Knights, but occasionally there’s one who falls into a rut, only watching the same swordplay. To break them out of their pattern, we show them a completely different style. I think you could bring that freshness.”
Loyal still held a grudge against Kravzic.
‘Why does he have to speak so politely now? He didn’t before.’
Loyal had no choice but to respond in kind.
“How could an outsider like me dare to interfere with the knight’s training?”
“We’re not that particular about it.”
A knight named Neph interrupted, tapping his wooden sword against his neck. His eyes were ablaze. The others also demonstrated their eagerness to challenge Loyal. Unlike the time when Bading tested him at the party, or when Kravzic approached him from behind while Latilda was asleep, now there was nothing restraining Loyal.
‘Should I indulge them?’
Suddenly, Loyal was reminded of a time from his childhood in the gladiator arena.
“There were orders from above to test you in a fight against five men. If we send you into a one-on-one match, it’s no longer gambling. Moreover, your swordplay is too monotonous and lacks excitement for the spectators. So we arranged this match.”
The arena manager proposed to Loyal.
“I don’t want to lose you either. So I’ll use my authority to give you the choice. Will you do it?”
“I’d like to give it a try. Just give me some time to practice.”
“The match is a week away, is there enough time for practice?”
“Once a day. Six practices. Yes, that should be enough.”
Loyal began practicing against five opponents. But he abandoned practice after just two days.
“Why, have you lost confidence already? Just to let you know, the time to make a choice has passed. I can’t afford to lose you. Go practice right now!”
The manager shouted.
Loyal shook his head.
“I’m done with practice for now.”
“Giving up, are you? You were the one who said we’d do this six times.”
“I thought I would need six times, but twice was enough.”
The supervisor bellowed in rage.
“Damn kid! I’ve seen too many like you, all smug, all dead. You think you’re invincible? The five you’re supposed to face are survivors. Now, get back to your training.”
“Stop making me repeat myself. I don’t need to train. It’s just like a one-on-one. I just have to do five one-on-ones quickly.”
And so, Loyal entered the match and ended it within a minute. Without killing anyone.
‘I won’t be able to end fights with these guys without killing.’
Suddenly coming to his senses, Loyal was measuring the distance of his attack towards the five opponents with his hand on his sword. The five surrounding him quickly assumed defensive positions. To an outsider who didn’t know swordplay, it seemed like a momentary pause in their conversation while they eyed each other. However, the six of them present were engaged in an intense standoff. Linke wasn’t completely out of this fight either.
‘Wait, what am I doing? I can’t fight in a place like this!’
Loyal was flustered, but it was already too late. If he loosened his tension, he couldn’t predict the reaction of the five present. Above all, he was worried about Linke who was outside the attack distance.
“If you wish, I’ll go one-on-one. You may use your sword, not the wooden one.”
Neph broke the silence.
‘Don’t fight. Say you can’t!’
As Loyal thought this, he instinctively calculated the angle to slash the five within his range with a single swing of his sword. Then he spoke.
“You can all come at once.”
Turning to Linke, Loyal added.
“Even if there are six.”
A sharp female voice echoed from a distance behind him.
“What the hell are you doing?”
The tense atmosphere shattered instantly.
It was Latilda. She strode up to Loyal.
“Linke? Did you have some business with Loyal?”
“We exchanged a few words.”
Linke answered with a cold expression.
“It didn’t seem like that to me. What were you doing? Kravzic? Neph?”
Latilda glared at the other Thorn Knights. The Thorns only stepped back with bowed heads.
“No, we really just exchanged greetings.”
Loyal defended himself. His intention was to reassure Latilda, but it was not a lie. It was just a rough greeting.
“Alright. I have something to discuss with Loyal, so you all can go about your business. Got it, Linke?”
“Yes, Miss.”
The Thorn Knights saluted and turned away.
Suddenly, Loyal noticed that the silver necklace hanging around Linke’s neck was the same shape as the one the old woman had extended towards the carriage when they entered the castle. A cross was embedded in a round bead, and all the other Thorn Knights wore the same.
‘Is it a religion unique to this village?’
Latilda spoke.
“Outsiders believe we hired mercenaries, but my father and Linke are not simply tied by money.”
“Yes, it seemed to me that they had a closer relationship.”
“I don’t know the details. But when my father started the war, Linke was naturally by his side, and the Thorns were formed around him. Once, when I asked Linke why he was so loyal to my father, he replied it was because my father had given him life. I think my father helped him through a near-death experience, or took him in when he had nowhere to go. All the other Thorn Knights are as loyal to my father as Linke.”
“They all wear the same necklace, is that related to their loyalty?”
“What necklace?”
“The one hanging around Linke’s neck…”
As Loyal struggled to explain, drawing a cross in the air with his hand, Latilda quickly understood.
“It’s a new religion that people have believed in since not long ago. Such religions sprout up and disappear like mushrooms after rain, especially when war breaks out or famine hits. I don’t know much else. I don’t even know what god they believe in. The Thorns, and even my father, wear that necklace. I don’t really want to know, as long as they don’t force it on me.”
Feeling the conversation was turning somber, Loyal quickly changed the subject.
“What about the men you met?”
“They were exactly as I’d expected — predictable men, predictable conversations, and predictable goodbyes. It might have been a bit more fun if you were there, Loyal.”
“If I was there, they would have felt uncomfortable.”
“Why, because they would think there’s a formidable competitor by their side?”
Latilda chuckled delightfully, trying to remember.
“Come to think of it, I’ve even forgotten their names. All I could say was ‘Goodbye, viscount’ when I sent them off. What should I say if I meet them later?”
“Weren’t they your ideal type, as you mentioned?”
“Even if they were my ideal, I would have rejected them this time. It’s not the situation to be fluttering around meeting men. It was a pity to coldly send off the men who sat there with hopeful faces. After sending the first two men away like that, I thought I should treat the third one seriously out of respect for his effort to come all this way. But that was a mistake.”
“Did something bad happen?”
As Latilda continued, Loyal scrutinized the Thorns knights resuming their training. However, they were just lightly swinging their swords to loosen up, or simply instructing other knights. Linke was just sitting and watching.
‘Is he conscious of me? He’s not showing his swordsmanship?’
Loyal turned his gaze back to Latilda.
“Maybe it was my fault for asking strange questions. When I asked if he reads books, he said he was too busy managing his territory to have time for that, and when I said I liked wine and asked what kind of wine he likes, he started spouting out a tremendous amount of knowledge about wine.”
“Don’t you like wine, Latilda?”
“I like wine, not knowledge about wine.”
Latilda heaved a deep sigh, as if just thinking about it made her weary.
“I tried to cut him off by asking a different question, but that was another mistake. I casually asked what kind of life is the happiest for a woman. Normally, I wouldn’t ask such a question to anyone but Anna, but I ran out of things to talk about and I forced him into an overly serious conversation.”
“What was his answer?”
“A stable home and comfortable family life, a dependable husband and affluent lifestyle, healthy children. He said that’s everything a woman wants. Then he confidently said he can provide all of that.”
“So, you said your goodbyes and sent him away?”
“There was nothing left to say.”
“Did they all obediently leave when you told them to? It seemed like they waited a few days to meet you.”
“Oh, right. I didn’t tell you, did I? My housekeeper Bene was quite a famous swordsman in his youth. Even now, novice swordsmen can’t match Bene. In fact, most men would tuck their tails and run if he just glances at them.”
“I see.”
“You should have seen the guy who tried to hang on even after I said my goodbyes… When Bene took the young noble to the corridor and said a few quiet words, he left with his shoulders drooping. Even though I asked him what he said, Bene said he just said goodbye. I’m dying of curiosity.”
Latilda talked about her gloomy story with delight.
“But, what’s your answer to the last question? What is a woman’s happiness?” Loyal asked gently.
“There’s no such answer to such a question. It’s like asking what do humans live for. It’s just a magic phrase I use to dismiss annoying men. Don’t mind it.”
As they chatted, a man training near the fence fell, stirring up a cloud of dust. Latilda waved her hand in front of her face to ward off the dust.
“That’s the way it is, isn’t it? As a child under a father preparing for war, there’s no point in seeking personal happiness.”
Latilda looked sad, but Loyal was unable to offer any consolation.
The two just stood there, continuing in silence.
“It was the first time I had killed a man.”
Loyal gazed at Latilda’s face, lit by the crimson evening sun.
‘A woman who looks this good in the red light can’t be found elsewhere.’
Loyal slowly began to recount his past.
“At that time, my self-pity was greater than the guilt of killing a person. Oh, I’ll be alone for my entire life, I can’t fit in with anyone…”
Loyal lightly struck his chest with his fist.
“It felt like a puddle within me had dried up. Since then, I haven’t felt emotions like guilt, fear, joy, or anger. The people around me used to say it… that I was like a living blade.”
Fear settled in Latilda’s eyes, but Loyal did not cease his words.
“When I found out who killed my father, it was the same. I thought it was revenge, but it wasn’t. I was not driven by vengeance, I just swung my sword. Empty of feelings, devoid of life… If Lontamon hadn’t started the continental war and thrown the political situation into chaos, I would have been caught and executed.”
“Why are you saying these things? It’s… it’s scary.”
Latilda attempted to laugh it off, but she couldn’t hide her fear.
“You lack it too.”
“What do I lack?”
“Something transparent held in the heart. Something like a puddle. It ripples like water, but sometimes it’s hot like fire and sometimes cold like snow. Now I understand why I couldn’t leave you behind when we first met.”
Loyal dropped his hand from his chest as he finished speaking.
“Latilda, you too are a person whose puddle has dried up. Unconsciously, I recognized that in you and followed.”
Latilda bowed her head and retreated.
“So you’re saying you followed me out of sympathy? I didn’t bring you with me to hear such things!”
Loyal approached with an awkward face, but Latilda stepped back further.
“I’m sorry, Latilda. But…”
“Enough! I don’t want to hear anymore.”
Latilda turned abruptly and headed towards the mansion.
Loyal quietly spoke to her retreating figure.
“You see, Latilda, you are overly indifferent to others’ affairs.”
“Is that so wrong?”
Without turning around, Latilda yelled back.
“It’s not wrong. But because of that…”
Latilda, like a child, covered her ears and ran towards the mansion. Loyal awkwardly finished his sentence too late to reach her ears.
“You’re hurting.”
Latilda disappeared into the garden, and Loyal let out a long sigh.
Just then, the large gate that led to the training ground opened and soldiers armed with spears, swords, and shields entered. The march of the aligned army echoed thunderously off the castle walls. About a hundred soldiers took their places, and their commander approached Linke to report. Although distant, the commander’s voice was loud enough to reach Loyal.
“All troops have been assembled.”
Linke’s voice giving the command was faint, and only the commander’s voice responding was heard.
“Yes, our main force has gathered at the hill of Dunmach, the Rose Knights are in Alto, and the heavy infantry are on standby in the village. As you commanded, I have selected a hundred elite soldiers at my discretion.”
Linke nodded his head and explained something at length, and the conversation ended with the commander’s robust response.
‘The preparations are already complete?’
Count Johnstein had not been in Denmoju for half a day. The mobilized force of that size implied that Count Johnstein must have issued the mobilization order before arriving in Normant in order to assemble today.
It wasn’t that Count Lumerier preemptively attacked and had no choice but to declare war.
The Red Rose Count had completed preparations for war much earlier.
‘He was prepared before coming to Normant.’
A terrifying thought struck Loyal.
‘Then did the Count know that the Black Lion Count was going to arrest him?’
☆ ☆ ☆
Loyal killed the loan shark who indirectly caused his father’s death. He killed the guards who tried to protect him. Having murdered dozens of people, Loyal sat blood-soaked in the front yard of the mansion. It was the local patrol that arrested him. Given the scale of the incident, the royal knights from Irophis eventually came for him.
“Considering both your father’s situation and the fact that the men you killed were already criminals, I won’t arrest you. Officially, you are to have escaped from us. With Lontamon declaring war, no one will care about your release.”
He was one of the four knights who visited the day his father sent him to the swordsmanship academy.
“Lie low for about 3 or 4 years. Do nothing. After the war ends and things calm down, find me.”
He held out two letters.
‘So, he’s making me choose again. He’s just like Kyle.’
One was a letter of recommendation for the Irophis Royal Knights.
“I was too timid to recommend you to the Knights when your father asked me. Maybe that’s why Kyle stole the show. I won’t make the same mistake twice. You will become a knight under me, as your father wished.”
The other was also a letter of recommendation for the Knights.
“But if I die in this war or if you change your mind, go to Carnelock. While you, a foreigner, can’t become a Dragon Knight, with your skills, you’ll easily find a place in one of Carnelock’s other knightly orders.”
Loyal said nothing, nor did he take the letters. Then the man grabbed Loyal’s dirty face with both hands and pressed his forehead against Loyal’s.
“Remember my words. Do ‘nothing’. Until you choose one of these recommendations and meet a real master, you must never wield a sword!”
Loyal decided to follow his advice.
There was no longing for the sword, no revenge, no joy, no pleasure, so it was possible. Loyal did absolutely nothing. He didn’t refuse to beg if it meant getting food for the day. He worked under kind farmers and lived off their generosity, and so Loyal spent a few years.
Loyal believed he would never need to look at the two hidden letters again.
‘I prefer farming to wielding a sword.’
To a childless elderly couple, Loyal brought more joy than a child of their own.
‘I’d rather be someone’s son than a hero in the arena.’
That’s how Loyal lived. He believed he could live like that. But one morning, as he woke up to a busy day of farming and looked at the morning sun, he clenched one side of his dry heart and fell on his knees.
His thirst did not fill.
He couldn’t bear the thirst. He didn’t know why, but Loyal felt that if he didn’t fill it, he would die. The kinder the elderly couple were, the deeper his thirst became.
Finally, Loyal opened the two letters. One contained a recommendation from Irophis Royal Knight, signed by Ander.
‘So his name was Ander. It should be fine if it’s him.’
With the recommendation in hand, Loyal sought the Royal Knights. The power of the recommendation was immense. He was able to meet the captain of the Knights immediately. Captain Irophis told Loyal the sad truth with a mournful face.
“Ander is dead.”
Ander had died a heroic death, leaving behind a tremendous achievement. Childless, wifeless, without leaving a single last word, the power of this great knight’s letter was immense.
“I don’t know how you came into possession of this recommendation, but if this letter is true, we will accept you.”
Loyal was not happy at all. He only then realized that he wanted to be ‘next to Ander’, not in the Royal Knights. Captain Irophis saw right through him and said,
“However, if you don’t wish to, I won’t hold you.”
“I do not wish to.”
The captain burnt the recommendation in silence.
Loyal then headed to Carnelock.
To become a Dragon Knight, you first had to be a noble of Carnelock, or a knight or servant recommended by a noble. Loyal had to wait for more than ten days to meet just one clerk.
“You’re not from Carnelock, you’re not a noble, your experience is six months of mercenary life… Arena? What’s this?”
The clerk tossed the documents Loyal submitted and said in a high-pressure voice.
“I thought you had some exceptional qualifications to show up without a special announcement to expand the Knights. What brings you here?”
“I didn’t come here to become a knight.”
Loyal replied.
“So?”
“You may not understand, but I am searching for a master. Someone who can refine and polish me, to, let’s say, fill the puddle of my heart…”
Loyal attempted to explain ardently, but before he could finish his sentence, the clerk called for the guards.
“Guard, get rid of this madman at once.”
“Please hear me out. I am…”
Loyal cried out, flustered.
“Do you know how many people like you come here every day? They have all sorts of reasons. They want to understand their skills, or they received an omen from a dragon in their dream. You’re somewhat unique. A puddle? What’s that about?”
Loyal shook off the hands of the guards gripping his arms.
“Please hear me out to the end. I am desperate!”
The clerk responded with an icy voice.
“My advice is, it’s best to leave quietly while you can.”
Loyal said, lowering his head.
“Then let me ask another question. Who is Deradul Machi?”
The clerk’s face immediately distorted fiercely.
“He’s not someone you should mention lightly!”
“His name was written in the recommendation letter I have. It said he would become my master. I won’t back down until I meet him.”
The clerk looked at the late recommendation from Ander and tore it up on the spot.
“If you’re going to forge it, do it right. Trying to tell an obvious lie? Get out!”
Loyal looked down at the torn letter, then directed his voice sharp as a blade towards the clerk.
“So, Deradul Machi is the captain of the Dragon Knights?”
“That’s right.”
“Is he the strongest in Carnelock?”
“This brat, there’s nothing you can’t say!”
“So how many do I have to defeat to meet Deradul Machi?”
Two guards immediately raised their battleaxes. Loyal was unarmed, but it didn’t matter. The clerk, alarmed by Loyal’s unusual demeanor, retreated while shouting, “Guards!” The guards with battleaxes couldn’t touch Loyal either.
“Hold on, hold on! What do you think you’re doing, fighting in a place like this?”
The office door opened, and a man walked in shouting. He waved his hands in the air, standing between Loyal and the guards.
“Everyone, calm down! Are we calm?”
He was a tall middle-aged man with deep wrinkles around his eyes. Judging by his attire, he was unlikely to be a high-ranking official, but the clerk and other guards withdrew respectfully. Loyal thought he might be something like a steward of the Dragon Knights.
“I heard all your story. Your voice is quite loud, so I could hear everything from the next room. But why is the captain making a guest wait while he is out? I was bored, you see.”
He put his arm around Loyal’s neck and almost forcibly pulled him along.
“I’ll hang out with this young man for a while, so when Captain Deradul comes back, let him know.”
“No, that is…”
The clerk reached out in confusion, but couldn’t stop them. Loyal was pulled into the strange atmosphere and ended up walking through the Knights’ garden with the man.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? This city is filled with flower beds everywhere, but I like it best here.”
“I don’t know how to appreciate flowers.”
“Beauty is not about knowing or not knowing. You’re quite a stubborn one. Earlier, you seemed ready to kill everyone there to achieve your goal, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
Loyal answered honestly.
“What’s your name?”
“Loyal. I am the son of Knight Lenner of Irophis.”
“My name is Meylumil. Everyone calls me Rix.”
He extended his hand for a handshake. Loyal, without much thought, shook his hand. Then, he suddenly remembered this was the first time he had shaken hands with anyone in his life.
“You’re from Irophis, why did you come to Carnelock?”
Loyal explained his situation.
The murder at the Swordsmanship School, the mercenary group, the arena, and Ander’s death.
Meylumil laughed.
“That friend Ander, so careless. Dumping a problem like you in Carnelock and dying heroically.”
Meylumil stopped walking and asked.
“But you said something interesting earlier. The puddle of the heart? Does it fill with water?”
“I lack the eloquence to explain.”
“Try explaining anyway. It’ll work out as you talk.”
He led the conversation with a gentle smile.
‘This is strange. The more I talk to this man, the more anxious I get.’
Loyal tried his best to explain. He thought Meylumil would laugh at him after hearing it all, but Meylumil took his words seriously.
“So it’s not exactly like you’re more sensitive or emotionally drained than normal people. You seem to live in a completely different world. Like a frog that crawled out of the desert, perhaps?”
“A frog?”
“Yes, a frog.”
Meylumil emphasized his comparison as if he was quite pleased with it.
“You’re a frog. You should quickly go to a pond filled with water. If you stay out of the water like this, you’ll die.”
Suddenly, his heart pounded. He’d never thought about it that way before. He always thought about filling the puddle, not about going to where the puddle was.
“Where is the pond?”
“Do you want me to show you? But I can’t. At least, not now.”
“Why?”
“I just can’t. That’s not a place for you. You know how much I like that pond.”
Meylumil grabbed the stake used to secure the garden tree and easily pulled it out, as if he were pulling a knife from butter.
Loyal tensely watched Meylumil’s smooth handling of the thick piece of wood. He was more than just a kind man who listened well to others.
“What’s your relationship with the Dragon Knight Order?”
Loyal suddenly asked, out of curiosity.
“I’m friends with Captain Machi of the Dragon Knight Order. He claims to be my older brother, but that’s just because of our ages… I’ve been freeloading for a few days. Let’s see where he is.”
He said, looking at the sun setting in the west.
“The garden isn’t as spacious as it seems. There are not many places to hide. I just asked my friends who manage this garden to close the door and not let anyone in until the sun goes down. But going out is okay. You can run away.”
“What… do you mean?”
Loyal was puzzled by the shift in Meylumil’s demeanor. He’d never experienced something like this before.
“Now, try to survive. You have until sunset.”
“Are you threatening me right now?”
Loyal widened his eyes in disbelief.
“Did you think ‘Oh, there’s a pond filled with water, I should hurry and go there’ just because I told you about it? Don’t make me laugh. I can’t guide a filthy frog like you to the pond I love. You need a good wash. If you wash so much that you die, well, that’s not my concern.”
Meylumil concluded, laughing slyly.
“What should I tell the clerks? I punished you myself instead of the guards because you’re a rascal?”
The wooden rod in his hand flew towards Loyal’s head. Loyal barely managed to block it with his forearm, but the shock sent him tumbling backward and left a throbbing pain in his head. His blocked arm didn’t seem to move, as if it was broken.
“I don’t know how to run away. All I know is how to kill an opponent!”
Loyal growled.
“You can get angry, even though you’re a twisted frog.”
Meylumil seemed amused as he spoke.
“Let’s see what you can do.”
His wooden rod came flying again. Loyal twisted his body, but the rod grazed his side, tearing both his clothes and skin. It was an unbelievable impact for a dirty wooden rod.
Loyal had to retreat, unable to even consider a counterattack. The oncoming force was unbelievably heavy and sharp.
As Loyal retreated, Meylumil advanced step by step.
‘I’ve never met anyone like this. Not once.’
Fights in the arena were always a succession of crises. Experienced warriors would push hard from the start against Loyal, who had no real-world combat experience. So Loyal always had to retreat at the beginning due to strategy. But he had never been mentally pushed back before.
He had never retreated to prepare for an attack. But this time it was different. Loyal was retreating out of fear.
His resistance lasted only half an hour. Loyal tried to fight back by grabbing the wooden rod and throwing stones, but he could not avoid the attacks. Nevertheless, he did not run away.
‘I can’t run away. There’s nowhere else to go.’
Eventually, the chase ended when Loyal was hit in the shin and fell.
“Did you think you could live comfortably by the pond? Did you expect to live in peace with the other frogs? I don’t need those who would tarnish my pond with such intentions.”
The wooden stick whistled past Loyal’s face and embedded itself deep into the earth, as if it had always been there. All Loyal could do was pant heavily, he was unable to resist.
“You’re in luck, boy. You did well.”
Meylumil slowly left the garden. Loyal collapsed and gazed up at the sky. The sun was setting.
Loyal raised his hand to the sky. It was still trembling in terror. Somewhere, the sound of a water droplet could be heard, filling the hidden puddle in his heart.
‘I have to follow him.’
Loyal staggered out of the garden on shaky legs in search of Meylumil.
Meylumil hadn’t gone far. He was sitting at an outdoor table next to the garden, having a meal with another middle-aged man.
Loyal stumbled toward him and fell. The serving maids carrying the food screamed, and the surprised guards approached. However, the man sitting next to Meylumil extended his hand and ordered.
“Leave him.”
The guards reluctantly retreated. Loyal staggered and crawled to the table.
Meylumil coldly smiled and said, “I told you, he would come to me.”
The middle-aged man put a hand on Meylumil’s mouth, a displeased look on his face. “You’re going too far, Lumil.”
The man coughed awkwardly and spoke to Loyal.
“I heard your name is Loyal. I’ve also heard about Ander’s recommendation. As the recommendation said, I am the captain of the Dragon Knights. I can’t let you into the Dragon Knights, but if you want, I can guide you on a similar path.”
He pointed to Meylumil with his thumb and finished, “So what’s it going to be, Loyal? Are you going to let this cruel ruffian do such absurd things to you again, or will you come with me?”
Without thinking twice, Loyal replied, “I am a frog.”
Saliva flowed from Loyal’s trembling lips, his ragged breathing was hot, and tears he hadn’t shed for years overflowed.
“You can wash me as much as you want.”
Loyal said with a crying voice, “Please, send me to the pond.”
Meylumil stood up from the table. He whispered to the man, “I told you. He would choose me.”
Meylumil approached Loyal, extended his hand with a satisfied smile, “Let’s do this again in a month. If your heart is filled within a year, I’ll take you to the pond then.”
Loyal reached out and grabbed his hand. The comfort of the firm hand made Loyal faint right there.
As his consciousness faded into the distance, he faintly heard the arguing voices of Meylumil and the man.
“I chose him, yet you tried to snatch him away right in front of me, you mean person!”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself!”
“I’m serious, Dera. Today, I’ve found the best bait to throw at that arrogant brat, Lofin. This is destiny.”
“Since when did you believe in fate? You guys never grow up…”
☆ ☆ ☆
Linke watched Loyal’s downcast figure as he trudged back to the castle with a gloomy face.
“I don’t know where the lady picked him up from, but he’s not ordinary,” Knight Neph of the Thorns approached and said quietly. The Thorn Knights around Linke nodded in agreement.
“Isn’t it suspicious? He might have some ulterior motive…”
Alain voiced his suspicion, and Kravzic agreed.
“I’d rather he was awkward, did you see him earlier? He was ready to take us all down at once.”
Linke responded emotionlessly with a smile, “I also thought for a moment whether I should risk losing you all and attack. It would’ve been quite fun.”
“Does the Count really intend to appoint him to the Thorns?”
“He seemed to want that. Someone like Dulan or Luchi, who came from mercenaries, he would even appoint them as lieutenants because they once achieved a result. It wouldn’t be strange for him to become a Thorn Knight because he rescued Miss Latilda. But if he doesn’t want to…”
“I don’t care which side I’m on. As long as I can fight.”
Kravzic spoke with enthusiasm.
“Calm down. How will you focus on the battle at hand with that attitude? We might face the White Wolves, and you don’t want to hurt your arm like Demiroph before that, do you?”
At the mention of the White Wolves, the Thorn Knights collectively drew a deep breath.
Neph asked seriously.
“What do you think of the White Wolves’ power?”
“None of us can beat them in a one-on-one fight.”
“You’re so sure?”
Kravzic asked, displeased.
“It’s better to think that way and prepare yourself.”
“What about you, Captain? I heard one of the White Wolves was an old comrade.”
Alain asked jokingly. Linke closed his mouth abruptly, and an odd tension drifted among the Thorn Knights. After a moment of silence that lasted longer than necessary, he answered.
“I have met three people whom I believed I could never defeat, even in death and resurrection. One of them is Gerald. The other two are equal to or surpass him. Especially the third man, he gave me injuries that made me unable to wield a sword, and mental wounds that couldn’t heal.”
Linke laughed loudly as if he found his words amusing.
“But all of this happened before I met the Count. The young hunter from Carnelock who made me look like that, Gerald who made me despondent, and the one who gave me fear…”
Linke clenched his fists, his eyes blazing.
“But now, no one can touch me. Soon, the world will know there is a knight in Camort who surpasses the White Wolves.”
–TL Notes–
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