Ambrue had already become a ruin, a place so desolate that it wouldn’t have been strange if an army had swept through. Corpses, both civilians and soldiers, were heaped together in the village. Those few who had survived regarded Kassel with fearful eyes as he passed by on horseback.
Finding Count Enoa’s mansion was not easy without anyone to ask. When he finally found it, the mansion was in disarray, its large iron gate bent and half torn from its hinges. The stone floor that began at the entrance had been stained so darkly with blood that it was indistinguishable from the dirt, hardened by exposure over a long time.
The sky was gloomy, as if it might rain, and the dust-filled air grew heavy in his chest with each breath. Kassel knew it was just his feelings, but he thumped his chest all the same.
‘What on earth happened here?’
Ambrue was much further than Kassel had thought. Sheyden had predicted that it would take two days, but it wasn’t until the morning of the third day that Kassel finally found a signpost leading to Ambrue. Even though he rode through the night and changed horses, paying five extra gold coins, he hadn’t arrived within the planned time.
After parting with Dunmel and riding alone through the night, Kassel had been seized by terror.
‘Even if I reach Ambrue, will everything be resolved as I wish?’
He felt a surge of desire to turn his horse and run away. On the numbing night ride, he even thought of selling his sword to raise money for a year’s living expenses. When he was eating dry bread the next morning, coughing as his throat stuck, he felt so sad he wanted to cry. He longed for his father and the warm faces of the White Wolves.
‘I hope you’ll return the sword even if you fail in your mission. But don’t worry, the reward promised in Koholrun will be more than enough.’
As Sheyden’s words came to mind, Kassel yelled to the sky, ‘I don’t need any reward!’
‘Let’s save the tears for later. Crying is just a waste of energy.’
He repeated this several times before reaching Ambrue. But now, standing at Count Enoa’s mansion, Kassel felt like crying more than ever. He hadn’t dreamed that everything would be dramatically resolved. He had expected some difficulties, but what he’d considered a challenge was convincing a reluctant Count Enoa. Now he couldn’t even meet him.
There wasn’t just a lack of the thousand soldiers he had hoped would join him; Ambrue itself had burned black as if the entire place had become a battlefield. The mansion had burned too. There were no bodies, whether they had never been there, or someone had removed them, he couldn’t tell. But there were no survivors either.
Standing in what must have once been a garden, Kassel gathered his courage and approached the mansion.
Through the broken windows, he saw that all the furniture had been burned, and some seemed to have been stolen. On a desperate whim, he entered the mansion, but found no one. No soldiers or knights who might have served Count Enoa, no family members, no maids, no bodies of anyone. The mansion was completely empty.
Kassel crossed the unstable interior of the mansion to the backyard. There were about twenty hastily made graves. Being someone who naturally assumed that people were cremated when they died, he was surprised to see graves behind the mansion. One of the tombstones had a message, written in small but earnest letters:
‘Fearing desecration of the bodies, on behalf of Count Enoa, his family has been buried here. Objects to represent their names were placed in their hands for future identification or cremation. May they rest in peace… A friend of Jan.’
‘Who was Jan?’
He was too exhausted and strained to remember, and it was a common name in Camort anyway.
It was unlikely that the villagers had kindly buried the lord’s family; the village’s corpses had been left untouched.
The reality in front of him weighed heavily on Kassel’s heart, leaving him filled with a sense of despair and confusion. The mission he had embarked on had taken an unexpected and tragic turn, and now he found himself lost in a place that held no answers, only the haunting echoes of a battle that had razed everything to the ground.
Kassel deduced who Jan was not through memory but inference. In Jan’s words, he was Count Enoa. Whoever it was must have been close enough to call Count Enoa by the name Jan. However, there was no grave for Count Enoa.
Kassel wandered around the mansion several times afterward, eventually losing his strength and slumping down. It was a pathetic situation. The White Wolves were terrifying, the position of Captain felt heavy, and in the place he had run to, there was neither a place to stand nor anything to do.
‘Where has the Count gone?’
He could have asked the villagers. They had been frightened at the sight of Kassel when he first entered the village, but they might have been friendly if approached kindly. However, Kassel couldn’t bring himself to do that.
He was scared. He knew from experience how dangerous a place was after a battle had ended. He didn’t know who might turn into a murderer at any moment, and he wasn’t sure if the army that attacked the place was still lingering around. An innocent villager might see his extravagant-looking sword and mistake him for a robber.
It didn’t take long for his pathetic situation to turn into a desperate one.
Kassel was crouched on a broken stone bridge in the garden, his hands wrapped around his head and bowed low. As his buttocks started to numb from the cold stone, he heard the sound of footsteps. He looked up to see the sky tinged with red, and the cold wind of early evening blew.
Kassel looked back without caution.
A considerably tall middle-aged man was standing there. His eyes were blue, and his long, golden hair was tied back, reaching down to his waist. He carried a sword, but his posture, with a hand tucked into the pocket of his trousers, was so relaxed that Kassel didn’t feel the need to be on guard, even though he was a stranger in a strange place.
The man sat down beside Kassel with a friendly smile. He looked to be in his forties, but his eyes were clear as a child’s.
“You’re not here to admire this burnt garden, are you? What brings you here, Captain Wolf?”
The man spoke as naturally as he sat down. Kassel momentarily forgot what to say.
In a brief moment, many thoughts crossed his mind. He remembered the time when he had convinced a complete stranger in a village that he was a White Wolf, the time when he had stammered to persuade the White Wolves in Koholrun, and the moment when he had passionately spoken to gain recognition from the royal representatives.
Always, Kassel had to go to great lengths to make others believe he was Captain Wolf. But this man had called him Captain the moment he saw him.
There was one person who had called him that. Sheyden.
“Who are you to think of me as Captain Wolf?” Kassel asked.
He quickly guessed why the man recognized him: the Aranthian sword. Seeing that and immediately calling him Captain, Kassel could infer that he knew something about the Wolf Knights but wasn’t directly involved.
‘If he really knew properly, he would have questioned why I had that sword.’
As expected, the man gestured towards Kassel’s waist.
“Because of that sword.”
“And you are? I don’t know you.”
Kassel replied as calmly as he could muster, with a deep voice.
“I suppose not.”
The man crossed his legs and sat comfortably.
“It’s been almost 3, 4 years since I last visited Nadium.”
“I was chosen as a new Wolf Knight before that. I didn’t see you then.”
Kassel boldly lied, wanting to see how the man would explain the absence of Kassel among the new recruits.
“I only saw Quain when I went then. There was a guy among the new Wolves whom it would be awkward to meet face to face.”
The answer seemed subtly evasive.
“But if you were friends with the Master, you would have heard that I became the Captain, wouldn’t you?”
There were plenty of imposters pretending to be Wolf Knights. However, Kassel believed he could quickly ascertain the truth by how the man answered this question. The White Wolves never boasted about their significant positions, nor did they ever try to shine by borrowing someone else’s name.
But anyone who claimed to know the Wolf Knights would surely want to flaunt the name of Master Quain.
“Does Quain even bother to write about such trivial news these days?” the man asked.
If the other party replied with something like, ‘I’ve been too busy to hear the news,’ Kassel was prepared to barrage them with about three simultaneous questions. But he stopped, suddenly realizing his significant mistake.
Kassel had been continually probing, keeping in mind the possibility that the other person was a fraud. But if the other was indeed part of the Wolf Knights or associated with them, the fraud would be Kassel. After all, only five people across the continent knew why he had to have the Wolf Knights’ sword.
The man touched his chin, smiling, and looked Kassel up and down for a while. The scrutiny became increasingly uncomfortable until, just when Kassel was about to ask him to stop, the man spoke.
“I must have misjudged you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Where did you steal that sword?”
“What are you saying…”
Kassel’s thoughtless retort was halted.
The man’s sword had somehow found its way to Kassel’s side.
‘I was careless.’
This person was not someone to be taken lightly from the start. The neatly dressed figure in these ruins should have been a clue. The recognition of the sword as one of the Wolf Knights’ should have been a warning. He shouldn’t have spoken without thinking.
Only then did Kassel become engulfed in anxiety that made his heart feel like it might shrink. It was the same feeling he had when he met Sheyden. A person who couldn’t be deceived.
‘No, nothing’s gone wrong yet. And I’ve met all five White Wolves. And the rest of the Wolf Knights have not left Nadium, so this person here is not a Wolf Knight but someone closely related to the knights.’
Such thoughts did not immediately alleviate his frozen expression. The man put his sword away, reassuring him.
“Don’t be too alarmed. I wanted to see your reaction. Fortunately, you showed me just what I wanted.”
“Fortunate? How?”
“If you had jumped up and run away, I might have attacked you just to get you to listen. If you had countered clumsily, I would have had to counter again to save my life. You showing that reaction has allowed us to reach this point where we can talk. Isn’t that fortunate?”
“Who are you?”
“That question is too soon.”
“I apologize. Allow me to introduce myself first…”
“That, too, is premature. No need for that either.”
“Aren’t you curious about why I have this sword?”
“It’s not a sword anyone can handle in the first place. If you have it, you must have a reason for it.”
The response was too natural and composed. Kassel gave in to its overwhelming persuasiveness.
“Still, I want to tell you. And finally, I want to hear who you are.”
The man laughed at Kassel’s earnest attitude.
“Going as far as to say that, do you think you know who I am and open your heart so easily?”
“I think I know who you are if you know more than I do. So I must know.”
“What will you do once you know?”
“I want to ask what I want to know.”
“Do you think I have the answers you want?”
“Yes.”
“You’re certain.”
“If you are wiser than me.”
“Do I look that way?”
“Yes.”
“You’re quite certain.”
The man smiled warmly.
“To my eyes, you seem like a drowning man flailing about, wanting to grab anyone passing by. And that happened to be me.”
“That’s fine to say.”
“If you had met Count Enoa here, you would have asked that old man what you wanted to know.”
“I didn’t think of that… but now that you mention it, it seems likely.”
The man laughed again.
“I wasn’t very curious, but since you mentioned it, I’ve become quite curious. Shall we hear it?”
If Kassel had been here as the captain accompanying the White Wolves, this man would not have dared to broach such a topic. Had he shown even the slightest threatening posture in trying to pry into the secrets, Kassel would have refrained from speaking, even if it cost him his life. But the man was listening calmly, as if he were a village elder, kindly hearing Kassel’s concerns.
Kassel briefly recounted the many adventures he had experienced since picking up his sword in a village of deserters after losing in the war, meeting the White Wolves in Koholrun, and the events in Normant. Throughout the conversation, doubts arose several times about whether it was right to reveal such secrets. It felt as though he was stripping away layers of armor that had protected him until now. Each time, the man gently changed the subject and echoed his sentiments, eliminating any hesitation.
Kassel concluded with the story of how he had arrived in search of Count Enoa after the battle in Normant, where the Black Knights had stormed, only to find a burned-down mansion.
“It’s a story I’d like to hear in much more detail if we had the time. You survived through all that; your spirit seems stronger than it appears. Forgive my earlier rudeness, Captain Kassel.”
The title made Kassel uncomfortable.
“I’m not a captain.”
“Oh, is that so? I felt it throughout our talk that you are too modest. Considering the strength that brought you here, you could be a real captain, not just a temporary one.”
“That’s absurd. I, who know nothing about the basics of swordsmanship… Did you not test me earlier for the Wolf Knights’ first test?”
The man asked with interest.
“You noticed that?”
“I felt you saw through my lack of skill when you looked at me closely. Thinking back, I guessed that the moment the sword touched my side might have been that test.”
“You’re correct. Seeing such insight, I imagine you do well with the sword, don’t you?”
His cheerful laugh rather stabbed at Kassel’s heart.
“I know very well that I have no talent with the sword! Frankly, I’d lose even to a fifteen-year-old child who has properly learned the sword.”
“If you get a chance to visit Nadium, you might see a fifteen-year-old child among the Wolf Knights. Would losing to that child mean you have no qualifications as a swordsman?”
“That’s not the point!”
Kassel spoke in a firm tone.
The man raised his hands, smiling.
“I didn’t mean to tease you. It was just an example. Come, relax. We have a very long story to share. Neither you nor I are idle enough to stay here, but to have this conversation, we must devote a significant portion of our limited time. Now, where shall we begin?”
He looked around, freshly curious.
“Why is a captain without talent in swordsmanship without an escort? If I were active duty, I would never have sent a captain like you alone.”
With the word ‘active duty,’ he subtly hinted at his identity.
“I did have an escort. We parted ways in the middle, though.”
“For what reason?”
Kassel, feeling overwhelmed by the lengthy explanation required, asked.
“Do you know about the war between the Black Lion Count and the Red Rose Count in Camort?”
“Unless one goes around with ears plugged, how could one not know! I even heard that the Red Rose Count won the battle in the Drupho Plains.”
“The Red Rose Count is dominating every following battle. I think they will launch a major attack on Normant soon, so I came to Ambrue to call for reinforcements.”
“But the land of Ambrue, which should provide the reinforcements, is in ruins, and Count Enoa has disappeared? That must have been quite a shock.”
Kassel nodded, continuing his explanation.
“One of the White Wolves, Dunmel, and I were heading to Ambrue. But on the first day around noon, we spotted the Red Rose Count’s army moving east. It was a substantial force. Unless something happened in Denmoju, there would be no reason for them to abandon their winning position and move. The only reason that Dunmel and I could think of was…”
“The base must be in danger. It seems the Black Lion’s army has started a counterattack.”
“Always thought the Black Lion Count wouldn’t just take it lying down. But I had no idea what the counterattack would consist of. Moreover, there was another White Wolf, Loyal, in Denmoju. Why he was there, I’ll leave out. It’s not important.”
“Loyal?”
The man quickly feigned recognition. Kassel didn’t miss a beat and asked,
“Do you know Loyal?”
“A friend among the White Wolves I am familiar with. I bet he knows me too. But as you said, it’s not important. Continue your story.”
‘I shouldn’t have said it’s not important. Now I want to hear about the relationship between Loyal and this man, above all else.’
Kassel continued with his story.
“Dunmel and I discussed whether we should continue to Ambrue or go to Denmoju. Both were urgent matters, and we thought it would be too late to stop at each place. So, I chose to split up. I would go to the relatively safe Ambrue, and he would go to Denmoju, where a war might have broken out… But Dunmel opposed it.”
“I would have opposed it too. What could be more important than the captain’s safety?”
Kassel sighed despondently.
“The captain doesn’t need to be protected by everyone.”
“Hmm, is that some new rule made in my absence?”
“At least you know how strongly the captain of the Wolf Knights appears to the outside world.”
“The Wolf Knights don’t care how they appear to the outside world. Whether called a legendary knight order or a demonic army, that’s all for others to decide.”
This man was saying the same thing as the other White Wolves, and he seemed to not understand Kassel’s concerns.
‘What a pointless worry. Was this man also a Wolf Knight? Then he must be a genius with the sword, and a genius wouldn’t understand the worries of ordinary people.’
“Didn’t the White Wolves explain what a Captain Wolf is? A position piled with nothing but an enormous sense of responsibility. When I was a Wolf Knight… Oops, I’ve let it slip.”
“I had already guessed.”
“Really? You’re sharp. Doesn’t matter then. Let me keep going. Back then, there were only four who could be called White Wolves, and all of them caused an uproar, refusing to be captain. I bet you didn’t want to be the captain either, did you?”
“Yes.”
“Being the captain of the Wolf Knights is such a burdensome position. Even Quain had to take up the role somewhat forcibly.”
Kassel shook his head in disbelief.
“That, that can’t be. A master who receives the admiration of all swordsmen being forced into it…”
“Master is just a title that can be attached; what use is it? But at that time, nobody in the Wolf Knights was dissatisfied with it. The Knights were already overflowing with sword geniuses, so what need was there for the captain to be strong too? Why are you going on about being weak and acting pitiful?”
The man spoke teasingly, and Kassel became flushed with anger.
“I never said that much.”
“I don’t see the difference. Anyway, did this friend Dunmel end up listening to you?”
“Bringing Loyal was important too. And the road to get here wasn’t dangerous.”
“You might have just been lucky. I ran into bandits twice on my way here. One group politely asked where I was going. When I said Ambrue, they warned it was a dangerous place and advised not to go. But I told them I had to see for myself.”
“Hmm? How are they bandits?”
“They were preparing to ambush the army. They were dressed like a bandit group, but acted no different from an army. So, I thanked them for the advice, and quickly escaped. Then, as I crossed the next mountain, a fellow threatened me with a knife, demanding money. His name was Lesh or Lengsang?”
Lengsang? That name sounded familiar.
“Well, it’s not surprising to run into bandits twice in succession, considering rumors are swirling about packs of wild dogs attacking and devouring people. Anyway, this time they were a ragtag bunch, and when I cut off two of their fingers, they ran off.”
He spoke casually of the brutal tale. Already feeling queasy, Kassel asked something else.
“Why have you come to Ambrue?”
“I came chasing the Black Knights, because of those fellows you mentioned in your story.”
In the village, there were only the bodies of Count Enoa’s soldiers and the villagers. There was not a trace of any invading army, neither a corpse nor any other evidence they had been there. How could an attack on a village preparing its defenses have no casualties, even if it were a surprise attack by an elite force? Kassel had guessed it might be one of the two Counts, but he couldn’t be sure without evidence. However, the lack of any trace itself became the evidence.
The Black Knights.
The few of them had even swept away the Red Rose Count’s army advancing to Normant.
“I have been wandering the continent for a few years now, searching for traces of the Black Knights. All I know is that their armor is quite similar to that of the Excelon Knights of the past. But no one who met them ever thought of the Excelon Knights. I thought it might be related to the knights of Lontamon, so I went to ask directly, but they vehemently denied any involvement.”
Kassel remembered that the Blackfoot had also mentioned Excelon’s armor.
“Anyone who remembers the war ten years ago wouldn’t think that the Excelon Knights, who were devoted to chivalry, would destroy an entire village, or indiscriminately kill wanderers and merchants. But about a year ago, there was information that the Irophis royal knights had engaged in battle with knights wearing black armor, so I went to see.”
Kassel unconsciously clenched his fist.
“Black Knights in Irophis? This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
“There’s no other way. It was a thoroughly kept secret. I knew Captain Greenlich of the royal knights, and we had an agreement to share information like this. They appear not only in Irophis and Camort but occasionally in Carnelock. In Carnelock, they only appeared; there’s no record of direct harm.”
He shook his head as he spoke.
“Anyway, the loss to the Irophis royal knights in that fight was not minor. But in the end, they couldn’t figure out their identity. After killing them, all the armor turned to ash and disappeared?”
Kassel shivered, recalling their unbreakable, unyielding form.
“You came here chasing the Black Knights?”
“It was about a fortnight ago. I followed the trail to Camort and discovered three Black Knights moving north. I started tracking them immediately, but my horse couldn’t catch up to those monster-like creatures. But I roughly guessed that they were heading to Ambrue by the direction alone.”
“That would have been around the time Count Enoa was leaving the royal party.”
“When I arrived, the situation was already over. I asked many people, but only one farmer could describe the situation properly. He described it very simply. They were the reapers of death, piercing through the darkness of the western sunset. Otherwise, how could they not die, even after being hit by arrows like a hedgehog? Though I take pride in my sword skills from my youth, I never want to meet those fellows.”
The man paused for a moment.
Kassel, pained by the hard-to-accept reality, had many things to say but couldn’t voice them. He merely hoped to gain a hint about what to do next.
“What will you do now?”
“First, I intend to look for Count Enoa a bit more. He’s an acquaintance, so aside from the Black Knights’ issue, I am concerned.”
“What about the graves in the backyard?”
“Are you asking if I bury them? No. How could I do all that work alone? When I came, it was already like that.”
‘Who made those graves then?’ Kassel wondered.
The man slowly sheathed his sword, and Kassel lowered the extended blade with his palm. The ornamental sword, held weakly, fell downwards following the man’s touch.
“The one who first found that sword was a vagabond in a village of deserters, wasn’t he? Then why couldn’t that person become the temporary captain of the White Wolves when he found the sword? If the minstrel Laurel, who first took an arrow for you and died, had survived, would he have picked up the ornamental sword instead? Just because you happened to meet a friend named Sheyden and were offered the position of temporary captain, does that make you suspicious of Sheyden’s judgment? You are indeed one to doubt so casually,” the man declared, as if scolding.
“I won’t say that everything was predestined. However, everything is the result of what you’ve done. You came here by your choices, by your strength. And from now on, everything you have led is your responsibility to bear.”
The man paused for a moment, taking a long sigh, and then asked compassionately, “Is it heavy?”
“Yes.”
Kassel finally voiced the words he had wanted to say to someone and collapsed as if crumbling. He could not contain the tears pouring down.
“You wanted to ask how to lessen the burden?”
The man asked, and Kassel answered, “Yes.”
The man grinned broadly, “And now you know the way?”
Kassel nodded his head, “Yes.”
“Quain was not the most skilled swordsman among the Wolf Knights. But he was a captain that no one could deny. He knew very well how to lessen the burden. You can do it too.”
Kassel managed to wipe away his tears and nod. The man took Kassel’s hand and helped him up. Kassel took a deep breath and asked, “So what should I do now?”
“Go back to where your friends are. Waiting for help that won’t come is not a captain’s job.”
“Won’t you come with me? It would be a great help.”
“The battle is for those currently active. I must find Count Enoa more urgently. So, go back to Normant alone, but retrace your steps and stick to the main roads. If time allows, I’ll try to help as well.”
“Yes.”
As Kassel paused, unable to find an appropriate title to address the man, the man smiled and said, “My name is Lumil.”
“Yes, Lumil.”
Lumil mounted his horse and said, “See you again, Kassel.”
Without acknowledging Kassel’s farewell, Lumil turned his horse and left the estate. Though he seemed to be moving slowly, his horse soon disappeared from sight.
☆ ☆ ☆
After leaving Ambrue, dark clouds gathered in the sky. It seemed as though rain would pour down at any moment, but even as Kassel completely left Ambrue and crossed the mountains, only thunder growled.
It was a fruitless endeavor. Perhaps Lumil had given him temporary comfort, but the fact remained that he had returned empty-handed, with no achievement.
‘Dunmel should have done something.’
Hoping that the task he had chosen would not end in vain, Kassel thought so.
Two days ago, when he parted with Dunmel, he had given Kassel a dagger. They exchanged brief words through hand signs.
‘You can’t use an ornamental sword for self-defense. Take my dagger instead.’
Kassel clumsily refused through hand signs.
‘I can’t take it. It’s yours.’
Dunmel tapped the sword at his waist.
‘I have five more besides this one.’
Reluctantly accepting it, Kassel noticed the name ‘Lergo’ engraved on the blade.
‘This, made by the craftsman of the ornamental sword?’
‘Yes.’
‘It’s valuable. I can’t take it.’
‘I’m not giving it. I’m lending it.’
Ignoring Kassel’s attempts to return it, Dunmel instructed,
‘Do as you have been doing. If your opponent understands speech, show the ornamental sword. But if not, grasp the dagger. If they are not a threat from the start, there’s no need to show the blade and make them wary. Hold it in reverse. Hide the blade near your wrist. Like this… That’s right.’
Dunmel personally took his hand and taught him how to hold the dagger.
‘Using a dagger is simple. It’s about patience. Enduring and waiting until your enemy is within reach. Then, at the last moment, pierce the enemy’s throat. If you can, pull the blade. If it’s that dagger, it won’t get stuck in the bone.’
Kassel, who had never killed a person or even bloodied a fist, wanted to say he could never do such a thing. However, given the situation, he silently accepted Dunmel’s advice.
‘Thank you.’
‘Kassel, I didn’t truly accept you as the captain at first. I couldn’t be sure. I just didn’t express my opinion to avoid contradicting everyone else. But now I’ve changed my mind.’
Kassel was unable to articulate his emotions through the complex gestures he felt.
‘Come back alive. Let’s meet again.’
Neither Dunmel nor Kassel was prone to long speeches, so the two skipped much of the conversation and parted ways.
Now Kassel felt for the location of Dunmel’s hidden dagger at his waist. He heard the sound of something pursuing him as he crossed the mountain path. At first, he thought it was an animal. But the sound of muffled footsteps and whispers was undoubtedly human.
Kassel pretended not to hear until suddenly he whipped his head to the right. He locked eyes with a man wearing animal skins. Though the man tried to conceal himself in the bushes, his attire gave him away. The man, his face smeared with dirt, dropped to the ground too late.
Surprisingly, Kassel was not startled. He just urged his horse to run. However, as the horse began to sprint, it became terrified and startled.
‘What was that just now? A bandit? Again?’
An arrow flew past Kassel as he rode. He ducked and ran. Most of the arrows missed entirely, but when he looked back, one had struck the horse’s hindquarters. Amidst all the firing, one had landed true.
Whether it was frightened or in pain, the horse continued to run but gradually slowed down. Finally, it stopped and dropped its heavy hindquarters to the ground. Kassel quickly dismounted to inspect the arrow in the horse’s flesh. Blood flowed, staining the hoof.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be back to save you soon.”
Kassel left the horse and ran into the forest. But escaping the bandits in the mountain was impossible. They had quickly blocked his way. Kassel stopped, panting.
One of the bandits spoke.
“Do you want to die, or will you hand over everything you have?”
A rusty blade was thrust in his face. The foul breath of the dirty man overpowered the fresh scent of the grass, reaching Kassel.
“Who’s your leader?”
Kassel asked quickly.
If he could survive, it would be fine to hand over everything he had. The precious sword could be found again, and the few gold coins he had weren’t worth his life. But experience taught him that giving everything often led to death. Once an opponent had everything they wanted, they usually desired more.
“What did you say, you? What about the leader?”
The ruffian pushed the blade closer, threateningly. Kassel raised his hands and scanned his surroundings quickly.
Four bandits aimed their bows at Kassel, and three more were coming, slapping their sword hilts and approaching. Though out of breath like Kassel, they pretended otherwise.
“I have no intention of resisting or escaping.”
“What about you running away just now, boy?”
“Who wouldn’t run when arrows are shot for no reason?”
“Hey, who you think you’re talking back to?”
From the moment Kassel dismounted and ran down the mountain trail, he had been considering what to do if caught. These were the same kind of brutes who killed Laurel, bragging and swaggering about.
‘A calculated strategy won’t work with these brutes. They don’t know how to talk; they swing their blades when frustrated. I have to speak simply.’
Kassel knew what simple trade would capture their minds.
“Anyway, I want to know who the boss is. It’s a matter of money.”
He had done whatever it took to survive up to now, and this was the moment that required such action. If he died at the hands of the bandits here, the White Wolves would assume he had run away whimpering to his hometown. It scared him more to appear that way to them than death itself.
‘I must survive. And return to them all, shouting loudly that I came back, even though I accomplished nothing. Even if I die, it must be after that.’
Kassel spoke with a serious face.
“It’s a lot of money indeed! So it’s difficult to discuss unless it’s with the boss. If I talk to you people, you won’t understand my value, and you might harm me…”
“You’re really noisy.”
Another man who was standing next to the one blocking the path interrupted. He was very tall, and his ribs were prominently visible on his lanky frame. The sword he held was quite large, and his fingers were wrapped in bandages.
‘That’s the guy who had two of his fingers cut by Lumil.’
Although it wasn’t strong evidence, Kassel couldn’t help but associate it upon seeing him.
“I am the boss. Why?”
Kassel prepared a few scenarios in his mind and also readied his responses.
‘It would be nice if they recognized the name “Deradul Machi”. Would it be too risky to mention the Red Rose Count? No. I saw Latilda Johnstein and talked to her. It’s best to start with Count Enoa since we’re near Ambrue.’
The people approaching from behind stopped about a step behind Kassel.
‘Foolish men, if I were a real White Wolf, you would all be dead with one stroke of the sword! Of course, I can’t do that.’
The boss spoke.
“I don’t have much time. I’m going to take revenge on the one who cut my fingers now. If it’s a pointless talk, I’ll cut it off midway.”
He was probably a bandit named Lengsang.
“As far as I know, you must be Lengsang.”
The boss was momentarily surprised, but Kassel gave him no chance to show it.
‘Don’t think you’re lucky. It’ll show. In a case like this, I must carry on as if I naturally know this much. If the guy behind me thoughtlessly stabs me in the back, my life would be gone. So I can’t even give them time to act.’
Kassel continued without hesitation.
“I’m a middleman who deals with Count Enoa of Ambrue. I know your famous name well in this region. I won’t talk long. If you spare my life, you can gain more than what I have now…”
“No? I’m a person who covets the two gold coins in your possession more than the treasures guarded by dragons in the caves.”
Lengsang spoke, mixing in a sneering laugh. But his eyes were already revealing his curiosity. Kassel maintained his serious expression.
“I don’t make cheap deals. I never thought that my life could be saved by the likes of two gold coins. And just two?”
Kassel slowly put his hands into his robe, showing through his body language that he meant no threat, and pulled out a money pouch. There were still about ten gold coins left. Kassel tossed them to Lengsang.
Lengsang looked pleased as he said,
“Wow, I was going to let you live anyway, but you wanted to give me more money?”
Kassel saw Lengsang’s face and was reminded of a merchant from long ago who had swindled him on the price of wheat. ‘Ah, the wheat is so good, so I’m paying this much. There’s not much to see in other stores.’
Kassel didn’t fall for it.
“I’m a merchant who lives on credit. And I’m the person who, if there’s a kid in the traditional market selling a hundred gold coin item for one silver coin, will immediately tell the kid, ‘Call your father.’ And I’m the one who said this to the bandit trying to take my life for ten gold coins, ‘Call your boss.’ Ten gold coins are nothing to me.”
Lengsang paused for a moment.
‘I’m almost there. But if I open my mouth too soon, credibility falls. I must endure.’
Kassel waited.
Finally, Lengsang spoke up.
“Where’s the proof that you’re such an extraordinary merchant?”
“May I draw my sword?”
“If you’re thinking of doing something foolish…”
“I’m no stranger to swords, my friend. I’ll show it to you in its sheath.”
Kassel slowly unfastened the scabbard, bearing Aranthia’s sword at his waist.
“I hope you have an eye for blades.”
Kassel said, hoping that Lengsang had no discerning taste for swords. Lengsang made a surprised face, pretending to have such an eye.
“An impressive blade indeed. Not merely a decorative sword. How on earth is the blade black?”
“It’s not just iron, but metal forged with magic. Its worth? You guys couldn’t even pawn this sword. No one in the impoverished Kingdom of Camort can afford it. Some madman offered me five hundred gold coins for it in the black market. Naturally, I refused. Five hundred gold wouldn’t even cover the value of the dagger I currently have.”
Kassel spoke confidently. It was also true. It was a dagger given by Dunmel of the White Wolves. He wouldn’t sell it for a thousand. But if he stated that price, his counterpart would hardly believe it, so he quoted a lower sum.
Lengsang wet his lips a few times, then asked,
“So, you’re giving me this sword?”
“It’s worthless to you guys. I’ve told you several times, I’m a merchant, and I don’t sell brushes to blacksmiths or hammers to painters. Lengsang, don’t you need cash, something you can use right away, rather than gold?”
“Do you even have that kind of money?”
“Give me the time to write a single letter and a day or two. Then I’ll give you enough money to quit this business right away.”
Lengsang made a face, disbelieving.
“Hey, if you have that much money, why are you traveling alone?”
“You demand an explanation that will take a long time when you said we don’t have much time. This simple trade is beyond you, making the sayings about Falcon in the West and Lengsang in the East sound laughable. Are you really the famed Lengsang?”
Kassel teased Lengsang’s pride slightly and continued.
“I am a merchant who trades directly with Count Enoa, and I was on my way back from meeting him. I found Ambrue in chaos. I had to hurry to Normant to inform them, and I had to see His Majesty in person, which is why I did not send a letter and went myself. If you still don’t understand why I’m alone, I’m willing to explain in detail, even if it takes an hour.”
Lengsang seemed a bit flustered and asked, feigning arrogance,
“Hmm, you know the old King?”
“Old man? What are you talking about? King Charles is my age, a young man.”
Kassel turned Lengsang’s bragging words against him.
“Ah, right. Just slipped my mind.”
Lengsang cleared his throat and asked again,
“You seem to know the nobles quite well. Red Rose Count, Black Lion Count, do you know them?”
Kassel was not caught off guard.
‘A merchant must never boast or pretend to know. A good merchant always stays honest.’
“I don’t socialize much with nobles. I’m not on good terms with Count Lumerier, and I’ve only met Count Johnstein once at a party. After being exploited by the arrogant Viscount Deradul Machi to woo his title and wife, I cut ties with other nobles.”
Kassel continued with an expression of rage even at the mere thought.
“To put it bluntly, I don’t want to die here. I started with nothing and earned enough money to buy all of Ambrue. I can make even more in the future. But to be killed here after being robbed of pennies by you, what an enormous loss for both of us! I guarantee you, I will pay a tremendous reward you’ve never seen before to save my life, and that money is trivial to me. There’s no need for reporting or revenge.”
Finally, Lengsang relented.
“So, what do you want me to do?”
“Just one letter will do.”
Kassel was now planning to write a letter with hints of a plea for rescue and send it to Normant. He had also devised two other methods if he were unable to write the letter. However, the opportunity to employ Kassel’s prepared methods never came.
Suddenly, another band of archers was aiming their arrows at the faces of the bandits. It was a quick and silent ambush, so stealthy that not only Kassel but all the bandits listening to him were unable to notice.
The sound of taut bowstrings was all that could be heard; nobody dared to speak. The bandits who had been targeting Kassel all dropped their bows and swords and raised their hands, but the unidentified archers didn’t move, aiming their bows until another order was given. A silence as heavy as death filled the forest.
Kassel recognized one of the archer’s faces.
“Lengsang… is that you?”
A man who appeared to be the leader of the archers approached and asked in an undeniable, strong tone.
“Yes, it is.”
Lengsang couldn’t put down his sword due to his last shred of pride, but when the leader of the archers came closer, he dropped it without any specific command. The man walked up to Lengsang, his hand on his waist, and rubbing the back of his head, said,
“Didn’t I hint for you to leave?”
“I thought you only meant to leave Ambrue territory, not somewhere slightly beyond…” Lengsang stammered, sweating profusely.
“Leave? I meant not to cross paths with me at all, not just in my territory.”
The leader of the archers spoke slowly without any haste.
“But it seems we’ve met again.”
“Please, spare me.”
Lengsang fell to his knees.
“I will not punish you. We’ll keep you captive until you can be judged by Ambrue law. Take them all prisoner.”
It was a brief and stern command. Lengsang’s men were quickly bound with ropes. Meanwhile, the man slowly approached Kassel, who stood in shock.
“I can hardly believe my eyes, finding you as the missing Lord of Ambrue, Captain Wolf,” he said, stroking his black beard with a smile.
Lumil’s words came back to him. There’s no such thing as coincidence. Everything is reached by one’s choices and one’s power. Was it the same this time? Did he survive and get to meet this man again because he had met him once before?
“It’s you. Jan’s friend who made a tomb at Count Enoa’s residence,” Kassel said.
“Why? Is it strange that I know Jan?”
“No. Being the captain of the Royal Knights, you would certainly have some connection with Count Enoa, who has close ties with the royal family, Captain Derick.”
“Didn’t I tell you I left that name long ago? Call me Falcon.”
Kassel grabbed Falcon’s outstretched hand and unexpectedly hugged him. Falcon was quite surprised but soon laughed and patted Kassel’s back. Kassel said sincerely,
“I knew we would meet again.”
Falcon released the hug and draped his arm over Kassel’s shoulder.
“It seems like we have a long story to catch up on. Won’t you come to where I’m staying? Janette will be delighted.”
–TL Notes–
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