“Come in, Billy.”
Before there was a knock, a deep voice sounded from inside. The heavy door groaned as it opened inward. Guards, wielding large weapons and standing in threatening poses, checked that Billy entered before closing the door. The sound of the door closing echoed throughout the spacious hall.
Billy, with his helmet at his side, approached the table in the center of the hall. His footsteps echoed.
“You summoned me, Captain?”
“How goes the training?”
The captain of the Excelon Knights, Loren, spoke without lifting his head, as he wrote something down.
“No particular issues.”
“This month alone, there have been five requests to transfer from the Excelon Knights to the Royal Knights.”
‘I knew it was about that issue.’
Billy had anticipated this but hadn’t prepared any remarks.
“I am aware.”
“And are you aware that there’s increasing doubt about your capabilities as a training officer?”
“I am aware.”
Captain Loren handed the document he had just written to his secretary and rubbed his face, seeming tired. His hands, which held a pen more often than a sword, were calloused differently from other knights. They were often stained with ink rather than dirt.
“Are you okay, Captain?”
Billy asked.
“I’m fine. I’m worried about someone else.”
Loren said, removing his hands from his face.
Billy sat on the windowsill, glancing at two sparrows outside, then replied,
“You mean me?”
“Yes.”
“If my qualities as an instructor are in question, I am ready to step down anytime. I know there are at least ten knights waiting for my position. Like Blutch or Mack…”
“But none are better instructors than you. Everyone acknowledges that. However, everyone also agrees you’re too strict.”
“I believe that’s what a knight is. A knight is not just about sword skills, right?”
“So, that’s why you beat up Shon?”
“It wasn’t a beating; it was an accident during training.”
Billy said, watching the sparrows. Captain Loren chuckled.
“Let’s leave it at that.”
Loren also watched the sparrows. They chirped at each other and then flew away. Their gazes returned to each other.
“I have no intention of letting you go, regardless of the pressure from above.”
“Aren’t you risking your position as captain? Someone who has been offered the position of Captain of the Royal Knights shouldn’t be saying that.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“Isn’t it true?”
“Billy. When I leave the Excelon captaincy, I’ll retire. And the person to succeed me has to be you, Billy Matney. Not some noble’s child passing through for the Royal Knights’ captaincy.”
Billy glanced behind him. On either side of the door stood two armed soldiers. They pretended they heard nothing and stared into space. The secretary still stood awkwardly smiling beside the desk.
Billy asked,
“There are too many ears here, aren’t there?”
“That’s good. Either you or my secretary will not relay this conversation to others. If this conversation leaks, one of those two is the culprit. I know all about those fellows; what’s the worry?”
“Sometimes, I think you’re crueler, Captain.”
Loren laughed heartily.
“Stay in this position for long. You’ll turn this way, whether you like it or not.”
He rested his head on his hands and leaned back in his chair.
“Now, what’s the issue?”
“I never said there was an issue.”
“There is. Tell me.”
Loren looked at him as if he knew everything. Billy had come to this meeting thinking he could deflect, but he found himself unable to do so.
“It’s just a personal matter.”
“Is it a matter that can only be discussed in private?”
“Not necessarily, but…”
Captain Loren cut off Billy’s words.
“Visit Aranthia.”
One of Billy’s eyes twitched.
“Why should I go there?”
“To verify your thoughts on the Wolf Knights. This is an order.”
Captain Loren placed a sword on the table, then spun it around on the sleek tabletop, pointing the hilt towards Billy.
“Isn’t this Excelon’s ceremonial sword?”
“Yes. It’s the sword made when Captain Victor founded the Excelon Knights with the sponsorship of Count Shuraiton. After that, it passed to Captain Welch and then to me.”
“What do you want me to do with it?”
“Take it. With that sword, represent Excelon and meet the Wolf Knights.”
Billy frowned. As if blaming the harsh sunlight from the window, Billy took a step back and replied calmly.
“So, I’m to take this sword, and specifically, what should I do with the Wolf Knights? Place the ceremonial swords of Wolf and Excelon in the center, and the winner takes both?”
“That sounds quite fun.”
Captain Loren clapped briefly. Then, in a soft voice, he continued.
“You can come up with any reason you want. What you do there is up to you. I give you full authority. You can even brag about being the Captain of Excelon. When it’s all done, report back to me.”
Captain Loren grabbed a pen and began writing rapidly.
“I’ll tell the higher-ups you’re on leave for half a year. They’ll love it, thinking they’ve sidelined or punished you. I’ll act as though that’s the intent. So you should think the same when you leave.”
Billy, with lips pressed tight, replied,
“You don’t have to beat around the bush. If you want me to resign my knighthood…”
“Shut up and take the ceremonial sword, you idiot!”
Billy had never heard Captain Loren use a stronger swear word than ‘Hey, you brat’ before.
“What? Just now…”
“Take the sword!”
Billy, as instructed, took the ceremonial sword.
“Do you think I would entrust the ceremonial sword to someone I’m sidelining?”
Captain Loren handed a piece of parchment he’d written to the secretary, then continued.
“Billy. I believe when you return, Excelon will regain its former glory. Now go.”
Billy had much to say, but faced with the resolute Captain Loren, he had no choice but to follow orders. The ceremonial sword felt incredibly heavy in his hands.
☆ ☆ ☆
Walking slowly, glancing at Black trailing behind, Billy mulled over Captain Loren’s words. He pondered for two months and still couldn’t find an answer.
‘I came to Aranthia as instructed. Now what? What do they expect from me?’
Throughout, Billy openly expressed his hostility toward the Wolf Knights. It was because of them that the reputation of the Excelon Knights crumbled, and it was because of them that the Excelon Knights were depicted on the side of evil. Had the war a decade ago ended in Lontamon’s victory, history would have celebrated Excelon as heroes.
‘Did I wish for the Excelon Knights to be the victors, or to become heroes?’
It didn’t seem like Captain Loren sent Billy to Aranthia to battle and win against the Wolf Knights. If it was simply a meeting, there would have been better methods and routes. But Captain Loren sent Billy alone, even entrusting him with the ceremonial sword.
‘Did he mean for me to learn something from the Wolf Knights?’
Now, the Excelon Knights had fallen to being mere subordinates of the Royal Knights. The Royal Knights, comprising mostly nobles, secured their positions through political maneuvers. In contrast, the skill-based Excelon Knights performed their duties in silence and ended up as mere guards. Billy, who had become a knight looking up to Excelon, held onto this bitterness, believing in a glorious revival like during Captain Welch’s time.
Years passed, and no signs of revival emerged. Captain Loren aged, and no suitable successor appeared. Moreover, decisions on the knighthood’s personnel came from the royal family, and the managerial positions were filled not by those who worked for Excelon, but outsiders. Most of them were people who wanted to build their career in Excelon before moving to the Royal Knights. The pay and honor were much better there.
“Just give up.”
Billy stared dumbly at the old horse when Suvel spoke to him. He seemed to think that Billy was still contemplating using his mount to carry Black.
“He can’t bear the weight of that heavy armor with just his strength. And as you saw earlier, other horses are scared to carry Black.”
“I know. I gave up on horses a while back anyway. They said Aranthia was a good place to live, so why are the roads like this?”
Billy replied as if he had been pondering the horses and the road.
Wiping the sticky mud from the bottom of his shoes, Suvel made an almost apologetic remark.
“This area, even if it’s Aranthia, is remote. The roads will be better once we pass the Red Gate. And think about the roads we’ve been on so far. They were pretty well maintained. This road probably was too, before yesterday’s rain.”
“It wasn’t an ordinary downpour. Nor was it an ordinary night.”
Billy said, recalling the gray-robed mage they had seen the night before.
Suvel glanced back at the tired followers of Tego, now trailing behind.
“We should rest a bit. Everyone’s exhausted.”
Billy looked ahead at Black, who was still quite a distance in front. Whether Black was walking on flat ground or through mud, his steps were always slow. But since everyone else moved slower in the muddy terrain, it seemed as if he was walking incredibly fast.
“Just a bit more. At least we need dry ground for the rest of them to rest comfortably.”
Billy urged them to continue walking.
Suvel informed the group.
“Did you hear? Let’s hang on just a bit more.”
“Yes, Captain.”
They responded strongly and followed with determination.
Before long, they reached an area with sporadic rocks embedded in the ground. It wasn’t perfectly flat, but at least they could sit on the rocks.
Suvel gave instructions for lunch preparations and then sat beside Billy. Black stood tall on the edge of the rocks, looking intently eastward. Ever since they first met, Black had trouble with directions, and even now, he was looking in the opposite direction of where they needed to go.
“The road will be easier from the Red Gate onwards, it’s paved with stone. We do have to pay a toll though.”
“Like a road fee? How much?”
“Hmm, from what I remember… maybe one silver coin per person?”
Billy mentally counted everyone, then let out a deep sigh.
“We’ll need three gold coins then.”
“I’ll cover it. They can pay for themselves. You didn’t come all this way without a penny, did you?”
Just then, one of Tego’s followers, now Billy and Suvel’s subordinates, hesitantly approached.
“What was his name again?”
Billy muttered.
Suvel discreetly informed him.
“Greenwood.”
Greenwood approached and extended a leather pouch.
“Captain Billy, we’ve gathered the money we had. Since it’s not personal money anymore… we understand about the two guys from the other day. They weren’t bad, just that’s how they were. We don’t have any complaints about their deaths. Rather, we regret not having saved money earlier, so…”
Greenwood trailed off.
“Greenwood.”
Billy said.
“Yes, Captain.”
“I understand your intentions.”
Billy then added his entire fortune of nine Lontamon gold coins into the leather pouch.
“From now on, this money will be used continuously on our journey. You will manage it.”
Greenwood was greatly surprised.
“Me? No, that’s too big a responsibility…”
“And from what I’ve seen, you seem to gather opinions from others well. When there’s a matter, gather everyone’s opinions and report to me. From now on, I will refer to you as Sergeant Greenwood.”
Billy patted his shoulder.
“I won’t say things like you’ll be executed if you lose the money. But I trust you will take responsibility.”
Unable to find a response, Greenwood was assisted by Suvel.
“You should reply, Sergeant?”
“Yes, Captain Billy. I won’t disappoint you.”
Greenwood answered with difficulty and stepped back.
Suvel turned to the group and proudly watched Greenwood, who was going about boasting of his newfound rank.
“You tell me honestly. Weren’t you of a rather high rank in Excelon?”
“Does it seem so?”
“I can get along well with those guys. I can also make them respect me and even fear me. But you can get everyone to follow you. In their hearts, even though they call me Captain Suvel, the true captain is only you. What do you think about that, Captain Billy?”
When Suvel smirked, Billy replied coldly.
“What use is a title won from a group of criminals?”
Enjoying the cold air after the rain, Suvel chuckled before speaking.
“So who’s the current captain in Excelon? Don’t give me that ‘turns out you were the captain’ spiel.”
A slight frown formed on Billy’s face.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, even if you were the real captain of Excelon, it wouldn’t surprise me. You fit the role too well. So, don’t give me cliché lies and tell me who the real captain is.”
Billy responded without a hint of amusement.
“Don’t speak lightly of that. The Captain of Excelon is not a mere title like in other knight orders. It’s a most sacred position in Lontamon that only someone truly deserving can attain. It’s not a place for a knight like me.”
“So, the person currently holding that position is worthy?”
Billy hesitated to answer. The face of Loren quickly came to mind, along with the many actions he took.
“Captain Loren is an excellent superior and a knight worthy of respect. But honestly, he isn’t truly fit to be the Captain of Excelon.”
“How can he hold that position then?”
“He’s a relative of the royal family and a survivor of the war.”
“I get the gist. Simple enough.”
“No, it’s a bit more complicated than you think. Technically, Loren isn’t qualified to be the captain, but he knows this better than anyone. However, he stays because he knows that if he steps down, someone even less qualified will take his place. He intends to hold the position until a worthy knight emerges to follow Captain Welch. Because of this dual nature, he isn’t well-regarded by either side — the royal family or within Excelon.”
“You seem to think highly of him, why?”
“What good does it do for just me to think that way? Loren is reaching the point where he should step down from his captaincy. The justification for his prolonged tenure is fading. The royal family is using every tactic to promote him, and he’s over forty now. Moreover, he has drawn ire from the higher-ups by protecting me a few times.”
“It seems more intriguing the deeper we delve, but it will just give me a headache. Let’s drop it.”
Rising to his feet and brushing off his posterior, Suvel looked down at Billy, who remained seated.
“So, in the end, what is it? Did you come to Aranthia to find a captain you desire from the Wolf Knights?”
Suddenly standing up, Billy seized Suvel by the collar.
“Or are you going back to the order that cast you out, not for revenge, but to be accepted again?”
Suvel forcefully swatted away Billy’s hand.
“Stop messing around, Billy. Be honest for once. Maybe you came here to face Master Quain, who defeated the Excelon Captain you admired the most. Didn’t you?”
Billy drew his sword. Yet, Suvel didn’t draw his in response. Instead, he placed both hands on his hips and tilted his head slightly, as if challenging Billy.
Billy cautiously presented the blade to Suvel. Suvel glanced sidelong at the blade.
“It’s different from the one you always carry.”
“It’s the ceremonial sword of Excelon. It was given to Welch when he became captain. However, he believed he had another weapon more suited to him, so he hung this sword on the wall as a symbol of the order. And for ten years, no one has ever touched this sword.”
Claiming the sword was so precious, Billy struck a rock with it. Sparks flew. Yet, the blade remained undamaged.
“In the Wolf Knights, Aranthia has its ceremonial sword, while Excelon has the Sword of Lontamon. I came here to show it.”
The blade, reflecting the sun and gleaming white, continued to quiver minutely from the impact of striking the rock. Billy slowly sheathed the sword.
“I am not the most outstanding knight in Excelon. But I came to Aranthia as a representative of Excelon. I came to meet the Wolf Knights. Meeting Master Quain will be a good learning experience. However, what I’ll gain from there, even I don’t know. I am going to the Wolf Knights to find out. Satisfied now?”
Suvel raised a hand in immediate apology.
“My apologies. That was thoughtless of me earlier.”
Billy nodded.
“It’s alright. I might have been a bit heated too.”
Billy sat down to eat the porridge and dried meat Greenwood had given him. It was a dish made with care, but the taste was atrocious. Billy filled his stomach without comment, while Suvel discarded half of his portion after trying. Greenwood, having seen this, berated the person who cooked it.
Eating his jerky in silence, Suvel mumbled to the back of Billy’s head.
“I was actually hoping you had come to Aranthia for some trivial reason.”
“Huh?”
“That way, I could jokingly state my own trivial reason for wanting to return to the Wolf Knights.”
Billy, chewing on the jerky, responded without looking back.
“What are you talking about?”
“Your purpose is so grand. Compared to that, I feel embarrassed.”
“So, what are you saying?”
When Billy looked, Suvel’s face was flushed red.
‘What’s this? Is he really feeling embarrassed?’
Billy was slightly surprised.
‘Should I dig a bit more? No, it might become awkward for me too if I hear more.’
Billy changed the topic.
“We need a wagon.”
Caught off guard by the sudden topic change, Suvel asked, “Huh? What kind of wagon?”
“If Black can’t mount, then shouldn’t we travel by wagon? The road is rough, but not to the extent where a wagon can’t be used. And from Red Gate onwards, the road is said to be clear, so wouldn’t it be fine?”
“Oh, there was such a simple solution.”
Suvel, as if trying to flee from Billy’s side, spoke to Black.
“Black, we found a faster way. We’ll travel by wagon. That’s fine, right?”
Black didn’t reply but pointed eastward with the tip of his halberd. It was reminiscent of the pose he took the previous day, pointing at the grey-robed mage in the rain. But now, there was nothing in the direction he pointed.
“What do you see?”
Suvel asked, trying to calm his surprised heart.
“It’s not visible. But something familiar is approaching.”
“What is approaching?”
“A power… magic… a person? Or something else? I can’t specifically describe it, but it’s something I know.”
“You know it?”
After briefly glancing in the direction Black had indicated, Suvel informed Billy.
“I’ll go check it out for a moment.”
“Why?”
Billy spat out the jerky from his mouth and inquired.
“To find a clue about Black’s past.”
Without hesitation, Suvel mounted his horse.
Before Billy could ask for clarification, Suvel dashed in the direction Black had indicated.
“Well, he’ll be back soon.”
Without being overly concerned, Billy continued to munch on his jerky.
–TL Notes–
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