Chapter 11: Chapter 11

It was the middle of the night, with a large moon floating high in the sky, when Shan woke up after fainting from blood loss and exhaustion.

Something soft supported the back of his head, and a strangely sweet scent drifted from the hand caressing his forehead.

“Ah, you’re awake!”

Only then did Shan realize he was lying with his head resting on the thighs of Debi, the butterfly fairy of the Altoan Troupe.

As he sat up with her support, he saw that they were on the bank of a fairly wide river.

A few members of the troupe were setting up tents nearby, while the rest were preparing dinner.

Roden, who had been brushing a horse’s mane nearby, saw this and walked over.

“You woke up just as we got here to rest. How’s your body feeling?”

“I’m okay.”

Looking down at his chest, he found his torn upper body wrapped quite sturdily in bandages.

For Shan, who had always just lived through injuries as they came, it was an entirely unfamiliar level of care.

“We used expensive medicine, so it’ll heal quickly, but don’t move around too much just in case. The wound might open up.”

“Got it. But where are we?”

“After you collapsed, we walked without rest until nightfall. It’s somewhere east of Vito City. I doubt that army will chase us this far, but…”

It seemed they had moved while keeping the unconscious Shan loaded onto the troupe’s cargo wagon.

As Roden looked toward the west with an anxious expression, Shan recounted to him the exact conversation he had shared with Feonil.

After hearing the story, Roden let out a heavy sigh and spoke.

“Still, he’s a generous man fitting his reputation. If he had been a fellow who didn’t care about his dignity or reputation, it would’ve been dangerous.”

“By the way, Roden, what were you doing fighting with those people back then?”

When Shan had returned after finishing the battle, what he had seen was clearly Roden facing off against the people staying outside the castle.

When Shan mentioned this, Roden’s already rough face crumpled in disgust.

“Those bastards suggested capturing the Altoans and handing them over to the Count’s army! So I was blocking them. After all, they’re your kin, aren’t they?”

“Ah…”

Shan whipped his head around toward the direction they had come from, somewhere already too far to see.

If those people who had persecuted the Altoans had been right beside him, he would have cut them all down without caring whether they were men or women, adults or children.

“Well, thankfully my face played a part. When I stood firm, they didn’t dare attack me.”

“Thank you so much, Roden.”

For him, who was already feeling the pressure in front of an army, it must have taken immense courage to do such a thing.

Moreover, travelers would all be carrying short swords at the very least.

“No need to thank me for doing what was obvious. Let’s fill our stomachs first. Looks like the food is almost ready anyway.”

Dinner consisted of soup boiled with flour and butter, alongside grilled fish caught from the river right next to them.

As they all sat around to eat, Roxy, the leader of the troupe, once again offered his formal thanks.

“On behalf of my family, let me say it again. Thank you so much, Shan. My thanks to Mr. Roden as well.”

“I told you, you can just call me Roden comfortably.”

“Haha…”

Roden, who was now nineteen years old, was the same age as Debi and two years younger than Pen, but due to his mature appearance, it was impossible to treat him like a young nephew-aged youth.

Even Pen, despite having conversed with him several times along the way, kept calling him ‘Mr. Roden’ even though Roden was two years younger than himself.

While the two were chatting harmoniously, the dwarf Boldot, who had been quietly eating with a gloomy face, suddenly opened his mouth.

“If things had gone wrong while resisting those bastards, we would all be dead. Even now, we are fleeing as if chased from the place where we originally intended to do business.”

“Father, why are you suddenly…”

Wasn’t this practically complaining about why they had caused trouble under the guise of helping?

Boldot raised his short, stubby arms and pushed away Pen, who was trying to stop him.

“I stayed still because I thought like that. A father who cowered trembling in a corner even while his daughter was being dragged away. And then, after it was all over, comforting myself by saying I would have stepped forward if only I could fight well like that. That fact… the more I think about it, the more pathetic I feel. I am truly sorry.”

Boldot was not apologizing to just one person.

His words were meant for his daughter who had almost suffered misfortune, his son who had been beaten trying to stop it, and even the righteous man who had stepped up for strangers.

As the other members of the troupe, who had secretly harbored similar thoughts, lowered their heads in silence, Shan looked at them and nodded.

“I know how you feel. Before I knew I could do this, I was always like that too.”

Before Shan knew he possessed the strength to overcome the persecution of the villagers, he had always suppressed himself to fit their demands and accepted every unfair treatment.

The catalyst for his change was merely wielding his power only after reaching a point where he could no longer run away.

As such, he had no right whatsoever to berate them as cowards.

As Shan finished speaking, the members of the Altoan Troupe began to sob without exception.

They were the tears of the weak who lacked the power to resist injustice.

*

The next morning, they enjoyed breakfast while laughing and chatting as if nothing had happened.

Afterward, they discussed how to proceed from then on.

First, Hosue the fire-breather puffed up his carapace-covered cheeks and grumbled his opinion.

“I think staying in Libert any longer will be dangerous.”

“That’s right. From what I overheard, the noble sirs seem intent on turning the kingdom upside down. Things will only get worse from here on, not better.”

Duke of Morayen, the King’s uncle, and Count Balik, the King’s maternal grandfather.

The two powerful high nobles had started a war to gain the regency over the current King of Libert, who was now only five years old.

The battle Shan had witnessed just the previous day was merely a tiny fragment of it.

According to rumors, the number of mercenaries pouring into all of Libert alone reached thousands, so for the time being, this land would truly turn into a living hell of a battlefield.

Since it was a war between high nobles with deep foundations, there was a high possibility it would not end quickly.

Peaceful times aside, a traveling troupe made up of Altoans was a group prime to suffer misfortune in times like this.

“How about going to Pendia together? I heard Pendia doesn’t discriminate against Altoans that much because of the New Faith…”

While feeling somewhat shy about offering his opinion in front of others, Shan recited what he had heard from Roden.

Underlying this was also his inner desire to travel along with them.

Yet for some reason, the troupe members smiled as if finding him commendable, while showing a somewhat awkward expression.

Pen scratched his feather-adorned horn and explained the reason.

“The problem is that Pendia is precisely the country where the most Altoans live. We have no way to make a living there.”

“Why?”

“Because people don’t pay extra money just to stare at folk walking down the street.”

Only upon hearing those words did Shan anew realize what their identity truly was.

An Altoan troupe that actively utilized their unusual appearances and abilities to perform all kinds of acrobatics and draw audiences.

Naturally, in a place where many Altoans lived, their rarity diminished, so business could not possibly thrive.

Even if they tried to do other work, it would not be easy to overcome the territorial hostility of the already established locals.

“Besides, they say many monsters live in Pendia, so wandering around where such creatures roam would be far too dangerous, unless it’s just ordinary beasts.”

Even here in Libert, one could easily encounter bandits, wild beasts, or relatively small and weak monsters.

Whenever that happened, the traveling troupe would drive them away by having the large Pen brandish a long staff or hurl stones with a sling, and having Hosue blow on a torch to produce flames.

Both were methods that wouldn’t stand a chance against strong monsters.

“There really is no place like Libert for us to live. Ajun is the most hardline Old Faith nation where half the passersby are robbers and plunderers, while Ruman believes in the New Faith but has an unfortunate history.”

“An unfortunate history?”

At Shan’s question, Roxy gave a somewhat shadowed smile and spoke.

“Long ago, they started a rebellion and were all slaughtered or driven out.”

About a hundred years ago, there were those who proclaimed the Neo Altoan Empire on an island in the Ruman Kingdom.

A large-scale rebellion involving at least tens of thousands of people, perhaps more than half of all the Altoans in the world.

In response, the Ruman royal house dispatched an army and waged war, exterminating all of them before expelling every other Altoan living within the kingdom.

Since they consistently banned Altoans from entering the country ever since, Ruman was a place where it was harder to find an Altoan than in most Old Faith nations today.

The troupe members knew this in detail because they too were descendants of those driven out back then.

An old story passed down from their parents, and from those parents’ parents.

“Honestly, if only the Savior were to be born…”

Pen, who had been listening to the explanation beside them, muttered lamentingly before gasping and covering his mouth with his hand.

Of course, doing so could not pull back the words that had already escaped his lips.

As Shan tilted his head wondering why the atmosphere had suddenly turned like this, Roden hardened his face and spoke in an accusing tone.

“Don’t tell me you people are Resurrectionists?”

“No… it’s not that, we are merely reciting vague stories passed down from our ancestors. We are all people who praise the benevolence of the Goddess. Naturally. Right, Pen?”

“Huh? Ah, o-of course!”

As Roxy spoke defensively, Pen hurriedly nodded.

As Shan quietly watched, wondering what on earth a Savior was to cause such a reaction, Roden, who had been glaring at them for a long while, let out a sigh and shook his head.

“Understood. Still, be careful. There are already plenty of people looking for an excuse to pick on you.”

“We don’t usually talk about such things either. It’s just…”

When Roxy explained that seeing Roden cherish Shan, an Altoan, made them subconsciously feel as if they were of the same kind, Roden did not press further and soon nodded.

After chatting for a while longer, the troupe finally decided on their course of action.

To somehow evade the shadow of war skillfully and continue wandering within the Kingdom of Libert.

Shan looked at Roden wondering if there was any way to help, but Roden shook his head as well.

No matter how rich Roden’s father was, he could not possibly ask him to take care of more than ten Altoans for free.

Besides, living off someone else’s goodwill rather than sustaining themselves through their own skills could hardly be considered a purely good thing for them.

The moment the path of the two parted from the troupe was late in the afternoon, around the time the river they had been following grew narrow and shallow enough to cross on foot.

Roden pulled out a compass, checked it, and spoke.

“It’s about time we part ways here. If you cross this river and keep heading east, you’ll reach Pendia.”

The troupe said they planned to head straight south from here.

Since there were quite a few lords in southern Libert uninvolved with the two warring high nobles, they intended to wander around their relatively safe territories.

Before parting, Roxy patted Shan’s shoulder and spoke.

“I pray that your future will be filled with nothing but shining glory, Shan. Please grow up strong and become the hope of us Altoans. I am sorry for placing such a heavy burden on a young child, but we desperately need someone to take the lead and guide the way.”

Shan could not bring himself to confidently answer that he would.

He had aspirations to become the strongest knight someday, but he lacked the confidence that becoming such a figure would allow him to be a guide for his kin.

In the distant future, if he became a lord, obtained a decent territory, and accepted only Altoans as his domain’s subjects, could he do so then?

As he was thinking such thoughts to himself, Debi, who had been standing nearby, stepped forward and hugged Shan tightly.

A soft and warm touch he had never felt before in his life.

Shan, who did not even have memories of being held by a mother, stiffened his body without realizing it.

“Even if you don’t do anything more, you are already hope to me, pretty-eyed knight. Even if we never meet again, I will never forget you for the rest of my life.”

Smooch. Kissing his forehead lightly, she giggled softly and stepped back with quick, short strides.

Her butterfly wings, one side still bent and unspread, fluttered gently, scattering glittering powder.

*

“The kid’s already acting so precocious.”

Those were the very first words Roden uttered after crossing the river with the two horses.

At this, Shan tilted his head as if unable to understand.

“What’s precocious?”

“You’re… never mind, you’re not at that age yet. Anyway, don’t feel too burdened just because you heard words like that. No one in this world bears the responsibility of shouldering an entire race alone.”

A savior of the Altoan race: it was not a weight that should be placed on the shoulders of a boy barely thirteen or fourteen years old.

Roden worried that Shan might collapse under excessive pressure.

However, contrary to his thoughts, Shan had already set his mind at ease to some extent regarding that matter.

In the sense that if the opportunity arose, that would be nice, but if his ability fell short, it couldn’t be helped.

It was thanks to having learned how to resign himself easily since childhood.

“More importantly, what are the Resurrectionists? You had a really serious expression when talking about that earlier.”

At that time, Roden’s face had not been that of a young man staying with friends, but rather, strictly speaking, the expression of a ‘serious knight’ standing before others.

At Shan’s question, Roden stroked his beard with an awkward expression.

“Ah, that…”

After nodding his head a few times as if pondering whether to explain or not, he soon opened his mouth as though giving up.

“Simply put, it’s a heretical faith believing that someday a savior Archmage will be born among the Altoans to resurrect the ancient Altoan Empire. Along with the trash who practice human sacrifice, they are the kind the Church despises most.”

“Why?”

“Because the conclusion is that the savior born like that will overthrow the Church of the Goddess. In fact, even setting that aside, the Church has loathed everything related to the ancient Altoan Empire and magic since long ago. Until the New Faith emerged, just being a mage was cause enough to be killed.”

Just looking at how they issued excommunication and a declaration of heresy against the Magic Academy for claiming that the spirit of knights was a form of magic, the Church of the Goddess’s wariness of magic reached borders of outright hysteria.

“Actually, it’s not quite to that degree nowadays. Pendia even had a royal mage emerge for the first time not long ago.”

“Really? Who is it?”

Shan widened his eyes in surprise at a story he had never heard before.

He well knew that mages held relatively high status in Pendia, but he hadn’t imagined even royalty would learn magic.

“Was it Princess Sherin? She’s probably two or three years older than you. I heard she’s called a genius, but whether they’re just using royalty as a figurehead to promote her or if it’s real, who can say.”

Since the Magic Academy desperately needed royal backing, even if that princess went mad learning magic and smeared dung on the walls, they would insist it was art… Roden poured out uncharacteristically scathing vitriol.

“Fascinating…”

“Well, still, it doesn’t earn her good words. Let me not waste interest on strange things and focus on fighting techniques instead. An Altoan knight might be one thing, but an Altoan mage truly has no chance of making a name for himself.”

Making a name for oneself… Shan repeated that word, which had felt only vague to him, under his breath.

The meaning of wealth, honor, and power (things he had dismissed as mere concepts when Roden mentioned them before) was something Shan had recently felt to his very bones.

Had he not witnessed how a band of mercenaries, which he had to shoot arrows and thrust spears frantically to fight against, moved at a single hand gesture from a knight?

Perhaps Shan, too, might someday be able to command his own army like that.

When that time came, instead of relying on someone else’s kindness as he did now, he would be able to determine his own fate entirely.

Perhaps even the fates of the Altoans and other people as well.

“I want to make a name for myself, quickly.”

“I want to see you make a name for yourself soon too, but to do that, you need to grow taller first. Though since you’re already eating until your belly bursts, there’s no need to tell you to eat well.”

“Honestly, breakfast was a bit lacking.”

“If you eat any more, you’ll have to roll around.”

Contrary to Roden’s words, Shan was no longer scrawny like in the past, yet he still possessed a slender and lean build.

Seeing how much he ate while staying together for a few days, his stomach should have been bulging out, to the point where one might wonder if he was raising a monster inside his belly that stole his food.

‘Well, eating that much must be how he gets the power to swing a sword around like that with such a body.’

As the two traveled while chatting away like that, they fortunately found a small village around sunset and were able to rent a house for lodging.

And the next day, and even the day after that, they continued to find villages to stay in before the sun set.

It was thanks to moving faster on horseback, of course, as well as Roden finding the right paths and distributing their itinerary properly.

Even he failed to accurately calculate Shan’s eating capacity, resulting in them starving for a meal.

Cases of encountering other people while traveling east were not very frequent.

They said that normally one would encounter peddlers or pilgrims quite often, but the grim atmosphere due to the war was the cause.

Of course, those they occasionally met on the road would also quickly dodge out of the way in surprise upon seeing Roden riding a horse in armor with his large build.

Exactly four days after parting with the troupe.

Right around the time it was about ready to unwind the bandages from his chest, Roden, walking over the green field, pointed forward and burst into an exclamation.

“We’ve finally made it! See that castle up ahead?”

“Yeah. I see it.”

An old fortress visible between rugged mountain ranges.

A high wall about six meters tall blocked the path carved through the mountain range like a knife cut.

“It’s called Solod Castle, and you can practically consider that place the border mark. Once you cross past there, it’s Pendia right away.”

A homeland to which Roden was returning after a long time, and a country that would become a land of opportunity for Shan, approached before them.