Chapter 24: Chapter 24

“W-What!”

“That kid!”

Exclamations and shouts erupted from all around as Shan’s sword dug into the knight’s helmet.

No matter how dangerous a duel with real swords was, to dare drive a blade into the face of a knight under his command right in front of the Count… did that brat have two lives?

However, Shan paid no mind to the reactions around him and withdrew the sword he had driven into the helmet.

The sword, which did not have a single drop of blood on it, finally snapped with a metallic clink.

“I managed to gain the upper hand thanks to you holding back.”

After a moment of silence, the knight slowly removed his helmet.

Just by looking at his rough breathing and the cold sweat dripping down, one could guess the terror he had felt.

Since the tip of the blade had truly come and gone right in front of his eyes by a hair’s breadth, even a knight had no choice but to be frightened.

Furthermore, the eye was a complex structure, making it one of the body parts difficult to restore even with healing miracles.

The knight, who had almost lost an eye out of nowhere, let out a deep sigh and spoke.

“Spare me the empty words. It was a difference in skill.”

“They are not empty words.”

Of course, it was true that there had been a difference in skill, but the knight’s sword stroke and the Fighting Spirit embedded in it were clearly aimed at breaking Shan’s sword to subdue him.

If he had swung with the intent to cut Shan down on the spot, his attack would naturally have been faster and stronger, and Shan would have had to attempt a counterattack in a far more dangerous manner.

Of course, in that case, it wouldn’t have ended at this level, and he would have taken at least an eye.

Had he not considered the fact that Count of Shedil was a person who actively hired Altoans, he might have killed him altogether.

Sheathing his sword into its scabbard, the knight turned toward the Count and murmured softly.

“Master has raised a monster…”

Just as Shan was about to ask what that meant, the Count, sitting on a chair at the top of the stairs, clapped his hands.

“Ha, impressive! Even if he lowered his guard, to subdue Sir Gowell so easily. With that level of skill, I wouldn’t have been a match for him even in my younger days.”

Unexpectedly, the Count did not look displeased; instead, he wore an expression of fascination and enlightenment.

It was a strange sight, considering that the knight he sent out had been defeated so one-sidedly, damaging his prestige.

Before long, the knight, returning to the Count, first respectfully offered the magic sword he held.

As expected, it was not his personal property, but something the Count had temporarily lent him for this duel.

Taking the sword, the Count murmured softly.

“Things in this world really never go as intended… which is probably why it’s so entertaining.”

Then, he abruptly looked at Shan and asked.

“Have you had lunch by any chance?”

*

Unfitting for the relatively modest exterior of the castle, the Count’s lunch was magnificent.

From freshly baked wheat bread and pies filled with meat and fish to duck meat cooked in low-temperature oil and an unidentified stew packed with exotic spices.

If it had been the Shan of the past, his eyes would have turned upside down at such a feast, but his refined palate, elevated thanks to enjoying all sorts of luxury at the Wibers mansion, helped him maintain his dignity.

Seeing Shan eat with polite manners, the Count clicked his tongue.

“Your appearance alone looks plausible enough to put among the capital nobles.”

“Thank you.”

Even though the words were rough, it was a compliment praising his good etiquette, so Shan answered in the polite manner he had been taught.

The Count sat opposite Shan to eat, with only the knight called Sir Gowell standing behind him.

Considering that he was one of the few high-ranking nobles in the kingdom, it was a more than generous seat for a mere Altoan boy.

Roughly tearing into a piece of pork, the Count glanced back and asked.

“So, how was the duel between fellow disciples who share the same master?”

“I would probably need at least three of myself to subdue him. And even then, it might not be enough.”

“I thought that old man Darkal had finally gone senile…”

Quietly listening to the conversation between the Count and Sir Gowell, Shan finally understood the meaning of the words spoken earlier and why the most powerful man in Shedil City had suddenly shown interest in him.

“Are you perhaps a disciple of Sir Darkal?”

“I received his teachings fifteen years ago. Lifting boulders was truly hellish.”

Sir Gowell shook his head with an expression that seemed nostalgic, yet thoroughly fed up.

If so, he was a fellow disciple not only of Shan, but also of Roden.

Shan knew that Sir Darkal had more than just one or two disciples, but he never expected their fates to connect in such a way.

While Shan secretly thought it was a relief he hadn’t stabbed him in the eye, the Count chuckled and said.

“They say a man who hadn’t contacted me in his entire life sent a letter a while ago. Saying that he raised a disciple in his later years, and if I ever met him as an enemy, I should avoid fighting him if possible…”

Sir Gowell, who was wondering what had happened since his master wasn’t one to make such a fuss usually, happened to hear about a boy whose appearance matched the description in the letter. Upon receiving his report, the Count, intrigued by curiosity, had summoned him.

“I thought he was doting on a promising disciple out of fear that he might wither before even blooming, but it turns out what that old man cherished were his other disciples. He was afraid the ones he raised before would be sliced to death by the new monster he created!”

The Count fussed, saying that he had nearly lost a precious knight after foolishly ignoring Darkal’s letter and putting them into a match.

After being briefly surprised by his master’s unexpected delicacy, Shan’s interest shifted to why he had been called out of nowhere for a duel and invited to a meal.

Sensing his gaze, the old bear put down his utensils, drew the magic sword at his waist halfway, and asked.

“How is it?”

“Well…”

Naturally, it was alluring beyond endurance.

The power to break a sword despite using the thickest part of the blade and receiving the strike with ample Fighting Spirit…

With that level, it was clear it could easily slice through the body of a large monster even without Fighting Spirit.

If Sir Gowell had not stepped forward to break the sword and had instead maintained a defensive stance, it would not have been easy to break through.

“I don’t need to hear any more! Your face looks like a beggar who has been starving for several years. This much means the purpose has been achieved.”

“The purpose?”

“Originally, my plan was to snap that old iron sword in two with this sword and then shove it in your face. To boast, ‘Look, what a wonderful sword this is…'”

The Count, who laughed while spewing crude expressions unfitting for his noble status, spoke in a serious tone.

“Do you have any intention of accepting this sword and coming under my command?”

‘Giving me the sword?’

Shan, who was about to nod as if spellbound, regained his composure at the words that followed.

Coming under his command… though the expression sounded plausible, wasn’t it an empty and vague statement?

“Does that mean you will bestow knighthood upon me?”

“That’s a no. An Altoan knight is out of the question.”

The Count coldly expressed his refusal and devoured his food ravenously.

An attitude unfitting for someone who hired Altoans without discrimination.

After smacking his lips for a long time, he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and spoke.

“Simply put, my demand is for you to become an invisible blade. Live freely normally, and when an order comes down, go where you’re told and swing your blade. Isn’t it a simple task?”

“An assassin, then.”

“You may think of it as an exclusive mercenary. Because sometimes you might have to escort someone or dispose of monsters. When it comes to money, you’ll receive enough to make ordinary knights envious, and I will select and give you only the best magic gear. I’ll also give you a beautiful wife and a manor to take care of your old age.”

Considering that this Shedil City was the transit point for all Alto artifacts, the Count whispered like a snake, unfitting for his bear-like appearance, that Shan would be able to possess the strongest armaments in the kingdom.

A temptation offering everything except honor… terrifying magic gear, money, women, and even land.

Listening to this quietly, Shan shook his head to express his refusal.

“I am sorry, but it is difficult for me to accept that offer.”

“Don’t tell me it’s because you want to become a knight?”

“Yes.”

“That’s impossible. Granting a rank of knight or higher to an Altoan is tacitly forbidden.”

Shan had heard that there had never been a single knight of Altoan origin until now, but this was the first time he heard that it was outright forbidden.

Not to mention Roden, even Callion and Sir Darkal had never said such a thing.

As Shan’s eyes narrowed, the Count snorted.

“Looking at you, it seems those two old men, Callion and Darkal, didn’t know either, did they? Or perhaps they knew and didn’t tell you… An Altoan becoming a knight is far more difficult than you think. Even if I were the one who wanted it.”

Count of Shedil was a great lord who possessed the largest territory in eastern Pendia and controlled the area between the Demonic Realm and the kingdom.

Although his influence over capital politics was lacking due to geographical conditions, his sheer size was something that could not be ignored.

Even such a man had said that despite seeing Shan’s skill, it would be difficult to bestow knighthood upon him.

“As you know, I hire Altoans. It’s because many Altoans live in my territory, so I must appear as a fair lord to them. Yet, just for hiring them as guards or servants, those capital noble bastards pick fights whenever they get a chance. Do you understand what that means?”

“Are you saying it’s difficult even if I achieve sufficient accomplishments?”

“Even if you become a knight stronger than the Lord Protector, or even if one of your parents were a Pendia noble, it won’t matter, so you had better wake up from your dream. No one but the King would dare bestow knighthood upon you.”

At the story that the barrier of race, which he had only vaguely thought about, was far thicker than expected, Shan felt a sense of helplessness and set down his utensils.

The shock was even greater because Roden had said Count of Shedil was an influential figure who could bestow knighthood upon him.

“So stop dreaming useless dreams and just get hired by me. Among the nobles of this kingdom, I am the one who at least treats Altoans most generously without discrimination. I promise you treatment worthy of your skills.”

Was it really impossible to rise through skill alone and become a knight, no matter how hard he tried?

If he couldn’t become a knight anyway, rather than wandering through remote regions to build up petty fame, it might be better to enjoy comfort while using his sword a little…

Lost in thought for a moment, he saw the Count’s smile as he looked at him.

A face that seemed to mock him, as if saying it was useless no matter what he tried.

The moment he saw that hateful sight, the answer burst out of his mouth on its own.

“Thank you for the offer.”

“Usually, what comes next in times like this is ‘however’, right? I’m someone who isn’t used to being rejected.”

As if he had already guessed the answer from the first sentence, the Count wiped the smile from his face and grumbled.

Of course, that didn’t mean Shan would get scared and change his answer.

“Even if it’s hard, and perhaps impossible… I will become a knight.”

Originally, it was a dream that had been half-injected by Roden.

Just as he had wanted back then, eating tastier food was fully possible even now.

If he were hired as the Count’s assassin, he would be able to live comfortably without making any effort.

However, unlike back then, Shan’s desires were no longer simple enough to be satisfied by material things alone.

A longing for honor, power, or something far more noble had quietly taken root inside him through his travels so far.

“Do you know what it means to refuse my words in this land of Shedil?”

“Yes.”

At the Count’s chilling words, Shan gradually tensed his muscles.

The moment the Count issued a hostile order, Shan intended to immediately grab a dining knife and take the Count hostage.

The fact that the fully armed Sir Gowell was beside him didn’t matter much.

If the Count believed that the previous contest was only possible because Shan had a scrap-iron-like longsword, he would have to pay the price.

Ending with Shan’s answer, the top of the dining table turned so quiet that not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

What broke that tension-filled silence was, unexpectedly, a burst of loud laughter.

“Bwa-hahaha! Impudent brat! How amusing! Yes, guys like you who have no fear and don’t listen are annoying, but they’re fun… Guys who just bow and scrape submissively are easy to use, but they’re no fun.”

Seeing him suddenly burst out laughing after glowering with slanted eyes until a moment ago, Shan stared at him blankly, not knowing how to react.

Toward him, the Count smiled and spoke.

“Fine. Although the hiring failed, since you entertained me, I should pay the price. Tell me what you want.”

“That magic sword…”

“Don’t talk bullshit.”

The Count immediately put on a serious expression as if his laughter from a moment ago had been a lie.

*

After leaving the Count’s castle and returning to the inn, Shan saw Roden pacing back and forth with an anxious face in the stable right next to the inn.

Seeing that the saddle on the horse was piled high with luggage, it seemed he had been ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

“I’m back. But what’s that?”

“I heard you went to see His Excellency the Count! Did nothing happen?”

“Uh…”

From driving his blade into Sir Gowell’s helmet during the duel to rejecting the Count’s offer and implicitly preparing to fight.

Recalling the events that had passed, Shan answered casually.

“Nothing much happened.”

“Looking at you, it seems quite a lot happened. Spill it all out quickly.”

As expected, lying to Roden was difficult.

A short while later, after hearing the story of what had happened, Roden let out a sigh so deep it seemed to cave in the ground.

“Haaa…”

“Are you relieved, or are you in despair?”

“I don’t know either. At any rate, His Excellency the Count won’t come leading an army right away, right?”

“Hmm, probably.”

While Shan didn’t particularly trust his own eye for people, it didn’t seem like the Count would come to catch them right away.

If he were going to do that, wouldn’t it have been better to ambush them on the way back rather than sending them back fully armed?

Unpacking the luggage they had packed in the room, the two lay on their respective beds and conversed.

“Roden, did you know about Sir Gowell?”

“I didn’t. When has Master ever been someone to talk about his past disciples?”

“Well, that’s true.”

Even so, becoming a guard knight to a Count meant he was quite a successful figure, yet Darkal never boasted about whom he had raised into a knight.

“Come to think of it, Sir Gowell also said something like that. He said some people might dislike or envy me after receiving Master’s letter, so I should be careful.”

“Thinking about it again, it’s really strange. I didn’t think he was the type to write such a letter.”

After exchanging a few words about Sir Darkal’s educational philosophy, Roden looked up at the ceiling and murmured softly.

“So he said it’s impossible for an Altoan to become a knight…”

“Yeah. Is it real?”

“Well, I don’t know about things like unwritten rules among nobles either. But considering there hasn’t been a single Altoan knight so far, it does make sense.”

In fact, among the famous Altoan mercenaries Roden knew, there were several skilled individuals at a level comparable to ordinary knights.

Until now, he had thought they simply couldn’t become knights because there was no reason to hire an Altoan if their skill was similar, but thinking about it, it was even stranger that throughout Pendia’s long history, there hadn’t been a single Altoan of exceptional skill like Shan.

While Roden was deep in thought, Shan rolled around on the bed and murmured as if lamenting.

“Just listening to him talk, he made it sound like it would NEVER work no matter how great an achievement I accomplish.”

Of course, if a dragon were to appear and he defeated it, like Roden had said in the past, it might be a different story, but realistically, the possibility of a dragon appearing while Shan was alive was slim.

Because the last time a true dragon, not a drake, appeared was five hundred years ago when the Empire fell.

“So, your mind still hasn’t changed?”

“Yeah.”

Just as he had told the Count, Shan intended to become a knight.

If nobles blocked his path with unwritten rules, he would just have to become a figure big enough that the benefits outweighed those rules.

If all else failed, he would gather a massive amount of money, hire a ton of mercenaries, overturn Pendia, and establish a new kingdom.

And after that, if he crowned himself as the Knight King, he would become a knight anyway.

“Still, His Excellency the Count wasn’t a completely bad person. He even gave us a gift.”

“Ah, right. This… looks like it’ll be of great help.”

At Shan’s words, Roden pulled out the booklet he had received from him earlier.

That was the gift the Count had given him instead of the magic sword in exchange for going along with his stubbornness today.

A compilation of reliable information gathered from various reports sold by explorers registered with the Explorers Guild.

Even within the Guild, it was provided only to exploration parties that had gained high contribution by providing information multiple times, making it something that could not be obtained simply by having a lot of money.

For them, who would soon go on an expedition to a distant place, it was truly a useful treasure.

*

Two days after the storm-like meeting with the Count, the exploration party Green Eyes gathered again on the first floor of the Explorers Guild.

The Guild, which was usually filled with bustling noise, fell silent with Shan’s appearance.

“Hey, is that him?”

“Yeah… No! Don’t call him ‘that guy’, he’ll hear you!”

“He really doesn’t look like it.”

Shan felt a subtle sense of unfamiliarity from the people whispering toward him.

He had received such gazes after knocking people down in the plaza or during his first expedition, but the nature of it was somewhat different from now.

Even explorers who had never seen what he did in the plaza sent gazes full of awe toward Shan.

After meeting Vent and Zerpo, he was able to understand the reason.

“I heard the rumors. I heard you fought a knight one-on-one and overwhelmingly subdued him?”

“Word got out?”

“Yesterday, stories were circulating enough to make the entire Guild buzz.”

At the two men’s words, Shan opened his eyes wide in surprise.

He thought they would naturally keep it a secret since Sir Gowell’s honor would be tarnished if it became known that he lost to a mere Altoan boy, but how on earth did that story get out like this?

Then again, thinking about it, there were over a dozen soldiers and servants present at the scene, so it would be impossible to keep all their mouths shut.

Unless everyone was killed, someone was bound to open their mouth carelessly.

‘If I knew this would happen, maybe I should have won in a more dignified way instead of sticking a blade in an eye hole.’

Such a thought crossed his mind, but thrusting a blade at the neck or other vital spots didn’t seem like it would have been much better.

Besides, if Sir Gowell had failed to recognize that his vital spot was threatened and tried to continue his attack, Shan would have had to actually stab him before his sword broke.

After briefly feeling uncomfortable about the unintended situation, Roden turned the subject by spreading out the map he had drawn in the meantime.

“This is how I’ve set up the plan for this expedition for now. Please look at it together and modify any parts that seem problematic.”

“Oh…”

“The route has become amazingly detailed?”

“Even places further than where we’ve been are roughly marked? These are places neither I nor Mr. Vent have been to.”

Both of them looked curious as to how on earth he had obtained such information, but they did not pry further.

Because the route of gathering information was strictly an area they should respect without intruding on each other.

After discussing several policies, they gathered in a circle as if performing a ritual, clapped their hands together, and stood up from their seats.

Now it was time to go excavate the ruins sleeping somewhere deep within that Demonic Realm.