Chapter 61: Chapter 61
“Isn’t he going to end up a complete cripple at this rate?”
At a simple gathering after the duel, Cheryn spoke with a half-dubious expression as she sipped her tea.
The person she was referring to was none other than Baron of Lugen, who had been carried off on a stretcher.
His state had been so gruesome that it was doubtful whether he would ever be able to function properly as a knight again.
“I deliberately avoided hitting hard-to-heal parts like his eyes, so he’ll be fine.”
Since several priests were tending to him, he would probably recover in a matter of days or weeks.
After all, fractures were among the injuries that responded best to healing miracles.
“No, I mean his mind, not his body.”
“As for that, well, won’t he be fine? He is someone who completed knight training, after all.”
The training to become a knight involved straining the body to a degree that an ordinary human could barely imagine.
Indeed, Fighting Spirit was something obtained only by those who endured agonizing pain, as if the muscles throughout their entire body were burning away and their bones were being crushed.
Knights who had endured such a process naturally possessed a threshold for pain that was far higher than that of ordinary people.
That was why Shan had also deliberately pushed him even more harshly.
“Is that so…”
Cheryn, ignorant of the realm of warriors, accepted that if he said so, it must be the case.
After a moment of silence, she, who had been resting her fingers over her closed eyelid, smiled.
“Well, in any case, the response isn’t as bad as I thought.”
“Is it because of that?”
“Yeah.”
Having arrived at this castle just yesterday, it seemed she had already controlled spiders and scattered them in all directions.
According to what Cheryn shared, the influential figures of the Paless territory were divided into roughly two opinions following this duel.
Between those who clicked their tongues, saying it had been far too harsh, and those who felt refreshed, thinking he got what he deserved.
The surprising thing was that the latter far outnumbered the former.
Because many people resented Baron of Lugen, a reckless scoundrel whom even the Count could not control.
Furthermore, the insult the baron had hurled at Shan in the first place had been severe enough that he would have had no right to complain even if he had actually been killed, so it was by no means an unjustified assault.
Opinions merely differed on how excessive the degree of force had been.
“On top of that, thanks to this, I got to see at a glance how the internal political landscape of Paless operates. Although I heard about it in letters from my maternal uncle, seeing it in person is much more accurate.”
Ordinarily, people did not reveal their political inclinations, making it difficult to extract meaningful information even with spiders attached, but when a major incident like this occurred, it became easy to deduce their leanings through their reactions.
Shan watched Cheryn lightly tap her fingers in midair.
She was likely categorizing those to spare and those to purge on an imaginary sheet of paper that only she could visualize.
Because Paless would need to become one for the battles ahead.
“By the way, is His Excellency the Count alright?”
“Hmm? Why my uncle?”
“His reaction didn’t look so good when the duel ended.”
Shan recalled how the face of Count of Palles had turned pale upon seeing his collapsed brother-in-law, perhaps having not expected ‘teaching him a harsh lesson’ to mean something to this extent.
Even amidst that, he had stanchly declared Shan’s victory nonetheless.
“Don’t worry. Though my uncle is a bit fainthearted, he’s not someone who can’t distinguish right from wrong. If anything, you should worry about my aunt.”
“The Countess?”
“Yeah. She keeps nagging my uncle, asking how he could let her brother be turned into minced meat like that. I suppose I’ll have to say something to her soon.”
Smiling brightly as she said so, her appearance was the very picture of a villainous mastermind.
One could foresee that the Countess would undergo all sorts of ordeals at the hands of this noble niece of hers.
Cheryn, taking a final sip of her tea, let out a light sigh and spoke.
“Ah, time to get back to work. There’s so much to do.”
“You seem very busy.”
“Don’t even mention it. I have to sort out administrative issues in the territory that couldn’t be resolved by letters, observe the people, restore magic facilities, prepare for the ceremony… I really wish I had ten more bodies.”
Her claim of being busy was clearly no empty talk, as Cheryn looked even more haggard despite having rested for a day in the Count’s castle.
Dark shadows were visible under her eyes even though she had concealed them with makeup.
“Still, this incident will be of some help. At the very least, it served as a threat that defying me could bring forth that terrifying Sir Shan.”
Expressing her gratitude anew, Cheryn noted that since territorial reform inevitably touched upon vested interests and invited backlash, she had now secured the deterrent force needed to press forward with it.
“Now that the foundation is laid, I must do well going forward… The people here see my mother in me, after all. If possible, I don’t want to disappoint them.”
“It seems everyone loved the late queen very much.”
Aste Barbelka, third wife of the King of Pendia and daughter of the previous Count.
Though it had been merely two days since arriving in the land of Paless, Shan lost count of how many times he had already heard that name.
Cheryn spoke with a wistful expression.
“I’ve only heard about her in stories, but they say she was truly like someone straight out of a fairy tale. Beautiful, yet an angel-like young lady who was kind to everyone. Completely different from me.”
Aste Barbelka was practically everyone’s first love in this land of Paless.
Despite being the noble daughter of a Count and possessing angelic beauty, far from being haughty like other noble ladies, she was a young lady who always smiled sweetly like an angel to everyone.
She would personally inquire about any injuries or troubles suffered by anyone, from knights and bureaucrats under her command down to mere servants, and whenever she had spare time, she toured the territory to personally help the sick and the weak.
Because of this, everyone from the Count and his family to the ordinary commoners was proud of her and loved her.
Calling her the saintess born of this land and its most beautiful jewel.
Above all, what made them yearn for her was her profoundly tragic end.
Twenty-some years ago, when the territory fell into crisis due to the scheme of Gizel III, who coveted the vast resources of the Paless region.
Aste protected Paless by offering herself along with a massive dowry to the lecherous king.
When she knelt before the weeping Count who refused, begging him to let her go, they said there was not a single person present who did not weep with them.
To the middle-aged and older generation of the current Paless territory, Aste was a daughter, lover, and sister whom they could not protect because they were weak, or rather, one who had sacrificed her own body to protect them.
In fact, the favorable gazes directed at Shan, despite him beating up the territory’s strongest warrior right after arriving, were heavily influenced by these feelings.
Because it was already widely known that he was the person who had rescued Cheryn from the royal palace and brought her to Paless.
“And by performing the ceremony this time, I’ll be able to lend even more strength.”
Cheryn smiled and reached her hand out toward Shan.
“Are you ready to become my knight?”
“Of course.”
Cheryn’s hand, when he held it, was rough, unlike that of a noble princess.
*
The following afternoon, in the chapel inside the Count’s castle.
Dressed in stiff, neatly pressed clothes, Shan knelt on one knee and bowed his head before Cheryn, who was likewise wearing a dress far more elaborate and decorated than usual.
It was for the ceremony of the oath of fealty that many knight-errants fervently desired.
“Knight Shan Barendil, will you become my faithful spear, sword, and shield?”
“I shall, my lord.”
Upon hearing his answer, Cheryn cupped her hands and scooped up the anointing oil beside her.
A liquid mixed with olive oil, myrrh, and a few spices flowed down over Shan’s head.
“O Anointed One, so long as you faithfully fulfill your duties, I too shall never abandon you.”
Right beside them, Count of Palles and the bishop of the Paless diocese served as witnesses to confirm the covenant between the two.
The period of sworn loyalty was five years to come.
His stipend as a knight was of the highest treatment, far exceeding that of a royal knight.
Though it was slightly burdensome even for the wealthy Count of Palles, none among them dared dispute it as excessive.
“Congratulations, Sir Shan.”
“Congratulations.”
Norman, the old knight who had first greeted Shan in Paless, and his niece Aran, the female knight who had continuously escorted Cheryn in Hasra, clapped their hands in celebration.
Originally, Aran had known Shan since his adventurer days and habitually used informal speech, but she corrected her manner of address only after being severely scolded by her uncle a while ago.
His scolding (bellowing how absurd it was to treat a knight who had accomplished such feats so carelessly merely because of his young age) had been quite fierce.
Thus, the first mission of Sir Shan Barendil, the knight who officially entered under Princess Cheryn’s command, was none other than escort duty.
Two days later, claiming there was a grave announcement, Count of Palles gathered the people not in his office or meeting room, but in the plaza in front of the Count’s castle.
As high-ranking figures assembled, commoners also gathered from all around to see what was happening.
When everyone had gathered, it was not the Count but Cheryn who stepped forward on the dais.
With Shan and Aran standing right beside her as escorts, she amplified her voice using magical power before a crowd of easily over several hundred people and began her speech.
“[Right now, Pendia is in crisis! Since the King fell, the two princes view each other as enemies, engaging in fratricide and seeking to ascend the throne even by slaughtering their own kin!]”
Cheryn’s initial outcry did not receive much of a response.
Naturally, for them, Pendia was a world across the river, so whether people killed each other there or not was none of their concern.
However, up to this point, everything went according to calculation.
Pausing for a moment to catch her breath, Cheryn continued with her pre-prepared lines.
“[I assure you! Whichever of them wins and becomes the new king, Paless will have to pay a steep price! They will try to seize the resources of this rich land to rebuild after the massive damage caused by their conflict! Just like how they plundered my mother twenty-some years ago!]”
The complexions of the people changed the moment the story of Aste, the most beautiful jewel of Paless, was brought up.
The memory of losing her to the King of Pendia still remained a profound pain despite the long passage of time.
“[That is why I came to this land! To prevent the people who loved my mother from being exploited! As of today, as the daughter of the King of Pendia and the descendant of Count of Palles, I declare that I inherit the title Duke of Reinel and become the protector of this land!]”
The title Duke of Reinel was a position governing all of the present Paless land and part of the territory across the river.
It had vanished long ago when the Kingdom of Pendia was established alongside the collapse of the Arman Empire, so reviving it and ascending to it herself was effectively a declaration of rebellion.
“[I have with me the vast magical knowledge built up in the capital, along with Pendia’s strongest knight! If the help of all the people of Paless is combined with this, we will be able to prevent Pendia from taking what is ours! For the peace of Paless!]”
“For Paless!”
Of course, only a small minority among the people gathered here understood such complex concepts.
Most of the ignorant commoners simply shouted cheers, caught up in the incitement of a few planted instigators.
They didn’t understand it well, but wasn’t Lady Aste’s daughter returning to this land to become a duke and lead them?
Since the great elder beside her, Count of Palles, and other high officials were also responding in agreement, they figured it couldn’t be a bad thing.
*
The title of Duchess of Reinel that Cheryn self-proclaimed could not be recognized the moment one left this land of Paless.
What lord in the world would acknowledge a princess (who wasn’t even a monarch) creating and bestowing a title upon herself with a simple ‘is that so’?
The surest way to prove one’s position was power.
To gain that power, Cheryn issued an order to Shan, who had become her knight.
Sir Shan Barendil’s second mission was to train the Altoans brought along and forge them into an army.
The planned settlement for the Altoans was decided to be the plain between the city of Paless and the port situated to the south.
Just like the mercenary villages in Ajun and Libert, this place was intended to become a village for the Altoan mercenary band hired by the Count.
Fortunately, Shan did not need to coordinate that complex and fastidious process step by step from scratch.
It was thanks to Roden, the all-around worker, who had already assumed the role of manager for the Altoans and taken quite a few measures.
“First, I categorized them based on their original occupations and physical traits. What do you think?”
“It’s pretty complex, more than I thought.”
Among the assembled Altoans, the number of those possessing physical conditions suitable for military service totaled 141 people.
Among them, those who had a fair amount of combat experience through mercenary work and the like numbered about thirty.
Accordingly, Roden designated them as veteran soldiers and assigned three or four novice soldiers to each as subordinates to form units.
In addition, he did not forget to classify those with special senses like Shan as scouts, and those whose original occupations were carpenters or blacksmiths as non-combat branches.
Even for women and children who were entirely unsuitable for combat, he assigned tasks that they could manage.
Considering what had been invested so far, the current Altoans needed to work without slacking off even a little to produce results of any kind.
“…At this rate, there’s nothing left for me to do.”
“What do you mean nothing to do? You need to practice commanding, too.”
“I wonder if I can do it well.”
“In my view, your talent is more than enough.”
Back when they hunted the ogre, Roden had watched Shan make quick judgments and take the lead in guiding the troops.
Shan was not only a superb warrior, but also possessed ample talent as a field commander.
If a knight of overwhelming martial prowess also possessed superior command capability, what enemy could be frightening?
What Roden (who could not fight people directly) needed to do was thoroughly grind the soldiers supporting Shan from behind.
“Run faster!”
“Keep your shoulders aligned! If you scatter, you die!”
“Thrust your spears with power! Don’t just pretend to poke at them!”
“A red flag means retreat! Do you not have any memory at all!”
“We are sorry!”
As the heavily bearded large man roared in their ears, the half-dazed Altoan soldiers responded like spastic reflex.
Since wooden weapons were used during training for safety, he could step in or demonstrate without major issues as well.
Naturally, Roden, who was skilled at handling people, did not merely brandish the whip unconditionally.
“Go home early today.”
“B-but…”
“Didn’t you say your wife was sick? Here is money for medicine. Show her to a priest just in case.”
“Thank you…!”
If Shan was a stern father who took the lead, Roden fulfilled the role of a mother who attentively looked after them despite his intimidating appearance.
In the first place, Shan’s stipend had been set at a somewhat excessively high amount on the premise of being used like this, so there was nothing to regret.
Receiving so much consideration as houses for them to live in were built one by one in a territory resembling a paradise on earth, the soldiers’ motivation naturally rose.
Since they had been expelled from the capital, wasn’t this a situation where they had to make this place their second home?
As the army’s training level and cohesion improved faster than expected, it did not take long before Shan and Roden received Cheryn’s permission and began actual combat training.
It was none other than crossing the river to patrol the southern region of the Paless territory and subjugate monsters.
“Phew…”
“We end up coming back here again.”
After crossing the river by boat and emerging from the fortress, the soldiers grumbled softly.
It was understandable, given that they had left the land of Paless (where it was safe to sleep lying down in the fields at midnight) and returned to Pendia swarming with monsters.
Leaving the riverbank and patrolling the surroundings, it was not long before a pack of five or six gnolls appeared.
At Shan’s command, ten out of the dozens of soldiers stepped forward.
“Lock shoulders! Thrust!”
“Ha!”
Raising their shields high to block the gnolls’ attacks, the soldiers targeted exposed gaps, piercing the fur with spears and blades.
Had they faced the same number of gnolls just a month ago, they would have fought in utter disarray, with half of them dying.
The way they displayed splendid teamwork after receiving training in the meantime was quite impressive.
“Ugh…!”
Of course, that did not mean they had turned into elite soldiers trained for years in just a few weeks.
The moment a soldier tripped over his feet and fell into danger, Arwin dashed right over to his side.
Extending his spear, Shan impaled and killed the gnoll, then looked down at the fallen soldier and spoke.
“Get up.”
“I-I am sorry!”
“That can happen. Return to formation.”
“Yes!”
Thanks to having such an outstanding guardian, the Altoans accumulated real combat experience without major casualties and gradually grew sturdier.
Procuring monster by-products, which were among the few goods lacking in Paless, was an added bonus.
On top of that, by leveraging the unique physical traits of Altoans, they displayed advantages exceeding ordinary armies in several areas, including scouting capabilities.
“People ahead. Ten of them!”
“What kind?”
“They seem to be refugees! Their luggage is unusually large…”
“Let’s go.”
As an Altoan scout whose eyes were about twice as large as others looked ahead and reported, Shan immediately gave orders.
Advancing a few kilometers as reported, a group walking with difficulty came into sight.
Shan could tell from their attire that they were mages.
“Oh, it really is an army made up of Altoans!”
“The rumors were true.”
“Is this place perhaps Paless?”
While conducting patrols like this, Shan and the Altoan army occasionally rescued refugees seeking refuge in Paless to escape the war.
Some of them were Altoans, but most were Westerners, particularly those associated with the Magic Society.
For ordinary people, the perception was widespread that Paless was not a place that opened its doors to just anyone, and in fact, immigration was not accepted for anyone who was not an Altoan or associated with the Magic Society.
Because there was no telling which of them might be henchmen of Conrad or Elvin.
“You’ve had a tough journey. Welcome.”
Shan smiled and extended his hand to the mages.
Whether they had truly come with good intentions and whether they would be helpful was a matter for Cheryn to judge inside.
*
A couple of months after entering the Paless territory, Shan’s daily routine proceeded quite monotonically.
Every morning, he commuted from the Count’s castle, trained the Altoan mercenaries alongside Roden, worked out his body so it would not grow rusty, and interacted with the territory’s knights when time permitted.
Those who had kept their distance at first because Shan had brutally smashed Baron of Lugen also began stealthily acting friendly and approaching him at some point.
Because Baron of Lugen remained in seclusion even after his injuries healed, and in the meantime, Cheryn had completely seized the position of the power behind the territory.
Reforming the administration and shaking off corruption with her characteristic intelligence and overwhelming intelligence-gathering ability, she grasped the power of Paless in one hand in an instant and wielded it.
They could not ignore Shan, who was practically her sword, forever.
As he became friendly with the knights, he naturally came to hear news of how the war in the south was progressing as well.
Since they were the ones leading the groups traveling back and forth regularly for trade, the news reached them quickly.
“Prince Conrad is winning?”
“So I heard. Because of that, there’s even talk that the Kingdom of Ruman is intervening in earnest; what on earth will become of the country at this rate?”
The knight passing along the story clicked his tongue.
It had already been two months since the outbreak of the conflict dubbed the Pendia War of Succession.
Since they too had become a major axis of this war, they could not help but pay attention.
Though they were currently carrying out internal reorganizations, everyone knew they would not stay crouched here forever.
“Perhaps we will have to march out and strike Conrad from the north in tandem with Elvin.”
“Have you heard anything from the princess, Sir Shan?”
“No. I haven’t really…”
As he was answering, Shan stopped speaking in embarrassment when his voice suddenly cracked.
The knight asked with a puzzled expression.
“What is wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Experiencing this for the first time, Shan touched his own neck in confusion.
Did something go wrong because he had shouted a bit too much lately?
Come to think of it, strange phenomena had been occurring in his body little by little for a while now.
Like unnaturally being unable to sleep, or joints throughout his entire body aching as if pricked by something sharp.
He had dismissed minor pain, figuring it was just because he was pushing his body hard, but it seemed that something was definitely wrong.