Chapter 35: 35

A long way away from the village.

Two men dressed in black robes stood before an Orc covered in blood.

One had a spear on his back. Another held an old wooden staff in his hand.

"Raging Flower Wave…"

Sword marks left by a sweeping storm of flower petals.

The man with the staff had an empty gaze as if reminiscing of a time long past, when he had last seen the traces of those furious waves.

"To think I'll be able to see Stella's sword again one day… Life really can play some absurd jokes on you."

"Master Ramatu. Why did you let them go?"

"Because flowers that are about to bloom are beautiful."

The man carrying the spear on his back pulled back his hood, uncovering his face.

An imposingly handsome man with blond hair.

He was Lutheon, the apostate.

"I even risked my life for this mission. If those dozens of Knights and the Paladin that you spared become a factor that causes the failure of this mission, I shall hold even Ramatu of Krasion to account…"

Ramatu shrugged.

"If you can, try it."

Ramatu of Krasion.

One of the representative figures of Krasion, said to have lived for centuries.

He was not a human, but an old monster.

Lutheon clicked his tongue.

"… So. Why did you save this Orc?"

"Kel'tuk is someone who knows me well. It was a pity to leave him to die."

Wasn't it?

Saying so, he tapped the Orc with his staff.

The Orc jerked and screamed.

"Արդյո՞ք դա խանգարում է մարտիկի պայքարին!!!" 「Why did you interfere in a fight between Warriors!!」

The Orc's roars were mixed with rage.

His face and chest were deeply wounded, bleeding red.

However, that did not quell his anger at being interrupted in the midst of battle.

"What do you mean by this, Ramatu?

"Why did you interrupt my battle?"

The man with a staff called Ramatu shook his head.

"Great Warrior Kel'tuk. This is not yet your time to die. You had made such a contract. I apologize for besmirching the honour of a Warrior, but there was nothing else I could do. Are we not bound by the same pact?"

Brooding on those words for a moment, Kel'tuk raised his axe, making rivulets of blood flow down from his face and chest.

The moment the spear-bearer tried to raise his own spear to warn him –

Kung –!

Tuk. Kelululuk.

Kel'tuk groaned in pain as he severed one of his own arms.

"This savage barbarian…"

"What? Why, his arm…?"

"To flee a battle is to be marred by shame, so he must show respect to his opponent and punish himself."

Such was the Orcs' way of life.

Tung. As the black-robed man struck the ground with his staff, blood gushed out as if the earth was alive.

And soon, it covered the exposed cross-section where the Orc had severed his arm, joining it with his axe, and hardened.

"Lutheon. What happened to the attack on Jervain?"

"It must have failed. They were just bait, anyway. The day he shows a fatal gap in his defence shall be the day he dies."

"Elburton. I don't know if his head will fall off that easily. Try hard."

"Aren't you going to help?"

"I think I've done enough by bringing in the Orcs. Krasion simply pays others back in their own coin. Be it grace – or revenge."

Tass. As Ramatu disappeared in the space of an instant, Lutheon looked in the direction where Callius had been.

"Callius… You too, were a Jervain. That's just the way of the world."

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For a time, Lutheon thought of the sword he had in his mind. Then he, too, disappeared.

Kkiig.

After his conversation with Bernard, Callius left the hut and looked around at the makeshift camp.

Seven died fleeing the Great Warrior.

The survivors now numbered in the 30s or so.

"Master Callius!"

"Callius is awake!"

"Prince Callius!"

Allen and Aaron.

As well as the rest of the nameless Knights and soldiers, came running like children.

"Are you alright?"

"Ohh, you were so seriously hurt, but already…"

"That's too…"

"Callius! Remember this Knight, Lennon! I did not flee!"

"Pilgrim!"

"Your body…"

Callius ignored the chattering Knights and called Bruns.

"Bruns."

"Yes, master! Hee!"

Callius patted him on the shoulder.

Bruns, fearing being hit, couldn't suppress his flinch.

"…"

Callius' hand, which had been raised for another pat on the shoulder, drooped down.

"Get ready."

"Where are we going?"

"Don't ask the obvious."

Their destination was the Jervain Castle.

Jevarsch.

"But you haven't recovered yet…"

Bruns looked at the Knights and said cautiously.

It's not that Callius didn't understand what he meant, but he really didn't have time.

By now, three or four days had already passed as he rested, so it was even more urgent.

He had to go kill the Orcs and stop the darkness of this war, in order to complete the quest and increase the level of rewards.

‘The Wheel still spins.'

And along with this Wheel, Callius' future was also in flux.

Despite facing a path covered in thorns, he had no choice but to march forward.

Callius glanced back.

Behind the Cloak of Twilight fluttering in the wind, the Knights following him had determination on their faces.

"Not bad."

Callius was very pleased with the appearance of the Knights following him.

Although, since they hadn't eaten or washed for a while, the sight of that bloody and limping procession was quite terrifying at first glance.

"Callius!"

Allen could be seen from afar.

He was leading a horse with a bright face.

"I've found you a horse!"

Allen grinned like a child asking for praise.

That appearance wasn't very Knightly, so Callius almost burst out laughing.

"Good work."

It was a brown horse with a shiny mane and medium physique.

"You can ride it. You're not too well yet, so you can ride this guy all the way to Jevarsch."

"Allen, you bastard, wherever you go, you're just trying to score points!"

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"I just got lucky."

"Hahaha! Keep pretending!"

Callius was troubled by the friendly atmosphere among the Knights.

‘Callius was no horseman.'

The original Callius, who had no talent in anything, could neither swing a sword nor ride a horse.

He who had become the current Callius had also been a modern urbanite, so he wasn't familiar with horse-riding either.

He had had the chance to ride horses before.

However, there were repeated failures.

‘Should I try?'

It might be a little different now.

But there was still one thing to worry about.

‘If I failed again, it would…'

No matter how high your noble bloodline, if you can't deal with a single horse, what kind of shame is that?

Callius looked at Allen and the Knights with their eyes twinkling in anticipation, pretending to be casual.

"Hmm."

And immediately drew the sword from his waist.

Seuk.

Kung.

"Ugh!"

"Oh no, Master Callius…"

Callius decapitated the horse.

With a single slash.

The horse died without even knowing how. That's how sharp and fierce his sword was.

Most of the Knights could only see him start drawing his sword and then finish putting it back in its scabbard.

His sword was so fast that they felt as if the intermediate process had been omitted.

His swordsmanship was more refined than before and had risen to a higher level.

"Ca-, Master Callius. Why… didn't you like my gift?"

For some reason, Allen started weeping.

Since the horse he gave as a gift was killed in front of his eyes, he wondered if he'd done something wrong. Just as he was contemplating how to ask for forgiveness from Callius –

"Master is just rewarding the Knights who've stood by him! You haven't slept or eaten well for so long, so have one good meal, can't you understand something so simple?"

It was Bruns.

His useless meddling was being helpful for once.

Callius nodded.

"You're being so considerate…"

"I didn't even think of that…! I was stupid and couldn't understand what Master Callius meant. I'm so sorry!"

"Okay, let's prepare to eat."

"Yes!"

The Knights immediately began carving up the horse, draining its blood and skinning it.

‘Come to think of it, I should take a walk too.'

Patting his own stomach, Callius headed for the forest.

"Where are you going?"

"With around 30 heads, a single horse can't even fill a corner of our bellies."

It's better to go and hunt a few more wild beasts.

If you find a magic beast, you can feed its blood to Loas to make it recover.

"I'll go with you."

"Alright."

Callius walked into the forest with Bruns. Plucking a leaf of grass from nearby, he made a grass flute and blew it.

Musical notes danced in the wind.

As they walked, they cut down an oncoming deer and then a wild boar, one by one.

Bruns flattered him saying he sounded great, while happily bundling up the carcasses and putting them into [Eldora's Cloth Bag].

"Yeah, I really am."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a sign of a demonic beast. Hide."

"Yes, yep!"

Callius placed Lucen back onto his waist and drew Loas just as the demonic beast appeared.

Loas was pulled out and swung in a single movement, intersecting with the form rushing out from the bushes.

Chwank.

Callius, who had split the wolf-shaped beast into two, looked at the sword in his hand with surprise.

"What? This…"

The sword, which had been broken so recently, showed off a blade much more pristine than he'd expected.

Aside from the fact that the regular patterns engraved on the blade still remained, it was impossible to think of it as the same sword as earlier, since the blade now shined crimson, as if bathed in blood.

"When did you change?"

Was it after it was broken?

Or was it after I lost my mind?

He didn't know for sure, but Callius was still happy.

Why?

[Predator Sword – Loas]

Grade – Spirit Sword.

Inhabited Soul – A mixed soul.

• The test subject that was the culmination of Rogeris’ research.
• Although it was the last Chimera Rogeris created, it was turned into a sword by Callius von Jervain.

Unique Ability – Predation.

Because the Predator Sword – Loas had finally risen to the rank of a Spirit Sword.

The red blade, which symbolized a Spirit Sword, shone brighter and more beautiful than any other light.

The stench of blood had deepened, but the power of the sword itself had increased significantly enough to more than offset that.

"I knew it."

Loas became a Spirit Sword.

You'd know it as soon as you grab the sword.

As soon as a true swordmaster grasps his sword, he can tell its state and level, and Callius could feel it a little bit.

"The impact of cutting the beast just now was negligible."

The fact that the body of the beast was split in twain and yet the impact of the cut had been negligible, meant the blade was incredibly sharp.

Callius's grip on the hilt tightened.

‘This will do.'

Great Warrior Kel'tuk was still alive.

In the fight against him, he'd felt the desperate need for a Spirit Sword.

What if there hadn't been a sacred stone in his hands, or he hadn't had the trait to absorb it? What if Bernard hadn't shown up in the nick of time? What if the Orc hadn't leisurely enjoyed their battle?

Even the enlightenment of Death Verse Composition[1] wouldn't have been enough to save Callius from his doom.

It was originally a fight with long odds. Even so, there was a not insignificant regret in the corners of his heart. If only he had a Spirit Sword, he wouldn't have been toyed with so easily.

"The quality of my divine power also increased."

And now there was even a Spirit Sword in his hand.

Now, he was no longer afraid to fight the Great Orc Warrior, Kel'tuk.

Rather, he felt anticipation.

Six Peak Flowers Bloom in Late Season, and Silver Flower Wave Sword – Raging Flower Wave.

It had even become possible to use the second martial skill[2] – White Haze.

The skills were still unstable, but the level of his divine power had increased, and his vessel[3] had also grown, so the next battle won't be as one-sided as before.

"The next time we meet –"

I will turn him into my sword.

Editor's Notes:

[1] Four Verse Composition is now Death Verse Composition, since we have ended up taking a lot more artistic license when translating terms compared to what we'd thought at the start of the translation. No point dying on this particular hill.

[2] 초식 (lit. herbivore) means martial skill/technique which is part of a martial art/style.

[3] 그릇 (lit. bowl/vessel) is used as metaphor to indicate a person's ability, talent, or qualification for something. Comes from a verse of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. See Namu Wiki for more details. If you're familiar with KR stories (especially MTLs) using the term bowl or plate, this is what they mean.

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