abcnovels
Chapter 26: Ties
Chapter 26: Ties
Chapter 26: Ties
Ekav Tusin Orgatorph.
Not just an ordinary knight but the youngest Royal Knight Captain on record, a holder of swordsmanship exceptional enough to be chosen as the 3rd Sword of the King’s 10 Swords, and simultaneously a knight with even an outstanding leadership who was known as one of the prides of the Ithysiel Kingdom.
Surprisingly, he apparently had taken on the lead scouter role and had investigated my village the day I had killed the bandit bastards 6 years ago. I wondered why someone like him of all people had acted as the lead scouter, but instead in the reverse, it apparently was a serious enough matter for him to be the lead scouter. At the least, he said he himself had judged it as such, so that should’ve been right if a big guy like him had judged it like that.
Well yeah, Demon King wasn’t some shit-eating dog next door, and since that Demon King’s army had attacked the kingdom for the first time in hundreds of years, it was a serious event.
“I was only able to arrive at the village after the night had fallen deep. We moved cautiously because it was the first invasion in centuries, and… we were far too late.”
And the things he had discovered from that were apparently a completely wrecked village, corpses of bandits whose time of death at least seemed different, a pile of dirt that hadn’t dried yet, and my parents’ graves that I hadn’t quite finished. He said he had checked around a bit more in case there were any survivors, but it seemed it didn’t yield any particular result and he had directly gone to Ogwen afterwards and ended the search there.
Our cottage wasn’t in a very visible location, and we had gone to sleep really early that day from being tired. So we had really absurdly slid past each other.
“But… to think there was a survivor. Even more so, you killed those bandits at that young an age?”
“I do understand that it looks like there’s a defect in my humanity, but I would like sirs to understand that it was a decision I made from being unable to accept not only losing my parents’ keepsakes but also having my parents’ grave soiled.”
“Hm? What are you talking about? We’re speaking about how you managed to get that kind of skill at that young of an age. It’s a real good job if you killed the bandits.”
I lost my words at Radnellvandes who drew an unfitting dumbfounded look on his face. Was that kind of reaction even right when an 8 year-old kid killed six people? I started getting second thoughts about this world’s humanity.
“I do understand what you are trying to say, but… truthfully, I’m also talking about the same. Beyond the issue of skill, 8 years old is an age too young to even overcome the issue of physical strength. I’m sorry for only asking questions like this when it wouldn’t be excessive to simply praise your achievement, but… it’s just an incredibly shocking fact, so I would like to ask for your understanding.”
“That is… in truth, back when I was younger…”
Even when putting aside our absurd relationship, it was a lost cause trying to hide my magic power now that my past’s killings got ridiculously found out like this, so I decided to dress up the story just a bit and tell it.
I came to sense magic power with the help of a mage passing by, and was able to control magic power when I repeatedly practiced it. At the time, I strengthened my body with it to kill the bandits. I had realized that it was dangerous after talking about it with my teacher and had figuratively sealed it, but I used it to kill Delt this time.
When I vaguely explained with that kind of a story while technically not lying but speaking in a way that sounded like I used it with my life as a betting chip during moments of life or death rather than needlessly mentioning that I could use it like eating a piece of cake, the three people’s faces completely froze.
“I understand it was for survival, but… it’s a miracle that you’re unhurt even after crossing a truly dangerous bridge. And it’s also the first that I’ve seen anyone who can do something like that.”
“I’m also saying this ‘cause I actually saw an idiot that did that nonsense and exploded into his death, but… it’s a real miracle.”
An awkward silence roamed thanks to Radnellvandes who mentioned an actual eyewitness account, but it was also Radnellvandes who opened his mouth and broke that silence.
“Certainly, I don’t sense aura or anything similar. But to achieve this kind of growth even so, Lagnis. So this is why you deliberately brought him here.”
“Yes. Teacher.”
When I slightly turned my eyes and looked, Lagnis had loosened her hardened face and was faintly smiling.
“He is someone who not only saved me twice but also has talent. As someone who inherits my predecessor’s will, it shouldn’t be right for me to not even give him a proper reward and a chance.”
“Certainly… even if he has trained since 8 years old, it’s an astounding achievement, sir. Not every child of knights turns out like him, after all. Even my daughter will have to ask for a few handicaps to match him.”
“For sure, your daughter is well-off, but it’ll be a bit much to compare her with a lad who has shown that kind of talent since 8 years old.”
The words questioning his thought process in speaking way too bluntly about someone else’s daughter nearly popped out of my throat, but Ekav nodded his head.
“Certainly, it would be a meaningless comparison, sir.”
Well, this was just an embarrassing and awkward turn of events. Ekav, who collected his thoughts for a moment, took a drink and then looked straight at me and spoke again.
“Is your goal to get revenge for your parents and the villagers?”
“There is that, too, sir, but… after having experienced a big event at a young age, I didn’t want to experience something like that twice. Merely making it so that no one would even think of hurting me is my goal, sir.”
“Do you mean you wish for authority?”
“No. I simply want a fact, sir.”
“A fact?”
“Yes. A fact that you won’t see anything pretty by touching Eldmia Egga. If I can do that, then it doesn’t matter whether that’s authority or might, sir. It’s also because of that that I helped Lagnis.”
Lagnis secretly poked my side perhaps because my words were too straightforward, but I couldn’t dare respond in front of people like them, so I clenched my teeth and remained still.
“That’s an incredibly long term goal. It might be difficult for us to help you with that goal, but we could help you with your revenge in killing the Demon King Army commander that directed your village’s destruction. That would also be a big benefit to the kingdom if truly possible, after all.”
As if it were an obvious fact, Ekav continued his words once again with an expressionless and stoic face.
“If I were to say I would aid you, would you be willing to come to my house and receive my teaching?”
Ultimately, the offer Lagnis wanted more than me came out of his mouth.
?
Although I had pretended to contemplate in that room, ultimately there was only one choice I could make.
Using the ‘parent-guardian chance’ and escaping from the room for now. Lagnis didn’t lightly brush aside my words that I’d talk about it with Asileye, and Ekav and Radnellvandes too, having heard that Asileye was both my teacher and a benefactor, consented to my request. Saying that today wasn’t the only time either, they even lent me a horse saying that they could give me time until the last day. At the least, I gave them high marks for not being forceful.
Thinking back, it was hilarious. After all, in the first place I didn’t need to ask Asileye anything.
There wasn’t any reason for me to get scolded for acting recklessly to rescue Lagnis, either. Because, from the start, our relationship was a one of a contract that began with me simply conditioning 8 years of time while freeing Asileye. Because of that, in truth Asileye too didn’t need to mind very much on whether I died or not. Rather, it would merely mean that she would be freed sooner.
But it was clear that neither of us could act that way. I was wholeheartedly helpless before Asileye, and Asileye was wholeheartedly terrified of the possibility of me dying.
Even if my parents were alive right now, would I have thought it twice if they said not to follow and leave with Ekav? However much I thought about it, I probably would’ve simply nodded my head saying ‘I see’, and then wordlessly followed and left with Ekav.
But the contract called 8 years, the contract that merely had 2 years left was making me rethink Ekav’s offer. There was a part of my heart that wanted to refuse with all sorts of excuses the perfect chance to learn aura and become stronger, and simply stay 2 more years with Asileye.
I couldn’t tell whether that was because it was happiness with a certain end, or because of my personal feelings.
Even when I rode my horse as slowly as possible to collect my depressed feelings, I instantly arrived back at the cottage. I couldn’t tell if it was because the warhorse was strong or if I’d simply lost track of time while sunken in thought, so I just decided to fault the pointlessly energetic warhorse.
Was the time still around 4 o’clock? I hadn’t visited for merely a little over a week, but a corner of my heart tightened at the sight of the cottage.
And Asileye was there in the middle.
While I was distracted by her silvery blonde hair shining at the light falling between leaves, Asileye, who twitched her ears and reacted to my sound, paused giving hay to a horse and welcomed me with a wide smile.
“Welcome home, Eldi.”
“I’m back, sis.”
When I got down from my horse and lightly tied it next to our horse, Asileye watched with a curious look and asked.
“However I look at it, isn’t this a warhorse? I don’t think you’d receive this of all things as a present, and… it looks like the talk hasn’t finished just yet, has it?”
“That’s exactly right. There’s a problem I have to talk about a bit with sis, you see. They just lent this to me saying I’ll have to visit again either way.”
“Talk?”
Seeing Asileye’s puzzled face, my mouth that was already stiff felt even heavier. But it was a talk I couldn’t simply hold off forever, so I slowly opened my mouth.
“It looked like Lagnis’s status was a lot more incredible than we thought. Not just an escort, but an escort group came.”
“Oh wow.”
Because she had returned home after exchanging just a light goodbye with Lagnis saying she wasn’t particularly interested, as expected she didn’t know anything about it. But seemingly not having expected it to be that big, she showed quite a surprised look.
“And one of that escort group’s leaders was a guy called Ekav the King’s 3rd Sword.”
At just those words, Asileye’s face that had been simply listening and twitching her ears with curiosity awkwardly froze. As I faltered at that reaction, Asileye asked with a quiet voice.
“He asked you to come into his house, right?”
TL note: Just to note, there may be some edits coming to previous chapters for grammar and sentence structure. They’re just minor edits that won’t alters the story or names, so there’s no need to reread the previous chapters.