Chapter 23
Clack.
A woman’s hand—surprisingly rugged for a woman’s—was extended toward Karl. He stared at it briefly before clasping it.
Even after settling the matter with Sancho, Karl remained in Bearstown for about ten days to rest.
Though the time was short, he, Angelica, and Bobby had grown fairly close.
"Thanks to you, everything that had gotten tangled up got sorted out. I really appreciate it. If you ever find yourself in Bearstown again, get in touch. If there’s anything I can do, I will."
"Be sure to contact me, too. I’ll serve you unlimited beer."
At their casual banter, even Karl’s usually blank face cracked into a smile.
"The beer was good enough that I’ll definitely return. See you again."
At that, both Angelica and Bobby looked genuinely surprised.
"Karl… you can say things like that?"
Angelica’s amazed exclamation came just as Karl turned and began walking away. The two of them watched him go, a strange feeling settling over them.
"He’s definitely going to do something big, right?"
"Feels that way. He’s clearly a man who stirs up storms."
Karl, now far enough that their voices couldn’t reach him, simply mounted Silver in silence.
***
After several days of traveling and camping, Karl noticed that Silver had stopped moving.
[Luton Town]
A crudely made wooden sign marked the entrance to the village.
It was a typical rural village of this world, where farming sustained daily life.
A place where people who guard the legend gather—Luton Town.
A town where a knight’s tale breathes.
Children were singing from the village entrance.
Their songs, somewhere between a chant and a game, were oddly unified.
‘Strange lyrics.’
It was odd for children to be singing just one song over and over.
Karl had seen many villages and children at play, but never had he heard an entire group continuously singing a single tune.
He guided his horse slowly toward the village tavern.
A town where a knight’s tale breathes—Luton Town.
All the way to the tavern, the children’s song echoed, neither quite a nursery rhyme nor a legend.
It was strangely eerie.
Clink-clink.
As Karl opened the tavern door and stepped inside, what greeted him was a completely empty establishment and a disinterested tavern keeper who looked at him with dull eyes.
"Welcome."
A strangely cheerful greeting, ill-matched with the man’s bored tone and expression. Karl sat on the chair in front of him.
"Something decent to drink, if you have it."
"Decent stuff costs money. Especially in a backwater like this."
"Doesn’t matter. Just bring it out if you have it."
At Karl’s blunt response, the tavern keeper disappeared into the back and returned with a bottle.
"How about this?"
Karl nodded. It wasn’t some nameless local moonshine—it looked like something brewed properly.
Villages like this were mostly self-sufficient, but they didn’t shy away from trading with passing merchants or caravans. This one seemed to have a regular route passing through.
"Want a drink?"
"Seriously?"
The tavern keeper blinked in surprise and glanced at the bottle.
"You poured it, didn’t you?"
Karl took the bottle and filled a second glass.
"You’re quite the likable knight."
"Think of it as a bribe. I’ve got questions."
"Oh? So upfront, huh? Well, I’ll drink if it means I get to hear something juicy."
"Sancho."
"…"
"That reaction tells me you know him."
"How do you know that name?"
"He told me I’d get a reward if I came here. That was the last thing he said before he was dragged off to prison."
The tavern keeper drained his glass and stared at Karl in silence for a while.
"I figured it wasn’t free booze."
"From your face, there’s clearly more to this."
"You heard the kids singing outside, didn’t you?"
Karl nodded.
After a pause, the tavern keeper filled his glass again and spoke.
"The song the children sing is a prayer. A hope for the fulfillment of the legend. We are people who wait for the legendary knight."
Legendary knight?
Sancho, the tavern keeper… everyone here was speaking nonsense.
Karl had come expecting to find a mission prompt from the system—not yet another baseless legend spun by this world.
[Hidden Quest conditions met.]
Find the truth hidden within the lie: In progress. Must not have a specialized class.
[Hidden Quest: Find the Cave Embroidered with Legend.]
"Let’s drink till dawn. I’ve got to head out early in the morning, but that just means I’ll be full of strength tomorrow."
"You want to drink all night and move early in the morning?"
"Of course. Booze is power. I’ll be overflowing with it tomorrow."
"You must’ve opened this tavern just to drink yourself."
He could drink an unbelievable amount. As soon as one bottle emptied, another took its place on the counter.
"Don’t you run this place?"
"You’re buying, aren’t you?"
"You got me."
"I’m Philip."
"Karl. Free Knight."
The two finally exchanged names after several rounds.
"Welcome to Luton Town."
His tongue slurred and his eyes glazed from drink, but that line was clear as day.
Karl, pleasantly buzzed for the first time in a while, made his way to his room.
Ssshhk.
Judging by the moon’s position, it was still very early. Philip had said he was heading out in the morning, so there was time to spare.
Karl sat cross-legged and quietly closed his eyes.
Inhale. Exhale.
He controlled his breath, circulated his Qi, and began to flush the alcohol from his bloodstream. Then he focused on the flow and movement of energy inside his body.
[Qi mastery immersion has reached its peak.]
[Qi manipulation capability exceeds current limit.]
The messages were concerning, but Karl ignored them for now and simply focused on his Qi. Soon, his mind was clearer than after several hours of sleep.
Though he could’ve moved immediately, he took a short nap and began physical training afterward.
Eventually, Philip stumbled in, his face like a corpse.
"How the hell are you fine after all that drinking?"
Before Karl could answer, Philip shook his head and staggered toward the exit.
"Just stepping out for a bit."
Karl shrugged, watching him go, and continued his training.
***
“You still smell like booze. Haven’t sobered up yet? Where’s the old man?”
“If not for booze, I’d go mad.”
Philip stepped into the village’s only two-story building and exchanged a hug with the man inside.
"You haven’t come to meetings in a while. What brings you today?"
"He’s here."
"Huh?"
"The knight who’ll fulfill the legend. I think he’s finally arrived."
"What are you talking about?"
"Exactly what I said."
"Tch. Like there haven’t been outsider knights before? The legend isn’t something for outsiders—it’s our responsibility."
"Yeah. And we’ve never once succeeded."
"This time, I’ve found a way to break through my limits. If it works, I’ll finally earn Nigelling’s recognition."
"You know it’s not about being strong."
"I saw that sword with my own eyes! I came this close! If I’d been just a bit stronger…!"
Muller was the de facto leader among the village youth, and his swordsmanship was top tier for his age. Philip simply shook his head at Muller’s desperate outburst.
"You don’t need the sword’s approval to find freedom. You could leave anytime, like… Sancho."
"Then why have we stayed here, guarding this place for generations? The treasure in the cave is ours! Outsiders can’t have it!"
"That’s greed."
"Then why are you still here, huh? You, of all people, know how I feel!"
Philip closed his eyes at Muller’s shout.
"My mother… our poor mother died without even seeing her family. Have you already forgotten what happened to your wife?"
"Follow your beliefs. I’ll follow mine."
Philip walked past Muller. The faces they wore now were nothing like the smiles they shared when they first hugged.
Inside, a council meeting was in progress. At the center sat a middle-aged man with tiger-like features and a white beard. Next to him stood a man with a thin mustache.
“Philip? Didn’t think we’d see you again. What brings you here?”
Ignoring the sneering man, Philip locked eyes only with the tiger-faced man.
"Master Duke, I’ve found someone who can fulfill the legend."
Duke stared silently at him.
"Another one sent by Sancho?"
"…Yes."
"Sancho’s a coward who fled this village."
"He simply chose to leave. Master, the oath of our ancestors wasn’t meant to be a shackle. And yet, what are we now? What are we even holding on for?"
"That again? You want us all to leave with nothing?"
"I’m saying we should be free to choose. We’re rotting from the inside, and you know it. We can’t ignore it any longer."
The drunkard from last night was gone. Philip’s eyes were clear, while Duke’s flickered.
"Is this about Flora?"
"If you use that filthy mouth to speak my wife’s name again, I’ll rip your throat out."
The thin-mustached elder went quiet immediately.
"…"
Duke didn’t respond. He knew full well that Luton Town was decaying.
"I can’t be sure, but this time is different. He’s a Superior-level fighter."
"If being a Superior was enough, I could’ve done it."
"He’s a knight."
"…"
Duke’s expression hardened.
Roughly two hundred and fifty years. The people of the town had waited, living by the sword and sustaining themselves.
Among them, some did reach the Superior level. But not one of them succeeded.
Nigelling never chose someone simply for their strength. The townspeople still didn’t know what it did choose.
That’s why, at some point, they began allowing outsiders to challenge the legend—without telling anyone else it even existed.
"Even if he fails… please let the children running outside now, and their children afterward, have the freedom to choose."
"…"
Duke said nothing.
"The challenge will happen tomorrow."
Just as Philip turned to leave, Duke grabbed his shoulder.
"Two hundred and fifty years… We’ve waited for the legend to come true. We weren’t hoping for some stranger to claim the glory. We just wanted a reward for our long wait."
His voice was full of stubbornness and sorrow.
"That very greed is what created people like Muller and me."
Philip brushed off the hand and walked away.