Chapter 001: Dragon in the Fog
After successfully ambushing the merchant caravan, I was, as usual, gleefully picking out anything worth taking.
“No way we can keep living like this forever.”
Everyone, including me, stopped what they were doing and turned toward the voice.
The one who’d suddenly gone all sage-like was Hermann.
“We call ourselves a righteous bandit troupe, but what’s the difference between us and common thieves?”
It wasn’t exactly the kind of thing you’d say while sitting on a pile of corpses in the middle of a chaotic mess.
I snorted and shot back.
“It’s the same damn thing, you idiot. Cut the nonsense and finish grabbing what you were taking. If the guards show up, it’ll be a pain in the ass.”
“Bihen. Is your brain half as functional as your one good eye?”
“…This bastard’s lost it.”
I tossed the sack I was holding and started toward him.
He raised a hand to stop me, acting like he was in complete control of the mood.
“Bihen. Let’s enlist.”
“Enlist? In the imperial army? What the hell did you eat to come up with that?”
“We’re meant for bigger things. Let’s be real, you and I… we’re cut from a different cloth than these guys.”
Despite Hermann’s insulting words, not one of the dozen or so in our group got angry or even made a peep.
Given the makeup of our bandit troupe, it made sense.
Hermann and I, both from somewhat noble families, had thrown this group together with a bunch of rootless nobodies just to fill out the numbers.
Hermann stood up and said.
“The empire’s declared war on the kingdom. For guys like you and me, war’s the perfect chance to turn our lives around, isn’t it? That’s where our path lies.”
Born an illegitimate child of a low-ranking warrior family, I caused trouble at home, got disowned, and now had nowhere to go.
The only thing I knew was the swordsmanship I’d picked up by watching others.
That’s me.
“…Sounds like it’s got some merit.”
A swordsman of my caliber letting his skills rot like this was a waste of talent, if I’m being honest.
It was summer in the empire.
* * *
“With the authority of flame, I banish the darkness!”
Kwaaaa!
The mage flung his long sleeves into the air.
Flames spread like wildfire in an instant, rushing toward me with enough force to swallow me whole.
“Hoo.”
I lowered my body toward the sword hanging at my left hip.
My gaze locked forward.
‘Cut.’
There are many ways to deal with mages.
Every swordsman has their own method.
But ‘cutting magic’—that’s something only I, Bihen Benkou, can do.
Kee—ing!
Nothing flashy.
Just an ordinary upward slash, practiced thousands, tens of thousands of times.
The fireball split in two, as if torn apart, along the diagonal path I’d carved.
Hwarrrr.
Through the sparks scattering to either side, I saw the mage’s horrified face.
I charged forward in one swift motion and cut him down.
“Guh…!”
The mage collapsed, coughing up blood.
Her long robe slipped off, and blood splattered across the lush blonde hair splayed on the ground.
…She glared at me with blue eyes brimming with tears of blood.
“You… you wear a human face so well, you… beast in human skin…! Guh!”
I wasn’t even fazed anymore.
I pointed my sword at the woman’s throat.
“I hear you mages have ranks too. What’s yours?”
“Sh-shut up…!”
“That’s a fine last word.”
Puk—
Cheers erupted behind me.
“The Dragon in the Fog, Bihen, took down a mage!”
“Chaaarge!”
“Find every last one of those hiding bastards! Cut them all down without mercy!”
“Ooooh!”
The soldiers poured forward like hunting dogs unleashed on a field.
The air where they passed was hot with their breath.
“Go to hell, ptooey!”
Hermann appeared from behind and spat on the mage’s corpse.
One year since enlisting, two years into the war.
Hermann and I had been recognized as first-rate warriors and earned the rank of centurion.
Yet Hermann hadn’t shed his raw, unpolished nature.
If anything, it had morphed into a kind of slick adaptability, shining in the rigid bureaucracy of the military.
In other words, this guy was born to be a soldier.
“Hahaha! Bihen! Your true calling’s finally blooming! See, didn’t I tell you this was our chance? My foresight’s spot on, as always.”
My case was different.
I wasn’t cut out for being a soldier, and war definitely wasn’t my thing.
It might sound like a chef hating food, but…
My desire to advance my swordsmanship had grown almost pathologically intense.
Maybe the aversion to war had awakened some deep-seated need within me… or so I speculated.
“Calling, my ass.”
“Ugh, ease up on the brooding. It’s annoying to look at. But damn, I’m jealous.
‘Dragon in the Fog, Bihen.’ I wanted a cool title like that to return with.
If I had, the family head position would’ve been mine for the taking.”
“You take it. In exchange, I’ll gouge out one of your eyes myself.”
“Tch! Pass. I’ll stick with ‘Tiger of Brian’… Ugh, too late. The war’s probably ending soon anyway. Not much chance to shine now.”
I stared at my reflection in the blade.
For a moment, I missed the left eye I’d never had.
Was it because I was half-blind that my path was so unclear?
My wandering sword was still floundering in the way of carnage.
Hermann let out a performative cough.
“Ahem, so, you’re not going? Rumor has it the corps commander’s counting the kingdom heads each of us has taken. They’re using it as a measure of merit. Who knows, maybe your achievements will be the key to your breakthrough.”
“Cut the bullshit. If that were true, I’d have wiped out the kingdom’s entire population by now.”
I turned and waved him off dismissively…
And the Wildcat of Brian let out a boisterous yell as he charged off.
Watching him go, I continued on my way.
My body was moving further from the slaughterhouse, but the sounds seemed to grow louder.
Even with my hardened resistance to the cries of the damned, the wails of the living were something I could never get used to.
That probably meant my humanity hadn’t been worn down beyond repair.
“…”
I placed a hand on my chest.
Was my heart still beating?
I closed my eye instead of my ears.
* * *
Hermann’s prediction that the war would end soon was spectacularly wrong.
Shaaaa—
The southern kingdom was in its rainy season.
It rained so much it was tiresome.
Not that there was much here that wasn’t tiresome.
“Grrgh…”
Splat!
As expected, another kingdom knight knelt before me.
His silver armor was caked in mud and blood.
Murmurs rose around us.
“Haha! See, five exchanges! I was right, wasn’t I? Pay up, all of you. Quick, quick!”
“Ugh, ptooey! Bihen, you always finish in three, don’t you? Wait, aren’t you two buddies? Damn it, you rigged this!”
“Idiot, you think you’re the only one who gets screwed? That old man’s supposed to be one of the best in this region. A high-ranking Sword Expert, or so they say.”
“Heh, their ranks always crack me up.”
I was growing numb to the passage of time…
But I was keenly aware of the changes in my body and mind.
My swordsmanship kept improving, yet I couldn’t break through the wall to mastery, stuck in a plateau and the worm eating away at my mind was growing fatter by the day.
…Yeah, I was in a dangerous state right now.
The old knight, in an even more precarious position, spoke.
“Kill… me.”
“You, the loser, don’t get to make demands. Your life or death is in the hands of the victor—me. Remember that.”
“You cruel bastards…”
“Say what you want. Doesn’t matter.”
Clank.
I shook the blood off my blade and sheathed it.
The sound of the wooden scabbard clicking shut gave me an odd sense of calm.
Shaaaaa.
I don’t know why the thought struck me, but the rain today felt almost mournful.
As if it were grieving the old knight’s death.
I looked down at him.
“So, when’s this Sword Master you’re all so proud of going to show up? From what I can tell, they’ve all fled with your king.”
“Kh, khehe…”
“What’s so funny, old man?”
“I have a question. Would you grant me the chance to ask one last thing?”
I crossed my arms and nodded.
“Fine.”
“What’s the empire’s goal? Why start this horrific war?”
“To eradicate the kingdom’s vile magic and the mages who wield it, to prevent a greater catastrophe in the future.”
…Pretty soldierly, Bihen.
Just then, screams and cries echoed from somewhere far off.
The wails mixed with the rain, sounding particularly desolate to my ears.
Of all times…
I shrugged, and the old knight let out a breathy laugh.
“One-eyed friend, do you think this war is just?”
“…A mere soldier doesn’t deal in right or wrong. I’m just a swordsman doing my job.”
“Khahaha! Is indiscriminate slaughter and depravity all an imperial swordsman’s job amounts to?”
I took a deep breath and spoke, emphasizing each syllable.
“I offered you a one-on-one duel. A fair fight. In this mud pit, what more could I have done?”
Splash.
The old knight staggered to his feet.
I raised a hand to stop my comrades from reacting.
“Grrgh…”
“…”
His eyes, clouded with blood and rain, gleamed dully.
The old knight was burning the last of his life force.
Swaying, he barely steadied himself and muttered as if to himself.
“…Revere Elzerus, and protect His kingdom.”
I’d heard Elzerus was the god worshipped by the kingdom’s people.
Probably just another mythical founder figure, like you’d find anywhere.
‘…He’s lost it.’
This war meant nothing to me, yielded nothing.
If I could turn back time, I’d go back to the day of the deployment ceremony and cut down that idiot Bihen right there.
The only thing I’d gained…
Was useless knowledge of kingdom geography I’d never need or want to remember?
And the realization that everyone faces death in their own unique way.
I was about to prepare a final courtesy for the old knight.
Bwooong!
Suddenly, he swung his sword through the air.
I froze, letting my crossed arms fall limp.
A chill ran down my spine.
‘Sword aura…?’
The old knight’s blade began to glow white.
The light shone clearly even through the dreary, rain-soaked fog.
‘No way…’
I’d heard it existed in the kingdom too.
Like the sword aura wielded by our empire’s master swordsmen, the kingdom had its own pinnacle of swordsmanship, called an aura.
“Always and everywhere… stand against injustice and evil as a champion of justice and good.”
“…!”
I despised pretentious expressions, but I had no other way to describe it.
The old knight’s voice was radiant.
“Protect and respect the weak.”
Slow yet light, graceful yet resolute.
The trails left by his sword in the air layered over one another, soon enveloping him in a brilliant glow.
His life was clearly fading, but the path of his glowing blade brimmed with vitality.
Clack.
The old knight’s sword, after tracing its disciplined arcs, finally pointed at me.
“Live for honor and glory.”
“…”
“Foolish swordsman, this is chivalry. The true path a swordsman must walk.”
Shaaaaa—
The falling rain tapped against my eyelids.
The world, which had seemed to stop, began to turn again.
The light surrounding the old knight had vanished.
In its place stood only the knight, who had burned out the last of his life.
Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash!
“Damn this old fool!”
Thud!hing down helplessly.
Blood might’ve shot through my one remaining eye.
A kick sent the old knight cras
“What the hell are you doing, Hermann?”
“Can’t you tell? You looked like you were going soft, so I helped out. That old man’s nonsense—ptooey! Spouting off like that despite losing. It was disgusting. These kingdom bastards…”
I looked back and forth between the fallen knight and the sword he’d dropped.
Both were half-buried in the mud.
“That light… you saw it, didn’t you?”
“Light? What light?”
“The light surrounding his sword. Like… a sword aura.”
Hermann suddenly shouted at the sky.
“Goddamn it—! Snap out of it, Bihen. Light, my ass. All I saw was a crazy old man flailing around.”
The other guys behind him said the same thing.
Either these bloodthirsty lunatics had all gone blind at once, or my one remaining eye had briefly failed me. One of the two.
Shaaaaa.
I was certain it was the former.
Because my heart was still beating.
The loud rain was a small mercy.
* * *
Days and nights passed several more times.
What was certain was that I’d already spent half my youth in this foreign land.
At this point, another major change occurred in my life.
Hermann was dying.
“Guh, cough… Ugh, damn… hack!”
With every breath, blood gushed from his mouth.
His face and my arms were drenched in it.
“You lunatic. Even in death, you’re true to yourself.”
I looked in turn at Hermann’s clouded eyes staring into the void, a woman anxiously watching from a distance, the four-year-old girl clinging to her hand with a blank stare, and the soldiers of our 4th Corps waiting behind me, their formation like an iron curtain.
“When the war’s over… I, I… promised to treat her well… cough…”
“…Kingdom citizen aside, she’s married.”
“What’s… that matter… Her figure, her face… hack!”
“Enough. Stop.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again to clear my blurred vision.
Behind Hermann’s woman, more people were scattering and fleeing.
Mostly the elderly, children, and women.
“I’d just… found meaning in life… and now, now of all times, I’m caught…”
“…”
“Bihen. I told you… our path was here.”
“Yeah, you were right. I thought I’d wander aimlessly my whole life, but you found your path in the end.”
I don’t know if he heard my reply…
But Hermann was smiling faintly.
“Isn’t that enough consideration?”
The voice belonged to Griem Igraine, commander of the 4th Corps.
The master swordsman who’d cut down Hermann in a single stroke.
“…”
I stood slowly and stared at him.
Griem tilted his head, studying me, then let out a chuckle.
“This damn war’s the problem. Turning perfectly good men into idiots like this.”
He was right.
The war was the problem.
Until just a moment ago, no, until that moment, it had been.
—Foolish swordsman, this is chivalry.
The true path a swordsman must walk.
The old knight’s resonant voice suddenly roared through my mind.
Yes, it was the resonance.
My heart was starting to beat again.
I surrendered to the pulse.
Srrrng.
The moment I drew my sword, I felt something inside me break open.
The stains on my vision, which I’d grown so used to that I’d forgotten they were there, cleared.
The impurities in my body seemed to evaporate all at once.
“Haha…”
I ended up laughing, because the massive army filling my vision now seemed small enough to fit in the palm of my hand.
“Bihen Benkou. Catching them will take no time at all. Your actions won’t change a thing. I’ll give you one last chance. Stand down.”
“…”
“So be it. In the name of the empire, I ask: Why choose a meaningless death? I’ll pass it on to your family.”
I looked back and forth between Hermann, whose eyes were now closed, and the nameless people fleeing in the distance.
“This is my path.”
Griem dismounted quietly and drew his sword.
“The one-eyed serpent… has finally become the Dragon in the Fog.”
Whatever he was babbling about, I was trembling like a madman.
Was this thrill simply because I’d broken through the wall to mastery?
Surprisingly, I didn’t think so.
‘Only in the moment of death does life shine.’
I remembered the old knight’s radiant sword.
Perhaps I looked like him now.
‘Now, of all times, I regret life.’
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Thump—
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