Chapter 033: Knight and Squire (2)
A faint hope, perhaps an expectation.
If you were to ask whether I had such feelings deep down…
Honestly, I was afraid.
The moment I acknowledged it, it felt like I could never turn back.
In any case, the answer wasn’t within the range of my expectations, so I couldn’t help but freeze.
“Young Lady! I’ve arrived!”
A sigh escaped me naturally.
Thanks to Janson and Joel, who came to relieve the night watch, I managed to escape the crisis.
As expected, even dog dung has its use in medicine sometimes.
* * *
After that, Adeline and I didn’t revisit similar topics.
It was as if we had made a silent pact.
When the memory of that night began to feel like a fleeting midsummer night’s escapade…
Before I knew it, it was the morning of the fourth day of our journey.
“Haa…”
Janson, having washed his face in the stream, let out a sigh heavy enough to sink the ground.
As he wiped the water from his face, his cheeks looked gaunt, like those of a man who hadn’t eaten in days.
“What’s with the sigh first thing in the morning? The weather’s nice.”
“Nice? Sure… It’s nice for you, isn’t it?”
He grumbled, his shoulders slumping.
I wasn’t oblivious to his plight.
He wasn’t a child, and it felt awkward to coddle a grown man’s complaints, so I pretended not to notice.
The reason for Janson’s groans traced back to the morning of the second day.
“Pardon? You’re saying we should bypass the village and go straight through…?”
“Yes. There’s no need to delay further just to accommodate me.”
“N-No, that’s not what I meant…”
“Of course, it’s just my opinion, Captain Janson. The choice is yours.”
And so, the ambitious plan to rest and resupply in a nearby village fell apart.
In the end, Janson had to bear the heavy burden of managing camp for four people alone, under the strain of a relentless three-day march.
Such was his sorrowful tale.
“Still, Joel seems to be helping out quite a bit.”
“Don’t even start. It’d be better if he just stayed still. He’s more of a hindrance than a help.”
“Now I’m starting to feel bad.”
“No, don’t feel bad. I know you stayed up for night watch without waking me. Thanks, Bihen. It helped ease the fatigue a bit.”
In truth, it wasn’t out of consideration; I simply needed time to practice my heart technique, which was still difficult during outdoor sleep.
I subtly averted my gaze.
“That damn Joel. I want to give him a good tongue-lashing, but with the Young Lady here, I can’t even do that… How the hell is that useless lump a squire to Sir Eugene?”
He was grinding his teeth over Joel.
I recalled something from my past life.
Kingdom knights often took young, barely blood-dried kids as squires, dragging them around.
“They’re literally the knight’s servant and disciple,” they’d said.
Most were just kids, so I usually spared them.
Though some would throw tantrums, insisting on dying alongside their master and mentor.
“How many Sword Masters are there in the Kingdom?”
“Hmm, not sure about the exact number… but in Conwell alone, there’s probably three or four. Sir Eugene is the strongest among them.”
“…Is that so.”
What had happened in my past life?
Sword Masters, supposedly on par with the Empire’s peak swordsmen, had vanished like mythical creatures.
“That Joel kid, he’s probably stronger than you think.”
“…Huh?”
“Well, you’ll find out if you get the chance.”
I dropped the hint as a small reward for answering my question.
From the flow of Joel’s aura, I’d wager he’s roughly on par with Maserin.
To me, they’re both small fry, not worth my attention, but for Janson, it’s different.
From the first day, the way he looked at Joel was anything but ordinary.
It’s always like that.
The newer someone is, the more they burn with rivalry when they meet someone on their level.
“A healthy growing pain, Janson.”
A bit of amusement was added to this dull routine.
And so, on the fifth day of our journey, four people, thrown together by chance, each harboring their own thoughts, pressed on.
Janson, at the lead, spoke with an excited voice.
“Just over that hill, and we’ll be in Ludglen.”
The “hill” had a gentle slope, covered in lush green grass, resembling a vast meadow.
The clear weather added an open, refreshing feel to the scenery.
“Bihen, Joel and I plan to disguise ourselves as members of a trading company. What about you?”
Adeline glanced at my clothes, clearly wondering how I planned to handle my conspicuous attire.
“There’s no need to hide that I’m an Imperial. It’ll make contacting refugees easier. If anyone picks a fight, I’d welcome it. It’ll make conversations quicker.”
“There likely won’t be any major trouble. Fred of Ludglen is one of the few Sharon Faction knights in Conwell.”
“That’s not a guarantee. Not every Sharon Faction knight is a paragon of justice. By that logic, Young Lady, you wouldn’t need to hide your identity either, would you?”
No response.
I glanced at her, and she looked like she was about to sigh.
With effort, Adeline parted her lips.
“Outside of Conwell City, there are very few places in this territory where my influence holds sway. In some areas, revealing my identity could even put my life at risk.”
“Ludglen is one of those places, I take it.”
“…Yes. It’s a region where my eldest brother’s influence is absolute.”
At this point, I wondered if it was worth taking such risks to come along.
Or perhaps she should’ve brought a knight escort instead of a squire, especially since she’s supposedly a Sword Master.
“Young Lady, up ahead…”
It was Joel from the rear.
I flinched, thinking my inner thoughts had been overheard.
Looking up, I saw two figures approaching from the distance: one on horseback, the other walking, holding the reins.
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop—
As they drew closer, my eyes stung from the sunlight reflecting off the armor of the mounted figure.
The plate on their shoulders—pauldrons, I believe they’re called.
“A knight and his squire.”
The knight, as I presumed, was an odd-looking middle-aged man.
His wet, seaweed-like hair, drooping eyes, and sagging cheeks gave him a bizarre appearance that seemed to sap the energy of anyone who looked at him.
The squire, on the other hand… was tiny.
His head was bowed as if he’d committed a crime, making it hard to see his face, but he was clearly a child.
Clack.
When we were close enough to make out each other’s features, Janson raised his hand, signaling us to stop.
Whoooosh—
A hollow breeze swept through the meadow’s grass, passing between them and us.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t encountered a knight in the countryside in this life.”
In my past life, how had it been?
No questions asked, just swords drawn instantly, like enemies meeting on a narrow bridge.
Well, to the Kingdom’s knights, we were enemies.
At that moment, Joel stepped up beside Janson.
“We are the Gremio Trading Company from Conwell City. We’ve come to Ludglen on business. May we pass?”
His words flowed smoothly, as if rehearsed. This must be their custom.
Since we were posing as merchants, our status was lower than theirs, so we were expected to show respect first.
Personally, I thought pretending to be nobles would’ve been better, but given their cultural sensitivities, I let it slide.
If they were that flexible, Zephyros wouldn’t be running rampant as they are.
“…”
Was he deaf? The knight didn’t budge.
His thick eyelids made it impossible to read his gaze.
While waiting for a response, my eyes naturally drifted to the squire standing motionless, holding the reins.
Up close, he looked less like a knight’s squire and more like a beggar.
His shabby appearance and melancholic expression…
As I was musing over this, the knight suddenly leaned down and whispered something to his squire.
After delivering the message, the knight straightened up as if nothing had happened, and the squire spoke in his stead.
“…Th-The women… leave them behind, he says.”
It was almost expected.
The other three seemed to have anticipated it as well.
Joel responded.
“That’s an insult! I challenge you to a duel!”
“Sir Bruce is sworn brother to Sir Fred…! Can you handle that?”
“I’ve heard Sir Fred of Ludglen is a Sharon Faction knight who values honor! If he’s your sworn brother, he should uphold justice! Either the rumors are false, or a vile cur dares to impersonate a knight!”
Was he fighting for honor or crafting an excuse to fight?
Either way, I was already exhausted before the fight even began.
Joel turned his horse and bowed deeply to Adeline.
“I’ll be back, Young Lady.”
“Punish him thoroughly.”
“Yes.”
Even dueling had formal procedures, it seemed.
There didn’t seem to be any room for me to intervene.
I decided to watch leisurely, crossing my arms.
Clack.
Joel dismounted, stepping toward the knight.
The clumsy demeanor I’d seen over the past few days was gone, replaced by a resolute figure.
Facing Joel, the knight spoke.
“Who’s squire are you, boy?”
“You don’t need to know.”
“Is that so, you insolent brat.”
They exchanged a few words, like a pre-duel ritual, then both stepped back a couple of paces, as if by agreement.
As I watched intently, Janson whispered beside me.
“Bihen, is this really okay? That Joel guy…”
I figured Joel and the knight were about evenly matched.
If it came to it, I’d step in. I wasn’t a Kingdom native, so I wasn’t bound by their formalities.
As I relaxed, the sound of a sword being drawn rang out.
Shing.
“You impudent whelp. I am Bruce Miley. Years ago, when I was knighted, I swore to follow the path of Langster.”
“Langster Faction…? Didn’t you say you were sworn to Sir Fred?”
“Such trifles don’t matter when great men forge bonds. Pity. To hasten your death before grasping the ways of the world.”
“Trifles—!”
Clang—!
Joel’s preemptive strike was easily blocked.
He was too excited, putting in too much force.
Their swords clashed.
Joel shouted fiercely.
“A knight must uphold and follow their code until death!”
Keeeing!
The locked swords slid against each other before parting.
Both had applied force while redirecting the other’s.
As their positions swapped, I saw Joel’s face clearly, catching his breath.
Swish— Swish—
The sound of slicing air was crisp.
Joel swung his sword a couple of times in the air, then changed his stance.
He stood at an angle, heels together, sword extended forward, his other hand firmly clasped behind his back.
Bruce’s head tilted slightly.
“…Destreza?”
“…”
“To think you’d counter my sword with Destreza? Know your place. You’re an impudent brat to the very end!”
I wasn’t well-versed in Kingdom swordsmanship, but Joel’s new stance seemed optimized for counterattacks.
One-on-one duels are full of variables: swordsmanship compatibility, physical condition, mindset, terrain, weather.
When the combatants are evenly matched, what then?
“Joel’s made the first bold move.”
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Bruce unleashed a ferocious onslaught. I couldn’t help but be impressed.
A man with a face like raw oysters, his seaweed-like hair flapping, was wielding a fiery, all-out offensive.
His appearance and swordsmanship were utterly mismatched.
“Hiyup! Hyooo—!”
Bruce pressed forward with a mix of thrusts and slashes, punctuated by bizarre battle cries.
Joel, for his part, stubbornly maintained his Destreza stance, dodging Bruce’s attacks with minimal movement.
“How long will you scurry like a rat? Did you only learn the stance of Destreza? Did your knight teach you to merely mimic?”
Spit—!
Bruce’s sword grazed Joel’s cheek.
“I need to step in.”
As I put strength into my foot on the stirrup, I was certain my judgment was correct.
For Bruce, this was a golden opportunity to finish Joel.
But what made me hesitate was none other than Bruce himself.
He withdrew his attack, stepped back, and began fanning himself with his hand.
“Haa… Heh heh. You’re quick for a squire. You’ve made me short of breath.”
“…”
“I’ll show mercy and spare you. Put down your sword and accept the rope. I’ll let you watch something entertaining before sending you off.”
He swept his hair back, licking his lips, exuding the confidence of a victor.
The moment his lecherous gaze landed on Adeline—
BOOM—!
A thunderous roar echoed.
Joel, still in his Destreza stance, had spread his legs wide, as if tearing the ground apart.
His thrust sword had pierced Bruce’s throat, and the ground beneath his forward-stepping right foot was cracked.
“That’s…”
I blinked several times.
The fissures radiating from Joel’s right foot, though less powerful, bore a striking resemblance.
“…Earth-Shaking Step (Earthquake)?”