novelraw Chapter 90 : Chapter 90
Chapter 90 : Chapter 90
Chapter 90: Darkness
Back in my freeloader days.
I had left no footprints.
Back then, I was only in the small annex.
I lived like that for nearly five years.
Thinking back on the time I wasted then, my stomach would often ache.
Thinking, it's not even my house, I should have just set fire to it to my heart's content. Because the more you use magic, the more accustomed you become to your Origin.
As a result, I naturally knew nothing.
A maid did come to visit every day, but they did not speak to me.
The security, no, the loyalty of the Inner Fortress was formidable, and I had not been included as a member of that Inner Fortress.
However, as my achievements over the past half-year prove, I was not completely ignorant.
It was thanks to the Elaine of the past.
That Grand Heir was as talkative as she was playful.
She didn't tell me everything, but she was the type who couldn't stand it when her mouth was itching.
Of course, she was only like that in front of me.
'You're the only person the Grand Heir would call a friend.'
Those words I had heard from Cassion during my convalescence pierced through to my past life.
-You told Gullen my personality is shitty?
-He didn't believe me.
-Of course he wouldn't. Who would believe your words? They'd believe mine.
In the first place, the people of Serzila didn't even know Elaine was that kind of person.
In front of others, Elaine was the perfect Grand Heir, and the Iron-Blooded Grand Duke.
The Elaine of the past life only revealed her true nature in front of me.
But just because she was in front of me, she didn't always act foolishly.
-Is something wrong? You're unusually quiet today.
Elaine, as talkative as she was, knew well that there were times when she had to hold her tongue.
-It's the anniversary of a death. I must be prudent.
One of them was death.
Elaine refrained from speaking of death in front of me.
-Whose anniversary is it?
-Someone you don't know.
-Yes.
-...
She said you only speak of the dead when you can share memories and pain.
-What kind of bastard is the 3rd Knights Commander Ahite?
-Suddenly? Ah. Knight breaking. Sir Ahite is, hmm. A very splendid knight. He likes to throw himself into the front lines.
The Elaine of the Grand Heir days liked ignorance.
Because she herself was ignorant.
-I heard he just became the commander.
-There was an incident in the 3rd Knights. Well, it's not something you need to know.
From the time Elaine was twenty-one, the 3rd Knights Commander was Ahite.
But the 3rd Knights Commander before me now was not Ahite.
'Kalinos. He'll die within the year.'
Elaine and I were the same age.
It was now the winter of our twentieth year. Less than a month was left until the new year.
The 3rd Knights Commander Kalinos was a man impressive enough to be unforgettable after one look.
A face with distorted skin was perched on a burly frame. They were burn marks, and on top of them were a multitude of scars.
'Those are sword cuts. No, the wind of the Boundary?'
There's no way I wouldn't remember a knight like that.
'He's really going to die.'
I was once again convinced of Kalinos's death.
"I've heard a lot about you from the Grand Heir. Please take care of me, Sir Kalinos."
Just like me, Kalinos and Ellen were meeting for the first time.
"It is an honor to meet you for the first time, Lady Ellen."
Kalinos was not flustered.
He seemed to have known in advance that Ellen would be coming up to the garrison.
It meant that Grand Duke Aratus knew that Ellen was accompanying me on this command.
'But he didn't stop her.'
As expected, the Grand Duke wants Elaine to hang out with me.
Why?
* * *
"I don't know if I can enter the Boundary."
Ellen was a good actress.
To the point of being detestable.
Of course, this was her first time participating in a search as Ellen.
The persona of Ellen was born for deviance.
"There is no one in Serzila who does not know of Lady Ellen's skills."
Ellen, despite her deviant identity, did not hide her swordsmanship.
It must have been to prevent anyone from having doubts about the collateral branch identity she had gone to the trouble of setting up.
'There is no weak Serzila.'
There are only less strong Serzilas.
'The identity of a collateral branch must be necessary for deviance.'
Deviance required freedom.
The identity of a collateral branch would provide that freedom.
"Am I that famous?"
"You are not famous, but those who should know, know."
Freedom also required secrecy.
Ellen revealed just as much as was necessary.
Just enough not to have her freedom disturbed.
Thanks to that, only those who knew knew Ellen.
Among those who knew, the Harad of the past life was not included.
'Why didn't I know?'
According to Cassion, Ellen was popular even among the knights.
However, the Harad of the past life didn't even know of Ellen's existence, let alone her skills.
'Moreover, a collateral branch.'
The collateral branches of Serzila are precious.
It was not the Grand Duke Aratus's doing, but the result of the previous generation's actions. Succession is a cruel thing.
'Even if I didn't know Elaine was a woman, I should have heard about the collateral branch Ellen.'
I first learned of Ellen's existence after regressing.
'Because she's a person who has to disappear later?'
Still, traces are bound to be left behind.
'The Intelligence Bureau Director must have been involved... Ah. The only person I was close with was Elaine.'
If Elaine had decided to keep Ellen's existence a secret, there was no way for me to have heard.
I had received the vassals' acknowledgment in my past life, but I hadn't grown closer than that.
Unlike Elaine, I did not particularly like the north.
The only knight I could call a friend was Gullen.
Even with him, we hadn't had many personal conversations.
The topics of conversation were only Serzila, knights, and magic.
'I'm not in a position to talk.'
I was not in a position to blame the Elaine of the past life.
I, too, had only had Elaine.
"I've heard a lot, Mage Harad."
Kalinos extended a hand the size of a bear's paw.
It had as many scars as his face. To knights, they were medals. Kalinos was a knight commander with numerous medals.
* * *
The atmosphere of the garrison was strange.
There was a tension in the air. It was not hostility or vigilance.
"He looks more human than I thought."
"I heard he was a giant wreathed in flames."
"I heard he had burns all over and was wrapped in bandages."
"I heard he was a woman."
"...?"
The 3rd Knights had all come out to watch me.
There was a due respect in their gazes.
A gaze that was hard for a mage to receive, one that could only be received in Serzila.
"It seems they already acknowledge you."
It was as Ellen had said.
I thought this was what the atmosphere would be like if the 1st Knights were shy.
The 3rd Knights already acknowledged me.
'It's thanks to Psina.'
This was the fame of a 5th Rank.
The north ignores mages, but they cannot ignore a 5th Rank.
It was because the previous generation, who had seen or experienced the power of a manifested Origin, was still active.
Strictly speaking, it is not the fame of a 5th Rank.
Because the 5th Rank was Psina.
I had gained the fame of being a mage who had killed a 5th Rank.
In terms of knights, it's right below a Sword Master.
One who can occasionally be their equal and kill them.
How many such knights are there in the world?
Right now, in the 3rd Knights, there is only Kalinos.
'It's more so because it's the 3rd Knights.'
The 3rd Knights Commander Kalinos is not a Sword Master.
It meant the 3rd Knights had no choice but to acknowledge me.
In terms of achievements, I surpassed Kalinos.
Unlike me, Kalinos had never killed a 5th Rank mage.
"We could just go back like this."
Ellen whispered.
I, of course, knew that she didn't mean it.
Elaine's Hunting Day is organized mainly around the 1st Knights.
She had never experienced the 3rd Knights' search route.
"Then you go back. I'll stop by the Boundary and then go."
"No thanks."
Ellen snorted.
Though it would be a boring search route, it was an area she was stepping into for the first time.
She couldn't help but be curious.
"I came because of you."
"Are you worried about me?"
"Yes."
Ellen answered immediately.
I felt a new sense of pride.
It was an answer I couldn't have heard a few months ago.
Then Ellen looked me up and down.
"How can I not worry? You're so frail."
"...I am very healthy."
"Being healthy and being sturdy are different."
"Very sturdy... No. Let's go."
It was just a waste of breath.
To Ellen, who possessed Innate Strength, anything would feel shabby.
Kalinos was a straightforward knight.
The conversation he had with me and Ellen was short, and his steps stopped in front of the Wall's gate.
It meant that there was no need for long words, let's get right into the action.
Because we would find out everything once we were inside.
"We're going in right away. Is that all right, Lady Ellen?"
"I like it."
Report after the fact.
Ellen seemed to like it.
She must think that knights should be like that.
In the Boundary, experience is prioritized over status.
The most important thing was efficiency.
"I heard that mages like to talk. I apologize if you wanted to have a conversation."
"It's fine, we're not in that kind of relationship."
Not all mages are talkative to everyone.
Knights weren't particularly good conversation partners either.
"Mage Harad, I have high expectations for you."
His pupils shone from between the scars.
Rumors about me had swept through the entire garrison.
There were some distortions in the process, but the fire that blocked the Boundary seemed to have been conveyed accurately.
"Is it bigger than Lady Ellen's?"
"Lady Ellen said she would not step in unless you are in danger."
That's right.
The order given by Grand Duke Aratus had to be accomplished by me alone. That way, I would be pressed down less.
"But if you want to compare, honestly, it's bigger than Lady Ellen's. Since Lady Ellen belongs to the Intelligence Bureau."
The current Intelligence Bureau Director was Elaine's aunt.
Ellen was known as that Director's daughter.
Kalinos seemed to think that Ellen would succeed her.
"You, were you the next Intelligence Bureau Director?"
"No."
"Then?"
"I don't know. But I'm not going to do it."
Ellen spoke like a person without a dream.
It must be because her identity was one that had to disappear someday.
In the past life, the turning point must have been when Elaine ascended to the position of Grand Duke.
The Grand Heir Elaine of the past life would disappear whenever she was bored, but the Grand Duke Elaine had silently protected the throne.
The position of Grand Duke was not one that could be abandoned at will.
The gate opened slowly with a roar.
Kalinos naturally led the way towards the gap that was just wide enough for one person to pass through.
"Are the other knights not coming?"
I noticed that the 3rd Knights were not moving.
"There was no order to take you on a search."
Grand Duke Aratus had ordered me to go to the 3rd Knights.
He had not requested me to join a search.
It was Kalinos who had requested the search.
"This search is my own greed, having heard of your skills. So only I must go."
It meant he would bear the consequences alone, just in case.
"That's cool."
Ellen was impressed.
That was the valor of the 3rd Knights she was proud of.
'That's why he died.'
I secretly clicked my tongue.
Valor.
That must have been Kalinos's cause of death.
* * *
There were a total of seventy search routes in Serzila.
Of which, ten were given to the 3rd Knights.
Kalinos did not say which search route it was.
He just stood at the front and set the direction.
He must want to see how I navigate the Boundary, how I respond to unknown magical beasts.
"Just as the rumors say."
Kalinos was impressed by my warmth, but his expression was not satisfied.
The warmth had now become just an added effect that I, the mage, provided.
Kalinos was not just ignoring me as a mage, but respecting me as a strong person.
It meant that my position had openly risen.
'It's thanks to Psina.'
Just how much of a military asset is the mage named Harad?
Kalinos seemed to be trying to confirm that through this search.
I welcome a test like this.
If a mage had done this, I would have overturned the whole thing, but a test given by a knight is only welcome.
It means they're using their heads, at least.
'Though it's also more infuriating.'
It also meant that they weren't using their heads even though they knew how.
They might think they shouldn't use them.
The most important thing for a knight is to carry out Serzila's orders. Idle thoughts lower performance.
It was an area where the ground was particularly soft.
There were quite a few trees around, and on their branches were not leaves, but eyes.
From between those trees, knights jumped out.
To be precise, they were magical beasts imitating the appearance of knights. Their material was wood.
"What Rank do they look like?"
"3rd Rank?"
"Correct."
The Boundary was a place of endless learning.
It was so for the regressed me, and Ellen had much more to learn.
"It's much more convenient with Kubel."
If I just imbue Kubel's smoke with a little fire, it becomes a huge flame.
Since there was no medium, I had to make up for it with magic power.
However, small frictions or trivial gestures give some meaning. Because they substitute for the magic power consumed in representing the image of the magic.
Hoo. I exhaled. It wasn't breath, but a flame.
If you represent it as such, it becomes magic. A flame shot out like a breath turned the wooden knights to ash.
It was instantaneous.
They weren't threatening magical beasts to knights, but they couldn't be exterminated so quickly and overwhelmingly.
The difference between a sword and magic.
Kalinos's eyes shone as he saw my magic. Even though he had disposed of more than ten magical beasts in an instant, I looked like I had plenty of energy left.
No, by burning them and simultaneously absorbing the magical beasts' hearts, I had returned to my original condition.
"What about the flint?"
"That helps too."
"Then why don't you use it?"
"I'd lose a hand. It's better to lose more magic power and prepare for the unexpected."
There was no sign of nervousness.
I was leisurely conversing with Ellen.
Kalinos stared at me.
Crackle. It was then that a spark spread.
Kalinos turned his head. The sparks left from burning the wooden knights were scattering in all directions.
They headed for the trees on all sides and singed the eyes at the ends of the branches.
"What constituted the knights were the roots of those trees."
"..."
"Those eyes saw you who came out on a search, remembered, and imitated you. They recognized it as a form suitable for combat."
The Serzila Knight Orders rotated annually and had been treading this search route for over twenty years.
And for over twenty years, they had been killing the wooden knights.
No one.
Had figured out why the magical beasts imitated the appearance of knights.
In fact, no one had been curious.
"The eyes will grow like fruit. If you remove them periodically, you won't have to fight in this area."
I had noticed after seeing it only once.
And I had also eliminated future battles.
The knights would have more leeway. With the strength saved here, they would be able to fight more freely in the next area.
"Cutting down all the trees is also an option, but I don't recommend it."
I continued to speak.
"If you destroy a completed alteration, it becomes an alteration in itself. We'd be causing a new alteration."
"It's wood now, but you're saying you don't know how it will change if you cut it down and time passes?"
"Exactly."
Kalinos didn't understand, but Ellen seemed to.
That, too, seemed to be my influence.
They said the 1st Knights had changed like that.
They said that when it came to the Boundary and magic, they went to me.
Not only military prowess, but also rich experience, a calm disposition, and furthermore, judgment regarding the Boundary.
"...We can go back."
The entrance to the search route had just passed, but there was nothing more to see.
Kalinos had no choice but to acknowledge me.
"Not yet."
I objected then.
I was not looking at Kalinos.
Following my gaze, I saw a strange darkness.
It was already a dark area, but that place was particularly black.
It was a pitch-black colored space, no, a path.
A dark thing stretched long and inward.
It looked as if darkness had passed through and created a path. Its end touched the search route.
"Is this path originally here?"
"...No."
An anomaly had occurred on the search route.