novelraw Chapter 59 : What Was It I Said Again
Chapter 59 : What Was It I Said Again
Chapter 59: What Was It I Said Again
With warm soup, bread, and roasted meat set before them, the three people sat in silence.
It was because of the old man they had just met.
As if he were a noble, the old man tucked a dinner napkin over his lap and elegantly brought food to his mouth.
Perhaps he had a tremor, because his hands shook and he spilled half of the soup, but the old man remained unyielding.
They had suggested that he might as well drape the napkin around his neck, but the old man stubbornly refused.
Because it looked like a baby’s bib.
Judging by his behavior, he was no different from a baby.
And the so-called napkin placed on his thigh was Robin’s clothing.
The garment he had been about to throw away because the bloodstains would not come out had naturally ended up being treated as a napkin.
Along with praise that the red fabric looked luxurious.
“Today’s meal is splendid. The old hag’s skills have improved a lot.”
“Uh… Grandpa, I’ll say it again, but I’m not an old hag.”
“Eeh, so shy.”
“…….”
As if she had attained enlightenment, Imelda let out a hollow laugh.
Serena looked at Robin with curiosity, wondering what on earth was going on, but there was nothing he could properly explain.
The elderly man, whose mind wandered in and out, had followed Imelda inside.
They had brought him along for the time being to avoid drawing attention.
That was all.
Robin did not know anything about this old man either.
He had spoken to the guards, but the answer he got back was that they could not find his family.
If he had to grasp anything about the old man, it was that he was full of praise for the Empire and well-versed in its history.
Robin cautiously guessed that he might have worked as an imperial official.
“Looks like he was abandoned by his family.”
“I think so too.”
“What could this grandpa have done wrong to be abandoned….”
“You can be abandoned even without doing anything wrong. If you’re not financially well-off, people even abandon their children.”
Imelda stopped speaking when she realized that Robin came from an orphan background.
Serena stared at the old man for a long while, then reached for her food.
“For now, let’s eat. If we leave him alone, that old man will eat everything.”
As Serena said, the old man’s appetite was vigorous.
Once Robin and Imelda began eating as well, the food quickly dwindled.
Rubbing his belly and smiling in satisfaction, the old man lay flat on the floor before anyone could speak to him.
Kuuuuul.
Kuuuuul.
“He fell asleep.”
“Yeah, in our room.”
“I don’t mind.”
“You don’t mind? Serena, are you really fine sleeping in the same room as him?”
“It’s already late anyway. One night won’t hurt.”
The more Robin looked at her, the more peculiar a girl she seemed.
Were all spirit mages people beyond common sense?
Imelda looked at the old man with pity and spoke.
“Wouldn’t it be fine if he curled up and slept in a corner? It’s pitiful to chase him out like this.”
“Why are you two so lacking in caution? He’s someone we just met—what are you trusting to sleep together?”
“But if he has no family and nowhere to go, what is he supposed to do…….”
Robin let out a sigh.
Serena could be excused since they had not known each other long and she was an oddball, but Imelda’s heart was too soft.
“I don’t care whether you kick that old man out or not, so do as you please.”
“He’s a pitiful person. Let’s stay together with him just for one day.”
Imelda looked at Robin with earnest eyes.
It had always been like this.
When she asked for something with those innocent eyes, he could not help but give in even if he did not feel like it.
Robin took a deep breath and nodded.
“Alright.”
“You were worried deep down too, weren’t you?”
“I was. Anyway, let’s end the talk about the old man here. There’s something we need to do.”
Robin held up an armful of Golden Ivy.
“Let’s dye it, all of us.”
It was the first time for both Robin and Imelda to dye their hair, but it was surprisingly easy.
Thanks to Serena’s help.
She had said she had experience with dyeing, and when they left it to her, she turned out to be unexpectedly skilled.
Robin asked whether Serena’s black hair had been dyed as well, but it was her natural color.
Seeing himself turned blond, Robin finally let out a breath of relief.
Now, wherever he went, he could avoid standing out.
Kuuuuul.
Kuuuuul.
The sound of snoring came at regular intervals.
The old man was in such a deep sleep that he would not notice even if someone carried him away.
Robin carefully got up so as not to wake Serena, who was sleeping beside him, and stepped out from under the blanket.
On the floor, Imelda and the old man were asleep.
Trying to have four people sleep in a not-so-spacious double room was cramped.
Robin picked up the soundly sleeping old man and went outside the inn.
Imelda had tried to cradle the old man, but Robin could not allow that.
The reason he had not fallen asleep right away was because he was wary of the old man.
If he happened to harbor ill intentions and tried to harm them, someone needed to be there to stop it.
Fortunately, the old man had done nothing but sleep soundly, but Robin had already made up his mind.
This city had many empty buildings.
Since the weather was neither too cold nor too hot, sleeping outside would not kill him.
Robin set the old man down in a suitable spot and covered him with a blanket.
‘I can just tell the young lady that when she woke up, the old man was gone.’
It was not that he felt no guilt toward the old man, but this was the best option.
They had to leave for Bellaruka in three days, and they could not keep taking him along.
Thus easing his sense of guilt, Robin stopped in a place with no people around.
Since he was already out, he drew his sword and swung it.
He displayed one by one the knightly sword techniques he had honed over time.
Four basic stances and fourteen auxiliary stances.
Under the moonlight, Robin’s sword was swung lightly.
Even after unfolding all the stances, Robin did not stop.
Imagining how Nelson might come at him, he moved his sword.
‘Using dual swords while injured brought more loss than gain.’
Even though he had been stabbed in the side by surprise, at the time Robin had not been able to launch any counterattack.
Being wary of Aura had been the biggest reason, but even so, it was not as though there had been no opportunity.
The sword he had received when leaving Stonegoth, and the sword gifted by the Calimacos Mercenary Band.
Both swords were ones Robin cherished dearly.
Because of that, instead of making bold attacks, he had waited for a sure opportunity, and that had become the cause of his defeat.
‘Would it have been different if I had just one sword.’
Replaying it countless times, Robin pondered how he should fight in order to win.
When several dozen minutes had passed while he faced an imaginary enemy.
From behind, he heard a voice that carried a sense of dizziness.
“I can feel many traces of worry, but a knight’s swordsmanship is not meant to be used that way.”
“…Sir? Did you wake up from your sleep.”
“You insolent brat, was your heart at ease when you abandoned me like that.”
“Has your mind returned.”
The whiny, illogical attitude of a child was nowhere to be seen as he walked forward with steady steps.
Robin sheathed his sword and faced the old man.
Standing two meters away, the old man lifted his cane.
It was a stance Robin knew well.
Pflug.
With the grip held around waist height, it was a middle guard poised to thrust at any moment.
“Sir, have you learned swordsmanship?”
The old man silently moved the tip of the cane slowly.
Robin realized what it meant.
It was the same movement he himself had been making just moments ago, while pondering how to break through a knight’s Aura.
“The idea of targeting vital points such as the opponent’s eyes, glabella, and throat is good. However, if the opponent uses Aura, it is a futile effort.”
Robin’s eyes widened without him realizing it.
The old man knew knightly swordsmanship precisely.
‘Just who exactly is this old man.’
“Pflug’s core lay in prepared flexibility and the unity of offense and defense. When the opponent’s attack came in, one defended without wavering, and when an opportunity to attack appeared, one instantly switched to a thrust and subdued them.”
“…That’s something I already knew.”
The old man glanced at Robin and continued.
“In this process, the swordsman did not lose the center of the mind, and just as a plow split the earth, had to firmly maintain one’s will.”
“What was the center of the mind, and what did it mean to firmly maintain one’s will.”
“A true confrontation with oneself. And the realization of conviction.”
He had heard similar words before.
It was similar to what Calimacos had said, but Robin doubted whether such a thing was truly possible.
Was it really possible to repel Aura through the manifestation of will alone.
Separate from his doubts, the way Robin looked at the old man changed.
“Sir, were you a knight.”
“And if I was?”
Robin was left at a loss for words.
The senile old man before his eyes had been a knight? Judging by how he knew about knightly swordsmanship and Aura, it sounded plausible.
“Then please leave our side. If you are such an outstanding person, what could you possibly lack that you would rely on us.”
“Outstanding… Do you truly think so? Do you think everyone who becomes a knight becomes an outstanding person?”
The old man’s deep-set eyes looked at Robin.
They were eyes of depth in which no trace of playfulness or childishness could be found.
Verman, Nelson.
All the knights Robin had faced were different from what he had imagined.
Greg, a retainer of Baron Tefir’s household, had been meager in skill but had not yielded to Verman until the very end.
He wanted to gain great power, but he did not want to become someone like Nelson, who could kill subordinates without batting an eye.
“Not all knights are outstanding.”
“That’s right.”
“Even so, I wanted to become a knight. Now it seems it will be difficult.”
“Why.”
“…….”
Robin laid bare his honest feelings.
“Aura. Because I want to reach that realm all swordsmen aim for. My swordsmanship is very lacking.”
“What? Puahahahat!”
“What is so funny.”
“Do you think your swordsmanship falls short compared to theirs. Truly? Excessive humility is unpleasant.”
“There isn’t another method anyway…….”
“There is. Another method. Didn’t I already tell you.”
‘Something about the realization of conviction.’
Robin let out a shallow breath and lowered the corners of his mouth.
Even after seeing with his own eyes that such a realm existed, he could not easily believe it.
Since it was not a problem he could solve right now, he turned his head away.
Whether the old man watched or not, he intended to continue training.
“Lend me your sword.”
Before Robin could give permission, the old man took Robin’s sword.
He was neither strong nor forceful, yet Robin handed over the sword as if it were only natural.
Only afterward did he question why he had given it up so easily.
The old man lifted the cane in his left hand and Robin’s sword in his right.
Wooooong.
A blue light gathered on Robin’s sword, and the old man brought it down toward the cane.
Kkaang!
The sword that struck the cane bounced away.
Robin stared blankly in shock.
He had seen this phenomenon before.
Seven years ago, in the encounter between Calimacos and Greg.
“How did you do that.”
“Didn’t I say it. The realization of conviction was important.”
“Could you explain it in detail.”
“That wouldn’t be difficult. What should I start with…….”
The blue light faded, and the old man blinked his eyes.
The dizzy, unfocused gaze returned to its usual vacant stupidity.
‘Don’t tell me?’
“Hey there, young man. Why am I here?”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Hm? What was it I was talking about again?”
Robin took a deep breath.
The old man’s dementia was more serious than he had thought.
Imelda woke up early in the morning.
Usually, Robin always woke up early, but perhaps he had been tired lately, because he was sleeping soundly.
The pitiful grandfather who had been abandoned by his family was also snoring away without any issues.
Serena devoted most of her time to sleep in order to recover Ether.
‘Being like this makes it feel as if nothing ever happened.’
For the last bloodline of a noble family that had been wiped out after her father’s death, the present situation was far too peaceful.
‘I wonder if the people of the family are alright. Jessie must be doing well, right?’
Thinking of her hometown, Regiville, made her heart ache.
Knowing she would clearly become depressed if she continued to dwell on her thoughts, she got up.
In place of the boy who always worked hard for her, she prepared breakfast.
When the innkeeper on the first floor saw Imelda, he spoke to her as if seeing her for the first time.
She had kept her face covered until now, but thanks to dyeing her hair blond, she had stopped hiding it.
“Pretty young lady, the bacon’s on the house.”
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it!”
By the time four servings of food came out, the sun had already risen.
She gently opened the room door and set the meal on the table.
When she drew back the curtains and opened the window, a cool breeze blew in.
With the combination of delicious smells and fresh air, they woke up one by one.
“You woke up early.”
“Yeah. Did you sleep well, Robin?”
“More or less. You even prepared breakfast? You’ve really grown up.”
“I even got extra bacon.”
The boy, now changed to the same blond hair as her own, got up while yawning.
If it had not been for that boy, she would never have made it this far.
Robin naturally pulled over the table and made a space for eating.
After Serena and the old man gathered awkwardly, they ate breakfast together.
It was a simple breakfast spread, but it tasted good.
“Sir, how does it taste.”
“Food made by the old hag is always delicious.”
“As expected, you’re not in your right mind.”
Robin yielded his share to the old man, who was coveting the bacon.
After glancing at the old man who was devouring it greedily, Robin opened his mouth.
“Let’s take that sir with us too.”
“Mm?”
“All the way to Bellaruka. No, let’s go together to the North.”
“Uh……?”
At the unexpected addition of a traveling companion, Imelda’s mouth fell open.