WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Order

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 118: Elbridge, Seventeen Years Old (2)

──────

Hey guys, quick announcement before the chapter! We're hosting an original webnovel contest with a $1000 prize pool, a chance to publish your novel on WeTried, and lifetime free reading access for the top two winners!

There's also a participation prize of 500 coins for everyone participating.

If you've got a story sitting in a folder somewhere, or have been wanting to try writing one, we'd love to read it. You only need your first 10 chapters, and you have until 1st January 2027 to submit. New writers are welcome too!

Full details, rules, and how to enter here! https://wetriedtls.com/announcements/webnovel-contest

Feel free to send this to anyone you know who writes. Enjoy the chapter!

If you have any questions, please join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried

──────

Reto quietly slipped into the infirmary.

No one stopped him. It wasn't as though the infirmary was anything special.

It was simply a space set aside in one corner of the barracks assigned to combat churches that possessed Healing Authority.

Several Paladins and priests surrounded El.

'So it really was just a rumor.'

Reto had once heard a strange rumor: that the Order of the Rusted Shield possessed powerful Healing Authority.

Yet the ones treating El now belonged to the Order of Spring Rain and Moss. If the Order of the Rusted Shield truly possessed Healing Authority, they wouldn't have needed to ask the Order of Spring Rain and Moss for help.

Reto stepped closer. A glow filled with Healing Authority covered El's lower body.

Bones, muscles, and skin wriggled and grew within the light.

It was a necessary process, but not a pleasant sight.

'That must hurt a lot.'

Reto had once had his right arm crushed while fighting a demonic beast and received treatment.

Healing Authority didn't make the pain disappear instantly. If anything, the pain became worse during treatment.

El was clearly in pain too. His eyes were shut tight, and he clenched his teeth as he endured it. It wasn't remarkable endurance so much as the look of someone who had simply grown used to it.

The problem didn't disappear neatly once treatment ended, either.

Even after his arm had healed, Reto sometimes felt a strange sensation in it. To make matters worse, the pain from when he had been injured occasionally returned.

"Ugh..."

El let out a low groan. One of the priests wiped the sweat from El's forehead.

"El. I know it's hard, but hold on a little longer."

Even if it hurt, it was better to finish treatment all at once.

If they stopped after pouring in Healing Authority, the severed surface of the wound would close up.

If the wound healed while a leg had only regenerated to the knee, for instance, they would have to injure him again to regrow everything below it.

The most common method was to cut through the healed surface again. Naturally, it wasn't a pleasant experience.

"..."

Reto silently watched the treatment, then turned away.

Just as he was about to leave the infirmary, he heard low voices from the hallway.

"We can't keep El shut up in here. El is still a child."

Reto stopped and cautiously looked outside.

The two Paladins who had returned with El earlier were talking in the hallway: the blond Paladin with green eyes, and the intimidating-looking Paladin.

The intimidating-looking Paladin replied.

"Leonhardt. You brought El here, so why are you saying that to me?"

For a moment, Reto felt as though he had stopped breathing.

Leonhardt. Leonhardt of the Order of the Rusted Shield.

Reto felt sorry for Sir Jester, but Sir Leonhardt was far too famous to compare with Sir Jester.

Leonhardt spoke to the intimidating-looking Paladin.

"I didn't bring El to Hebron Fortress so he could fight. I'm the person El trusts and follows most... I only meant to keep him by my side a little longer and teach him a few things."

"Don't be ridiculous. You know what kind of place this is. Did you think El would live with his eyes closed and ears blocked, listening only to you? Anyone who stays here turns into the same kind of person, whether they like it or not."

"Brenic. I know I didn't think this through. But..."

Another famous name came up. Brenic, the High Paladin of the Order of the Rusted Shield.

Reto felt his respect for Sir Jester diminish slightly. There were simply too many important people around him.

Brenic cut Leonhardt off.

"Leonhardt, don't treat El like a child. The days when El really was a child have already passed. El is becoming an adult now, more or less."

"..."

"And no one forced El into battle. El chose to go into battle of his own accord."

"Brenic. You know what El is like. El obsessively tries to prove his usefulness and worth. And when I wasn't around, you should've stopped El. You're the one who let El tag along into battle."

"Hey. Do you think I spend my time playing around in the fortress? And when El first followed them into battle, I wasn't even at the fortress. I was carrying out a mission."

The two argued rather harshly.

Still, it didn't feel as though they were fighting out of resentment. They seemed close enough to say whatever they wanted without holding back.

"...Anyway, we need to send El away."

"Not now. You know the Order's situation as well as I do, Leonhardt. Decker died recently too. If El leaves, we'll only have four Paladins left. Just wait until new people come in."

Leonhardt sounded irritated.

"Hey. When exactly are they supposed to fill those positions? It's been this long already..."

"You know as well as I do that there's no point bringing in half-trained idiots who aren't skilled enough to fill those vacant spots. Those people die as soon as we recruit them."

"Then you're saying we should keep El tied to this fortress?"

"We don't have a choice. If El leaves, the people who fill El's place will keep dying one after another. El wouldn't want that either. Besides, El hasn't personally said that he wants to leave."

"..."

"I know you feel responsible for El, but try to understand my position too. I have to consider practical matters first."

Their long, quiet argument continued after that.

The situation itself was simple.

Both Leonhardt and Brenic pitied El.

There was only one difference. Leonhardt insisted that El should be sent away from Hebron Fortress, while Brenic believed El should remain at the fortress.

They must have argued over similar matters for quite some time, because their conversation jumped from topic to topic.

They had been arguing about this for a long time, yet El was still at Hebron Fortress. That meant Brenic had won most of those arguments so far.

This time was no different.

"...Fine. I understand for now."

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Leonhardt."

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to El."

By then, the treatment seemed to have ended. The Paladins and priests from the Order of Spring Rain and Moss began moving around.

As if nothing had happened, Leonhardt and Brenic waved at El before leaving the infirmary.

That left only El and Reto behind.

El, looking a little pale, asked Reto, "What? Are you hurt too?"

"No. It's not that... I just saw that you were badly hurt."

"Your name was Reto, right?"

"Yeah."

Reto thought for a moment, then sat beside El. He had the feeling El wanted someone to talk to.

Apparently, he wasn't wrong. Unlike before, when El had been prickly, El now took the lead in the conversation.

"The Order of the Third Hand... You must've come from the central region."

"That's right. But I was born in the east. I lived there my whole childhood."

"I'm from the east too. Where are you from? Solenion?"

Reto shook his head.

"No. It's a tiny place you probably wouldn't know. It's called Weekmere..."

El interrupted him.

"Weekmere? The village by the lake?"

"What? You know Weekmere?"

"Of course. Do you know what my name is?"

"El."

"That's a nickname. My name is Elbridge."

Elbridge. Reto knew that town's name.

In the east, there was a small unnamed river that swelled whenever it rained.

People struggled to cross the river whenever the rain came, so an old carpenter built a bridge over it.

Whenever it rained, people gathered around the bridge to cross the river, and over time, a village naturally formed there.

That was why people called the village Elbridge, meaning the old man's bridge.

"I was told the person who built that bridge was my ancestor."

"I've been to Elbridge several times... I might've met you before."

"Now that you mention it, I feel like I've seen you too."

Reto and Elbridge got along rather well.

Partly because they came from nearby regions, and partly because of their ages.

Reto was among the youngest people at Hebron Fortress, though not as young as Elbridge. They could have been described as brothers, or as friends with a considerable age gap.

* * *

About two months passed.

Hebron Fortress was a place where plenty of incidents occurred, and all sorts of things happened over those two months.

El often went out to the battlefield and occasionally returned half-dead. Reto took part in battle quite a few times as well.

Then one day...

"I want to go home."

Elbridge answered Reto's casual remark.

"Me too."

It was a conversation they had often had.

Today, though, Elbridge added something else, perhaps because he had returned a little more battered than usual.

"No. It doesn't even have to be home. I think anywhere would be fine, as long as it isn't here."

"Really?"

"I'm sick of this place. I'm starting to want to quit. I want to go to the rear too."

Reto snorted.

"Does the Order of the Rusted Shield even have a rear?"

"...It does, but it's worse than here."

The Order of the Rusted Shield had very few members.

There were Paladins stationed in regions other than the north, but the areas they had to cover were far wider than the north.

It was common for them to carry out missions alone, so their burden was no small thing either.

Elbridge asked Reto, "Reto. Doesn't the Order of the Third Hand need one more Paladin?"

"...What?"

"Someone who's fairly useful, willing to go into battle sometimes, and probably won't complain as long as they can make a living."

It was hard to tell whether Elbridge was joking. Still, Elbridge's expression looked fairly serious to Reto.

"...Are you serious?"

"Probably."

Recruiting a Paladin from the Order of the Rusted Shield.

This might be a chance to score a tremendous accomplishment.

Yet Reto recalled the conversation between Leonhardt and Brenic, the other two Paladins of the Order of the Rusted Shield.

Would leading Elbridge out of Hebron Fortress really be the right choice? How many Knights would die to replace Elbridge?

Elbridge muttered, "Honestly, things have not been looking good lately. I think I might die soon."

"Why all of a sudden?"

"I think the Goddess of the Rusted Shield dislikes me. Every time I receive divine power, it feels... strange. Uncomfortable and unsettling. Like she's only giving me divine power reluctantly. Do you know what I mean?"

"...Not at all."

"Anyway, there's something like that. If, when I need divine power, it comes a little late or isn't enough... I'll die that day."

Reto couldn't think of anything to say and simply looked at Elbridge.

Elbridge felt that way himself. What could Reto possibly say?

Elbridge's expression stiffened slightly.

"I haven't lived in the Order of the Rusted Shield for that long. Even counting the time I spent outside Hebron, it's been around four years. But honestly... I think I've done enough already."

It was a loaded statement. Reto unconsciously lowered his voice.

"...So what are you going to do?"

"I think I'll leave Hebron Fortress."

"Will Sir Brenic allow that?"

"I don't know. If it looks like Sir Brenic won't allow it... I'll just run away."

Reto looked at Elbridge.

Then he realized that lately, he had only thought of Elbridge as a brave Knight and a Paladin worthy of respect.

But now that he looked again, Elbridge was so young.

Just like the first day they met, when Reto had naturally assumed Elbridge was a squire.

Deserting one's post on the battlefield brought harsh punishment.

But if Elbridge ran away, was there anyone who could punish him?

Who in the world could point at this child and condemn him for failing to fulfill his duty?

Elbridge's eyes gleamed.

"After all, I don't think I need permission. If Sir Brenic catches me and I have to stay at Hebron Fortress forever, I don't think I could endure it. I'd either die or go mad. It's better to disappear without saying anything."

"If Sir Leonhardt helps you, perhaps you could get permission. You should at least try talking to him..."

"If I could get permission... then even if I disappear secretly, Sir Leonhardt will take care of things afterward."

Elbridge stood up. The only thing in Elbridge's hand was a sword.

But Elbridge didn't need anything more. There was hope for a new life in Elbridge's heart now.

Elbridge asked, "What will you do?"

Reto let out a deep sigh.

"Fuck it, let's go. It'll work out somehow."

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried