WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
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Chapter 257: While He Was Away (3)
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".........."
Joban, a new recruit who had become a Farreira guard earlier that year, had been unable to make sense of everything happening lately.
He had known already, of course, that Farreira was a baronial territory in a small nation, but in truth, it was far more impressive than that.
'Lady Kiril Farreira is a promising Sorcerer recognized in the Cesar Duchy, and young lord Airen Farreira... They say he reached the level of Sword Master in his early twenties?'
Still, he had never truly felt it for himself.
That was only natural.
No matter how impressive they were, one had to see them firsthand to understand. They were not even in the territory, and with only distant rumors reaching him, there had been no chance to feel proud.
But recently, ever since the young lord had finally returned to the territory and fully demonstrated the level he had reached during a special swordsmanship lecture, Guard Joban could not help shedding tears at the overwhelming emotion that belatedly washed over him.
"What's going on?"
"A sparring match?"
"We get to see Lady Lindsay's swordsmanship in person?"
"To think I'd live to see something like this!"
What was happening now was just as shocking.
Listening to the knights and senior guards chattering around him, Joban made space with a dazed expression.
It had been astonishing when the young lord of Farreira displayed his 'true skill' without restraint fifteen days earlier.
Yet it was just as astonishing to see the young lord's 'true connections' appear one after another now.
No, in some ways, it felt even more incredible.
Illia Lindsay, the genius swordswoman who had reached Master rank faster than anyone in history!
Brett Lloyd, Gerbera Kingdom's genius, whose fame fell short of hers, but whose influence surpassed even the King of Hale's!
Figures like them were visiting the territory because of the young lord? His connections were truly extraordinary.
That was what Joban had been thinking when an Aura appeared.
Vwooooom!
".........."
"Uh..."
"...Aura?"
A blue aura suddenly surged from young lord Lloyd's sword.
It was not Aura that a top-tier Expert had strained to force out.
Anyone could tell. It was a complete, stable Aura Sword.
Shock passed over every face, including Marcus's and Joban's, but Brett remained as composed as ever.
Striking a stylish pose, he spoke to Illia.
"Shall we put in a little effort for the first time in a while?"
"...Since when?"
"It has not even been a few months. What do you think? Do you feel like taking this a little more seriously now?"
"...Fine."
Illia nodded.
Until just before that, she had regretted drawing her Aura Sword.
No matter how flustered or irritated she had been, using an Aura Sword against an Expert was not something she should have done.
Sparring with an Aura Sword drawn made no sense.
But if her opponent was also a Sword Master, that changed things.
Using an Aura Sword would not be rude, and it would be fine to show a little more of her true strength.
'Right. It is fine to be more serious, to go a little harder...'
Illia nodded.
Her surprise had faded, but she still could not see Brett in a favorable light.
Cool eyes, a cold atmosphere, and a silver blade as sharp as a midwinter wind.
Sensing the unusual mood, the onlookers swallowed hard, while Brett remained calm.
"Shall I go first?"
"Fine."
...No.
Brett was more excited than that.
Illia was his old friend, and the person he was determined to surpass.
Thinking back to their days as trainee candidates, the blue-haired swordsman stamped down hard.
Crack!
Boom!
The ground of the training yard shattered.
Brett shot forward at a speed that matched the powerful recoil, and his sword swung even faster.
It was a mid-level slash. Illia's sword, which had already come down, blocked it with ease.
Clang!
Tap!
Tat-tat-tat!
Illia stepped back once, while Brett retreated three steps.
He intended to acknowledge his disadvantage and create room to recover, but his opponent was not about to let him.
Wind rose from Lady Lindsay's blade as she closed the distance in an instant.
".........."
".........."
Unfortunately, the people gathered at the training ground were not especially skilled.
That was only natural.
This was neither the western continent nor a great power. They were merely people employed in a barony of a small nation, so there was no reason to expect outstanding skill from them.
Even so, they could all tell what swordsmanship Adan's genius had unleashed and what the wind she had stirred up was.
The Sky Sword!
The moment the continent's most famous swordsmanship appeared, every heart there began to burn.
Boom!
Bang!
Ba-boom! Bang!
"Ngh, ugh..."
Sword strikes poured down like a storm, rough, powerful, and merciless!
Brett repeatedly let out pained groans amid them.
No matter how hard he clenched his teeth, he could not suppress them. Enraged, he unleashed a decisive strike with all his might.
Vwooooom!
Whoosh!
But it was futile.
His opponent stepped back with the lightness of a gentle breeze, then closed in again with the speed of a gale.
Then she unleashed a storm of consecutive strikes. Again and again and again.
Under that maddening pressure, Brett laughed instead of groaning.
"Heh, heh heh heh."
Boom!
"Gah! Kuh, hah!"
It hurt. His hands throbbed whenever he took a blow, but the immense gap that still remained hurt him even more.
Even so, it was fine.
Even so, he could endure it.
What Brett Lloyd had gained at fourteen was neither talent nor potential.
It was a heart that would not waver no matter how the wind blew, a heart that could proudly keep moving along its own path.
It did not matter whether it was a light breeze or a raging storm.
'I will walk my own path.'
Firming his resolve, Brett detonated the latent power within his body all at once and swung his sword.
Boom!
Bang, bang, bang, boom!
".........."
The dam he had built inside himself burst. One, two, three, explosions erupted in succession.
The ripples grew into waves, then into a tidal wave that came crashing forward with overwhelming force.
For the first time since the spar began, Illia's expression showed surprise.
But only for a moment.
Boooom!
She did not dodge.
She could have retreated easily enough, but Illia chose to face it head-on. And she overcame it.
The waves swept up by the storm shattered into ripples, and the master of those waves could not gather his scattered senses.
Illia watched her friend Brett Lloyd, who had been flung far away and knocked unconscious, then took something from her pocket and handed it to Marcus.
"W-What is this?"
"A potion. It is a secret of my house, so it should be quite effective. Please use it while caring for Brett."
"Ah! Understood. You two, follow me!"
"Y-Yes..."
At that moment, the blue-haired swordsman sprawled across the training ground suddenly jerked upright.
Marcus and the guards who had been approaching him recoiled with startled cries, and everyone else was shocked as well, because young lord Lloyd's eyes had become truly frightening.
Of course, that gaze was not directed at anyone else.
After finding Illia, the one who had defeated him, he paused briefly.
Then he said,
"I heard Airen is not here right now..."
".........."
"You will stay here until he returns, right?"
"...Why do you ask?"
"Is that such a strange question? It isn't. There's nothing strange about a friend coming to see a friend. I'm here to meet a friend too. It's nice when friends meet again after a long time, so I was going to stay a little longer too... That's what I wanted to say, so I asked. What's wrong, friend? Why are you glaring daggers at me..."
"Shut up."
"Fine."
Thud.
With those words, Brett Lloyd collapsed and did not rise again.
Truly unconscious this time, he was carefully carried to the recovery room by Marcus and the guards.
"...Lulu."
"...Yes, Illia."
"When is Airen coming back?"
"Um... I do not know either."
"I see."
Illia Lindsay nodded with a gloomy expression.
She missed Airen Farreira even more.
* * *
A few days before Illia Lindsay and Brett Lloyd arrived in Farreira territory, Airen Farreira's group was slowly making its way toward the kingdom's capital.
The journey was not particularly rushed.
There was still plenty of time before the banquet, and the Farreira family wanted it that way as well.
After all, it was the first time in their lives that they had traveled together as a family.
"Dad! It looks like something is happening in this village. Shall we take a look before we go?"
"Ahem. We are on our way to answer the King's summons, so how could we..."
"It is fine. We have plenty of time, so I think it would be good to enjoy ourselves along the way. I have heard of Ramcam Village's festival before. They say it is fun and offers plenty for its size, so I am interested too."
"Shall we go, Father?"
"Ahem, well... Shall we?"
Baron Harun Farreira was dignified and courteous, and for that reason, somewhat reserved.
But he could not pass up this moment with his son and daughter, this time that felt like an outing beyond the territory.
It was a deep happiness and pride that he had felt as a father for the first time in twenty years.
He felt as though tears might fall again, embarrassingly enough. Thinking of his wife back at the estate made it even worse.
'Next time, with Amelia too, without fail...'
Swallowing a trace of regret, he looked at his children with a warm expression.
Airen and Kiril answered with even brighter smiles.
A faint smile also rested on the Commander of the Twilight Order's face as he watched the three of them.
"Father, shall we have a light drink..."
The family did not only spend time together during the day.
Every night after the day's schedule ended, Airen would visit his father carrying something, and Kiril would quietly join them.
Oswaldo Odone, ever perceptive, discreetly excused himself.
He had a rough idea that this family, who looked so genuinely happy, had only found this happiness not long ago.
'An outsider cannot intrude on a gathering like that. I should have a drink with the soldiers instead.'
The soldiers had to spend every night on edge because of that, but it was only a minor incident.
Thus, the day before they reached the royal capital, the group finished preparing to camp on a suitable plain after indulging Kiril's childish insistence that the family try sleeping outdoors together at least once.
It was not as comfortable as a village or city, but it had its own charm, and no one felt inconvenienced.
No, that was not quite true.
Airen Farreira, who could be called the center of the group, was troubled by uneasy thoughts as he considered the banquet that was now close at hand.
'Lately, there have been nothing but unbelievably good people around me.'
It really was true.
There was Illia Lindsay, for whom he had developed feelings, as well as Brett Lloyd and Judith.
Kubharu, whom he had known for nearly a year, was also a truly good person. Lulu went without saying.
It was not only his friends, either.
Ian, Quincy Myers, Joshua Lindsay, Kun, Ignet, Karakum, Tarakhan...
So many others had guided him, shown him consideration, and taught him.
Because there had been so many admirable and good people around him, he could become who he was now.
'But the people I meet at the banquet will be very different from them.'
Airen thought of the Six Southern Houses, especially the members of Viscount Gairon's house.
The dignitaries from the Four Kingdoms would likely be similar.
It could not be helped.
In a place filled with rivalry, jealousy, comparison, and politics, expecting the same comfort he had felt until now would be asking too much.
Still, it was comforting that the Commander, who had approached him casually, offered reassurance for his worries.
"Is something troubling you?"
"Ah... Yes."
"Tell me. My swordsmanship may be inferior to Master Farreira's, but I have accumulated years of experience."
"Shall I, then?"
Airen was no longer the Airen of the past.
He did not mean only his swordsmanship. He had gained the courage not to bear every burden alone, and the courage to share his worries with others.
The conversation that began with Oswaldo Odone's question drifted quietly through the early autumn night.
After a moment, the Commander spoke with a laugh.
"I do not think there is anything to worry about."
"Is that so?"
"Of course. To be honest, your abilities and connections alone will leave dignitaries from other kingdoms with no choice but to treat you with respect."
"Ah..."
"Of course, that is not the only reason. What matters is that you are truly upright, righteous, and a good person."
The Commander of the Twilight Order smiled softly.
He meant it sincerely.
He had felt it clearly during the days spent in Farreira territory and the days traveling toward the capital.
Airen Farreira was not merely someone overflowing with talent for the sword. He was someone building his own philosophy of life, a far deeper person than he had first appeared.
'He has a status that commands respect at first meeting, and an inner character that can only inspire greater admiration the more one gets to know him.'
Who would dare disrespect Airen Farreira, who possessed both?
"Right? My brother deserves that kind of treatment!"
Kiril agreed cheerfully, and Baron Farreira nodded with a smile.
Though they had not joined the conversation, the rest of the group agreed inwardly as well. The Airen they knew was someone beyond reproach.
Airen gave an awkward smile.
It was embarrassing to argue, but awkward to remain silent as well. Of course, he did not feel bad about it.
"...I am a little tired. I will turn in first."
There was no reason for a swordsman who had reached Master rank to be tired already, but no one pointed that out.
In that calm and peaceful atmosphere, the group went to sleep and woke refreshed.
Then they headed toward the royal capital a little faster than before. Smiles could be seen on everyone's faces.
But.
"...That person..."
Ahead of them, a massive carriage was passing through the capital's gates.
No.
Upon seeing the Palanquin carried by a large party of sixty-four people, the Commander of the Twilight Order's expression hardened.
It was a mode of travel utterly removed from magic, one of the most primitive in the human world, yet for that very reason, it was more authoritative and aristocratic than anything else.
The moment Oswaldo Odone saw House Slick's crest painted upon it, concern flickered across his face.
'Runtel Kingdom... Could it be?'
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