WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 130: When the First Snow Falls (5)

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To Kyle, Hailen and the Knights of Ash had been the second home and homeland he found in a foreign land.

They had taken him in when he fled the Empire in the bitter cold of winter. They had accepted him into the order and properly taught him the sword and magic. They had shown warmth to someone who had been alone. Until the very end, they had trusted him without the slightest doubt.

The more time they had spent together, the deeper those memories had become. That was why, even after losing everything, he remained bound by memories of the past.

Even after abandoning them and fleeing alone to survive, he had tried to find any trace of the order. Naturally, he had found nothing. Wyverns had no equal when it came to short-range pursuit and mobility. Even if a few had survived by luck, they would not have left traces carelessly while the Empire still stood strong.

Even so, he had not let go of hope. Somewhere in his heart, he believed that some of them must still be alive.

Otherwise, he could not have endured.

Even if it meant drowning in a false dream, he wanted to cling to that faint possibility.

But are you saying it was not a vain wish, but the truth?

“...”

Silence stretched on. In the middle of the garden on a cold winter day, the gazes of the young knight and the old noble met in the air.

“What you just said.”

“...”

“Did you mean it?”

Kyle spoke first. His voice was stiff as it slipped through his parted lips. It sounded emotionless on the surface, but that was not what he truly felt.

“It is not a lie. I have no reason to lie.”

Gilbert answered calmly. The old noble's eyes, fixed on Kyle, were full of pity.

“There are not many of them, but they are certainly alive.”

Only then did Kyle finally come to his senses.

“In the Federation?”

“Yes.”

“How many exactly?”

“I do not know the details either. It is a closely guarded secret known only to His Grace. To begin with, the Ash Knights hiding in the Federation avoid contact with outsiders as much as possible. They are quietly preparing for a grand undertaking beneath the surface. As far as I know, Grand Duke Rivelius is the only person who meets them directly.”

A small number of surviving Ash Knights were hiding in the Federation.

Kyle sank into thought at Gilbert's words. Countless possibilities rose and vanished in his mind.

They only dealt with Grand Duke Rivelius.

It was not strange. The movements of the Ash Knights were considered some of the Empire's most important intelligence. The Empire surely had numerous informants planted throughout the Federation, so it was better for them to hide their identities as thoroughly as possible rather than act openly. If they acted rashly in their desperation, even something small could go wrong.

If they meant to oppose the Empire, they had to know how to endure. For the weak to defeat the strong, they had no choice but to wait for an opening. Crushing others with force was a privilege reserved for the strong.

Even during the Northern War, things had gone wrong more than once because they could not endure the injustice before their eyes.

Even if their own family were being torn to pieces right in front of them.

As his thoughts reached that point, Kyle felt all strength drain from his body. The mana in his ring, which had reacted on instinct, had already faded away. The empty space it left behind filled with the helplessness that had gnawed at him for so long.

The surviving Ash Knights.

Just how many were left?

Gilbert had said there were a few, so there had to be more than one. Two? Three? Or four? Even if there were five, would that be no more than a tenth of their strength at their peak?

Was he supposed to call that fortunate?

“...Sir Kyle?”

Kyle stood there in silence for so long that Gilbert finally called to him. A beat later, Kyle came back to himself. He lifted his gaze from the snow-covered ground.

“In the end, I have no choice but to meet Grand Duke Rivelius myself.”

“That is likely so. If you were simply an outsider, it would be different, but you are the final Commander of the Knights of Ash. You will surely be able to reunite with the remaining Ash Knights. His Grace will take that into consideration as well.”

There was nothing he could do here in the end. All he could do was wait for a reply to the letter.

“Still, it is fortunate.”

“What is?”

Kyle asked without thinking.

“That you are alive, Sir Kyle. And you have Prisia's Dragon Heart. Her Highness also knows the secrets concerning the wyverns.”

“...”

“With this much, even the High Council will have no choice but to act. His Grace is one of its six members, after all. But...”

“But?”

Kyle narrowed his eyes. After a brief pause, Gilbert continued with difficulty.

“Not everyone in the Federation is hostile toward the Empire. That is especially true of those whose interests are deeply tied to the Empire.”

“...”

“Be careful. Always be suspicious. If someone approaches you without reason and shows you kindness, there is surely an ulterior motive. That is even more true in times like these.”

“Are you saying there are Imperial spies among the Federation's nobles?”

Gilbert did not answer. He only gave a bitter smile.

“I cannot deny it.”

“...”

“Of course, they are not all spies. Some urge war with the Empire for personal reasons. Others believe they must preserve peace, even if it means cowardly kneeling. There are all sorts of people. Unlike the Empire, which is unified beneath the single absolute authority of the Emperor, the Federation contains many voices.”

“Do you think war is about to break out?”

“Well...”

Gilbert trailed off.

“I do not know.”

He turned and looked around the garden once. Large flakes of snow piled atop bare branches had lost their hold and fallen to the ground. Drawn by gravity, they could not resist. They lay scattered helplessly across the ground.

Just like Kyle himself.

“The number of wyvern knights confirmed so far is far lower than in the past. Since the war with Hailen ended not long ago, there are fewer than twenty.”

Gilbert continued with his hands clasped behind his back.

“But nothing is certain. While the Empire has many spies in the Federation, we have learned almost nothing about the Archandia Imperial Family since House Lucent fell completely from power in central politics. The other opposition nobles have either lost their influence or fled to this side, so our eyes and ears have been cut off.”

They were at a disadvantage. There was no other way to put it.

They were already weaker militarily, and now they were at a disadvantage in intelligence as well. Hailen, the only barrier holding back the Empire, had been completely destroyed a few years ago.

The southern part of the continent was still bound to the Empire by a peace treaty, so if war broke out, there was a high chance they would not intervene directly. If that happened, the Federation would have to face the Empire alone, without anyone's help.

Just as Hailen had.

“What is the chance of a surprise invasion?”

Kyle called to Gilbert's retreating back.

“Very low. But no one knows. Nothing in this world is absolute.”

Gilbert glanced back and shook his head. Then he looked up again. The early winter sky, beneath which the first snow had fallen, was high and clear. White breath billowed from his lips as he murmured softly.

“One thing is certain. We must prepare in advance. By the time we regret it, it will already be too late.”

* * *

After speaking with Gilbert a little longer, Kyle returned to his room. They had roughly confirmed each other's intentions, so there was no reason to remain outside in the cold.

The room was as warm as it had been when he first left. In one corner of the large room, a fireplace burned with Magic Stones instead of firewood.

There was one difference. Elysia was nowhere to be seen.

She had been quietly reading when he left with Gilbert, so it seemed she had gone out somewhere.

She could not have gone far.

Kyle and Elysia's movements over the past few days had been predictable. Even if they went outside, they only got some air in the garden or courtyard.

Kyle staggered over and dropped into the chair near the bed. As the languid warmth of the Magic Stones, rather than the cold winter air, wrapped around his entire body, the strength finally drained from his limbs. The conversation he had just had kept replaying in his mind like a video.

The words that the surviving Ash Knights were now in the Federation echoed again and again.

They were alive.

The people who had been like family to him were alive.

Kyle dragged a dry hand down his face. Unrefined emotions churned inside his chest.

Am I relieved right now?

He did not know. He could not tell whether this feeling was relief, anger, or sorrow. It had been a foolish dream he had hoped for when he fled the north alone and escaped to the south of the continent.

Yet even now that the fantasy had become reality and appeared before him, Kyle could not simply feel pure joy.

The surviving Ash Knights were few.

The rest had not returned.

Rowen, Yurian, and Cecilia.

They had already died long ago. All that remained for Kyle, who had become the final Commander through a majority vote, was revenge. Even that had revealed itself to be a futile dream after Baldheim, the capital, fell.

Like a daydream in broad daylight.

Rowen. Yurian. Cecilia.

Kyle called the names of people he could no longer see with aching longing. Instinctively, he tightly gripped the Dragon Heart tucked inside his clothes.

What should I do? Should I see them, even now?

But how could a shameless loser and coward like me face the survivors? What right do I have?

What if they resent me?

Then I...

Kyle gripped the Dragon Heart so tightly that his hand turned white. At that moment, the closed door suddenly opened.

“Kyle? You're back.”

Kyle turned at the familiar woman's voice. Elysia stood beyond the open door, dressed in a white robe with her hood pulled low.

Except when she was alone with Kyle, she always wore her hood. She did not want even one more person besides Gilbert to recognize her identity. It would do no good if word got out that the First Princess had defected to the Federation before they even met the Grand Duke.

“Elysia.”

“...”

“Did you go to the library?”

Kyle asked as he straightened from his hunched posture. She carefully closed the door and nodded readily.

“Yes. I finished all the books I brought yesterday, so I went to get new ones. Fortunately, there is plenty to read in this mansion's library. Gilbert has always considered reading the most important virtue, so it is not surprising.”

“...”

“I have learned many new things because of it. There are quite a few excellent books from the Federation as well. House Perian is not a martial house that particularly reveres swords or magic, but there were still many books on magic. It is better to do something than sit still.”

Elysia walked over and stopped in front of Kyle. Then she dropped the armful of books she carried onto the table in front of him with a thud.

“This time, I brought mostly books on magic. The Federation's Magic Towers are quite advanced as well.”

Her voice held a hint of excitement.

“Not this one... not this one either... Ah, this should be good.”

“...”

“You mainly use magic too, Kyle, so this will surely help. It is a book that collects research papers on mana control. I thought you would like it. You do not need to thank me.”

“...”

“Kyle?”

Kyle had been blankly staring at the books on the table. Slowly, he raised his head.

Elysia was looking at him with worried eyes.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“...No. I'm just a little tired.”

“Do not tell me you used the Dragon Heart's mana again?”

Elysia's brow slowly furrowed. As expected, she began to lecture him at length.

What did he think the old man's words meant? What if he actually died? Had she not told him not to use it unless she was with him? Why did he keep doing this when he could not even control it properly himself?

She had changed a lot.

Kyle watched Elysia and thought about how quickly time passed. When they first met, Kyle and Elysia had tried to kill each other. He never imagined they would end up coming all the way to the Federation together.

Was this also part of the future Prisia had seen?

If so, what would he be doing at the end of it?

Kyle did not know any of that, but this time, he decided not to run away. He could listen to their resentment as much as they wanted. This life of his was no different from one that had died on the day Hailen fell.

Nothing remained in the same place forever.

Kyle, Elysia, the Federation, the Empire, and even the First Emperor who had consumed the current Emperor's mind.

One day, all of them would meet their end.

Perhaps the only difference was the path they took to reach it.

“It seems Gilbert told you something important. That is why you are so troubled and listless.”

After pouring out words for a while, Elysia spoke in a calmer tone. Kyle neither confirmed nor denied it.

The more I come to know you, the more you come to know me.

She never would have said something like that in the past. She probably would not even have noticed. The Kyle she had once known had been quiet in every matter, with little fluctuation in his emotions.

But that was no longer true.

During their half-year journey to the Federation, Elysia had learned that Kyle was only human. It was only natural. Nearly half a year was never a short time. Those months had carried far more weight than the three years Kyle spent wasting away.

She had always been perceptive and intelligent, so it could not have been difficult for her to see through his current state of mind.

“Let us go.”

Kyle was quietly looking at Elysia when she grabbed his wrist and forcibly pulled him to his feet.

“...Where?”

Kyle asked as he rose in confusion. Elysia did not answer right away. She turned her gaze toward the view below the hill outside the window.

A snow-white city, where snow had accumulated over several days, spread out there.

“Into the city.”

Footnotes:

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