WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 133: The Crumbling Boundary (1)

──────

The weather had grown even colder since the first snowfall. The snow-covered scenery of the Federation looked like an endless stretch of grayscale landscape paintings.

Kyle and Elysia rode steadily through the Federation. Their destination had changed slightly from before. They were now heading to Rier in the Kingdom of Valone. Since they knew Grand Duke Rivelius was absent from Renavik, there was no need to go there first. Rier in Valone and Renavik in the Kalov Kingdom were only a few days apart anyway.

Has it already been three days since we left Renvel?

The bitter cold biting into his skin made Kyle look up at the sky. Between the trees rising here and there, wispy clouds drifted across the clear blue sky.

It was the kind of sight that made his chest feel open just from looking at it, but it was hardly the time to enjoy the view. The weather was simply too cold. The breath rising before his face had become more distinct than before. Lowering his head slightly, Kyle unconsciously looked to his side.

"It feels like the temperature has dropped sharply over the past few days. Now that I think about it, how did we endure that snowfield?"

Sitting in her saddle, Elysia released the reins and gently rubbed her hands together. The warm breath she blew into them turned white and melted into the air.

"Are you very cold?"

"No, not that cold..."

"I'm sorry. I completely forgot to find a Heating Magic Tool."

"Do not apologize. If we're talking about that, I forgot as well, did I not?"

Elysia smiled faintly. Her hand drifted to the amber Magic Stone hanging around her neck.

It was a meaningless gesture, but Elysia had often touched the Magic Stone at her breast since the festival that day. Kyle had considered telling her it would wear away at that rate, but he never said it.

He was always holding the Dragon Heart whenever he had the chance himself.

I'm in no position to say anything.

A habit etched into one's subconscious was not always bad. Ever since leaving the Corsa Archipelago, Kyle had made a habit of tightly gripping the Dragon Heart whenever he was tired or his thoughts became tangled.

"We should buy a Heating Magic Tool in the next city, even if we have to pay extra. It will get colder once the new year begins."

Elysia nodded. She had fur to wrap around herself, but that alone could not block the cold of midwinter. Wearing it over her robe was cumbersome as well.

The two continued along the forest road at an unhurried pace. There was no need to force themselves to go faster now that they had reached the heart of the Federation. Maintaining their condition was especially important during winter. It would be a problem if they collapsed before even meeting Grand Duke Rivelius in Rier.

Their journey came to a stop not long after.

Kyle was the first to notice something unusual. Elysia saw him stop a moment later and pulled on her reins as well. Not far ahead, something large was hunched over with its face buried in the ground.

"Kyle, up ahead..."

"Yes. It doesn't look like a monster... Is that a bear?"

Kyle muttered quietly, dismounted, and approached. Elysia cautiously followed behind him. As they drew closer, they could see it more clearly.

A massive bear, easily three meters tall, had its head pressed to the ground as it tore into something. Kyle stopped a short distance away. The creature, which had been eating with single-minded focus, sensed their presence and turned around.

Fresh red blood stained its mouth.

"It's eating greedily."

The bear charged before Kyle had even finished speaking. The ground shook beneath its heavy steps, and the nearby bushes trembled.

Kyle lightly swept his left hand to the side.

Fwoosh!

A blade of wind shot forward and tore through the bear's entire body. Its throat and face deeply cut, the bear collapsed just before Kyle, spraying blood. It coughed and choked a few times before falling still.

Elysia calmly looked down at the corpse.

"I've seen several monsters, but this is my first time seeing a bear. Do they not usually hibernate around this time of year?"

"Hibernation doesn't mean they sleep without waking for several months. Sometimes they wander around when they get hungry. More importantly..."

Kyle took his eyes off the bear and looked ahead.

"Is that a person?"

Where the bear had been eating lay a human body, its insides completely scattered across the ground. The gruesome sight became clearer as they approached. Even Elysia, who had seen her share of hardship since leaving Archandia, frowned.

"Was it a passing mercenary?"

"No. A hunter."

"A hunter? You mean someone from a village?"

"Probably. People usually stockpile food for winter, but sometimes they can't. It looks like they went hunting alone and ran into trouble."

Kyle picked up a broken bow lying beside the body. The hunter had likely entered the forest to catch rabbits or deer and been killed by the bear.

Such is the fragility of life.

Kyle muttered inwardly. No matter how many decades someone lived, death could come in an instant. Winter was that harsh a season. It was not only animals who risked their lives waiting for spring. Humans did the same.

Elysia and I are no different.

"Kyle..."

Perhaps Elysia had been thinking something similar. She looked at him with a bitter expression. Kyle carefully placed the broken bow beside the body and drew mana from his ring.

"We should at least burn the body. It is the minimum courtesy we can offer the dead."

White flames spilled from the tips of Kyle's left hand. They fell onto the dead hunter's body and burned low, using it as firewood.

Caw! Caw!

The cry of birds rang out overhead. Kyle and Elysia slowly raised their eyes.

Black crows flew across the clear sky. He had seen crows countless times in the past, yet for some reason, they felt ominous at this moment.

* * *

After burning the hunter's body without leaving even a trace of ash, the two mounted their horses and continued on. By the time they emerged from the forest, it was already late afternoon.

It will be evening soon.

With the sun nearing the horizon, Kyle began looking for an inn where they could spend the night. The two riders and their horses traveled diligently down the road. Yet despite their hopes, there were no houses or buildings in sight.

Only countless tangled wagon tracks stretched silently over the white snow covering the road.

"This is a problem."

"What is?"

"It looks like we'll have to camp again tonight."

Kyle judged the sun's position in the sky. It looked like it would set in another hour.

Days were short in the middle of winter, so their hours of activity naturally decreased. The distance they could travel in a day was inevitably shorter than usual. They were following routes connecting one city to another on the map, but the Federation was enormous, and it did not mark every village in detail.

In other words, unless they happened to find a village before reaching the next city, they would have no choice but to camp.

They had already spent both yesterday and the day before sleeping outdoors, so their fatigue had built up considerably.

"Does it matter? I do not mind camping again today."

"It matters to me."

"Why?"

"Because if you catch a cold or come down with a fever, it will make things difficult for me."

It would have been different if they had a Heating Magic Tool, but Kyle only had a thin blanket to wrap around himself and the brown fur he had given Elysia. Even with a fire, spending three consecutive nights outdoors in weather like this would make it easy to fall ill.

"Then you can carry me on your back, Kyle."

"..."

"Or hold me in your arms."

Elysia giggled beside him. Kyle turned toward her. A mischievous smile rested beneath the hood of her white robe.

Her personality has changed a lot. Or was this always who she was?

Kyle shook his head and lightly pulled on the reins. Understanding the signal, his fine horse shifted from a walk to a trot. Elysia snickered and increased her horse's pace as well.

By the time the world was filled with deep sunset colors, the two finally found an inn beside the road.

It was quite large. The inn had two floors and even came with a stable.

"What a shame. I could have traveled in comfort."

Elysia muttered to herself as she dismounted. Kyle could not tell whether she was joking or serious.

"Let's go in."

After tying their horses in the stable, they entered the inn without hesitation. Warm indoor air washed over them, a sharp contrast to the cold outside.

The first floor seemed to serve as both a restaurant and tavern. Guests who had arrived earlier sat at their tables, eating dinner and drinking. Attention briefly turned toward Kyle and Elysia as they entered through the open door.

It did not last long.

"So I said..."

"I hear things are in chaos these days. The lords along the border are recruiting mercenaries like crazy."

"What about the pay?"

"It depends on the rank, but they say it is generous."

"There is no work in winter anyway. Maybe I should go too..."

The inn's guests soon lost interest in Kyle and Elysia. After looking around once, Kyle approached the bar with Elysia.

"Welcome. Staying the night?"

The bartender, who had been watching them from the moment the door opened, asked.

"Yes. One of your best rooms for two people."

"How long will you be staying?"

"One night."

"You'll be having dinner too?"

"Bring us something suitable. There are two horses outside. I'd appreciate it if you could give them fodder."

Kyle placed several Federation silver coins, exchanged in advance at Belmar, on the bar. The amount was generous enough to include a tip, and the bartender's expression softened.

"Wait here. I'll bring your food right away."

After saying something to a nearby waitress, the bartender disappeared into the kitchen. Kyle and Elysia watched his back for a moment, then sat at an empty corner of the bar.

The first floor of the inn was filled with the loud voices of mercenaries and travelers ending their day.

Most of what they discussed was similar. It was all about the war with the Empire. Considering that the Kingdom of Russel, where this inn stood, had suffered the greatest losses after its border with the Empire closed, it was hardly strange.

"The situation certainly seems unsettled lately. Everyone is talking about the same thing."

Elysia glanced behind them and whispered. Kyle nodded slightly in agreement.

"It was the same in the south."

"I think it is worse in the Federation."

"Probably because this is where war is most likely to break out."

"Do you think the Empire will invade?"

"I don't know. Still, the chance is probably low. It has not been long since the Northern War ended."

The number of wyvern knights was the most important issue. The war with Hailen had reduced the Empire's force from nearly thirty wyvern knights to fewer than twenty. Unless the Emperor had gone mad, he would not declare war again so soon.

Even the Empire had its limits.

Just then, the bartender returned from the kitchen carrying two large bowls and set them before the pair. As he brought additional utensils, he spoke.

"I brought something that should fill you up."

"This is enough."

"What about alcohol?"

"I'll pass. I am not in the mood today."

The bartender shrugged and turned to arrange bottles on a shelf. Once Kyle saw Elysia take hold of her utensils, he speared one of the sausages in his bowl with a fork and brought it to his mouth.

"How is it? Not bad, right?"

The bartender asked, glancing at Kyle and Elysia as he uncorked a bottle. The food was genuinely decent, so Kyle silently nodded.

"Just asking, but are you from the Empire?"

"No."

"Hm. Really? Your accent sounds Imperial somehow. Not you, brother, but the young lady beside you certainly has one."

"At least, it has nothing to do with us now."

"Well, I suppose so."

Kyle swallowed a sigh on reflex. The more the threat of war hung in the air, the more the Federation's people resented the Empire.

"Ah, do not misunderstand."

Seeing Kyle's reaction, the bartender raised both hands.

"I was only curious. Given the times, I have barely seen any guests using an Imperial accent recently."

"..."

"If it made you uncomfortable, I apologize. I wasn't trying to pick a fight. People like us who make a living in trade only care about making money, right? Money has no borders. And not everyone with an Imperial accent is from the Empire."

He narrowed one eye as he filled an empty glass with alcohol.

Then, without warning, a man rose abruptly from the opposite end of the bar where Kyle and Elysia sat.

"What? An Imperial accent?"

"..."

"Where do those fucking Imperial bastards think they are, crawling in here? Huh? Aren't those fucking assholes Imperial spies?"

The man's face was flushed red with drink as he shouted at the top of his lungs. He even pointed at them.

By then, the attention of the entire restaurant, previously noisy with people talking among themselves, had turned toward Kyle and Elysia.

"Imperials? Who?"

"Those two sitting at the bar. They just came in."

"Now that you mention it, their accents do sound like that..."

"Didn't they say there was a reward for catching Imperial spies?"

"They might not be spies. Not everyone with an Imperial accent is from the Empire. Would Imperials be traveling through the Federation at a time like this? Stop making a scene and sit down."

"But what if they are..."

The small spark lit by the drunken man quickly became a large blaze.

Some people looked at them with eyes gleaming at the thought of a possible reward. Others turned away, unwilling to get dragged into trouble. Only the bartender, who had unintentionally provided the excuse, looked around in alarm.

"Ha..."

Kyle let out the sigh he had been holding back. Elysia looked at him as if to say this had become troublesome.

"So it has come to this after all."

"It is more surprising that things have been so peaceful until now."

Over the past month, Kyle and Elysia had met countless people in the Federation. Mercenaries, merchants, civilians. Their status did not matter.

Naturally, few people had been friendly toward the two of them because of their Imperial accents. No one had directly harmed them with words or actions, but there had always been an air of discomfort.

Thinking of that made Kyle remember what the coachman who took them to Renvel had said. They should be careful because of the current situation. The Federation's people had grown far more hostile toward the Empire than before.

"Is there any helping it?"

Kyle considered taking out Grand Duke Rivelius's emblem, then decided against it. It would not work on people blinded by money, and they would not be able to recognize it as genuine anyway.

There was no choice but to intimidate them with force.

"Can't you hear me? Huh? What makes you think you can bring your filthy feet in here? You dogshit Imperial spies...!"

The heavily drunk man staggered toward them.

At that moment, the inn's closed door suddenly opened.

The air, which had seemed ready to burst from the heat, rapidly cooled. As if by agreement, everyone turned toward the open doorway.

Two new guests stood there.

One was a handsome man in his early thirties, tall and broad. The other was a younger man in his early twenties, shorter than the first.

Yet one thing overshadowed everything else.

The familiar emblem drawn across the tall man's deep navy cloak and breastplate.

It was the insignia of the Chevaliers, the knight order directly controlled by the Federation Supreme Council.

Footnotes:

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