WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 144: The Crumbling Boundary (12)

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Kyle followed the trace of mana Elysia had left behind and headed deeper into the city. Though it was still early evening, the streets were packed with people.

"No, damn it! What do you mean there aren't any empty rooms?!"

"One Silver Coin for a loaf of bread? That's absurd! It was less than a quarter of that last week!"

"Everyone, step back! Do not cause a disturbance!"

"We're all going to die! We're all going to die!"

Refugees who had been swept here as if driven by the sudden Imperial Army attack. Mercenaries and merchants who had suffered misfortune while looking for work as usual or joining a trading convoy. Residents who had always lived here and now had to prepare themselves for the worst.

Everything had mixed together, creating chaos. Only the hollow cries of the listless guards echoed through the streets. The broad avenues of the great city were wide enough for carriages to pass with room to spare, yet at this moment, they felt far too narrow. When Kyle had first left the inner castle, it had not been this bad. It seemed that even more refugees had arrived in the meantime.

What a mess. Is Marquis Levran really planning to protect them all?

Perhaps he simply did not want to abandon the city his family had built over a lifetime. Strategically, giving up on holding Marent was not a good option either. Evacuating this many people would take more than a day or two, and abandoning the city walls to outrun wyvern knights was impossible.

What happened to Count Perian?

Making his way down the main road through the crowd, Kyle suddenly thought of the Imperial exile noble. The lord of the commercial city Renvel, Grand Duke Rivelius's loyal retainer, and an old noble with the instincts of a merchant who shared a deep connection with Elysia.

Unlike most nobles, he was good with numbers. He was also quick to read a situation, so he had likely recognized the Imperial Army's invasion before anyone else and evacuated to the rear. Money could always be earned again, but lives could not. Count Perian knew that well.

This wasn't the time to worry about others.

Following Elysia's mana, Kyle stopped in front of an inn. It was a large, three-story building near the center of the city.

Jingle.

As expected, the first floor was already packed with guests when he entered. The people inside came from all walks of life. A few guests glanced at Kyle when the door suddenly opened, but they soon lost interest. He slowly looked around, then spotted a familiar white robe at a table in the corner.

Is she alone?

Kyle walked over to Elysia. She had her head lowered, as if lost in thought.

"Did Noel leave already?"

"Ah, Kyle..."

Elysia came back to herself and looked up. Kyle sat across from her. After staring at him for a moment, she gave a small nod.

"He left just now. He said he should probably return soon."

"I see."

"I put the horses in the stable. They've been fed too."

"Good work."

"What about you, Kyle? Did you part ways with Sir Matis?"

This time, Elysia asked him. Kyle answered casually.

"He left first. He told me to think it over and give him an answer tomorrow."

"An answer about what?"

"Whether we should leave or stay here."

"Ah."

Just then, the food Elysia had ordered in advance arrived. Several steaming dishes were placed on the table. A brief silence settled between them. The first floor of the inn remained lively with the voices of countless people.

"...Have you decided? What will you do?"

Elysia was the first to speak. She cautiously watched Kyle's expression. He moved his lips a few times, then tapped the table with his fingers and cast a soundproof barrier. The noise around them cut off as though it had been sliced apart.

"Not yet."

"Are you still thinking about it?"

"Something like that. If there were a clear answer, I wouldn't hesitate, but this time there isn't. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. That's why it's hard to choose. If I make the wrong choice, there may be no going back."

"Because of me?"

Elysia caught him off guard. Kyle had been about to answer reflexively, but he could not bring himself to respond beneath her steady gaze.

Because of Elysia?

It was hard to deny.

If Kyle had been alone, he would have followed Marquis Levran's request and Matis's wishes by remaining here. They had enough forces, and the city walls were high, making it easier to fight back against the enemy's attack.

Once Marent fell, the rear would inevitably be in danger. They had come here to secure the Federation's cooperation, but it would mean nothing if the Kingdom of Russel fell and the Federation itself was threatened. Besides, three wyvern knights were an enemy they could handle. They had a good chance of winning, and if things went well, they could kill the Wyverns, the core of the enemy's strength. There was no reason to leave.

But now...

Kyle raised his head again. Elysia was right in front of him, looking at him with her golden eyes.

Though she was an Imperial princess and an outstanding mage, from Kyle's perspective, she was still someone he had to protect. He had to take her to Rier, where Grand Duke Rivelius was staying. That was their contract.

If he had been alone, it would not have mattered if he stayed. Even in the worst case, only one person would die. But now it was different. If he died, Elysia would die too. That reality made Kyle hesitate.

When someone else's life rested on your shoulders, how heavy did a choice become?

Just as it had during the Northern War four years ago.

"I... think it would be better to stay here."

As if she had noticed Kyle's inner turmoil, Elysia spoke in a gentler voice. A faint smile rested on her lips as she looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because there is no guarantee that leaving Marent right now will be safe. If we have to fight, wouldn't it be better to resist alongside the others inside the city walls? We can hold out until the Chevaliers begin moving in earnest, then go to Rier and meet my uncle once things have settled down."

"Did Noel tell you that?"

"That is..."

"He put the idea in your head. It isn't exactly wrong, though."

Kyle gave a faint laugh. The dishes on the table had grown cold.

"I know. I know it's better to stay. Once Marent falls, there is no guarantee that the rear will remain safe anyway. There is also no guarantee that we won't encounter wyvern knights on the way to Rier."

"Then why?"

"Cassius Mortein."

Kyle said it flatly.

Just one name. Yet Elysia's gentle smile disappeared in an instant, like the food gradually cooling on the table.

"We don't know where Duke Mortein is. The wyvern unit under his command could attack Marent tomorrow, or the day after."

"Is Duke Mortein truly that strong? No matter how powerful he is, he cannot take a city this large by himself. You are here too, Kyle..."

"No."

Kyle cut Elysia off sharply.

"You don't know anything. You have no idea how strong he is. How much of a monster he is. You don't know anything."

What had he done when Rowen died? How helpless had he been when the members of his order, people no different from family, had died one after another?

Elysia lost her voice at Kyle's chilling tone. She could not think of anything to say in response. Nor could she argue with him. Kyle's hand, unconsciously clenched into a fist, trembled faintly. Elysia hesitated for a moment, then gently covered his fist with her palm.

"Ah..."

As though recalling the past he had lost, Kyle stared blankly at the table and let out a delayed sigh. When he slowly raised his gaze, Elysia was looking at him with concern.

"...I'm sorry."

"No. I spoke carelessly. I shouldn't have said things so freely when I did not understand properly."

"It isn't your fault. I'm the one being sensitive."

"......."

"Whether we stay or leave... let's see how things are in the morning and decide then. We still have time, so there is no need to make a hasty decision."

Elysia nodded once in agreement. When the soundproof barrier vanished, the surrounding noise flooded back into their ears as if it had never gone away.

The two ate their cold food in silence as the sun set outside the inn. Only the clinking of utensils echoed bleakly. They did not speak again until they finished their meal and entered their room on the second floor.

Not a single word.

* * *

After the sunset faded and night fully arrived, Kyle and Elysia washed up quickly and went to sleep in their room at the inn. Elysia lay down in bed, while Kyle leaned against the headboard of the bed beside hers, holding his sword and closing his eyes.

Falling asleep was not difficult. He had not rested properly since fighting the Imperial cavalry in the village. For the sake of his condition alone, he needed at least a short sleep. Marent was not a place that could be called safe right now.

How much time passed like that?

Kyle opened his eyes at an unfamiliar sensation coming from his clothes. The first thing he saw was the dim moonlight spilling through the window.

The soft white moonlight stretched from the edge of the bed to the firmly shut door. It was different from the strange twilight glow of crimson and blue that he had seen before falling asleep. Kyle reached into his clothes to take out his pocket watch and check the time, then froze.

The fragment of Prisia's Dragon Heart that he had worn around his neck like a part of himself ever since leaving the Corsa Archipelago was glowing white.

What is this?

Kyle frowned. Prisia's mana was fluctuating violently, even though he had not touched or moved it.

Could it be?

A sense of dread washed over him. Kyle instinctively turned to the side. Elysia was sleeping soundly there. He quickly shook her by the shoulders. Even when she curled up as if protesting, he did not stop.

"Elysia."

"Ugh..."

"Wake up. It's urgent. Hurry."

After several seconds of gripping and shaking her shoulders, Elysia frowned and slowly pushed herself upright.

"Kyle? Why all of a sudden..."

Forced awake in the middle of the night, Elysia rubbed her bleary eyes, then opened them wide. The Dragon Heart inside Kyle's clothes was shining white.

"This."

"......."

"The Dragon Heart..."

"Something seems to be happening. I have a bad feeling."

Kyle did not explain at length. He immediately got up and prepared to move.

"Let's go."

Without any delay, the two left the room. They were fully prepared to leave the city at once if necessary. When they went down to the first floor, the lively scene from early evening seemed like a lie. The inn was buried in silent darkness. Moonlight streaming through the windows was the only light illuminating the area.

The Dragon Heart was... still acting strangely.

Kyle tightly gripped the glowing Dragon Heart inside his clothes once, then stepped outside with Elysia. The cold winter night wind fluttered the hem of his black cloak and her pure white robe.

Unlike the chaos from earlier, the city after midnight was filled with a quiet stillness. There was not a single person in sight along the desolate main road. Yet the more silent it was, the greater Kyle's anxiety became. A suffocating sense of wrongness slowly tightened around his throat. It felt as if a blade rested just beneath his Adam's apple.

"Kyle. What is wrong?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Elysia looked up at him and asked. Without turning toward her, Kyle muttered quietly.

"Something is here."

"Something? Are you saying the enemy has attacked?"

"It is a little different from that."

"Different?"

"Something stronger. Something I cannot explain..."

It was different from the heightened senses granted by mana. Kyle knew that this anxiety came from the process of synchronizing with the Dragon Heart.

It was something only Kyle could sense through Prisia's mana.

What could it be?

Dong! Dong! Dong!

A clear bell suddenly rang out. It was an alarm echoing distinctly throughout the entire city. Kyle reflexively looked up. Strengthening his vision with mana, he saw something approaching from the far end of the dark night sky.

Three creatures cutting across the black sky.

The distance closed. Wings beat through the air.

And at the center was an especially large Wyvern, with pitch-black scales and blood-red eyes.

"Ksalak..."

Kyle muttered unconsciously. His vision narrowed, and his heart began pounding wildly. As mana surged through his ring, his dulled senses sharpened in an instant. Elysia turned toward him, her eyes wide.

"Duke Mortein...?"

Shock filled her voice. Without the slightest hesitation, Kyle grabbed Elysia by the wrist.

"Let's go."

"Where?"

Elysia looked directly at him with trembling eyes. Kyle spoke urgently.

"Anywhere. Somewhere Cassius Mortein's reach cannot touch."

"......."

"This city is already finished. Everyone will die. Hurry!"

Footnotes:

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