WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 156: At Winter's End (5)

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A week had passed since then.

Kyle was still staying in the quiet country village where Hermann was staying.

The same monotonous routine repeated day after day. Time turned like a wheel. For the first time in four years since leaving the north, Kyle felt at peace. This small village on the outskirts of Valone was a gentle place where people rose with the sun and went to sleep when it set.

There were no conflicts. No strange incidents, either. Thanks to that, Kyle was able to rest deeply, setting aside all his worries. Hermann had strictly ordered him to do nothing but lie still and breathe, so there was little else he could do anyway. All he could do was recover as quickly as possible while preparing himself to meet the Knights of Ash and the Grand Duke.

Then, late in the morning on the eighth day.

“Soon...”

Kyle, who had risen late as usual, looked down at his bandaged upper body. The dark red wounds had visibly diminished.

At first, the dark red stains had nearly covered half of the white bandages. Considering that, it was remarkable progress. It was also proof of how quickly he was recovering. Kyle carefully unwound the bandages, cleaned his wounds with water from the bucket on the bedside table, applied the ointment Hermann had given him, and wrapped fresh bandages around himself.

The pain has faded a lot.

He ran a hand over his newly bandaged chest. It had been a fatal wound, severe enough that it would not have been strange for him to die, yet he had recovered this much. Even now, he could hardly believe it.

Is Prisia's mana affecting my body too?

He did not know. At least, not yet. Kyle still had no clear idea how to use Prisia's mana or how exactly it worked.

“Kyle! Come eat!”

The door suddenly flew open without a knock. Colin, the boy from the household sheltering Kyle, came in.

“Mom says the meal's ready.”

Kyle nodded calmly. He pulled a rough shirt over his freshly bandaged chest. He had handed all the belongings in his Inventory Pouch to Elysia, so he was practically penniless now. If not for Hermann, staying in this house would have been impossible.

“Where's Hermann?”

“Hermann? Oh, you mean Mister?”

Colin tilted his head for a moment before answering.

“He left early this morning. He said he had something to do today.”

“...I see.”

“You might not know this, but he's always busy. He has lots to do. Though it feels like he's staying in the village longer this time...”

“I suppose so.”

Kyle did not deny it. Hermann truly was busy beyond measure.

It was practically an unspoken truce. He had to coordinate the meeting with the Grand Duke, deal with the chaotic situation within the Federation, and keep track of the Ash Knights scattered across various regions. The fact that he still looked after Kyle so consistently in the middle of all that was impressive.

“Come on, hurry. Mom will scold us.”

Kyle followed Colin into the living room. An early lunch had already been laid out on the kitchen table.

Life in the countryside moved earlier than in the city. People rose earlier and went to bed earlier. Kyle sat down as he had grown accustomed to doing and began eating. Even Colin, usually mischievous as a brat, behaved quietly at the table.

Marta, Colin's mother and the owner of the house, was strict about mealtimes above all else. She was a kind woman with a large build and a warm expression.

“So? Is it all right again today? I put some thought into it, but I wasn't sure if it'd suit your taste.”

Marta asked while they were eating.

“Yes. It's very good.”

“Really? That's a relief. Hermann always said my cooking was delicious too.”

“I doubt he was just flattering you. Hermann was never much of a cook.”

It had been the same in the past. Whenever Hermann rolled up his sleeves at camp, dinner always tasted awful. Even Cecilia, Kyle, and the other knights, who would usually eat anything, had hated it.

Those days are long gone now.

A bitter smile touched Kyle's lips as he moved his utensils. Colin, who had been watching him, cautiously spoke up.

“Um... Kyle.”

“...”

“You know... if you're free later, could you teach me how to use a sword? Mister Hermann said you're an incredibly strong knight...”

“Colin!”

Marta sharply called out to him, but Colin paid her no mind.

“Why? Everyone says it! They say our village might not be safe anymore. The Imperial Army could attack us soon.”

“...”

“So teach me. Please? You never know what might happen. I don't want to just sit around like an idiot either. If I can protect something, I want to.”

Kyle started to reply, then closed his mouth. Nothing meaningful would come out.

Could there really come a day when this child had to take up a sword and kill someone?

He did not know. Kyle could not be certain. The same was true of whether this quiet village could remain peaceful forever. So he could only avoid Colin's desperate gaze.

“Later.”

“...”

“When I have time later... I'll teach you.”

In the end, all that came out was a cowardly evasion. Yet Colin's face brightened as though that alone was enough.

“Really?”

“...Yeah.”

“Promise?”

Kyle nodded once and resumed eating. Colin beamed as he ate, apparently delighted that there was still hope.

“I'll be heading out for a while.”

After they had more or less finished their meal, Kyle rose from his seat.

“Taking a walk again today?”

“Yes.”

“Don't come back too late. It'd be a shame if the dinner I worked so hard to make gets cold.”

Marta spoke with a hint of worry. Kyle silently nodded. The sun was already high in the sky. Like yesterday, he stepped outside without hesitation.

* * *

The moment he went outside, a cool wind wrapped around his body. Kyle looked around for a moment, then headed toward the lower end of the village.

Lively voices drifted from between the wooden houses scattered around the village. Loud laughter soon followed. They were peaceful sounds, the sort that had become hard to hear lately. Kyle thought of Colin's words about the Imperial Army possibly reaching this village as he listened to the relaxed sounds around him.

If Hermann is right, the Imperial Army won't push this far into the rear.

Is this village more prosperous than ordinary ones because the Knights of Ash often stay here and pay them for it?

Kyle did not know the geography of this area, but he had a rough grasp of its location. It lay in the rear of Valone, yet it was not far from Rier, where Grand Duke Rivelius was, or Renavik, where the Federation parliament stood.

Secret enough, peaceful enough, and close to both Rier and Renavik. It was an ideal temporary base for the surviving Ash Knights. Kyle turned his gaze aside at the thought that came to him unbidden.

Before long, it'll be time to leave this place.

It's too early to collapse from exhaustion.

Once he left the fairly large village, broad fields spread before him. During summer and autumn, the land would have been full of crops, but now it was frozen solid in the grip of winter.

Still, it was better than before. The weather was, too. A faint warmth lingered within the biting wind that had once seemed to cut into his skin. The snow over the bare branches and dry earth no longer covered everything as it had before. It was as if it were waiting for the spring that would soon arrive.

Will flowers bloom soon?

Kyle crossed the frost-covered field crunching beneath his feet and approached a broad stream not far from the village. Several women had gathered along its frozen edges to do laundry.

“Is someone coming over there?”

“Who?”

“You know, the guest that knight brought here last time.”

“Oh, that young man?”

“I wonder if he's fully recovered.”

“He came out for a walk last time too. He must be diligent.”

As he drew closer, they recognized Kyle and called out to him. Without his sword, armor, or cloak, Kyle looked like an ordinary man in shabby clothes.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, thanks to you. I enjoyed the snacks you gave me last time.”

“Oh, we hardly did anything. The weather's cold, so hurry back inside. The best thing to do at a time like this is stay home and rest.”

“I'll head back soon.”

“You say that, but you'll probably stay out until sunset again, won't you? You have no idea how worried Marta is about you.”

“...”

“Oh dear, there I go sticking my nose into things again. Head back in after a while. We'll be going now.”

After exchanging a few more words with Kyle, the women put their laundry into baskets and left. Kyle stood still, watching their backs as they walked away. Once they had disappeared completely, he approached the edge of the stream and looked down at the flowing water.

Like flowing water.

If I could naturally hold that immense force that never stops within my body...

Kyle suddenly dropped down onto the ground. The lingering chill of winter rose from beneath him, but he did not care. There was something more important.

The Brightest Star of Dawn is gone now.

From now on, I have to use mana with my own strength alone.

It was the most important problem he had faced from the moment he opened his eyes. Fortunately, there was a way to solve it.

For the past week, he had come outside under the excuse of taking walks and practiced controlling mana as he wished. At the same time, Kyle became certain that Izra's Thorn, the worst curse that had tormented him for over four years, had been completely lifted. The thorns no longer rose when he drew mana into his body.

Is it because of Prisia's mana after all?

Kyle recalled the past. Alfred had said that Kyle would merge with the Dragon Heart in the near future.

Did it begin after I was defeated by Cassius Mortein and saw Prisia in that dream?

Feeling the cold wind against him, Kyle slowly closed his eyes. As he gently drew in the mana around him, extremely pure, refined mana raced through the veins in his body. Kyle opened his eyes and lifted a hand.

Whoosh.

A small flame flickered above his open palm.

A pure white flame.

Pure without a speck of impurity.

Yet it was completely different from before. It was a crystallization of energy that closely resembled Prisia's mana, incredibly destructive and pure. Kyle struggled to maintain the tiny flame in his hand. Sweat streamed down his face without him noticing, and the growing headache blurred his vision.

Whoosh.

The wind blew again. The white flame that had hovered in his palm for a moment melted into the air as though it had never been there. Kyle let out a sigh. Controlling mana was abnormally difficult, making it hard to sustain even a single flame.

“...It can't be helped.”

It was Dragon mana to begin with. He had to train steadily. Even so, it was far better than before, when he could not draw mana into his body at all.

Because there was hope. And because he was still alive.

Kyle continued spending his time controlling Prisia's mana. It was still extremely difficult to handle, but he could see himself improving little by little with every session. Before long, he might be able to use simple magic.

Perhaps he might even be able to use an Authority like Prisia's.

The power to glimpse fragments of the future, directly defying the laws of the world.

“Kyle! Kyyyle!”

He had been deeply focused on his mana training when a familiar voice suddenly called for him from behind. Kyle slowly turned his head. Colin stood right in front of him, breathing heavily.

“What is it?”

“What do you mean, what is it? It's gotten so late! Mom's worried about when you're coming back.”

“The time?”

Kyle instinctively reached for the pocket watch in his chest, then stopped. He no longer had his Inventory Pouch. Instead, he looked up. The sun had been high in the sky when he left the house, but now the sky had turned a faint orange.

“It’s already this late...”

“More importantly, Mister came back!”

“Hermann?”

“Yeah! And it wasn't just Mister Hermann. There was another man with him.”

“One more...?”

“What was his name again? Wal, Wal, Wal... Walter, maybe?”

Kyle shot to his feet. Startled, Colin mumbled in a small voice.

“W-What's wrong?”

“Where are they?”

“...Who?”

“Hermann and Walter. Where are they?”

Kyle followed the hesitant Colin toward the village, retracing the path he had taken. When they passed the stream and fields and entered the village, the villagers were all outside as if something unusual had happened. Near Colin's house, he saw two people on horseback.

One of them was Hermann.

The other was...

“Walter...?”

“Kyle!”

The man beside Hermann, who looked to be around forty, descended from his saddle with wide eyes.

Walter Steinwald. One of the veteran knights of the Knights of Ash, who had especially enjoyed teasing Kyle.

He pushed through the crowd without hesitation. Then he pulled the stunned Kyle into a crushing embrace. He paid no attention to the stares around them. Walter's trembling voice brushed against Kyle's ear.

“You're really awake. Thank goodness.”

“Ah...”

“I was so worried you might die. The others were too, not just me. Everyone's waiting for you.”

Walter lightly patted Kyle's back. The gesture was no different from what Kyle remembered, and Kyle felt his eyes grow hot.

“I...”

“Kyle.”

Just as Kyle was about to speak, Hermann dismounted as well and approached him.

“How do you feel?”

“...I'm fine. Much better.”

“That's good. More importantly, I have news.”

“News...?”

“We need to move tomorrow or the day after. The time has come.”

Kyle's body stiffened at Hermann's words. Hermann glanced around for a moment, then whispered into Kyle's ear.

“Let's go inside and talk first. This conversation would take too long to have outside.”

Footnotes:

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