WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 158: At Winter's End (7)

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As winter drew to a close, the biting cold had eased somewhat. The three left the village and urged their horses onward.

The passing landscape had changed slightly from before. The world was no longer blanketed in endless white. The same was true of the people they occasionally encountered. Though the rear of the Kingdom of Valone, where Kyle now rode, was far from the war's aftermath, it could not hide its restless air.

Fear, perhaps.

Kyle thought that once the balance had been broken and the Imperial Army had pushed deep into the Kingdom of Russel, things could never return to the way they had been. Even if they were physically safe, their hearts would always tremble at the thought of what might happen.

If the Federation had sent troops before Hailen fell.

“You've gotten good at riding. Are you all right?”

Hermann's low voice cut through his idle thoughts. Kyle gave a small nod.

“Yes. It just sort of happened...”

A sword was not the only thing Kyle had lost. Sieg, his beloved horse, had been at his side like a close friend ever since his days as a squire, before he had even been knighted. In the final battle, Sieg had been torn apart by a Wyvern's hind claw in Kyle's place. Kyle had fled south, half out of his mind, on a horse whose owner he did not even know. After that, he had not ridden at all.

Not until he met Elysia.

“Tell us if it's too difficult. You've improved a lot, but you aren't fully recovered yet.”

Walter spoke with concern. Kyle smiled faintly.

“I'm fine. Maybe not in the past, but I am now.”

“True. What can't people do to survive? In times like these, you can't afford to be picky if you want to stay alive. We went through our share of hardship too, even if it wasn't as bad as yours.”

What became of knights who had lost their homeland?

To survive while hunted by the Empire, they must have overcome countless trials and hardships. Kyle, Hermann, Walter, and the other members of the order. They were all the same. They struggled to survive and crawled through the mud for those who had died.

People might die, but their legacy lived on.

“This reminds me of the old days. We used to go out on patrol like this regularly too.”

Walter muttered in a wistful tone.

“...We did.”

“It was cold back then too. What was it you said, Kyle? That you could never get used to northern winters?”

“I also said northerners weren't human.”

“Right. You said the Commander, the Deputy Commander, and the other members, none of them were human. You asked how anyone could ride a horse around in that cold. Do you still think so?”

“A little. But winter here is better. It just reminded me of home...”

Kyle trailed off.

More than eleven years had passed since he had fallen into this world. Sometimes, he forgot his hometown and his parents' faces.

His memories of Earth, and his memories of this world.

Even memories that had seemed as though they would last forever were fading one by one. Nothing in the world remained unchanged. They said forgetting was a blessing for humans, but sometimes Kyle found it frightening.

He feared losing himself. He feared that the force driving him forward would fade away.

But not now.

“The Federation and the Empire are definitely warmer than the north. The south is... well, it's practically autumn that happens to get snow sometimes.”

Walter continued. Kyle did not answer, but he agreed inwardly. Compared to the north, southern winters were exceedingly mild.

“The others say the same thing,” Walter added.

“They say Federation winters are nothing.”

“...Are they alive and well?”

“For the most part. They all have lingering injuries, one way or another, but their heads are still attached. They can swing a sword without trouble too. Even if they suffered a serious injury, it doesn't matter. If they don't have a right hand, they can swing a sword with their left. If they can't see out of their left eye, they can see with their right.”

“......”

“And that's still something. Some people couldn't even survive like that. They're buried beneath that cold earth, without even receiving a proper funeral.”

Walter's voice grew solemn. Kyle lowered his gaze slightly and rode on in silence.

It was a blessing just to be alive.

There had been a time when he thought living because he could not die was a curse. That was no longer the case. He had a clear goal now, and he had reunited with the people he had thought dead, his second family.

There were also many whom he had yet to give a proper funeral. Cecilia had stayed by their side until the end, but the knights who had died in the final battle had been left alone on the cold ground, closing their eyes without a single person to mourn them.

“You'll see them soon.”

It was Hermann. He had been following a step behind them as if watching their surroundings, but now he came up beside Kyle and Walter. The two turned to look at him.

“The members who are alive, and the members who died. When we return north, we'll hold a funeral. It doesn't matter if we can't find them. As long as we can honor their souls, that will be enough.”

Hermann's grave voice had the same power it always had, one that calmed those who heard it. Kyle and Walter exchanged a glance, then nodded silently.

“Yurian too.”

“...Right. We couldn't recover His Highness's body either.”

“When everything is over, I'll bury his sword. On that hill overlooking the capital. In the place filled with everyone's memories.”

“We'll have to put in some work to make that happen. There's a lot to do.”

Walter gave a weak smile. A thought suddenly came to Kyle, and he raised his head.

“...Yes. There is a lot to do.”

Unlike before, the sky at winter's end was blue. It was different from the hazy sky of that day, when light snow had fallen.

Kyle pictured his future, returning north beneath it. He imagined the Empire destroyed, himself returning to Baldheim and looking up at a sky like today's from the hill filled with memories.

* * *

Several days had passed since they left the village.

During that time, Kyle moved without rest under Hermann and Walter's guidance.

It was not especially difficult. The two took Kyle's condition into consideration, knowing he was not fully recovered. As if they had traveled this route many times, Hermann and Walter led him along a path that was as gentle and quick as possible. Kyle followed them without a single complaint.

At some point, his wounds had fully healed. The speed of his recovery was strangely fast. Other than the scars left on his chest, there were no notable aftereffects. Hermann and Walter, who had brought Kyle back when he was dying, were astonished by it.

They even joked that perhaps Kyle was immortal.

Prisia...

Kyle called out to the white dragon in his mind.

Since he had failed to protect Elysia and been defeated, Kyle had not dreamed of Prisia even once.

Is it because I don't have the Dragon Heart? Or is there no longer any reason to appear in my dreams?

“That's Rier. The city where Grand Duke Rivelius is staying.”

On the fourth day, Hermann spoke from atop a small hill. Before them stood a fairly large city surrounded by tall walls.

“Let's go. The sun will be setting soon.”

Hermann pulled on the reins and rode down the hill first. Kyle and Walter followed.

Fortunately, they did not have to waste time arguing at the inspection gate. Hermann carried the same crest of the Grand Duke that Count Perian had given Kyle. The soldier standing guard widened his eyes in shock, then hurried into the city to report the two knights' return.

“The city feels quiet.”

“It isn't a commercial city. It's not a center for goods to pass through either, so there isn't much trade. It's different from cities in the Kingdom of Russel, isn't it?”

“Yes.”

“Most cities in the Kingdom of Valone are like this. They have a rigid, straightforward feel rather than one of curves. Some people like it because they say it has a certain grandeur, but...”

The three rode down the center of the city's main road, with Kyle between the other two as he looked around repeatedly. Though the war had yet to end, Rier had a strangely calm atmosphere. Passing pedestrians only glanced at Kyle's group briefly and paid them no further attention.

“Are there any important people in Rier besides the Grand Duke?”

He was asking whether other major nobles were present besides Grand Duke Rivelius. Hermann answered.

“Of course.”

“Who?”

“Someone waiting for you. Someone besides the Grand Duke has been anxiously waiting to hear how you are. Did you know that?”

“......”

“If you're not sure, it'll be faster to meet him yourself. Ah, there he is.”

Just like at the city gate, soldiers stood guard at the front entrance to the estate in the center of the city. Before them stood an old nobleman, pacing back and forth. At the sight of the familiar face, Kyle stopped his horse without realizing it.

“Ah...”

Count Gilbert Perian, Grand Duke Rivelius's trusted aide. He saw Kyle dismount and opened his eyes wide.

“Sir Kyle!”

“Count Perian.”

Kyle hurried over to Gilbert. They had been apart for only a little over a month, but he looked far older than before.

It was understandable.

The city he had built over more than five years had been abandoned overnight. As if that were not enough, he had been driven here helplessly by the Empire. It would have been stranger if he looked well. Kyle spoke before Gilbert could.

“I'm glad you're safe.”

“Yes. It is a great relief to see that you too are unharmed, Sir Kyle.”

“.......”

“More importantly, Her Highness the Princess...?”

Gilbert glanced at Hermann and Walter behind Kyle and asked with desperate eyes. Kyle could not bring himself to meet his gaze and looked aside. No matter what he tried to say, his throat felt tightly blocked.

Elysia is gone.

Because I failed to protect her.

“She... is probably not dead.”

Gilbert's face darkened by the second. Hermann and Walter had rescued only Kyle. Gilbert knew that well, having heard it from the Grand Duke. Still, he had clung desperately to the faint hope that perhaps there was more.

“I... see.”

But now, he had to accept reality.

Kyle's silence was as good as confirmation. Gilbert finally realized the truth he had been refusing to face and bowed his graying head deeply. Even knowing Elysia was alive brought little comfort. There was no way of knowing what she might be subjected to in Archandia.

“...I'm sorry. I lost the crest too.”

“No. Duke Mortein moved personally, I heard. It could not be helped. I understand.”

Gilbert quickly composed himself. Whatever resentment and pain he held inside, his outward bearing remained that of an experienced nobleman.

“Is Grand Duke Rivelius inside?”

“Yes. Please, come in first. I will escort Sir Hermann and Sir Walter as well. His Grace instructed us to bring you inside as soon as you arrived.”

Gilbert turned. The three glanced at one another once and quietly followed him.

Unlike the tidy, antique estate on the hill in Renvel, this mansion was more rigid and imposing. Even the long corridors and windows lining them were so. The sun was already sinking outside.

Kyle watched the sight quietly, then closed his eyes.

What kind of person was the Grand Duke?

Elysia had said that he was kinder than he appeared. She had said he had always looked after her since she was young.

Is he agonizing over it now?

Over the fact that the person he trusted had been defeated, and Elysia had been taken to the Empire. Cassius Mortein may have moved personally, but it did not change the outcome. Kyle had failed to bring Elysia back.

Or does he resent me?

Perhaps that would be better. There was no more certain driving force than anger. Just as Kyle could not fall before he destroyed the Empire, perhaps the Grand Duke was the same.

“Here we are.”

Gilbert's heavy voice broke Kyle from his thoughts. Kyle raised his gaze from the floor. Gilbert knocked twice, then pushed open the door.

“We are entering.”

Slanting afternoon sunlight filled the room. Through the open door, Kyle saw the interior of an office. A blond man who looked to be in his early forties sat before the desk.

In the silence, so quiet even their breathing could be heard, Kyle's black eyes met the Grand Duke's blue eyes.

Footnotes:

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