WeTried Translations
Translator: Hydrogen B
Editor: Hydrogen B
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 180: The Road Home (1)
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The north of Velia was far larger than it appeared on a map. Kyle had only realized that after meeting Rowen and Yurian ten years ago.
It was a land where the unknown vastly outweighed the places touched by human hands.
A land where harsh, biting winds blew without rest.
That was the north. Its unique terrain and climate had made it difficult for large populations to settle there since ancient times. That was why, despite possessing the Knights of Ash, the strongest knightly order on the continent, its national power had never matched that of the Empire or the Federation. Rather than large-scale farming, it sustained its economy by selling rare resources such as star iron.
That had not changed much four years ago. The north could not produce enough food to support itself, so it relied heavily on trade with the Empire and the Federation. After the Northern War broke out, even its remaining trade with the Federation dwindled, forcing it to struggle for supplies at every turn. Worse still, power was not centralized but scattered across the region, and some frontier lords quietly cooperated with the Empire.
That was why Kyle's first concern after Hailen fell was the north's fragmentation.
What if the order established by Asherad, the first Northern King, collapsed?
What if it returned to the lawless era before him?
The thought frightened him, yet part of him felt relieved. Unlike an ordinary kingdom, power in the north was not concentrated in the center. Completely conquering it was nearly impossible.
The north was that vast. Every region had its own customs and culture. Even if Hailen disappeared into history, the north itself would remain. It would simply return to what it had been before Northern King Asherad established the unified nation of Hailen.
“From here on, this is Valone's border. Beyond it lies the north.”
Hermann, who had ridden in silence for some time, pulled on his reins. Kyle and the others following behind him stopped at once.
Before them stretched an unfamiliar land where the central region and the north seemed to blend together. It was where the spring-touched green of the central region met the cold, colorless gray of the north. The young broadleaf trees stretching beneath the spring breeze gradually gave way to sharp coniferous forests farther into the endless north. When Kyle looked up, sunlight filtered through the hazy sky and pierced the ground in streaks like sharp spears.
“Ha... Even the air feels different.”
“How long has it been? More than four years already?”
“At last, we can give those bastards a proper funeral.”
“We've got plenty to do before that.”
“It won't take long. Not now that we're here.”
Gerant, Egil, Ivar, Bjorn, Hakon, and Sten. The six Ash Knights who had joined them in Renavik whispered among themselves.
“Let's go.”
Kyle glanced at the knights before pulling on his reins again. A beat later, the knights who had been chatting followed him down the gentle slope. A cool breeze brushed softly past the clothes of the nine knights. Their cloaks fluttered with each step of their horses, accompanied by the clinking of swords.
“More importantly, what is the situation in the north now?”
“The current situation...”
“To be honest, it isn't good.”
Hermann and Walter, riding beside him, answered in turn. Kyle had expected as much, so he calmly voiced his guess.
“It seems there are more traitors than I thought.”
“That would be right. It's been four years since Hailen fell.”
Kyle and the others were heading for Baldheim, the old capital. It was Kyle's second home and the place where Yurian, his irreplaceable friend, had died in battle. Yet the north was vast, and countless obstacles lay between the Federation and Baldheim, Hailen's former capital. More precisely, there were simply too many things that could become obstacles.
“If the information we've gathered is correct, many houses have fallen under the Empire's influence. They're likely exercising control over the north indirectly. The north is too large and too different from the rest of the continent for them to swallow outright.”
“...So the nobles who stood aside until the end during the Northern War now hold real power?”
“That's right. It isn't only those who sided with the Empire from the beginning. Many had no choice but to betray us. How many people would throw away their lives and the fate of their families in a battle that was certain to be lost? Even our own houses were all wiped out.”
Walter muttered bitterly and glanced behind him.
The knights, who had been so loud until moments ago, now held their reins in silence. Though not to the same extent as the Chevaliers, most members of the Knights of Ash had come from noble families. Even Cecilia, whom they could no longer see, had once been the daughter of one of the north's most prestigious houses. In fact, Kyle, whose origins were unknown, being accepted into the order had been unprecedented.
And even so, we couldn't protect it.
The knights who fought to the end and the knights who survived like this had all risked their lives and their families to fight. Kyle knew how painful that choice was, so he could not bring himself to condemn those who had defected. Their families' lives had been on the line, not just their own. Who could dare blame them for choosing the Empire in order to survive?
Except for those who had been friendly with the Empire from the beginning.
“Still, we're fortunate to have the Federation's support. The wyvern knights will have a hard time leaving the front, so if we reclaim even a little of the north in the meantime, those who were forced to change sides may return.”
Kyle's words offered a little hope and lifted the gloomy mood.
If they succeeded in rebuilding the north, the Federation and Hailen would become each other's shield and spear. Once a two-front war formed, even the south, which had been watching from the sidelines, would consider joining the war. That was why Godfrey and the other key hardliners had supported aid for the north. They were not acting out of simple sympathy.
“Compared to four years ago, many wyvern knights have died as well.”
“That's true. I heard you killed two of them when you were in the south. One of them was Damian Carvello, no less.”
“It's nothing to boast about. It wasn't an easy victory.”
“But you're still alive. Even after fighting Cassius Mortein. And then there was that bastard who disguised himself as Russel's royal knight commander. The Emperor must be feeling those losses keenly.”
“And we've now got cause to strike those Theocracy bastards too. Cowardly pricks. They always went on about neutrality, yet all they did was serve as the Empire's lackeys.”
“Just thinking about that damned thorn...”
“Bastards.”
Afterward, Kyle spoke with the knights about various matters. Most of it concerned the information they had gathered about the north and their plans going forward. Baldheim was still far away, so they needed to prepare for every possibility. Knowing the enemy and not knowing them made all the difference.
“Come to think of it, which house rules Baldheim now?”
Kyle turned to the side and asked the question that had suddenly come to mind.
“Ehrenfeld.”
Hermann answered shortly. The noisy knights fell silent in an instant.
Hagenwald, Ragnel, Haska, and Ehrenfeld. All were among the greatest houses in the north. Ragnel was Rowen's house, Hagenwald was Hermann's, and Haska was Cecilia's. Ehrenfeld was different.
They possessed the largest territory in the north despite having no ties to the Knights of Ash. During the Northern War, they had resisted the Empire halfheartedly, then came to rule the north in practice after the war ended. If Kyle's expectations were correct, they would likely be the greatest obstacle in his path back to Baldheim.
“It isn't only Ehrenfeld. Baron Falken will be the greater problem for now.”
“Baron Falken...?”
“Yes. It's one of the few houses that suffered almost no losses during the war. I heard they now serve under Ehrenfeld. If we want to cross the Voldra River, we'll inevitably have to face them for the sake of what comes next. They have a tight grip on the trade route between the north and the Federation. And...”
Hermann trailed off and raised his head. Hazy clouds drifted heavily across the sky, bleak as their uncertain future.
“They may be acting as the Empire's lackeys.”
“It doesn't matter.”
“It doesn't?”
“Yes. Rumors are only rumors. More than anything, I want to believe in them. Falken or Ehrenfeld, it doesn't matter. We should see them for ourselves and judge them then.”
“What will you do if you see for yourself that they've become complete collaborators with the Empire?”
Walter, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. Everyone looked toward Kyle at the front.
“Then...”
Kyle slowly opened his mouth. Bright sunlight streamed down through the dark clouds. A beam of light slanted down like a long spear, illuminating the place where Kyle stood. Holding tightly to his reins, Kyle turned to the knights following him.
“I'll kill them all. With these hands. I'll make them pay for every drop of blood they didn't spill during the Northern War. Every last one of them.”
* * *
Three weeks from Renavik to Valone's border. One week since they first entered the north.
Nearly a month had passed since Kyle parted ways with Adrian. During that time, Kyle and the eight surviving knights had steadily traveled north. In the past, they would have ridden in silence, but with so many people together now, they spoke more often. Most of their conversations were about memories of the past.
Even so, they did not slow their pace. They could not silence the mouths of all those Federation nobles, so news of what happened in Renavik would soon reach the influential figures of the north. Their destination remained Baldheim, Hailen's former capital. Having crossed Valone's border, they continued north through the southeastern part of the north toward the capital.
“It's more peaceful than I expected.”
“A lot of time has passed. The main battlefield was in the southwest, where the Empire's border meets ours, so it makes sense. And at this time of year, Federation trading convoys traveling through the north are scarce because of the banquet and Grand Assembly in Renavik.”
“Trade with the Empire has been cut off, but does the north still rely on the Federation for food?”
“When hasn't it? Why are you acting surprised now?”
Walter answered Kyle's question indifferently. Unable to argue, Kyle quietly turned his head.
Hermann and the other knights rode beside him. The scenery around them had changed completely as well. The green broadleaf trees they had seen near the Federation border were gone. All that stretched before them were hazy dark clouds and a barren wilderness tinged brown.
The occasional bare coniferous forest added some variety to the plain landscape alongside the rocky mountains. Everything was familiar, yet strange. Hermann looked around at the north, a land always cold except for its brief summer, then raised a hand and rubbed his arm.
“More importantly, it's rather cold.”
“The Deputy Commander has become soft from spending too long in the Federation. This wouldn't even count as cold in the north.”
“True enough. It took us too long to get here. I must have grown weak without realizing it. This was where we were meant to stand. Time is a frightening thing.”
Everyone fell quiet at Hermann's halfhearted lament. In the thick silence, only the clopping of horses' hooves rang clearly across the dry wilderness.
It had been a week since they entered the north. In that time, Kyle's group had not visited a single town or city.
No, they had not been able to.
The north was simply too vast. They were also near its entrance, where it connected to the Federation.
“Are we camping again tonight?”
Kyle broke the soundless silence. Hermann shook his head.
“No. We should be entering Falken Barony soon. Judging by our current location, we should reach the Voldra River within two days.”
“Who rules Falken now?”
“Othmar Falken. An old, greedy noble who led House Falken during the Northern War. He has a capable heir, but he still hasn't handed leadership of the house over to the heir. I doubt much has changed this time either.”
“.......”
“Honestly, I don't have a good feeling about this.”
House Falken held absolute authority over the lower Voldra River. Every large trading convoy and military force traveling from the Federation into the north crossed Falken Bridge over the Voldra River, so they would have to seize it in order to receive the council's support later.
“There should be a fairly large village around here...”
The sun gradually set. Hermann narrowed his eyes and surveyed their surroundings, but nothing was immediately visible. Walter, who had been watching, spoke from beside him.
“Wouldn't it be better to camp here?”
“No. We need to remain in fighting condition. We may have to fight tomorrow, and we can't spend another night out in the open. The horses are exhausted too.”
“But I don't see any villages nearby...”
“Over there, there's something!”
Gerant, who had been looking around with Hermann, shouted. Everyone turned toward where he pointed.
“A Troll...?”
“Well, it's been a long time since we've seen one of those. Kyle, you nearly died fighting one before, remember?”
“But someone is being chased by it.”
“Did they get spotted while wandering through the forest? They're coming this way. Who wants to handle it?”
Walter looked over the knights one by one. As they each reached for the swords at their waists, Kyle suddenly leaped down from his horse and slowly drew Yurian's sword.
Sring.
The sharp metallic sound seeped into the cold northern air.
“Kyle?”
“I'll do it.”
“Will you be all right alone?”
Kyle did not answer. He took a step toward the approaching Troll and the people fleeing from it.
As the distance narrowed, the Troll and the fleeing people became clear. The Troll must have starved badly through the winter. Its body was skeletal, and its eyes were half-crazed. The two men being chased, on the other hand, wore thick fur clothes and held a dagger and a bow respectively. Arrows were embedded throughout the Troll's body, showing just how desperately they had fought.
“S-Save us...!”
The two men running toward them cried out urgently when they spotted Kyle's group.
At nearly the same moment, a pure white blade shot through the air.
Fwoosh!
Dark red blood burst forth. Yurian's sword carved white Sword Paths through the air, cutting apart the Troll's upper body and limbs. The Troll, which had been charging wildly, lost its balance and collapsed to the ground in an instant. Prisia's pure white mana seeped into the cut surfaces of its limbs, preventing the Troll from regenerating with a sizzling sound.
“Uh...?”
“A Troll in a single blow...”
Dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events, the two fleeing men could only mutter. Kyle paid them no mind. He drove his sword into the Troll's neck and twisted it.
Crack!
A sickening sound rang out, and the light faded from the Troll's eyes. Kyle pulled out his sword and gave it a light shake. The Sword Aura wrapped around the star iron slowly dissolved.
Kyle spoke to the two men, who remained seated in stunned silence.
“Who are you?”
“W-We are hunters from Arenbach Village...”
“Arenbach? The village near the Voldra River? Part of Falken Barony?”
“Y-Yes! That's right!”
The knights' expressions changed. Kyle exchanged a look with Hermann.
“A-Are you knights from the Federation?”
The two hunters glanced at Kyle and the others' equipment. They did not overlook the sturdy horses they rode or the numerous Inventory Pouches attached to their saddles. They were clearly not ordinary members of a trading convoy or mercenaries.
After a brief silence, Kyle looked over the two hunters, then turned toward the north, where Baron Falken was.
“Lead the way. To this village of Arenbach.”
Footnotes:
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