WeTried Translations
Translator: Hydrogen B
Editor: Hydrogen B
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 183: The Road Home (4)
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Kyle did not kill the villagers who had tried to poison him. Something more important was right at hand.
Baron Falken's knights would arrive tomorrow to collect the tribute payment.
Requisitioning supplies during wartime was unavoidable. But things were different now. Four years had already passed since Hailen's fall brought the war between the Empire and the north to an end. Continuing to extort the people so severely even now was clearly a problem.
All the more so if the money was being sent as tribute to the Empire.
If Duke Ehrenfeld truly acted as the Emperor's lackey in place of the vanished House Baldrick, and if Baron Falken was squeezing the people dry beneath him, Kyle could not let them live.
As the last commander of the royal knights, he had to hold them accountable for their crimes.
That was the atonement of one who had failed to protect what mattered.
Even if the past could not be undone.
“Why don't you get some sleep?”
“Deputy Commander.”
“You might have to fight tomorrow.”
It was deep in the night. The silence was so complete that not even the chirping of insects could be heard. Hermann approached Kyle, who had returned to the village chief's house and was sitting alone in the living room.
“What happened to the others?”
Kyle glanced at Hermann before looking back down at the sword in his hand. The blade of his once-closest friend reflected the moonlight brightly, just like Kyle's own beloved sword, now gone. As Kyle silently maintained the sword, Hermann dropped down beside him.
“Maybe because we threatened them once already, but they listened without causing trouble. Looks like fists speak louder than words after all.”
“I see.”
“I posted the others on watch and had them get at least a little sleep. There's a big difference between getting even a bit of proper rest and staying up all night. Whatever happens, it's better than sleeping outside in this weather.”
Hermann let out a long sigh, then calmly listed the things Kyle had asked him to do. Kyle gave only brief replies, without much reaction.
Kyle had not killed the village chief. Instead, he demanded the villagers' cooperation in exchange.
Act as if nothing had happened.
Let them know before Baron Falken's knights arrived.
It was not a difficult request. For the price of their lives, it was practically cheap. The villagers quietly obeyed Kyle and the Knights of Ash, even as they wondered who they were and what they intended to do. A few sharp-eyed villagers sensed the unsettling atmosphere and realized trouble was about to break out. That was all.
“I expected it, but seeing it for myself, it was even more of a mess.”
“.......”
“If everything the village chief said is true, Kyle, do you believe him?”
Hermann turned to look at Kyle. Kyle was still oiling the sword.
“At least, he did not have the eyes of a liar.”
“That is true.”
“The cry of someone who has lost something precious cannot be feigned. Even if it was a lie, it doesn't matter. Tomorrow... no, today, if Baron Falken's knights come to the village, we'll know everything.”
Kyle knew that not everyone was the same. Just as the Knights of Ash had thrown away their lives and houses for their country, there were also those who calculated profit and loss solely for their own safety and benefit. Kyle sincerely hoped they had not gone so far as to betray their homeland.
“It could be unavoidable exploitation.”
As though he had seen through Kyle's thoughts, Hermann continued.
“Maybe they reluctantly handed over the money because they couldn't withstand Duke Ehrenfeld's pressure.”
“I hope that is the case.”
“But I don't think it is.”
“Why? Have you met Baron Falken before, Deputy Commander?”
“Only once. That old man stayed far away from high society, so few people have even seen his face. The only thing Baron Falken cared about was whatever benefited him. At least, that was the impression I got when I first saw him.”
Kyle stopped wiping the blade. Yurian's sword, gleaming with oil, shone brilliantly beneath the moonlight. Unlike Kyle's plain sword, Yurian's blade looked like a finely crafted work of art.
“If it is all true, will you really kill him?”
Hermann asked.
After a short pause, Kyle nodded slightly. He had made that decision long ago, back in Renavik.
“It is my duty. I will not hesitate.”
The words left Kyle's mouth as though he were grinding them between his teeth.
“Kyle....”
“But before I kill him, I will ask him why he did it. Why he chose to turn his back on his homeland and join the Empire.”
“Kyle.”
“I will ask whether everything he gained by selling Hailen was truly worth the destruction of his country. And if it was, I hope he has no regrets as he swims through hell.”
“Kyle!”
Hermann suddenly raised his voice. Kyle's hand, which had been maintaining the sword, trembled.
Ah.
When he came to his senses, a faint trace of blood was seeping from his finger. Had he been swept up in violent emotions without realizing it? Kyle set down Yurian's sword and wrapped the cloth in his hand around his wounded finger to stop the bleeding.
“Kyle.”
Hermann's pained voice pierced his ears again.
“You are not a sinner. This is not your fault.”
“.......”
“Even without you, Hailen's fall would not have changed. Once Rowen died, no matter who became Commander, the result would have been no different. So don't pay attention to what that village chief said. Anyone who went through something like that would need someone to blame. You....”
“No.”
Kyle firmly cut Hermann off.
“Even so, I cannot deny that I stood at the forefront of Hailen's fall.”
“.......”
“If I had died then instead of Rowen, things would at least have been better than they are now.”
If it was a fate he had been born with, and an original sin he had no choice but to bear.
“I will kill the Emperor. With these hands.”
Kyle unwrapped the cloth from around his finger. Since it was only a small cut, the bleeding had already stopped. He put the cloth into his Inventory Pouch, then slowly sheathed Yurian's sword.
“I'll get some sleep.”
No answer came. Yet Kyle did not sense Hermann leaving, either.
Kyle slowly closed his eyes, heavy with fatigue.
When he opened them again, bright sunlight was pouring in through the living room window. Hermann was gone as well. Kyle blinked in a sleepy haze for a while before rising. As he fastened Yurian's sword, which he had held close to his chest, to his waist, he saw Jan running toward him in a panic.
“Th-They've arrived! Baron Falken's knights are near the village...!”
* * *
Falken Bridge was a crucial trade route linking the Federation and the north. Three knights rode leisurely away from that enormous bridge, where House Falken's main castle stood.
Arenbach Village, their destination, was only half a day's walk away. On horseback, the trip took less than half that time. Even so, the three knights who had left the castle early that morning looked bored and irritated.
More precisely, dissatisfied.
“Those bastards should come and offer it themselves. It's a pain having to visit these villages every time.”
The lead knight grumbled loudly. Another knight riding beside them snickered.
“What can we do? Do you think they'd come if we told them to bring the money voluntarily?”
“They wouldn't. They whine every time and try to cut down the tribute payment however they can.”
“That is why we're going there ourselves, carrying out the Baron's orders.”
“I want to hurry back and drink my fill. I heard some rare Imperial wine arrived from the capital this time....”
The three knights laughed as they chatted. There was not the slightest trace of worry or concern in their voices.
Before long, the village they had set out for came into view.
Arenbach.
It was the village closest to the Voldra River within Baron Falken's territory. As befitted a village of some size, it was surrounded by a wooden palisade, with a member of the village watch standing guard. The watch member had been looking around with a strangely tense expression, but their eyes widened when they spotted the approaching knights.
“K-Knights!”
“Is the village chief inside?”
“Yes, they are! Nothing is wrong.”
“Hmm...?”
The knights' brows furrowed slightly at the watch member's nervous response. It did not last long.
“Well, it doesn't matter.”
“Let's go.”
The three knights passed through the entrance and entered the village. The sight beyond the palisade was familiar enough to make them sick of it.
There was none of the splendor unique to cities anywhere in sight. It was the same even compared to villages in the Empire or Federation. A colorless settlement filled with dull gray. Its frames were built from dry conifer trees, then covered thickly with gray clay for warmth.
What a fucking village. No, the entire north is fucking awful.
The knights grumbled inwardly. At a glance, the village had no sense of beauty whatsoever.
It would have been better to have been born in the Empire.
Since the Northern War, they had felt the disparity acutely whenever they encountered the goods brought in from the Imperial capital. It was not simply a matter of national power. Elandor possessed Archandia, indisputably the greatest metropolis on the continent, and its standards of culture, including music and art, were on another level.
“My lords.”
Just as they felt subtle gazes from all around them, a familiar middle-aged hunter appeared in the middle of the village.
It was none other than Arenbach's village chief.
“Village chief. You prepared the full amount this month, right?”
“.......”
“Bring it out.”
The lead knight spoke arrogantly without even dismounting. The village chief bowed deeply and glanced toward their house. Soon, the chief's young son emerged and hurried over to hand the lead knight a heavy pouch.
“Here it is....”
“Hmm. It is quite heavy.”
“You didn't mix in any fake Gold Coins, did you?”
“N-No! Of course not.”
“As you know, you'll be in trouble if they aren't Imperial or Federation Gold Coins. Too many people have been tampering with the purity of northern Gold Coins lately.”
Clicking their tongue, the lead knight untied the pouch and checked its contents. The two knights behind also peered into the pouch.
One, two, three, four, five, six....
Slowly but surely.
Every time the knight counted a Gold Coin, Jan's throat went dry. The village chief kept their head bowed as they stared at the ground. Then puzzlement entered the knight's voice.
“What? The numbers don't match.”
“That is....”
“Village chief, let me ask just in case. Don't tell me you failed to prepare the full amount again?”
The lead knight looked down at the village chief with contempt. They picked up a Gold Coin and waved it mockingly in front of the chief.
“Eighty-eight Gold. You're short by twelve Gold.”
“I am sorry. If you would give us just a few more days, this time I will definitely....”
“Anyone can say that. This is a problem. Do you take Baron Falken for a joke?”
“N-No! It is not that....”
“There may be one chance, but there is no second chance. I suppose you won't come to your senses until you see blood.”
The lead knight handed the pouch to one of the knights behind them and jumped down from the saddle, moving a hand toward the sword at their waist.
At that moment, another man suddenly emerged from the village chief's house, where Jan had come from.
“Are you Baron Falken's knights?”
The man spoke in an utterly flat voice, devoid of emotion. The lead knight, who had been walking forward, stiffened.
The man had black hair and black eyes, rare sights in the north. His appearance was no less unusual: he was a tall stranger with foreign features.
The knight who had just dismounted, along with the two still on horseback, immediately became far more alert.
“Who are you?”
The knight asked.
At a glance, the stranger looked like an experienced mercenary. Yet something about him felt strange. He had nothing but a sword hanging from his waist, not even a proper suit of armor.
“Baron Falken sends knights every month to tour the villages in his territory and exploits them under the pretext of collecting tribute payments. All to clean up after Duke Ehrenfeld, who acts as the Empire's lackey. Is that true?”
Instead of answering, Kyle asked a question in return.
By then, having their lord openly insulted, a faint anger began to rise in the knights' eyes.
“Ha... I was wondering where the missing money went. So you hired some worthless mercenary?”
“I'll ask again. Is it true?”
“You crazy bastards don't know your place...!”
The lead knight strode forward. The distance between the two shrank by the second. The knight's clattering gauntlet gripped the hilt at their waist. Everyone watched with tense eyes.
“I see. Then that's a yes....”
Kyle muttered bitterly.
A cold silver gleam flashed from the knight's waist. By then, Kyle had already drawn Yurian's sword.
Within the crossing flashes of Sword Light, scarlet blood burst forth like a waterfall.
Footnotes:
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