WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

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◈ Sword Master of the Fallen Kingdom

Chapter 48

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The Weight of Honor (5)

"Kuaaaargh!"

A scream rang out, and at the same moment, a severed arm hit the ground.

Staggering, Cedric collapsed and clutched what remained of his right shoulder.

The area cut by Sword Aura sizzled and melted away. His severed right arm was no different. Small white flames rose from the cut and burned away much of the blood pouring out. Anyone could see it was a crippling wound. There was no way he could continue the duel.

He probably would not die.

But he would never hold a sword again. An arm severed by Sword Aura was extremely difficult to reattach. That was even more true when it had been cut by Kyle's Sword Aura, compressed to the absolute limit. Kyle's flames never went out as long as mana remained.

Even if a high priest were here, the outcome would not change. At best, holy power could suppress the lingering mana and stop the bleeding. More than that, once trauma was carved into the mind, it never truly disappeared. Just as Kyle was still bound to his own past.

"This... this is wrong..."

Veronica stared at Cedric in disbelief.

Her lips parted slightly, as if she were denying reality itself. Marsen and his followers looked much the same.

Drip.

Kyle gave his blade a light flick, shaking off the blood. The training ground, silent for a moment, grew noisy again. Kyle sheathed his sword, now spotless, and looked at Kairon. Kairon looked startled for an instant, quickly regained his composure, then gave a short nod.

"Ah..."

"Veronica Krabel's proxy, Cedric Balmore, is judged unable to continue this duel. Under kingdom law, the winner of this duel is Lena Hartion, represented by her proxy Kyle."

"No! This is wrong! Tower Master! He can still fight!"

Veronica screamed at the top of her lungs. Kairon watched her with cold eyes, then gave an order to two mages nearby.

"Take him away. Basic hemostasis only."

"Yes, sir."

At Kairon's signal, the two mages, likely First-Rank, carried Cedric away as he groaned in pain. Veronica, who had just lost her last hope, looked utterly despairing.

From the opposite side, Lena stepped forward carefully. She reached the center of the training ground, paused, and looked at Kyle. Kyle nodded without a word. Biting her lip, Lena strode forward with determined eyes and stopped in front of Veronica.

"You..."

Just as Veronica frowned and started to speak, a sharp crack rang out.

Veronica's head snapped to the side, and her body dropped limply. She covered her cheek on reflex and let out a dazed sound.

"Huh...?"

When she came back to herself, Lena was looking down at her. Veronica stared up blankly, then touched her throbbing cheek. A moment later, fierce pain hit, along with the metallic taste of blood in her mouth.

I got slapped?

Me? By that bitch?

"Y...!"

Veronica was about to rise in fury, but Lena's icy voice stopped her cold. Veronica looked up at Lena with trembling eyes.

"This was an honor duel between families. So I, Lena Hartion, command you by the winner's right. Fulfill the terms, Veronica Krabel. I received the apology with that slap, so keep the other one."

"That..."

Veronica lowered her gaze and trailed off. She had lost a duel fought under her family name. She had also lost the proxy duel. As reality closed in, her boiling anger slowly turned into fear.

Now she had to fulfill the terms she had declared before the duel.

One was to permanently surrender her status as an official mage of the Magic Tower. The other was to offer a sincere apology to Lena and her proxy Kyle. Both were devastating for Veronica.

She had set those terms only because she assumed she would win no matter what.

"Ah..."

Veronica looked around desperately for help. People who had been whispering while watching immediately turned away when their eyes met hers.

Even the noble-faction mages did the same. Until yesterday, they had flattered her nonstop, calling her the eldest daughter of House Krabel and disciple of Elder Marsen. Now those same hangers-on avoided eye contact. That alone showed how dire her situation was.

Veronica understood the fate waiting for her. Social death. Once she lost her status as an official Magic Tower mage, she would surely be sold into a political marriage between noble houses. She would be useful for nothing else.

No, maybe not even that.

As if staining her family name by losing the duel was not enough, she had crippled one of House Krabel's own knights. She could not even imagine what punishment would come next.

Veronica herself was the one who had boasted Cedric would win and brought him in. The other noble houses would slowly distance themselves. They would not want to be tied to this disaster. Even if they had quietly supported her, they would still step back. This duel was that politically tangled.

They would dump all shame and blame on House Krabel and House Belkart, then wash their hands of it. In the noble world, honor and reputation mattered more than life, and rumors spread faster than anything else.

"I... I..."

She covered her face with both hands. Then she heard commotion behind her. Kairon, the Tower Master who had overseen the duel, approached with his staff.

"Veronica Krabel."

"..."

"From this moment, I permanently strip you of your status as an official Second-Rank Mage. As you swore before the duel, it will be recorded as a voluntary resignation on the surface."

The sentence came down calmly. Through the gaps in her fingers, Veronica's purple eyes widened as if they would split.

"And Marsen."

Kairon, who had been looking down at Veronica without emotion, turned to Marsen, who still had not accepted reality.

"You said you would take full responsibility. From this hour, I am suspending your elder position. The reason is political abuse of elder authority and incitement of internal division. Your final disposition will be decided at the elder council."

"T-Tower Master!"

Only then did Marsen come to his senses and shout in panic. Kairon ignored him.

"I thought you would become the future of this Magic Tower. That is why I turned a blind eye to your many deviations. Looking back, all of it was a mistake. I should never have done that."

Kairon looked like he had already made his decision. He called it a suspension, but it was effectively removal. There were eight elders total. Even excluding Roberto, the neutral elder, the three moderate elders plus Kairon himself were already more than half. That was enough to strip Marsen of his post.

"Please reconsider! I was blinded by power for a moment. Please, just one more chance..."

Marsen clung to Kairon and begged. Kairon pushed him away slowly but firmly. Holding his staff, he looked around at the onlookers who still had not left and spoke.

"If anyone spreads false information or rumors about this duel, I will punish them severely under Magic Tower law."

Thud!

Kairon raised his staff and struck the ground hard. His voice rang out, old but clear and forceful. The mages, who had been watching one another's reactions, poured out of the training ground like an ebbing tide. Other mages dragged away the collapsed Veronica and the struggling Marsen by force.

"And..."

Before they realized it, only four people remained near the training ground. Kairon moved his lips a few times, then shook his head.

"No, no. If I stay longer, I might say pointless things. Exchange your final farewells. This old man will leave first."

Kairon cast off his lingering attachment and turned away, just like the others who had already left. He did not ask Kyle's identity. There was a mountain of urgent matters to handle, and this duel's outcome gave him much to gain politically.

Only then did Kyle face Gerard and Lena directly. An old but wise mage, and a young mage with limitless potential.

"I leave the aftermath in your hands."

Kyle spoke first. Gerard's eyes widened slightly. The old mage lowered his head with an expression beyond words.

"Thank you. I do not even know how to express my gratitude..."

"..."

"You said Lena gave you one final additional commission, right? As for payment..."

"It's fine. I already received it."

The Inventory Pouch full of Gold coins and Magicite from disposing of the relics. The pouch Gerard had crafted himself was incredibly valuable. Its capacity was also slightly larger than the one Kyle had used before. It could have sold for thousands of Gold on the spot. As payment for standing as duel proxy, it was more than enough.

"Then... are you leaving right away?"

Gerard asked, unable to hide his regret.

"Yes."

"I see... You were never the type to stay tied to one place."

"I'm sorry."

"No, no. I am the one who should apologize for troubling you. There is just one favor..."

"Please speak."

"Answer one last question."

Gerard took a long breath in and out. Choosing his words carefully, he finally asked.

"Are you... the Blue Wolf?"

The missing final Commander of the Knights of Ash. Instead of answering, Kyle gave a faint smile. For a brief instant, the old man's eyes opened wide. Kyle dipped his head slightly in farewell to the old man and the girl before him.

"Then."

With that, Kyle turned away. Under the morning sunlight, his back moved farther and farther away. The black cloak passing through the Magic Tower's main gate soon vanished completely.

***

After leaving the Magic Tower, Kyle headed straight for the city's east gate.

Ten in the morning. The hour when the city was fully awake. Magic Tower City Kabiles was livelier than when Kyle first arrived. Voices full of life echoed everywhere.

Kyle moved at a brisk pace through the center of the city. Even after fighting a duel, he felt good. Maybe moving his body had cleared his mind even more. He raised his left hand and looked at the ring on his middle finger.

The seven forms of Asherad Royal Swordsmanship. Among them, the First Form, a draw-cut technique, and the Second Form, a chained rapid-strike style specialized for relentless offense.

Those two forms had originally been designed to connect as one. Draw and follow-up flowed like a single motion. They worked separately too, but from a sheathed state, using them together was far more efficient.

That was how they had been made in the first place.

Before, he would have had to consume two magic stones. Now it was different. At some point, Kyle had become able to control the ring's magic power as freely as his own body. The mana sleeping inside it was so vast he could not even measure it. The mana he used today would likely be fully restored by tomorrow.

Gerard and Tower Master Kairon would handle the aftermath.

"Freshly baked bread! Still warm!"

"Imperial fur that came in yesterday! You know how hard this is to get these days!"

"Official Magic Tower Magic Tools for sale! All made by the Lenore Magic Tower!"

As he passed the market district, merchants called out to customers. Leaving the crowds behind, Kyle crossed the packed streets.

"Heading out?"

Before long, the huge eastern gate came into view. A guard on duty asked politely.

"Do I need to show anything?"

"No, sir. Nothing."

"I see."

Kyle passed through the gate. The scenery changed. Outside the city, green fields stretched under a cloudless sky.

Kyle took a pocket watch from his coat. A keepsake from a close friend who had already died. After checking the time one last time, he started walking again. His sword at his waist swayed with his steps. Now and then, the wind fluttered the edge of his cloak.

He had just climbed a gentle hill when it happened.

"......!"

A voice carried from far away. Someone calling out to someone else.

Kyle, about to stroll down the hill, turned and looked back. A girl seemed to have just come out of the large city not far behind. With blue hair and a bright blue robe, she hurried up the hill toward him.

"Kyle-ssi!"

She was breathing hard by the time she reached him.

The girl finally reached the top and bent over, gasping hard. Kyle narrowed his eyes as he looked down at Lena.

"...Lena? What is it?"

"I... I forgot to give you something..."

After taking several deep breaths, Lena suddenly straightened up. She held out something she had been clutching carefully. Wrapped neatly in a yellow cloth, it was about the size of a small bag. From the outline, it looked packed with several items.

"It's food you can eat on the way."

"..."

"I thought a lot about what to give you. I felt bad just sending you off like this. But you have way more money than me, better skills than me, and so many things already, so there was nothing else I could really give you. So..."

Kyle accepted the bundle from Lena. He loosened the tie slightly and looked inside. White wheat bread, jam, cheese, and various other foods were packed in it. All of them were pricey enough to be a burden for ordinary mercenaries.

"Thank you. I'll enjoy it."

Kyle put Lena's bundle into the Inventory Pouch he had been using. Lena's anxious face brightened at once.

Time flowed the same way inside an expanded-space pouch. It could not stop food from spoiling, but for a while he could eat this instead of hard dried rations. It was an unexpected gift, small but genuinely pleasant. Much better than receiving some awkward amount of gold.

A little time passed.

"So... are you going farther east now?"

Fidgeting, Lena glanced at Kyle's face and asked. Kyle answered readily.

"Yeah."

"Can I ask where? I asked earlier too, but... I was still curious..."

"Grandecia Federation. More exactly, Renavik, where the Federal Assembly is."

"Renavik? That's the capital of the Kalov Kingdom. That's really far from here."

Lena looked shocked. Velia was that vast. From Brendel, a southern kingdom, to Renavik, capital of Kalov and seat of the Federal Assembly, took a very long time. It was about as far as, or slightly farther than, the distance from Kabiles to Archandia, the imperial capital.

"Right. This one will be a long journey."

Even on horseback, it would take more than half a year. In unstable times like now, bad luck could stretch it to nearly a year. There was no telling what might happen along the way.

Even so, Kyle answered without hesitation.

"Then... you'll cross the border soon."

Lena said softly, her voice full of regret.

"Probably."

"Can we meet again?"

Lena looked up at Kyle. He studied her turquoise eyes for a moment, then lifted his gaze. A clear blue sky stretched overhead.

"Who knows. Whether we'll meet again or not."

"If we're alive, we'll see each other again someday. So keep working hard. And listen to your grandfather."

Would he ever set foot in this kingdom again?

He did not know yet. Even he could not know. Life was full of uncertainty, and no one knew whether happiness or misery waited ahead. Unless one was an omnipotent god looking down on everything.

Still, one thing was clear.

At least until the Empire fell, he would not die. He had no intention of dying either. This was not the time.

It was too early for his legs to give out from exhaustion. He had sworn he would not run anymore. He had decided he would not wander anymore.

"Take care."

With a faint smile, Kyle turned around. Lena's outstretched fingers brushed empty air, unable to stop him. Kyle raised his right hand and pulled his hood down deep.

A long wind blew up from below the hill. The green fields rippled and made a sound like familiar waves. For a while, Lena only stared at Kyle's back in silence. The black cloak fluttering in the wind grew smaller and smaller, then disappeared.

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