WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

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◈ Sword Master of the Fallen Kingdom

Chapter 60

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Two Exiles (7)

After shaking off the gate's pursuit force, Kyle and Elysia crossed the mountains on horseback as originally planned.

Thankfully, no more pursuers came after them. It was just as Kyle had expected. Only deep into the night did the two find a decent campsite and snatch a brief sleep. Their exhausted bodies sank into slumber almost at once.

After that blink of deep rest, they rose again at the first gray hint of dawn and cut across the mountain range. Aside from a short noon break to chew some Dried Rations, they did not stop once. It was a brutal forced march that tested the limits of endurance.

They kept crossing passes by the shortest possible route, and whenever they found a stream along the way, they quickly wet their throats.

By the time the sun began to set on the second day, Kyle realized this forced march had reached its limit.

The horses, abused all day long, snorted roughly and drooled. Elysia, riding a pace behind him, was struggling with everything she had just to stay awake.

"...Are you tired?"

Unable to watch any longer, Kyle spoke first.

"No... no. I can keep going."

Elysia blinked a few times and barely managed to answer. Anyone could see she was not in normal condition.

She had barely slept for two full days. The only real rest she had gotten was three or four short hours at dawn that morning. On top of that, she had overused magic and continued a forced march that even a seasoned mercenary would have found hard to endure. If she had been fine, that would have been stranger.

To make matters worse, the horses were not in good shape either. After leaving the gate and running at full speed to escape pursuit, they had not been properly fed even once. Forget hay and grain. Aside from a little water here and there and some wild grass, they had basically been moving while starving. Considering how important horse supplies were, pushing any farther like this could truly lead to disaster.

They had finally passed a little more than half of the Ligrid Mountains.

They had to rest properly tonight, at least. Only then could they somehow descend the mountain range tomorrow before the fortress gates closed.

But how?

The sun was falling. Soon, darkness would settle on every side.

Before that, they had to find a campsite and prepare to rest.

Fortunately, Kyle's Inventory Pouch still had some food left, including Dried Rations. If they used it all, they could last until they reached the fortress. The problem was finding a place to sleep. Nights in the Ligrid Mountains were cold. Sleeping rough on bare ground with no roof to block the wind and rain caused terrible fatigue.

They could not even light a fire. It had been the same when they slept briefly at dawn, but Kyle had deliberately avoided making a campfire. A fire provided warmth, of course, and even a sense of comfort. Naturally, lighting one was the first priority when camping. But now it was impossible. He had to stay aware of the wyvern knights tracking them. In a situation like this, he always had to act with the worst case in mind.

"...I am truly fine. Do not worry about me."

Elysia, who had been watching his reaction, spoke softly. Kyle shook his head.

"It isn't only because of you."

"Then?"

"Because of the wyvern knights. If we have no choice but to fight, I want to do it in the best condition possible. I'm starting to get tired too."

A lack of mana limits did not mean his mental strength was infinite. Kyle also felt considerable fatigue from this forced march. Facing two wyvern knights in this state would be too much.

"First, let's find a campsite. At least a cave where we can avoid the wind."

Kyle spread the ring's mana wide. He sharpened his senses as much as possible. He swept through every part of the surrounding forest path for several hundred meters.

Elysia silently followed behind him. The two riders and their horses moved at a fast walk through the sunset-stained forest. After some time passed, Kyle stopped halfway up a mountain, just as darkness had settled all around them. Elysia, who had been following a pace behind, also pulled her reins and stopped.

"This is..."

"A village. I didn't know there was a place like this in the Ligrid Mountains."

Kyle's voice sank low as he looked around. In front of them stood an area surrounded by a wooden fence, with several houses built inside.

"A village in mountains like these..."

Elysia muttered in disbelief. As an Imperial princess, she seemed to feel a sense of disconnect from a scene that ran against ordinary common sense. That was how large the village halfway up the mountain was. Even at a rough glance, more than fifty people seemed to live there.

"It isn't that strange. The harsher the terrain, the more hidden and quiet it is."

Kyle glanced at Elysia as he spoke.

"Do you mean criminals might live here?"

"They might."

Several guesses rose and vanished in Kyle's mind.

"A village formed by exiles... no, it could be a hunters' village."

"What will you do?"

"We go in. At the very least, we'll try to make a deal. We can't sleep on the ground again tonight."

Kyle answered as if it were no big matter. What mattered was that they needed a place to rest right now. He had more than enough money. Renting a room for one night should not be hard, unless this village was extremely hostile to outsiders.

"Let's go."

Kyle slowly rode toward the inside of the village. A beat later, Elysia followed. The entrance to the fenced village was wide open. Passing through the wooden barrier, Kyle moved past the houses on both sides and approached the center of the village.

He could feel gazes through the windows of the houses here and there, but he did not pay them much mind. Then he stopped in front of the only brick house among the wooden cabins. A faint sign of movement came from inside, and soon an old man with thick white hair stepped out. The old man's eyes widened at the uninvited guests who had appeared in the middle of the village from nowhere.

"Who are you?"

"Are you perhaps the village chief?"

"I am."

"I apologize, elder. We are travelers passing through. Would it be possible for us to stay just for one day?"

Kyle dismounted and spoke as politely as possible. The old man glanced at Elysia, who had also dismounted, then let out a thoughtful hum.

"Hmm..."

"We will not ask to stay for free. Any place where we can avoid the wind and rain is fine. If possible, I would also like to buy a little food and feed for the horses."

He continued speaking clearly. He had already grasped every structure in the village without missing one. He also knew there was a stable nearby. Hunting was probably their main livelihood.

"A place to stay for one night..."

The old man's wrinkled eyes slowly scanned Kyle and Elysia.

One man who looked like a mercenary, wearing a black cloak with a sword at his waist. And one female mage in a deeply pulled hood, wearing a grayish robe that was torn and stained all over.

"Please."

"Hmm..."

"We will stay as quietly as possible and leave before dawn tomorrow."

Kyle placed one Gold Coin in the hesitant old man's hand.

The old man's narrowed eyes went round.

One Gold Coin was quite a lot for a single night's stay, but it was not absurd. If he gave too much money, they would grow suspicious. But one Gold Coin gave the impression of a mercenary who had some money and badly needed rest. The old man's expression did soften much more once he confirmed the golden shine of the coin.

"Ahem! Since you are begging this earnestly, I suppose I have no choice."

"Then, may I impose on you?"

"Of course. Lending you a place to stay for one night is not hard. Besides, it would be poor manners to turn away travelers who came all the way through the mountains to our village after sunset. I will leave the house to you for today, so use the room and kitchen as you please."

"You are giving us the whole house?"

"Would that not be more comfortable for both sides? My wife passed away some time ago, so I live alone. I can go to my married son's house, so make yourselves comfortable. There has been an empty room here for a long while."

The old man smiled and left. Then he turned back and added.

"Ah, there is a loaf of bread in the kitchen, so you may eat it. There is a well and some hay piled up in the backyard, so feed the horses with that."

The old man turned at an easy pace and disappeared. Kyle felt the wary gazes from every direction, which he had sensed when first entering the village, fade a little.

"They are rather relaxed. I thought they would be more wary of outsiders."

"Put another way, it means they are that confident."

Kyle and Elysia took the horses' reins and headed to the backyard of the chief's house. Just as the old man had said, there was a well and a pile of hay in the small rear yard.

Kyle gave the horses water and hay, then tied them to a small wooden post nearby. The horses, realizing they could finally rest and have their first proper meal since leaving the gate, busily worked their mouths. Kyle watched them for a moment before entering the chief's house. The inside was clean and quite cozy. It was far better than most city inns.

Small, but it has everything.

After checking the small room and kitchen inside the house, he returned to the living room. Elysia was leaning against the living room wall, blankly blinking her eyes. Kyle sat across from her. He took out the Magic Stone Lamp he had used in the Alenos ruins from his Inventory Pouch. Gentle light mixed with the faint moonlight and spread through the living room.

"Eat."

"Ah... thank you."

"Even if you have no appetite, you need to recover your strength."

He split the bread from the kitchen in half and handed it to Elysia. She chewed the hard bread into small pieces. Kyle took out water and several kinds of Dried Rations from his Inventory Pouch.

"I'll say this in advance. Tomorrow, we're crossing the mountains before sunset."

Gulp.

Elysia barely swallowed the bread she had been chewing. She looked down at the jerky and dried fruit Kyle handed her, then opened her mouth.

"By tomorrow... will that be possible?"

"Even if it isn't, we have to make it possible. If what you said is right, the wyvern knights should have arrived at the gate by now and should be resting there. That means we don't have much time."

"......."

"Fighting here in Brendel territory is a bad move, at least. If the Empire asks for cooperation, the kingdom will have no choice but to comply. I plan to move as far as the border region."

"I see."

"I'm more curious about what happens after we reach the Federation. You said there are a few nobles there who used to oppose the Emperor and then went into exile. You said one of them has known you for a long time."

Kyle, who had been silently eating jerky, raised his gaze and looked at Elysia beyond the lamp. Holding the hard bread in her hand, she could not answer right away. Quite some time passed before the silence broke.

"You may already know this, but there are many factions in the Empire. As direct blood relatives of the Emperor, those with the right to succeed the throne inevitably get caught up in that politics."

"......."

"But regardless of those things, there was someone who cherished me since I was young."

"Who?"

"Grand Duke Rivelius, Adrian Archandia. He is my uncle, and he was once the younger brother the Emperor loved most."

Grand Duke Rivelius. The man who had once been the Emperor's most favored relative before defecting to the Federation, and now the leader of the opposition faction that had completely turned against him.

"We exchanged letters until a few years ago. Then censorship became severe, and after that, it stopped completely."

A deep loneliness clung to her voice. In her golden eyes, shining in the lamp's soft light, there was a solitude she could not hide.

"Can you be sure that this exiled Grand Duke Rivelius will help you once you reach the Federation?"

"Of course. He certainly will. In the last letter we exchanged, he even asked if I would consider coming over to his side. Back then, there were still a few opposition figures left in the Imperial family."

But there were none left now. After her mother died and even her mother's family, House Lucent, was expelled from central politics, Elysia was left isolated.

"So that is why you left the Imperial family. Utterly reckless."

"...I know I was foolish too. The truth is, I should have run the moment my mother died and my maid was sacrificed to Izra's Thorn in my place. I was too afraid. I did not have the resolve to throw away my life back then."

Elysia lowered her head deeply. Hugging her knees with her arms, she touched the Dragon Heart shard in her chest. Kyle continued eating in silence.

"Um, Kyle..."

She had been staring quietly at the lamp's light when she opened her mouth.

"Speak."

"It is..."

Elysia's clouded lips moved. Countless thoughts were raging through her mind.

Why did you accept my commission back then?

The words surged up to her throat for an instant, but Elysia shut her mouth tight. Her golden eyes shook violently.

If he wanted, he could have taken the Dragon Heart from her.

If not, he could have captured her and handed her over to the wyvern knights for a huge reward.

Thoughts followed one after another. Once the dam broke, all the questions she had buried rose to the surface at once.

Why didn't you do that? Who exactly are you? Why are you traveling with me despite having that much skill?

Elysia clenched the hands that had been hugging her knees. Her already pale fists turned bloodless.

Are you simply resisting the Empire's oppression? If that is not it...

Revenge?

"Do you have something to say?"

Her thoughts broke. Elysia slowly raised her head. There was Kyle, looking straight at her with calm eyes.

Eyes dyed entirely black. An unknowable depth of emotion. Her own reflection inside them.

"Ah..."

"If there is something you're curious about, say it. I'll answer as much as I can."

"...No."

She shook her head slightly. Her golden hair stirred faintly.

"It is nothing. What I just said... forget it."

After saying that, Elysia tidied up what she had eaten.

At most, that meant wrapping the leftover food, since she had not even eaten half of it. Kyle looked at her, then cleaned up the remaining food, took a sip of water, and turned off the lamp. Elysia wrapped the brown fur Kyle had given her at dawn around her body.

"Good night, Kyle. I hope you have good dreams tonight."

"You too. Tomorrow's journey will be hard."

With the lamp gone, only pale moonlight remained in the living room. Elysia leaned against the living room wall and closed her eyes, looking a little more comfortable than she had at dawn.

Before long, soft breathing reached his ears. After confirming that Elysia had fallen asleep, Kyle finally closed his eyes. Cold air rose from the floor, but compared to sleeping outdoors, this was no different from heaven. Kyle did not resist the drowsiness washing over him and simply let his body sink into it.

***

Once he let go of consciousness, his exhausted body quickly fell into deep sleep.

Kyle closed off his senses and focused on rest.

He heard nothing and thought of nothing. He only curled up. He turned away from everything. Yet the deeper his consciousness sank, the more strange sounds began to reach ears that should have been quiet. Like pebbles thrown onto the surface of a still lake, the ripples woke Kyle's memories.

"Pour it! Pour it all!"

"Anyone who collapses before me today runs a hundred laps around the training ground tomorrow!"

"Don't talk nonsense, Commander!"

"Boo! If you're going to run, run by yourself!"

"Who was that just now? Who dares challenge the Commander's authority?"

Wahahaha!

Noisy voices. Joyful laughter.

He slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a large beer mug placed in front of him. Yellow beer bubbled inside the mug. When he lightly wrapped his hand around it, the cup was cold.

Wait.

A beer mug?

Kyle's eyes slowly widened. He carefully looked back. There, he saw the first-floor dining hall of an extremely large inn.

On the open second floor, knights hanging over the railing were shouting at one another and tilting back their mugs. Kyle blankly stared at the scene.

Another dream.

He knew it. He remembered it. It was something he had already gone through.

With sorrowful eyes, he looked down at the mug. The mug was still cold enough to feel frozen. That was when a familiar voice came from behind him. A giant man sat down beside Kyle.

"What are you doing, Kyle?"

The man sitting right beside him had a face Kyle missed unbearably.

Kyle's eyes trembled hard. The man turned to look at him and grinned.

Kyle felt his mouth open on its own, just as it had back then.

"Vice Commander..."

The man placed a large hand on Kyle's shoulder.

"Why the face? It's the festival day that only comes once a year. Don't tell me you still can't drink."

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