WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Sword Master of the Fallen Kingdom

Chapter 66

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Crossing Blades (1)

As soon as they climbed down from the wall, Kyle set Elysia down from his shoulder. Without either of them saying a word, they ran. Across wide plains, gentle hills, and low mountains, all the way toward the border. Their feet moved with only one destination in mind.

Even without horses, they were fast. Kyle combined mana-based Body Reinforcement with Wind Magic, leaving no room for rest. Fortunately, the borderlands were much easier to cross than the canyon they had passed after going through the gate. On top of that, perhaps because they had managed to get some sleep, their situation was better than before.

Feeling the wind sweep across his face, Kyle thought.

How far could they go?

Where were the wyvern knights?

The borderlands were chilly now that the sun had fully set. The night air brushing against his skin was bitterly cold.

Their speed, which had initially outpaced a horse, slowly began to drop. Acceleration through Body Reinforcement and Wind Magic was difficult to maintain for long.

Kyle gradually came to a stop and glanced back. Not far behind, he saw Elysia following after him, panting hard.

When he looked beyond her, he saw only a dense wave of trees rising in the distance. Not even a trace of the fortress wall remained. There was no sign of the wyvern knights either. Kyle waited briefly for her, then spoke.

"We rest here for a moment."

"Haa... haa..."

"The mountain range is almost out of sight now. We still have a long way to go, though."

Elysia stopped beside Kyle and tried to steady her ragged breathing. Kyle calmed his own slightly quickened breaths and took out the map of Velia he had used before from inside his clothes.

"That is...?"

"I need to check our position. We can't just run blindly."

"Should we not go farther? We do not have time to rest like this..."

"A few minutes won't change the result anyway. We need to pace ourselves until we reach the border."

Kyle dropped to one knee and spread out the rolled map. The map of the continent he had seen once before appeared beneath the moonlight.

After catching her breath a little, Elysia moved beside Kyle and looked down at the map.

"Our position is here. Around here."

His finger tapped the hilly region beyond Ligrid Gate and the mountain range, in front of the fortress.

"Taking the scale into account, we should be roughly in this area."

"Until the border..."

"We still need to run farther. The problem is the wyvern knights. The fact that the messenger hawk arrived, even late, means the wyvern knights are nearby too. It's been around an hour since we left the fortress..."

Kyle's eyes narrowed. From their current position to the border where the Duchy of Tervan's territory began, they would need to run for at least several more hours without rest. If they paced themselves, they would likely cross into another country around dawn. There was only one conclusion.

"We won't make it across the border."

Kyle made the judgment coldly. At their current speed, crossing the border and setting foot in the Duchy of Tervan was impossible.

For now, he could not sense the wyverns. But that would not last long. Kyle could instinctively feel that the time was nearly here. If the wyvern knights had arrived at the fortress shortly after the messenger hawk, getting caught was only a matter of time. Long-term endurance was the issue. In short-distance travel, no mount was faster.

"Kyle..."

"Can't be helped."

Elysia looked at Kyle. With an expressionless face, Kyle took his eyes off the map and turned toward her.

"Your stamina?"

"...If I rest a little, I can run again. At least it is better than in the canyon."

"Then you can move on your own, right?"

At Kyle's words, Elysia's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

"I think we need to take a gamble. There is no answer if we keep going like this."

Kyle rolled the map back up. Elysia asked again.

"What do you mean by that?"

"From now on, we move separately."

Defeat them one by one.

It had been the same just before they crossed the gate, when he had spread out the map and roughly decided on their destination and plan. No matter how strong a mage Elysia was for her age, she was not strong enough to beat a wyvern knight head-on. Naturally, their odds were low in a two-on-two fight. Especially against enemies riding wyverns.

"I'll lure them. More precisely, I'll lure them toward me."

The best outcome was splitting the two wyvern knights apart and defeating them one by one.

The next best was sending Elysia away and facing both wyvern knights alone.

The worst was fighting both wyvern knights while protecting Elysia. And if things continued like this, they would not be able to shake off the wyvern knights' pursuit and enter the Duchy of Tervan's highlands, let alone cross the border. They had no choice but to assume the worst.

"Even if the two of us run as fast as possible toward the border, we'll only arrive right before sunrise. And crossing the border won't solve everything. It will take several more days to reach the highlands of the Duchy of Tervan. We will probably need to pass through a city before then too."

"Since being caught by the wyvern knights is only a matter of time, you mean we should settle it here instead?"

"Yes."

Kyle nodded slightly.

"We settle it here."

Things did not always go the best possible way. If anything, Kyle was unlucky. The reason he had survived until now was simply that he prepared for the worst at every moment. Just like now.

"I'll deliberately leak some of my mana. Faintly enough that only a high-ranking knight or mage could notice it. As if traces of magic were left behind."

Kyle put the map into the Inventory Pouch inside his clothes and stood. Elysia, who had been staring at his face, stood after him.

"If they find the trail, there is a good chance they will follow it."

"What about me?"

"Elysia, from now on, erase your traces as much as possible. No magic. Use only Body Reinforcement. Do not leave footprints either."

"You mean you will face two wyvern knights alone?"

Kyle did not answer. It was a silence of agreement. Elysia began to speak.

"I..."

"I know what you're thinking. But don't be stubborn, not in a situation like this. I took on your escort, and I have a duty to complete the commission somehow. As things stand, this plan has the highest chance of success."

Elysia accepted it reluctantly. Kyle was right. Being stubborn here would not be courage, but recklessness. She was not that foolish. Elysia nodded heavily and asked the question that came to mind.

"What if they come toward me? If they have some kind of tracking method like they mentioned before?"

"That would be even better."

He said it flatly. Either way, it was better than both of them running together.

If both wyvern knights came toward him, he could kill them at full strength without having to worry about protecting Elysia. If they split their forces in half to capture Elysia alive, he would defeat them one by one as planned, then chase after Elysia. That was all.

"At least one of the two will definitely come toward me."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because wyvern knights are that kind of people. Since you and I traveled together, they have no reason to leave alive a risk factor who may have heard Imperial secrets."

They would not even consider the possibility of losing. That was what wyvern knights were.

They were arrogant. Because of that, their moves were obvious.

They would never leave Kyle alive when there was a high chance he knew about Imperial secrets. That was why Kyle was certain. The Celestial Knights, the Empire's greatest knightly order, where only chosen members of the Imperial Knights could enter.

Among the wyvern knights belonging to that order, those counted among the elite would believe they could easily kill a Silver-rank Mercenary.

The same was true even if he were Gold Rank. In truth, they possessed that much strength. A Silver-rank Mercenary who might be hiding his identity. At most, he would only be Gold Rank. A young princess and a mercenary on par with Gold Rank were nothing they could not kill and capture as they pleased. He had to make them judge it that way.

"Buy as much time as you can. Make not getting caught your top priority."

Kyle checked his equipment one last time.

"If... I am caught?"

"Can they directly harm you?"

"No. They should not be able to do that before reaching Archandia."

"Then it doesn't matter. After capturing you, they will try to regroup with the remaining wyvern knight. If I kill one, I can kill the other and rescue you. They won't even assume defeat. That will decide victory or loss."

The star iron sword that had always been with him, like a part of his own body. Kyle gently touched the sword's pommel. His cloak was gone because he had given it to Elysia, but he was still wearing quality leather armor.

Since no special magical spell formations had been cast on it, it would not help much in a fight between knights using Sword Aura. Even so, having it was better than not. At the very least, it helped preserve body heat. The armor, closer to a leather jacket, prioritized mobility and could be worn and taken off like an outer coat. It had been made as thin and light as possible, so it was as comfortable as ordinary clothing.

"Take this."

Before leaving, Kyle tossed Elysia a glass bottle.

"It's one of the two holy potions left. Use it when you need it."

"Why give this to me...?"

"There will be combat while you run. I'm not doubting your skill, but having it will be a big help."

"Then rather than me, you should..."

"I already have my share. One bottle is enough to save someone on the verge of death. So take it."

"Kyle..."

Elysia gripped the glass bottle of transparent liquid tightly in her hand.

"Can you win?"

She asked in a trembling voice. Two wyvern knights. They might even be elite knights counted among the best in the Celestial Knights. No matter how much of Kyle's strength she had seen with her own eyes, she could not help feeling uneasy.

"Do you trust me?"

Kyle, on the other hand, was calm. He answered with eyes that did not waver, just as usual. Like during their conversation at the gate that day. When she looked straight into those black eyes, Elysia somehow felt her heart settle. Every worry and concern began to feel trivial.

"...When I first proposed the commission to you, and even when you accepted it, I was only half convinced."

After moving her lips for a moment, she continued.

"But now it is different. I trust you. Your sword, your honor, and every word you say."

"That's enough."

Kyle looked back. They had come quite a distance, but the road ahead was much longer. When he looked forward again, he saw Elysia's golden eyes staring at him. Kyle spoke in a low whisper.

"I'll catch up soon. I promise."

Only fluttering leaves and the faint afterimage of mana remained behind. For a while, Elysia stared at the spot where Kyle had disappeared. Soon, wrapped in the black cloak, she began moving in the opposite direction from where Kyle had gone.

***

After descending from the mountain range, the two wyverns landed straight on the roof of the inner keep, where the lord had come out. When two wyverns with enormous wings easily over ten meters across set foot there, the people who had been staring blankly at them all stepped back with terror in their eyes.

"Count Konrad."

"Y-Yes!"

"The target?"

"I am sorry. We failed to capture her alive. A short while ago, she climbed over the eastern wall and escaped into the borderlands..."

The count, the lord of the fortress, was no different from the others. The lord of Ligrid Fortress and a count of the Kingdom of Brendel was bowing and scraping to a knight he had never seen before.

No one questioned it. They considered it perfectly natural. The knight before them was the sword that represented the Emperor's will itself.

"I see."

"Is there anything else you require...?"

The count asked carefully, watching his mood. The red-haired knight riding the red wyvern said nothing more. He did not reprimand him either. He simply exchanged a look with the knight riding the green wyvern beside him. No words passed between them, but that was enough.

"Let's go."

At that short command, the two wyverns took off again. When two enormous pairs of wings beat down, a fierce gust swept beneath the inner keep. The fortress city below and the people inside it shrank into dots.

The two wyverns flew side by side, just as they had when crossing the mountain range. Each time they pushed through the air, cold wind struck their whole bodies, but Damian and Lorentz did not care. There was a bigger problem than that. In truth, it was a problem they should have solved, but had been forcing themselves to ignore.

"This is the limit, Damian. They need rest."

"I know."

While flying together across the borderlands, Lorentz spoke from right beside him. Because of the strong wind, his voice sounded faint, but their mana-enhanced senses caught even that small sound clearly.

Lorentz asked again. Instead of answering, Damian stroked the nape of the red wyvern he was riding. From the moment they had crossed the Ligrid Mountains without rest, the wyverns had already reached their limit. He knew that.

In fact, Lorentz's wyvern beside him was in poor condition. Its speed had slowed compared to the beginning, and even its wingbeats looked exhausted. Damian's wyvern was worse. The red wyvern that had absorbed Prisia's mana to track the Dragon Heart's traces had white-stained eyes that trembled faintly.

"Yes."

Even so, Damian did not stop. He could not rest. They were almost there.

All that remained was crossing the borderlands. After flying for a little over thirty minutes from the fortress, the two wyverns landed on a gentle hill thick with trees. The moment their huge feet and sharp claws touched the ground, both wyverns let out rough breaths. A moment later, Damian and Lorentz dismounted.

"Here."

The red-haired knight stopped at the final point where two pairs of footprints ended. Wind Magic and Body Reinforcement. The traces of mana that had continued in a straight line from the fortress cut off completely here.

The severed mana merged into one and continued diagonally.

"This is..."

"A lure. Pathetic. Did he think something like this would work?"

The red-haired knight curled his lips in a sneer. An ordinary knight or mage would have been completely fooled, but the two wyvern knights were not ordinary.

He seems rather confident.

But that was all. Now the price of that arrogance would soon be paid with death. Either way, the result would not change. His wyvern, Ignis, pressed its nose to the ground and sniffed. Its white-stained eyes turned toward the opposite direction from where the mana continued.

"They split in two. One is the Silver-rank Mercenary. The other is... Dragon Heart mana, so probably the princess."

"What will you do?"

"We split in two as well. I will take the mercenary. Lorentz, you take the princess."

"You are going alone?"

"Is there a better way?"

Damian turned to Lorentz and asked. Lorentz could not answer right away.

"He is someone who came into contact with the princess. We cannot leave him alive. Whatever the reason may be."

They could ignore the mercenary and head toward the princess, then capture the target quickly. Damian did not choose that.

If the mercenary had obtained information about Imperial secrets, especially about the wyverns or the Dragon Heart, then he had to die. Damian's judgment was rational. There was not much of a problem either. He was only a mercenary around Gold Rank at best. With Damian's strength, which was comparable to a vice commander even within the Celestial Knights, he could tear him apart alone. The same went for torturing information out of him.

So they would split in two. That way, they could capture the princess alive while removing the mercenary, a dangerous risk.

"Haa..."

"..."

"Fine. I will handle Her Highness the Princess. It doesn't look like it will take long."

Damian gave a silent nod. Lorentz shrugged and mounted his green wyvern, then drove it toward the direction of the Dragon Heart. After watching his comrade's back for a moment, Damian climbed onto his exhausted wyvern.

Not long after, the red wyvern flew low over the trees of the hilly land, following the lingering mana. Every beat of its wings made the underbrush beneath its feet shake violently. A few minutes passed as he followed the afterimage of mana. Damian landed the wyvern at the entrance of a low mountain. The red-haired knight got down from the back of the red-scaled wyvern and stroked its weary head.

"Ignis."

Grrrrr.

Now that it had been eroded by Prisia's mana, moving any farther was impossible. The red wyvern kept snorting as if it understood him. After briefly chuckling at the heat in its breath, Damian stepped toward the forest.

The lingering mana on the ground was growing clearer. The flow of mana was so distinct that there was no longer any intent to hide it, and it continued to the middle of the mountain. When Damian pushed through the bushes, a fairly wide clearing appeared before him. In the middle of it stood an abandoned church.

The church was much larger than expected. At the very least, it was not the kind of structure one would expect to find in a borderland hill. Under the bright moonlight, Damian stood still and looked up at the church. The line of his mouth twisted strangely.

Was it a church built during the Kingdom of Alenos era?

It must be part of some pilgrimage road forgotten for hundreds of years. Blood will stain a place where even holiness has disappeared.

He slowly began walking. The sound of his footsteps mixed with the passing wind and vanished between the bushes. Before long, Damian stood in front of the abandoned church's door. When he looked up, he saw a tall spire, faded by time, and a cross fixed at its very top.

Damian pushed open the old wooden door. The aged hinges creaked, letting out an unpleasant sound.

The inside was bigger than it had looked from outside. The first thing he saw was the pillars, stretching out in soft arches. Finished in white marble, the pillars lined both sides at regular intervals and extended up to the ceiling, which looked to be roughly twenty meters high. Moonlight passed through the stained glass on both walls and scattered faint colors throughout the chapel.

Beyond the countless rows of chairs beside the pillars stood a tall altar. Above the altar was a half-collapsed goddess statue. On the chair closest to him, someone was sitting. Damian did not know the man's name, but he realized it at once.

That was him.

That man was the traitor who helped the princess.

The open door creaked shut in the wind. Damian's red eyes glared at the man's back.

Above the collapsed goddess statue, the stained glass was growing bright. As the moonlight brightened, black hair and the plain sword leaning beside the chair shone faintly white.

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