WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

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◈ Sword Master of the Fallen Kingdom

Chapter 78

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Prey and Hunter (1)

After passing through Nibelmund's gate, the carriage entered the edge of the highlands, headed for its destination, the Kingdom of Sarmaren.

Kyle drew the hem of his black cloak tighter around himself against the chilly air. They had left early in the morning and traveled without stopping, so their altitude had risen considerably. The wind brushing his skin had grown that much colder. It was already autumn, and perhaps because of the highland climate, the chill felt even sharper.

They had already gathered the night before and decided on their route, so the carriage rolled on without hesitation. In the duchy's highlands, there were several roads commonly used by merchant convoys and travelers. Of them, Kyle had chosen a slightly quieter road instead of the trade route large merchant companies usually used. The reason was simple. Their group had only one carriage and two horses.

There was no need to take the main road and risk a clash with barbarians. Feeling the wheels rattle beneath him, Kyle turned to the left. He could see Jade's back as he held the reins from the driver's seat. At first, Jade had grumbled, but he had soon accepted it and taken on the role of driver.

Kyle muttered to himself.

There had never been another choice in the first place. Even if Jade had gone alone, he would still have had to handle the horses. Kyle had paid him for the information and the driving as well.

"Hey, give me one more. I need something to chew on."

Jade, who had been driving the carriage with a bored look, suddenly turned back and spoke. Behind him, Kyle and Elysia sat on either side of the sturdy cargo carriage.

"You had lunch earlier, didn't you?"

"That's different. How was that lunch? We just chewed on some dried rations."

A little earlier, at noon, Kyle's group had stopped the carriage for a brief, simple meal after making steady progress up the mountain. Since their goal was to move as quickly as possible, they had not even made a fire. They had simply chewed a few bites of dried rations, with the drifting clouds as their only side dish.

"Eat in moderation. We'll make a fire for dinner anyway."

"Yes, yes. So we can only eat something hot at night?"

"Depends on how you behave."

"How stingy. We bought plenty of food yesterday. Food doesn't stop spoiling just because you put it in an Inventory Pouch, so can't we eat some of it ahead of time? The stuff that isn't dried rations, I mean."

An essential item for high-ranking mercenaries and wealthy merchants. Time flowed the same way inside an Inventory Pouch. Jade's Inventory Pouch was smaller than Kyle's. Naturally, once he put in a few necessary items, there was almost no space left. That was how expensive Inventory Pouches were.

"I suppose I'll have to make dinner for two tonight."

"Hey, hey! I was kidding, kidding. Can't say anything around you."

Ignoring Jade's playful complaint, Kyle handed him a handful of nuts. Jade glanced at Kyle and grinned, then tossed the nuts into his mouth all at once. Kyle clicked his tongue inwardly at the sight.

If this was how things were going to be, maybe he should have thrown away a few items and bought more food. Even though they had obtained information, there was no telling what might happen. It was a relief that Gerard had given him another Inventory Pouch as a gift to store Gold Coins and Magicite separately. Otherwise, he would have had a much harder time.

"Still, the mountains are high. It feels different from the Ligrid Mountains."

Across from Kyle, Elysia, who had been quietly watching the passing scenery, murmured.

"Come to think of it, is this your first time in the Duchy of Tervan, young lady?"

"It is. I have crossed mountain ranges a few times, but I have never been somewhere where the land itself was this high overall."

"Fair enough. A couple of high mountains and terrain this elevated do feel very different. The scenery is quite different from Ligrid too."

Jade spoke in his easygoing way. As if by agreement, the three of them looked over the view spread out before them.

First, they saw the peaks of distant mountains far away. At the very tops, snow that had not yet melted rested lightly like caps. Snow that had piled up in the dead of winter and melted away now left only faint traces in the autumn weather. The rocky ridges drew sharp lines.

To the right of the road the carriage traveled, a gentle hill rose upward. Pointed conifers stood densely along the soft ridge. On the opposite side, down toward the left, a green field stretched far into the distance. Whenever the wind blew, green waves swayed with a sound like surf.

"The south doesn't have four seasons as distinct as the central region, but winter is cold all the same."

Jade, holding the reins, spoke in a low voice. Kyle raised his hand without thinking. A few flower petals carried in on a faint floral scent passed the driver's seat and flew through the open rear before disappearing.

"It's better now, at least, but in a few months, this place will turn completely white too."

"To that extent?"

Elysia, who had been listening, asked. Jade chuckled.

"Haha. Our young lady really doesn't know much about the world. That branch chief at Serentia told you last time, didn't she? Crossing the Spina Mountains in winter is basically impossible."

"Is it true that they are harsher than the Ligrid Mountains?"

"Of course. I haven't crossed them myself, but I saw them from a distance once in summer, and they didn't look like a place people could cross at all. Winter would be even worse."

"They still aren't as bad as the Caldra Mountains."

Kyle cut in as if refuting Jade's words. Jade clicked his tongue.

"Spoken like a northerner, with that damn Caldra pride. That place isn't there to be crossed, is it? It's where people mine star iron."

"I meant that crossing the Spina Mountains is not completely impossible. Even if they are harsher than the Ligrid Mountains, there have been one or two trade routes there since long ago."

"Sure, if it's summer and not winter."

Kyle did not argue with Jade any further. Just then, the wheels of the carriage, which had been rolling along at a relaxed pace, rattled. A faint jolt passed up through the seat.

"Anyway, is the young lady doing all right? Your ears feel blocked, don't they?"

Jade asked without looking back. Elysia narrowed her eyes and answered.

"They certainly do. My ears feel a little blocked."

"Can't be helped. We've climbed quite a bit. The altitude now is, let's see... about fifteen hundred meters? I think we'll climb a little more from here."

"Swallow. It'll get better soon."

Kyle said, looking at Elysia across from him. She nodded and swallowed with a gulp.

"Better?"

Jade turned his gaze and glanced at Elysia. Wearing her cleanly repaired white robe with the hood up, she looked intensely curious. Her golden eyes blinked slowly.

"It is. How fascinating. To think the pressure inside and outside the ears can be equalized so simply."

"It's a common method."

"Even so, reading about it in books and experiencing it for real feel different. So this is what it was like."

Elysia smiled softly. After resting well and easing some of the worry from the wyvern knights' pursuit, she looked more relaxed than before.

"You don't seem to have any immediate problems, at least. No barbarians in sight either, so we might reach Sarmaren faster than expected... Young lady, have you ever been to another continent?"

Jade turned his eyes forward again and changed the topic as he drove the carriage. Even though he had heard at Serentia that Elysia was an Imperial Traitor and that Kyle had become involved with her, he did not seem to care much.

"No, I have not."

After briefly looking between Kyle across from her and Jade in the driver's seat, Elysia spoke.

"Really? Actually, I haven't either."

"You too?"

"I'm a southern native, so forget other continents, I've never even been to the Imperial capital or the Federal Assembly. Still, I am curious. Even the Kingdom of Sarmaren, our current destination, is an exotic country where all kinds of cultures are mixed together."

"I have heard of it too. They say Sarmaren, which controls a long stretch of the southern coastline, has an incredibly strange and foreign landscape because cultures from other continents have mingled there."

Velia was not the only continent in this world. The Kingdom of Sarmaren, which controlled nearly half the southern coastline of the continent, accepted all kinds of goods and culture through trade with other continents. The ships that crossed the vast ocean were enormous and grand, unlike ordinary merchant ships.

"Doesn't it make your heart race a little?"

Jade's voice carried a trace of excitement. As he had said himself, he had a wandering streak, and he liked traveling all around the south.

"I am a little excited."

"Right?"

"This is my first time coming this far, after all."

"I was shocked when I first saw the sea too. It would be perfect if those barbarian bastards weren't around. The weather is nice, and the road is easy. We could have passed through feeling like we were traveling."

His last words carried a faintly regretful tone. Kyle turned his head again and looked through the open rear of the carriage.

Traveling...

If no major problems arose, Jade was not wrong. Still, Kyle could not afford to let his guard down. The carriage continued moving without rest. The scenery behind them slowly grew distant. Feeling the wind tickle his ears, Kyle slowly closed his eyes.

***

Rattle, rattle.

At the vibration beneath him, Kyle slowly opened his eyes.

When he raised his head slightly, he saw Elysia sitting across from him, leaning against the backrest.

Her eyes were closed. Unlike Kyle, who had just woken up, she still seemed to be deep in dreams. When he turned his gaze to the side and looked toward the driver's seat, he saw Jade still diligently driving the carriage, just like at the start. Perhaps sensing from Kyle's presence that he had woken up, Jade spoke without looking back.

"Awake?"

"...Yes."

"You've got it easy. Someone here is driving the carriage without even getting to close his eyes."

"What time is it?"

"Around four."

Kyle looked over Jade's shoulder. It was late afternoon. Beyond the distant mountain ridges, the sun had tilted much lower than before.

"...Kyle?"

"Did you wake up?"

Around then, Elysia woke from sleep too. After blinking a few times, her golden eyes took in Kyle and Jade. It did not take long for Elysia's eyes to clear. Jade glanced back and spoke as if making sure the two heard him.

"Oh, there's a lake just in time. Want to take a short break?"

"A lake?"

Kyle and Elysia looked ahead. Beneath the carriage, which had climbed a hill in the field, a long downhill slope stretched out.

There was a large lake there. Long conifers and bushes lined the lakeshore. Shaking the reins, Jade guided the horses carefully down the hill. Seen up close, the lake was a clear emerald color, as if human hands had barely touched it.

"Hup! Ah, my back. I'm going to die driving horses all day."

As soon as the carriage stopped, Jade jumped down from the driver's seat.

"It is huge."

"The water is certainly clear, since this is not the main trade route."

Kyle and Elysia, who climbed down after him, quietly admired the surrounding scenery. The cold air piercing deep into their lungs was as clear as the color of the lake's surface. It naturally made the mind feel refreshed. The horses, tired from pulling the carriage, stood by the lakeshore and shoved their noses into the water as if afraid someone would steal it, drinking noisily.

"Whew... Now I feel alive."

Jade sat on a wide rock nearby, took out his canteen, wet his throat, then looked up at the blue sky. After giving Jade a brief glance, Kyle took a map from his coat. It was the map of Velia he had been using all along.

"Can you tell me where we are now?"

Elysia beside him asked carefully. Kyle narrowed his eyes and examined the unfolded continental map.

"We have just climbed into the highlands. It will take more than two weeks to pass through completely."

"It takes longer than I expected."

"That assumes nothing serious happens along the way. If we have frequent clashes with barbarians or get held up, it will take longer."

There were three roads crossing the duchy's highlands.

The first was the main trade route used by lines of large merchant companies. The second was the auxiliary trade route favored by smaller trading convoys, ordinary mercenaries, and travelers. The third and last was the Forgotten Road, the highest route, where there was almost no sign of people.

The road Kyle's group was currently using was the second one, the auxiliary trade route.

It had less traffic than the main trade route, but it was relatively easier going. Since they only had one carriage, it was also the most reasonable choice.

There would be that many more barbarians on the first road, and the third road was too rough, making it inconvenient to pull a carriage through.

"So this is only the beginning..."

Elysia murmured with a serious expression. Jade, who had been sitting quietly on a nearby rock and resting, answered.

"Don't worry too much, young lady. Your guard is seriously strong. If it gets bad, I'll lend a hand too, so just relax."

He was chewing on a piece of dried jerky he had taken from his Inventory Pouch. His attitude was completely calm, as if he was not worried about barbarians at all. Elysia gave a small laugh. Kyle put away the map he had been looking at.

"Shall we get moving?"

Jade, who had been silently staring at the drifting clouds for a while, rose with a groan.

"Are you all right without resting more?"

"It's fine. I've rested enough already. The sun will probably set soon, so let's move a little farther and find somewhere to camp."

Kyle and Elysia looked at each other, then nodded faintly.

The three of them had just led the horses, whose thirst had been quenched, and were about to climb back onto the carriage.

"Wait."

Kyle's low voice stopped the other two in place. Jade and Elysia turned back almost at the same time and looked at Kyle as if asking what was wrong. By then, Kyle was staring not at the two of them, but at a distant hill rising far away. Near the hill opposite the direction the carriage had come down from, ordinary trees and brush swayed. Nothing in particular stood out.

"What's wrong?"

"What is it?"

"Someone is there."

Kyle declared it with certainty. In that instant, Jade and Elysia's eyes sank coldly. At that moment, a flash of light burst from the top of the hill. Something shot forward at fierce speed, flying straight toward Kyle.

Swaaaaaaak!

In the blink of an eye, something closed the distance and cut through the air right before his nose. In his slowed sense of time, Kyle reached a hand forward.

Tak!

The texture of wood brushed his palm. Before anyone knew it, Kyle held one long arrow in his hand. The silver arrowhead gleamed dark blue. Right behind him, Elysia's eyes went wide.

A group of people began to appear one by one beyond the hill.

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