WeTried Translations

Translator: Dawn

Editor: Dawn

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Genius Knight of a Fallen Race

Chapter 16

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A Passing Connection

As many as one hundred thousand people live in Hasra, the capital of Pendia. When Shan first heard that, he thought Roden was exaggerating.

How could one hundred thousand people possibly live in a single city?

Just transporting and dealing with the food they consume and the waste they produce would take an entire day. 

And how can anyone even build a castle large enough to accommodate that many people?

However, two days after leaving the city of Ovilos and joining up with the people sent by Roden’s father, Shan began to think that perhaps the exaggeration might be true. There were an enormous number of people traveling between nearby cities or villages and the capital.

Perhaps because of such a high population density, even the monsters that were common all across Pendia were rarely seen near the capital. At most, one might occasionally see a goblin that had tried to steal crops getting beaten with a farmer’s pitchfork while screaming. 

By the time they finally arrived at the capital, Shan had to admit that he had been wrong—Roden had not lied.

“Wow...”

He now understood what it meant when they said that the city of Ovilos was merely a small satellite city. The city spread out beneath the hill they stood on was vast and complex beyond measure.

The stone walls, which were usually at most four or five meters high, were clearly over ten meters tall, and their width stretched beyond the horizon. The river cutting through the city was also dozens of meters wide.

Naturally, since there were so many people coming and going, there wasn’t really any inspection at the gate. Getting down from their horses and holding the reins, Roden spoke in a playful tone.

“Welcome to Hasra.”

“You were born and raised here, right?”

“That’s right.”

“That’s amazing....”

While he had been struggling to get by in a small village of barely over a hundred people, it was hard to believe that someone else had been born and raised in such a massive city. It wasn’t really envy—more like amazement that people of the same kind could live in such vastly different worlds.

Of course, not everyone in the capital were wealthy. Among the people walking along the main roads, there were quite a few dressed in shabby clothes, and there were also many beggars clad in rags in the alleys between large buildings.

Shan frowned as he realized that a significant portion of them were Alto. It was something he had already felt in the city of Ovilos, but among the people on the streets who were clean and well-dressed, there were no Alto. Once he realized that fact, he felt an uncomfortable sensation, as if something were stuck in his throat.

“Alright. We’re here.”

“So this is it.”

Roden’s house was about thirty minutes away from the city gate. In the city, residential areas were divided according to class and occupation. Befitting the mansion owned by the head of the capital’s merchant guild, his residence was the largest and most luxurious in the merchants’ district. Thanks to the attendants who had brought Roden and Shan going ahead to notify them, the mansion’s front gate was open to receive them.

“Welcome back, young master.”

“Ah, Tata...”

The one greeting Roden with a stiff expression was a gaunt man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. For some reason, Roden seemed uneasy around him, giving an awkward smile before suddenly bowing his head and apologizing.

“I’m sorry. Back then, I didn’t have any other choice...”

“How could a mere servant dare to receive an apology? The master is waiting. Please wash and change your clothes first.”

Judging by his cold tone, the man called Tata had no intention of accepting the apology. He completely ignored Shan, as if he weren’t even there. When he gave a slight bow of his head, the maids guided the two of them into the mansion.

“Roden, who was that person earlier?” Shan asked in a small voice.

“Tata? He’s the butler and adjutant... basically my father’s right-hand man.”

“You two don’t seem to get along very well.”

“It’s not that we don’t get along, um... I made a bit of a mistake.”

Roden confessed that when he ran away from home, the equipment and money he had taken with him had come from deceiving Tata. Considering that the money ultimately came from Roden’s father, Kalion, Tata had been tricked by Roden into letting his master’s assets slip out. Only then did Shan understand why there was such a cold atmosphere between the two.

“I see. I thought if he hated you for no reason, I’d give him a reason.”

As he said that and lightly tapped the hilt of the sword at his waist, Roden asked with a slightly frightened expression.

“You’re joking, right?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s scary when you say that. Don’t say things like that.”

Even as they chatted, Shan’s green eyes continuously scanned the surroundings. The tapestries hanging on the walls, the hundreds of glass windows covered with bright curtains, the soft carpets spread across the floor... Roden’s mansion was truly a place that embodied luxury.

Shan had already learned a certain level of luxury while staying at Poirve’s mansion, but even so, it was hard not to be dazzled in a place like this. It seemed the claim that Roden was richer than most nobles was not a lie. Before long, the maids separated Shan from Roden when they arrived at the bathhouse.

“Alright, younger master, this way.”

“Huh—”

“Stay still. We’ll wash you nicely.”

“See you later.”

Judging by Roden’s calm reaction, it seemed that people of high status normally did things like this. Even at Poirve’s mansion, he had at least washed himself. Dragged into the bathhouse, Shan couldn’t even resist before his sword and clothes were taken from him.

If they had tried such a thing in a blunt or malicious manner, he would have crushed them or cut them down on the spot. But it was difficult to do that against women who were smiling so brightly.

However, for some reason, the smiling and cheerful maids’ expressions darkened as Shan’s scars were revealed. Some of them even covered their mouths with both hands, their eyes welling up with tears.

“This is... so cruel...”

“How could anyone do something like this!”

Perhaps the scars left on my body are too grotesque for them. 

As Roden had once suggested, Shan thought he should ask a renowned priest to remove the scars when he got the chance. Of course, it would cost an enormous amount of money, so he would have to become far richer than he was now. For some reason, the maids’ touch became extremely careful after seeing the scars.

Is it because they don’t want to touch the dirty scars?

Shan was more interested in the fragrant soap used to wash his body. It left a fresh scent even after rinsing it off with water, and it was fascinating to have his own body smell nice for the first time. After finishing the bath, he was dressed in clothes made of a soft material he had never seen before. The feeling of it clinging to his body was so soft and comfortable that it felt somewhat unfamiliar. As he unconsciously fidgeted, Roden appeared, freshly washed and wearing similar clothes. Looking at Shan, he let out a laugh.

“Dressing you like this makes you look like some brat who’s never struggled a day in his life.”

“Does it?”

“Yeah. Well, my father isn’t the type to be fooled by appearances, though. Let’s go now. We shouldn’t keep an old man waiting too long.”

Perhaps having been waiting for them to finish washing, the butler Tata guided them to a large reception room. There, a man with graying hair, appearing to be in his sixties, was diligently writing something with a pen. Sensing the presence of the two, he set down the pen and looked at Shan and Roden.

“You’ve come.”

The first impression of Kalion Weavers, the merchant guild’s head of Pendia, was quite different from what Shan had expected. He had inwardly imagined someone like Mr. Poirve—plump, round, and mild-looking—but he was nothing like that. Kalion had sharp eyes, a strong facial structure, and distinct features. He looked extremely tough and rough. Rather than a great merchant, he felt more like a retired old knight. In other words, he looked exactly like his son, Roden. In this case, it would be more accurate to say that Roden resembled Kalion.

“I’m back, Father.”

“Is that all you have to say after running away and coming back?”

“Um, I’m sorry. I’ll repay the money I used later.”

“You should have said that first.”

For some reason, the moment he heard that, Kalion’s expression softened, looking pleased. As if the real problem wasn’t that his son had run away, but that he had stolen his money while doing so. Soon, his gaze turned to Shan.

“So you’re the child Roden mentioned in his letter... The one who hunted a troll, I hear?”

“Not alone. I worked together with Sir Katra to take it down.”

At Shan’s answer, Kalion wore a blank expression for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter.

“Ha, what an interesting kid! At your age, most would be bragging instead of being frustrated that you couldn’t hunt a troll alone.”

“If I could wield Spirit, I could’ve taken it down alone.”

“I see.”

With that meaningful answer, Kalion scribbled something again on the paper on his desk. 

After a moment, he lifted his head and asked,

“So, what are your plans going forward?”

“Huh?”

“You didn’t come here expecting me to take care of everything, did you?”

“Ah, of course not...”

Roden, who hadn’t expected his father to agree so readily, wore a blank expression for a moment before immediately laying out the plans he had prepared.

“First of all, the most important thing is education. As I said earlier, Shan still doesn’t know how to handle Spirit. He also needs to learn etiquette and other basic knowledge.”

“At that age, not being able to use Spirit is the normal thing.”

“I plan to have him stay here and properly train, so I’d like to ask for Master’s help during that time.”

“Sir Darkal?”

“Yes.”

Sir Darkal was Roden’s former teacher, an old knight who had already retired over ten years ago. In other words, he was someone who had spent decades in battle and accumulated countless experiences. He was the perfect person to guide a young knight trainee.

“But if I recall correctly, he was a follower of the Old Faith?”

“That’s just because of his family. He doesn’t have any particular thoughts about Alto. After all, I would know best as his former student.”

“Hmm. If that’s the case,” after replying, Kalion turned his gaze toward Shan. “What do you think?”

“Huh?”

“This concerns your future treatment. We can’t ignore the opinion of the very person involved. You must have your own thoughts as well.”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Shan scratched his temple with his thumb before answering.

“I don’t know anything about this kind of thing. I think it’ll be fine if we just do what Roden said.”

“You’ve only known my son for a short time, yet you trust him that much?”

“Roden said he’d help me become the strongest knight. So, I trust him.”

At that almost innocent answer, Kalion stared at Shan with a heavy gaze. He wondered whether it was simply the optimism of a naive child, or the foolishness born of sloth and a desire to leave things to others. 

However, considering the letter he had received from Poirve, it didn’t seem that simple. It had clearly stated that Shan didn’t merely follow Roden blindly, but expressed his own opinions properly. A foolish child who simply entrusted everything to someone he saw as a guardian would never do that.

So he wasn’t lacking in conviction, but rather had enough trust to completely entrust matters in fields he didn’t understand.  If so, that was truly the best-case scenario. If he lacked conviction, he would eventually be swayed and collapse under others. If he lacked trust, he would eventually part ways. In that case, there would be no point in supporting him from a young age. 

The instincts of a great merchant who had lived for decades told him that the boy standing before him now was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After about ten minutes of conversation, Kalion Weavers promised to support Shan so that he could become a knight.

However, that did not mean unlimited support. After all, a well-fed cat does not hunt. Kalion’s support was limited to food, clothing, shelter, maintaining a minimum level of dignity, and the costs necessary for training as a knight.  Even so, it was more than enough to melt the heart of an Alto boy who had lived in poverty his entire life. Every day, foods with all kinds of flavors harmoniously intertwined with fragrant drinks endlessly delighted his tongue. 

High-quality clothes made of soft fabric, a plush bed, warm bathwater, and attending maids all made his body comfortable. Some of the servants and maids, perhaps because they followed the Old Faith, looked at Shan with displeased expressions, but since they didn’t openly pick fights or harass him, he could ignore them.

Given the luxuries he had never once enjoyed in his life, Shan felt as if he had come to another world. Perhaps this was what the goddess’s hall, where those who lived kindly go after death, was like.

Unlike Shan, who leisurely enjoyed all kinds of luxuries, Roden looked busy and tired. He constantly carried a pen and paper, writing things down as if dealing with complex and difficult matters. After spending the best week of his life, Shan went to find Roden, who was still busy.

“Is it really okay to keep going on like this?”

“Is something bothering you?”

“No, I just thought we should at least be training or something. It feels uneasy just idly playing around.”

Shan had felt this way before—back when he first left his village and roamed the forest and fields with a hut as his base. Each day was enjoyable, but there was no change—a feeling of not improving at all, just staying in place. That was what he had hated and why he had followed Roden, yet it would be no different if he simply indulged in comfort here. Seeing that side of Shan, Roden clenched his fist inwardly.

“As expected...”

In truth, throwing Shan unguarded into such comfort had been Kalion’s test. If he were the kind of person who would become a complacent pig from such luxury, then no matter how great his talent was, it would be useless.

But just as Roden had hoped, Shan did not lose his sense of purpose even while immersed in comfort. That made him happy beyond words, yet saddened him somewhat. Because once proper training began, pain would come that would make even this current happiness seem insignificant.

“Don’t worry and enjoy it. Proper training will start once your teacher arrives.”

“I honestly wouldn’t mind if you taught me, Roden.”

At the repeated exchange they had already had several times, Roden gave a bitter smile.

“It’s not that simple. Training has to be learned systematically from the right person to avoid problems... If you’re bored staying at home, how about sightseeing in the capital?”

“Aren’t you busy?”

“It’s just for a bit. I can make time.”

In truth, the reason Shan hadn’t gone outside was that Roden seemed so busy. He also felt uneasy wandering alone among unfamiliar people, and the capital was so vast and complex that he feared getting lost. A little later, leaving the mansion, Shan and Roden first headed north along the main road. It was to visit the place Shan wanted to see upon arriving in the capital.

“Hey, Roden! That tall building over there! That’s the royal palace, right? Where the king lives!”

“You have to say ‘His Majesty.’ And don’t point like that carelessly. You might get arrested.”

“Ah!”

At Roden’s warning, Shan quickly lowered his finger and looked around. Fortunately, no one seemed to be paying them any particular attention.

“It’s weird. Getting arrested just for pointing at a building, not even a person.”

“That’s just how a class society works... Ah, there it is. We’re here.”

Following where Roden pointed, Shan let out another exclamation. There stood a building that looked utterly unreal—a tower that shone brilliantly as if carved from amethyst. This was the headquarters of the Pendia Magic Society.

“So this is where you can see mages...”

“Yeah. If someone looks like they only study all day, you can assume they’re a mage. Ah, there goes one over there. Look.”

Following Roden’s gaze, Shan saw a middle-aged man with his neck jutting forward and his back hunched. He wore glasses made of amethyst, and there were shadows under his eyes, perhaps due to fatigue. Around the Magic Society, there were quite a few people like that walking about. Looking at them, Shan wore a somewhat disappointed expression.

“They’re kind of different from what I imagined...”

“What did you expect?”

“A pointy hat, robes, and a staff.”

In old stories, most mages were dressed like that. Cackling while using evil magic, then getting cut down by brave knights and screaming as they were thrown into a boiling cauldron. But the mages here didn’t have any of that mysterious or sinister feeling. They just looked like people half-mad from constantly thinking and overthinking something.

“They kind of look like you when you’re busy these days, Roden.”

“Saying that I look like a mage is quite the insult... Anyway, let’s go inside.”

“You can go in even if you’re not a mage?”

“The first floor is for receiving guests, so it’s fine. You have to be a mage to go higher.”

Surprisingly, as the two approached, the doors of the Magic Society opened on their own. Shan stared at it in a daze before realizing that no one else found it strange. It seemed that such things were the usual here.

“The door opened by itself.”

“Magic, probably. They really waste mana stones on things like this.”

Grumbling that it would be far cheaper to have a person open the door than to enchant it to open automatically, Roden clicked his tongue. As the son of a merchant, he found such meaningless extravagance hard to tolerate.

Stepping inside, Shan immediately turned his head and scanned the surroundings. The interior was made of stone on all sides, and aside from using high-quality furniture, it didn’t look particularly special. Well, there was one notable thing.

“Everyone here looks rich.”

“They stop people who look poor at the entrance. We got let in because we’re dressed like this.”

Indeed, both Roden and Shan were wearing luxurious clothes, making them look wealthy. In fact, Roden actually was wealthy. Just as they were about to check out the magic items sold on the first floor, they saw people coming down from the second floor amid a commotion. Roden frowned, seemingly not knowing the reason.

“What’s going on?”

From the voices, it didn’t seem like a bad kind of disturbance. As they watched quietly, the group soon passed by them. Several people passed by—people who clearly looked like mages, four well-armed knights, and a girl under their protection. At that moment, the red-brown eyes of the girl with dark-blue hair met Shan's.