WeTried Translations

Translator: Dawn

Editor: Dawn

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Genius Knight of a Fallen Race

Chapter 21

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Land Cursed by the Goddess

After the sparring match in the plaza, Roden and Shan spent each day at the guild. They aimed to use the sudden rise in their reputation to recruit companions under better conditions. While Roden met various people through the guild and conducted interviews, Shan also carried out his own role. He mingled with the explorers he had beaten down, comforting them and building rapport.

Of course, he did not have Roden’s skill with words or ability to handle people, but the fact that a genius swordsman stronger than most knights mixed among them made people take a liking to him. There was also the calculation that the friendships formed here might one day save their lives when they met again in the Demon Realm.

Even the fact that Shan was an Alto did not entirely work against him when it came to getting along with them. If an ordinary Western boy possessed such swordsmanship, they would assume he came from a prestigious knightly house or noble lineage and would not treat him so casually. Of course, some people still felt displeased by Altos's existence, but since he had shown his skill, they did not dare to show it openly.

“So I’m telling you, just join our team! With you, we can go to the deeper regions with no problem!”

“You said Roden can’t come.”

“Well, of course! One big warrior like me is enough!”

The drunken bear hunter Pakan slammed his hand on the table, making the cups shake violently. Since the last fight, he had taken a liking to Shan and often called him over to join his drinking gatherings. Shan did not like alcohol, so he only pretended to drink and instead devoured the snacks served, but Pakan just laughed it off, calling it cute like a kid, showing his hearty personality.

“Then no thanks, I’ll go with Roden.”

“Ha, the captain got rejected again!”

“Think about it seriously! I’m not the type to say things like this lightly!”

Amid the noisy chatter, Shan spotted Roden waving from a distance and stood up.

“Huh? Why are you leaving already?”

“My friend called me.”

“Damn it! Feels like I just got turned down by a pretty girl!”

After waving to the complaining group, Shan approached Roden, who sat at a table with three others. One of them was a guild member he had met over the past few days, while the other two were unfamiliar faces.

“Pakan again?”

“Yeah. He keeps telling me to join his expedition.”

“They always try every trick to poach someone when they hear they’re skilled… This is Shan. You’ve heard all the rumors, so no need to explain, right? These two are Mr. Vent and Mr. Jerpo. Say hello.”

“Hello.”

When Shan bowed his head, the two men glanced at each other and clicked their tongues lightly.

“So this young fellow really is…?”

“It’s hard to believe just by looking. But since so many people saw it, there’s no reason to doubt it.”

The man named Vent looked to be in his early forties, while Jerpo seemed about ten years younger. From the introductions that followed, Vent was a priest from a New Faith monastery, working as an explorer to address his monastery's financial issues, and Jerpo was a descendant of a small magic school, working to fund his research.

After hearing this, Shan looked at Roden and asked, “What about a guide? You said you wanted one.”

“There isn’t anyone suitable right now. We’ll probably have to go to a small city near the Demon Realm to find one.”

“Actually, Jerpo and I can fill that role to some extent. We both have quite a bit of experience as explorers.”

“Hmm, then should we proceed as four for now and add more later if needed…?”

The reason why over-qualified talents like these two were not already part of an expedition team was simpler than expected. Neither wanted to work themselves to death until they saved enough money to retire; they preferred to work only when they needed money, more like a side job. That was precisely why Roden chose them.

Vent had the monastery as his root, and Jerpo had his school. Unlike drifters who could just run off with treasure, people like them would hesitate to betray others for fear of retaliation. If they did betray, it would only be in a situation where they could get away with it without fear of revenge.

“Then I look forward to working with you.”

“Likewise!”

Since matters like distribution of spoils and command of operations had already been discussed, the two soon decided to join Shan and Roden’s expedition. Beer spilled over as their mugs clashed hard.

***

The four-man Demon Realm expedition registered officially at the Sedil City Adventurers Guild under the name “Green Eyes.” It was named after Shan’s physical trait, and like many expedition names, it was decided for a simple reason. They left Sedil City and headed east exactly two days after forming. With advice from their new companions, they bought a few more necessary items, and the mage and priest said their farewells to acquaintances.

With four people, the journey became noticeably easier. With more eyes, each person only needed to watch one direction—front, back, left, or right—and when they stopped to cook lunch, having more hands made dividing tasks easier. More than that, the best part was watching the magic up close.

“Kalais Blanaiorga…”

As the mage Jerpo muttered incomprehensible words and extended his hand over the firewood, a small spark appeared and began to burn. Shan gasped in admiration. All the steps of striking sparks with flint and steel, blowing on them to grow the flame, were skipped so simply!

“Wow…”

He had even visited the capital’s Magic Society, but he rarely had the chance to see such visible magic there. That place focused on selling completed magical tools, demonstrating them, and handling personal requests. Seeing Shan like that, Jerpo could not hide his pride and showed a smug smile. He spoke politely to both Roden and Shan, but his tone sounded so arrogant that it oddly felt disrespectful.

“Hm, are you interested in magic?”

“Yes. I know I can’t learn it, though.”

“Well, those who awaken to Spirit have their soul fixed with the physical body as its vessel, so it can’t be helped.”

Magic was a technique that drew out the power of one’s soul through meditation, incantations, and catalysts, thereby distorting reality. Thus, it clashed with Spirit users, who forged their souls through harsh training and layered them over their bodies. Unlike liquids or gases, solids do not easily change form.

Shan, who only knew the surface idea that “once you awaken Spirit, you can’t use magic,” nodded repeatedly at Jerpo’s explanation in fascination. To be honest, he understood less than half of it, but just listening felt fun because it interested him.

Shan was reminded of Celina when he looked at this mage. Especially how he liked to show off by spouting knowledge at those who did not know. Shan proved to be the kind of listener such people liked, and the two grew close before long.

In contrast, Priest Vent always wore a kind smile but was strangely hard to get close to. It felt like he kept an emotional barrier between himself and others. Still, he did not seem like a bad person.

The expedition entered its first real battle exactly 1.5 days after leaving Sedil City. As they entered a desolate area closer to wasteland than to forest or plains, Priest Vent, who watched to the left, spotted the approaching enemy first.

“Over there, something is coming.”

What first caught their eyes were five or six people, likely explorers, clearly wounded and exhausted. They ran as if chased, while behind them came monsters with wolf-like faces walking on two legs, howling as they pursued. There were about ten of them, armed with crude clubs and stone axes, some even carrying fairly well-made iron weapons. Shan recalled the lessons he had learned from Sir Darkal and Roden and spoke a name.

“Werewolves?”

“They’re bigger and don’t use weapons. Those are gnolls,” the mage Jerpo corrected him.

“Ah.”

They did resemble werewolves in having wolf faces and walking on two legs, but gnolls were smaller and weaker, though more cunning. They could make simple clubs or take weapons from the humans they killed. The fleeing explorers spotted Shan’s group and waved frantically, asking for help. Priest Vent let out a low groan and looked at Shan.

“We should probably help them.”

“I’ll go ahead first. Follow at your own pace.”

After saying it like a notice, Shan mounted his black horse and rode forward. If he sprinted at full speed now, he would tire himself before reaching them, so he controlled his pace.

The explorers felt relief for a moment, but despair filled their faces when they realized that only a boy on horseback was approaching. They were confused to see three grown men who looked stronger standing behind, doing nothing.

Ignoring their reaction, Shan lifted the spear tied to his horse and aimed it forward. Even as the horse ran and his body moved up and down, the spear stayed eerily steady.

“To the sides!”

When Shan got close enough, the explorers hesitated but threw themselves left and right at his shout. If the boy failed to stop the gnolls, they would lose speed and soon become prey, but they could not run into a charging rider either. They could only hope he would at least slow the gnolls. Breaking through the opening created by that trust, Shan thrust his spear with all his strength at the gnolls, who froze in confusion at the sudden cavalry charge. Just like the knights he had seen on battlefields before, he infused it with intense Spirit.

Do not stab... push through.

Piercing with a spear was only suited for striking a single enemy at the front. Even if he skewered several with a long spear, it would at most be two or three. But the moment he put the intent of impact instead of penetration, that force passed through the first target and carried into the enemies behind. When a lance charge filled with Spirit and enough acceleration turned into raw impact, its destructive force could knock down more than ten heavily armored infantry.

Boom!

The moment he thrust, a thunderous sound rang out as the gnoll at the front crumpled and flew backward, knocking over six or seven of its kin. It looked as if they had been struck by a massive carriage, no less than how knights used to crash into soldiers on the battlefield. After delivering a devastating blow to the enemies with a single charge, Shan immediately turned his horse and rushed the ones still standing.

Now that the dense formation had collapsed, he gripped the spear shorter and thrust in succession, piercing through the thick fur and muscle unique to monsters. He aimed for vital points and took lives. Finally, he drove the spear into the back of one trying to flee, pulled it out, and turned around. The surviving explorers bowed their heads deeply.

“Th-thank you, sir knight!”

“We lived thanks to you!”

He had heard that title before from the people of Leaf Village in Libert, but hearing it here felt new and satisfying. They must have realized that what he just did was something only a knight could accomplish.

His companions, who arrived a bit later, gave simple first aid to the survivors. When Priest Vent placed his hand over a wound and offered a prayer to the goddess, a sacred glow appeared, and the wound slowly closed.

“Ugh… ah…”

“How did you end up like this?”

Gnolls had enough intelligence to use weapons, but their physical ability was not particularly remarkable. They were stronger and more agile than humans of similar size, but they could be defeated if faced with a proper formation. If someone was too weak to handle that, they would not have the ability to travel through Pendia, where monsters swarmed.

At the priest’s question, the surviving explorers hesitated before explaining their situation. They originally came from the Count Paless territory in northeastern Pendia. They formed a group of those confident in their fighting skills to explore the Demon Realm. With over ten men who could handle weapons, their results had not been bad, and they were in high spirits—until they encountered a banshee.

“Ah, a banshee… an incorporeal monster, right?”

“Commonly called a ghost-type.”

Before an enemy that could not be cut down by blades, the banshee’s wail caused internal strife, leaving several dead or badly injured. They barely escaped alive and fled the Demon Realm, only to get attacked by gnolls drawn by the smell of blood. If they had been in good condition, they could have repelled them. But injured and exhausted, they could not resist and lost several people before escaping and getting rescued. The weapons the gnolls carried had belonged to those who died first.

“Sigh... That’s...”

Listening to the story, Roden let out a sigh without realizing it. One reason expeditions always included a priest or mage was to prevent situations like this. An expedition made only of warriors might have high combat power, but it often fell into danger in such cases. After receiving a modest reward from those they saved and sending them off, Shan looked at Roden.

“Shall we go hunt it?”

“Hunt what?”

“The banshee. I heard the crystal it drops sells for quite a lot.”

“That’s true. What do you two think?”

At Roden’s question, both the priest and the mage agreed. Banshees were a threat only to ignorant fighters who could do nothing but swing weapons. To those like them, elites, a banshee was not especially frightening. Above all, they could not help but trust Shan more after seeing his skill firsthand. As they moved toward the location the rescued explorers had given, Priest Vent spoke quietly to Shan.

“Shan.”

“Yes?”

“That charge earlier was truly impressive.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Shan grinned at the unexpected praise, and the priest nodded with a gentle smile.

“But before charging, it would be good if you matched pace with us a little. Roden is here, and more importantly, I can cast a blessing.”

“Ah…”

“I promise you that the blessing of vitality will help a lot. Even if you exhaust yourself by mishandling your Spirit, you can recover quickly.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

As if that was all he wanted to say, Vent turned his head once Shan nodded. Roden, who had overheard from a short distance away, wore an awkward expression. The reason Shan charged ahead alone was that the gnolls carried weapons. If he moved together with Roden, his fear of blades would surely show.

Roden had not revealed that secret yet because it was too fatal a weakness. Even though they chose people unlikely to betray them, it would give their enemies a powerful advantage if one of the two leaked that information. Shan moved closer to Roden and whispered quietly.

“When will you tell them?”

“Hmm, after watching them a bit longer…”

“I’ll cover as much as I can for now. Monsters with weapons aren’t that common anyway.”

“Sorry.”

Shan answered Roden’s apology with a grin.

It was an apology he truly did not need.

***

After changing direction and walking for three days, the color of the land before them finally began to change once they passed two small settlements. Instead of cracked red-brown wasteland, blackened earth spread out to greet them. It was nothing like fertile black soil, but more like land made of burnt ash. Clouds covered the sky, blocking the sunlight, and a stale, unpleasant smell filled the air. That was one reason this place was called the Demon Realm and considered uninhabitable.

How did the Altos live in a place like this?

No matter how he thought about it, it did not seem like a place where a great magical empire once flourished. Perhaps it had not looked like this before the curse. As he fell into thought, the mage Jerpo looked around and scoffed.

“Now it truly begins... The Demon Realm.”

At those words, Shan and Roden tensed without realizing. Seeing the two newcomers, Priest Vent chuckled.

“Don’t be too tense. It’s dangerous, yes, but our strength is not so weak. Near the entrance, there are no major environmental threats.”

According to what they heard earlier, this was a banshee’s territory, which meant other dangerous monsters were unlikely to be nearby. Most monsters that relied on physical attacks found banshees unsettling. Not long after a light meal, they found their target. Or rather, the banshee found prey and came to them. Something pale flew swiftly through the dark sky.

So that’s a banshee.

At a glance, it looked like a noblewoman in old-fashioned clothes. It would have, if not for its translucent body and the blood tears streaming from its eyes as it flew.

“Priest?”

“Got it.”

The priest immediately cast the blessing of vitality on Shan. Warm blood surged, and vitality spread through his body. Perhaps repelled by the sacred light, the banshee frowned its blood-filled eyes and dove rapidly from the sky. At about four meters above the ground, it opened its mouth wide and let out an enormous scream.

“Kyaaahhh—!”

The cry of a spiritual being surged like waves, disturbing the minds of all living things. It was a powerful curse that worked even if one covered their ears. Yet none of them fainted or turned on allies in confusion.

The priest had already granted mental protection to the others and the horse. Shan, who had not received that protection due to the vitality blessing, guarded his mind with his powerful Spirit. This was also why expeditions could not grow too large. A priest could only protect a limited number at once.

Let’s go.

Shan bent his legs and sprang forward. With the aid of Spirit, he leaped over four meters high, and his sword split the banshee cleanly in half in an instant. The banshee’s body, which let all physical attacks pass like water, was torn apart helplessly under the Spirit-infused strike.

Unlike the leap, he did not use Spirit when landing. He curled up and absorbed the impact with a rolling technique, landing softly like a cat. As he checked his condition, he felt the vitality consumed in the leap and strike quickly return.

This is really good.

If knights could receive this blessing constantly on the battlefield, their performance would have been far greater. But that was not possible, since the goddess’s religion, both the old and the new faiths, strictly forbade the use of divine grace in war. Perhaps another great religious war would have to break out for such a sight to appear again.

The banshee’s spiritual body soon turned into ectoplasm, an alchemical material, through Jerpo’s spell. Without a mage, they would have had to leave such valuable material behind.

“That was really simple.”

“These things can wipe out thousands if conditions are right. That’s why kings don’t send armies into the Demon Realm,” Jerpo answered proudly at Shan’s somewhat deflated remark.

Having gained their first spoils more smoothly than expected, they looked around and set up camp below a cliff. After eating and lying around, Shan looked at Roden scribbling on paper and asked,

“What are you doing?”

“Making a map. We’ll come here many times, so we need proper records. The terrain changes, but the overall structure stays the same.”

They could manage with Vent and Jerpo’s help near the entrance, but there was no guarantee those two would stay with them forever, so Roden had to prepare. While watching the map, Shan had a thought.

“By the way, do you know how big the Demon Realm is? Master just said it’s enormous.”

“I don’t know. Probably no one does… Mage, do you know?”

“I do not,” Jerpo answered confidently.

As expected, he continued showing off his knowledge.

“The current view is that it is larger than all the territories of the Arman Alliance combined. It is even said to connect to the southern Selim Republic.”

“That’s new to me.”

“It was discovered only a few months ago. Some explorers who went south met people from the republic. They said those people also came by land.”

The Selim Republic was the nation Celina sometimes mentioned, ruling the southern continent—a land of elephants, deserts, and spices. Until now, Shan and the others had thought that the continent was separate, so hearing they were connected through the Demon Realm felt strange.

“If it were not that vast, Asilube would have been found long ago.”

Shan had heard that name in his lessons. It was the capital of the ancient Alto Empire. According to the Old Faith, it was the place where the entrance to hell from which monsters poured out lay.

“According to records discovered so far, the Alto Empire began as a city-state, and that place was the cradle where all knowledge and culture of the time flourished.”

Explaining that finding it was the dream of all explorers and mages, the mage’s voice lacked his usual arrogance. It sounded more like someone speaking of a homeland he had never seen. Considering even Shan, an Alto, did not feel this land was his home, it was almost ironic.