WeTried Translations

Translator: Dawn

Editor: Dawn

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Genius Knight of a Fallen Race

Chapter 22

──────

Not All Kin Are Trustworthy

The first night in the Demon Realm passed more smoothly than expected. Their worry that a monster might jump out in the middle of the night proved unnecessary. Seeing Shan and Roden relax, Jerpo gave a warning.

“Do not let your guard down too much. This is only the outermost edge of the Demon Realm. The deeper you go, the more powerful monsters will swarm out.”

Before long, Shan and Roden came to understand exactly what he meant.

“Huh.”

“What is it?”

“The compass broke.”

At Roden’s words, Shan looked down at the compass in his hand.

The black needle that should point north spun wildly without stopping.

“Do you know why this happens, Jerpo?”

“As someone who studies, it is embarrassing to say this, but ‘why’ has little meaning in the Demon Realm. Just think of it as one of the areas where things are like this.”

“Do not worry too much. A region that disrupts compasses is not such a severe restriction.”

Even as he nodded at Priest Vent’s reassurance, Roden felt uneasy. A compass should at least give direction in any situation, so having it fail threw him into confusion. With the sky covered in clouds, they could not use the stars to navigate either, which made it worse. 

They moved east by memory for a while when a dozen or so lesser vampires suddenly appeared over a hill and attacked. Their skin shriveled from hunger, their red eyes half-mad with appetite.

“This is bad…”

“Everyone,  stand back-to-back!”

Since they faced enemies closing in from all sides, Shan did not rush out like before. Instead, he took the front and engaged the largest number of enemies. He beheaded the one charging first with his longsword, kicked another to the side, and drove his blade into the chest of a third one, sending black blood spraying.

At the same time, the others did their part. Roden pushed back three or four vampires with his large shield and a mace, securing space, while Priest Vent handled a sword and shield, and Jerpo skillfully used a long staff to keep enemies at bay. 

As they advanced, such ambushes became more frequent, sometimes facing monsters five or six times a day. Considering that even one or two attacks a day was a lot when traveling through Pendia, this was a brutally harsh environment. Life-and-death battles brought immense fatigue and pressure, enough to wear down any ordinary person. On top of that, with the compass unusable, it would not be strange to panic.

Yet Vent and Jerpo, seasoned explorers, remained calm as if it were part of the usual routine. Instead, they were surprised that Shan and Roden adapted so smoothly to the situation. In particular, they found it interesting that Roden, more than Shan, showed quite solid skill as a warrior. They had not shown it, but both had suspected Roden might be incompetent.

“You are quite capable.”

“Haha, I am nothing compared to Shan.”

“That is true.”

Even at Jerpo’s blunt remark, Roden simply laughed it off. After all, anyone would be lacking when compared to the prodigy. After two days of fighting, resting, and moving forward, the malfunctioning compass finally returned to normal. This indicated that they had reached their first planned destination. Roden looked at the distant mountain and brightened.

“Oh, that’s the place?”

“Yes. Delephon. Though it is better known as the Mountain City.”

True to its name, the city stood atop a tall stone mountain. It was hard to imagine how materials were carried up and buildings constructed in such a steep place. Perhaps some transcendent magic from the old Alto Empire made it possible.

They followed the narrow path winding up the mountain and soon entered the city. It looked like a small place where about a thousand people once lived. Most buildings stood about three stories high, all faded and worn.

Broken windows covered in dust, empty interiors, and piles of trash left behind by those who once stayed. This place was nothing but ruins. Shan imagined the Altos who once lived here and called it home.

“Explorers have come and gone here for hundreds of years. Do not expect to find anything in the city,” Jerpo spoke in a cold tone as Shan and Roden looked around.

As he said, this city had seen countless explorers since the era of the Arman Empire, so nothing of value remained. They came here only to observe environmental changes from a high vantage point. 

The observation tower at the center of the city rose well over a hundred meters. It was narrower compared to the amethyst tower of the Magic Society, but its sheer height dominated everything around it. It even leaned slightly to one side, making Roden stare with his mouth open before turning to Vent and Jerpo.

“Is it really safe to climb that? It looks dangerous…”

“It is fine. It has stood for nearly a thousand years. It will not collapse just because we climb it.”

“If it does, then the goddess has turned her back on us. What can we do?”

Since they had climbed it many times, Shan and Roden took their words and followed. They tied their horses near the entrance and went inside through the broken door. Inside, the tower was hollow at the center, with spiral stairs leading to the top. 

The steps were narrow and steep, making Vent complain about his knees. When they reached the top, the view was overwhelming. Not only could they see the entire city, but from such a high point, they could see dozens of kilometers in every direction.

“Wow…”

“Now, let us take a look.”

Jerpo took out a long tube, muttered a spell, and held it to one eye. After scanning the surroundings, he nodded.

“North is a sandstorm, east is a blizzard, and south is a swamp.”

“Can I try?”

“Of course.”

Shan took the tube and looked through it. The view was blurry at first, but it soon cleared to reveal the distant landscape. Just as Jerpo said, a swamp stretched to the south. Perhaps because of the Demon Realm’s ashen land, gray particles floated on the water, making it look almost toxic. A few water ghouls wandered there, dripping gray liquid. To the east, snowstorms raged, with ice spirits floating above, and to the north, thick dust made it hard to see anything.

“This changes every week or month?”

“Yes. No one knows when or how it will change.”

There was no other way to describe it but magic when a barren gray wasteland could turn into snowfields or swamps. Deeper inside, they heard, there could even be firestorms or lightning storms. This was another reason why exploring the Demon Realm was so difficult.

If a place that once only had sandstorms suddenly became a hell of fire or lightning, they would have to change course. With food already hard to secure, failing to plan properly could trap them and lead to starvation. 

No matter how skilled Shan was with a sword, he could not fight natural disasters. Without expensive items imbued with fire resistance or lightning resistance, they could not push through.

“Then we go through the sandstorm zone. We at least prepared for that.”

A blizzard was obviously too dangerous, and the swamp carried disease, posing a risk of sudden incapacity. Everyone agreed with Roden’s decision.

***

After leaving the city and heading north for several hours, sand began to blow in from nowhere, forcing them to cover their faces and muzzle the horses. Shan frowned as he tried to ask Roden for water.

“Ugh, sand got in my mouth…”

“Do not talk. You will get more in.”

The sandstorm proved far more troublesome than expected. His half-open eyes stung, and each breath felt like grains of sand were entering his nose and throat. The worst part was that such environments often brought monsters suited to them.

Giant scorpions burrowed up from the sand, harpies flew on the wind hunting prey, and even giants formed of sand appeared. With sight, smell, and hearing all limited, fighting them was troublesome but manageable. Soon, their severed tails, feathers, and cores were strapped to the saddle.

Even while fighting both monsters and harsh nature, Roden carefully recorded terrain, structures, and potential shelters. If this area later became a compass fail zone, they would have to rely on such information. On the third day after leaving the sandstorm zone, a werewolf attacked as if to welcome them. Seeing it, Shan realized how foolish it was to mistake them for gnolls.

“Wow, they don’t even look similar.”

Unlike gnolls, which looked somewhat dull and walked on two legs, werewolves had twisted, grotesque forms. Slightly smaller than a troll, it seemed impossible for the creature to hold any weapons with long hook-like claws instead of hands. It also had large bat-like ears. After receiving Vent’s blessing, Shan drew the silver-coated dagger and one-handed sword he had prepared and faced the charging creature.

“Kraaak!”

The werewolf possessed both a physical body and a spiritual nature, allowing it to recover quickly from any physical attack. It was similar to a troll’s rapid regeneration ability, but more vicious since it did not consume its own flesh to heal. However, wounds inflicted by silver did not regenerate properly.

Shan sliced off the creature’s foreleg as it lunged, drove his sword into its chest, then pulled it out and plunged the silver-coated dagger into the same spot, tearing into its heart. Unable to regenerate the silver-inflicted wound, the werewolf tried to struggle one last time with stubborn vitality, but Roden struck it hard with his flail, sending it crashing down.

“…Really, I never get used to seeing that.”

“Creatures that normally take several explorers risking their lives to kill just drop like that.”

Jerpo and Vent exchanged hollow laughs, saying it was their first time seeing such an easy expedition. A monster whose danger rivaled a troll fell as easily as if it were nothing, so their reaction made sense.

After stripping the valuable hide, they searched the surroundings for the creature’s den. One known trait of werewolves was their habit of collecting shiny objects. It was possible that it had gathered items from dead explorers. After searching for about thirty minutes, they did find a stash in the werewolf’s cave. But the amount far exceeded their expectations.

“What… is all this?”

“It seems it wiped out an entire expedition. And one that had gathered quite a bit…”

Inside the cave lay rusted weapons, backpacks filled with monster materials, and several metal objects of unusual shape. According to Jerpo’s appraisal, they were relics excavated from Alto ruins.

“They are not especially remarkable individually, but together they are worth several hundred gold coins. Permanent magical devices have fixed value.”

“Wow…”

This was why explorers gathered in the dangerous Demon Realm. Many would die and turn into dust on the gray land, but just a few rare materials or relics like these could make an ordinary person wealthy.

After collecting the items from the werewolf’s den, they decided it was time to head back. They had brought only limited supplies, planning a short trip, and the unexpected gains made their load heavy. If they went further, they would not be able to carry additional spoils from monsters encountered on the way back.

***

On the return, instead of retracing their path, they decided to carve a new route—heading west, then south. Since it was their first time, they wanted a better understanding of the surrounding terrain. The more routes they had, the better.

From what they saw earlier from the hill, the northwest of the sandstorm zone was a strong-wind region. There was no sand, but the wind was far stronger, and swallow-shaped wind spirits appeared from time to time, slashing at people’s throats, making it dangerous.

Using the ambiguous zone between the two areas as a passage, they walked for about a day and a half and reached the outer edge of the Demon Realm. There, they spotted an old building and approached with relief. It appeared to be from the Alto era, perhaps once used as a large barn or village hall. Once they entered, they found others already inside.

“Oh?”

“Well now.”

There were eight explorers in total. Unlike the team “Green Eyes,” their armor looked worn and torn, as if they had gone through many fierce battles. All of them were Altos. Some had strange skin tones due to different blood colors. Others had long, pointed ears like elves or cat-like ears on their heads. They had distinct appearances in many ways.

Ah, so these are…

Shan recalled hearing at the guild that some expeditions accepted only Altos. This seemed to be one of them. Another surprising detail was that two of them were female. They wore lighter gear, likely a mage or scout, which still surprised Shan. There was a clear physical difference between men and women. As seasoned explorers, some of them recognized Vent and Jerpo.

“Hello, Priest. And that cocky mage as well…”

“You should refrain from insulting someone just because they told you something you did not know,” Jerpo replied irritably, but judging by his expression, their relationship did not seem particularly bad.

After exchanging a few words, some of them turned their attention to Shan. Though the sun was hidden behind clouds, this place still had day and night. His green eyes glowed faintly.

“Who is that kid? I know most Altos in Sedil, but I don’t recognize him.”

“He came recently from the west. He is the strongest in our expedition. A truly remarkable young man.”

At Vent’s words, the Alto explorers laughed in disbelief. They had been deep in the Demon Realm when Shan made his name, so it sounded absurd to them.

“Haha, I see.”

“More importantly, you all look in bad shape. Did something happen?”

Their worn clothes were expected after an expedition, but their expressions looked unusually dark. At Roden’s question, the man who seemed to be their leader sighed heavily.

“Yes. We thought we had a good haul this time, but we ran into Ajun bastards and lost everything. As you see, we barely escaped with our lives.”

Now that he mentioned it, their appearance was too bare for a returning expedition. Even if they consumed most of their supplies, they should have had monster materials after staying so long.

“The Ajun, you say?”

“Yes.”

“You must have gone quite far north.”

“Don’t even talk about it! It was the furthest we have gone since forming the expedition. We are lucky to be alive, but thinking about what we lost keeps me awake at night…”

The Ajun Kingdom, located in the northern snowfields of the Arman Alliance, was a major Old Faith nation that despised Altos and magic. Yet they still ventured into the Demon Realm, seeking the capital of the old Alto Empire to wage a holy war and close the gate from which monsters came. To them, an expedition of Altos was a group of demons that deserved death. As they said, surviving at all was fortunate.

While they spoke at length about the Ajun Kingdom, Shan noticed something odd. Some of the Alto explorers exchanged glances at the luggage on their horses and slowly began to surround them. Before the encirclement tightened, Shan tilted his head slightly and asked directly.

“Why are you blocking the entrance?”

The lively building fell silent instantly. Jerpo looked around, realized they were being surrounded, and spoke with a grim expression.

“Surely, you’re not planning to...?”

With the sound of blades drawn, various weapons were pointed at them. The leader spoke with a conflicted expression.

“We will not apologize for this.”

“Stop this. The goddess will not forgive such a thing!”

“As if that great goddess of yours would care about filthy Altos like us—!”

The leader’s growling voice cut off abruptly. Naturally, a man without a head could not speak.

“Huh?”

One of the Alto explorers let out a dumbfounded sound. Why did the man speaking just moments ago suddenly lose his head, he wondered. They found the answer when they saw a green flash streak across their vision. 

The Alto boy with a simple appearance with green eyes… 

He had struck first.

“Get him!”

After a shout close to a scream from the Altos, Shan swung his sword. A second Alto collapsed, blood pouring from his chest. His acceleration from stillness to full speed was so sudden it seemed inhuman. They were all skilled enough to defend against large monsters. Yet they could not withstand even a few exchanges against that green-eyed demon. Meanwhile, their attacks did nothing to Shan. He cut a thrusting spear with his sword, deflected a flying blade with his bare hand, and even knocked away a mace with a kick. For attacks hard to evade, he used his chain armor to deflect them.

“Aaagh!”

“What is that!?”

“Della! Subdue him! Now!”

“[Glasiotra Fresa—]”

At the desperate shout, the woman named Della cast a spell, consuming her last catalyst. However, her face filled with shock and despair. It felt like punching a massive wall of metal. Even a spell that could halt a troll failed.

“It’s not working!”

“What?!”

Before they could react, Shan cut down six warriors and closed the distance in a few steps, approaching the treacherous caster. He raised his empty left hand beside his temple and caught an incoming arrow without even looking. The archer hidden in the shadows gasped at the sight.

“P-please spare—”

The mage’s eyes rolled back, and her cat-like ears drooped. Shan drove the arrow he caught straight into her temple. When he turned to the archer, she was already trembling with a sword stuck in her chest. Vent finished her off and spoke quietly.

“Sigh... You foolish fellows, why...?”

A deep sigh filled the now silent building.