WeTried Translations
Translator: Dawn
Editor: Dawn
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Genius Knight of a Fallen Race
Chapter 24
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I Will Become a Knight
“Th-That’s...!”
“How dare he!”
As Shan’s sword drove into the knight’s helmet, gasps and shouts erupted all around. Even though a real spar was dangerous, it was disrespectful to openly stab a subordinate knight in the face right in front of the count. But Shan paid no attention to the reactions and withdrew the sword he had driven into the helmet. The blade, which didn’t carry a single drop of blood, finally let out a sharp clang as it snapped.
“I gained the advantage because you showed me leniency.”
A brief silence followed, then the knight slowly removed his helmet. From his rough breathing and the cold sweat running down his face, it was easy to imagine the fear he felt. After all, the blade only stopped by no more than the width of a paper sheet. Even a knight couldn’t help but feel afraid. On top of that, the eye was one of the most complex parts of the body, difficult to restore even with healing miracles. He let out a deep sigh, having nearly lost an eye, and spoke.
“Save the flattery. It’s a difference in skill.”
“It was not flattery.”
It was true there was a gap in skill, but the knight’s strike and the force behind it clearly aimed to break Shan’s sword and suppress him. If the knight had swung with the intent to cut him down outright, the attack would have been faster and stronger. Shan would have had to counter in a far more dangerous way.
Of course, in that case, he would have at least taken one of his eyes. If he hadn’t considered the fact that the Count of Sedil actively employed Altos, he might have killed him outright. Turning back toward the count after sheathing his sword, the knight muttered quietly.
“So Master has raised a monster…”
As Shan was about to ask what he meant, the count, seated on the steps above, clapped his hands.
“Ha, impressive! Even if he let his guard down, you subdued Sir Gowell this easily. Even in my youth, I wouldn’t have been a match.”
Unexpectedly, the count didn’t seem displeased. Instead, he looked intrigued, as if he had realized something. It was strange, considering his subordinate had just suffered a one-sided defeat and his dignity should have taken a hit.
The knight returned to the count and first respectfully offered the magic sword he held. It seemed it wasn’t his personal possession, but something the count had lent him for the spar. The count accepted the sword and muttered quietly.
“Things in this world never go the way you want… though that’s what makes them interesting.”
Then he suddenly looked at Shan and asked,
“Have you had lunch?”
***
Despite the rather modest exterior of the castle, the count’s lunch was excellent. There were freshly baked wheat bread, pies filled with meat and fish, duck cooked slowly in oil, and an unfamiliar stew loaded with exotic spices.
In the past, Shan would have lost his composure at such a feast, but thanks to the refined palate he developed at the Weavers' mansion, he managed to maintain his dignity. Seeing Shan eat with proper manners, the count clicked his tongue.
“You’d fit right in among the nobles of the capital, at least in appearance.”
“Thank you.”
Though his words were rough, it was still praise for his etiquette, so Shan responded in a trained tone. The count sat across from Shan, with only Sir Gowell standing behind him. Considering he was one of the few high-ranking nobles in the kingdom, this was an excessive honor for a mere Alto boy. Tearing into a piece of pork, the count glanced behind and asked,
“So, how was the match between fellow disciples of the same master?”
“To subdue him, I would need at least three of myself. And even that might not be enough.”
“Thought that old man Darkal had finally lost his mind…”
Listening quietly to the conversation, Shan finally understood what the knight had said earlier—and why the most powerful man in Sedil had suddenly taken interest in him.
“Are you a disciple of Sir Darkal?”
“I trained under him fifteen years ago. Lifting those boulders nearly killed me.”
Sir Gowell shook his head, his expression a mix of nostalgia and lingering dread. That made him a fellow disciple with Shan—and with Roden as well. Shan knew Darkal had many students, but he never expected their paths to cross like this. As he thought to himself that it was a good thing he hadn’t actually pierced the knight’s eye, the count chuckled.
“I heard that man, who never once contacts anyone, sent a letter not long ago. Said he had a disciple he trained in his later years, and if by chance we met as enemies, we should avoid fighting if possible…”
Sir Gowell wondered why his master would make such a fuss. Then he happened to hear of a boy who matched that exact description. When he reported it, the curious count summoned him.
“I thought he cherished that promising disciple, afraid he might wither before blooming. But it turns out the old man was protecting his other students! He feared the ones he trained before would get cut down by this new monster!”
The count made a fuss, saying he nearly lost a valuable knight because he ignored the letter and arranged the spar anyway. While Shan was still surprised by his master’s unexpected attentiveness, his focus shifted to why he had been summoned, sparred with, and now invited to dine. Sensing his gaze, the old bear set down his utensils and half-drew the magic sword at his waist.
“How is it?”
“Well...”
It was, without question, irresistibly alluring. Even when he blocked it using the thickest part of the blade and poured in ample Spirit, the power had still been enough to snap the blade he was using. At that level, it could easily cleave through the body of a large monster without even relying on Spirit. If Sir Gowell had taken a defensive stance instead of trying to break his sword, the fight would’ve been much more difficult.
“No need to hear more! You look like a beggar who hasn’t eaten in years. That means my goal is achieved.”
“Your goal?”
“My original plan was to swing this sword and cleanly cut through that worn-out blade you had. Then I’d boast about this magnificent sword.”
Laughing as he used such crude expressions unbefitting his noble status, the count then spoke in a serious tone.
“Will you take this sword and enter my service?”
He would give me the sword?
Shan almost nodded without thinking, but regained his composure at the next words. “Enter his service”—though it sounded grand, it was vague and unclear.
“Does that mean you would knight me?”
“Of course not. An Alto knight? Impossible,” the count coldly refused and continued devouring his food.
It was a stance at odds with someone known for employing Altos without discrimination. After chewing for a while, he wiped his mouth with a cloth and spoke.
“My offer is simple. Become an unseen blade. Live most of the time freely, and when orders come, go where you’re told and use your sword. Simple, isn’t it?”
“An assassin.”
“You can think of it as an exclusive mercenary. Sometimes you’ll guard someone, sometimes you’ll deal with monsters. As for money, you’ll earn as much as any knight. I’ll also give you the finest magic tools. A beautiful wife, and an estate for your retirement.”
Considering that Sedil was the hub through which all Alto relics passed, the count whispered like a serpent despite his bear-like appearance, promising him the strongest equipment in the kingdom. He offered terrifying magic weapons, money, women, land—everything except honor. After listening quietly, Shan shook his head and refused.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot accept that offer.”
“Don’t tell me you want to become a knight?”
“I do.”
“That’s impossible. Granting someone like an Alto a rank above that is implicitly forbidden.”
He had heard that not a single Alto had ever become a knight, but this was the first time he had heard it was outright forbidden. Neither Roden, nor Kalion, nor Sir Darkal had ever said such a thing. As Shan’s eyes narrowed, the count snorted.
“Judging by your face, those two old men, Kalion and Darkal, didn’t know either. Or they knew and didn’t tell you… Becoming a knight as an Alto is far harder than you think. Even if I wanted it myself.”
The Count of Sedil held the largest territory in eastern Pendia and was a great lord who controlled the passage between the Demon Realm and the kingdom. Though his geographical position limited his influence in the capital’s political circles, his sheer weight could not be ignored. Yet even he, after seeing Shan’s skill, said it would be difficult to appoint him as a knight.
“As you know, I employ Altos. Because many Altos live in my domain, I need to appear like a fair lord to them. But even just hiring them as guards or servants is enough for those nobles in the capital to pick fights whenever they can. Do you understand what that means?”
“Are you saying it would be difficult even if I built achievements worthy of it?”
“Even if you became stronger than the Lord Protector, even if one of your parents happened to be a Pendian noble, forget it. Unless it’s the king himself, no one would dare appoint you as a knight.”
Hearing that the racial barrier he had vaguely imagined was far thicker than expected, Shan felt a sense of helplessness and set down his utensils. The shock was even greater because Roden had said the Count of Sedil was a powerful figure who could knight him.
“So stop chasing a futile dream and work for me instead. Among the nobles of this kingdom, I’m the one who discriminates least against Altos and treats them most generously. I promise you treatment worthy of your skill.”
Is it truly impossible to rise through skill alone, no matter how hard I tried?
If it were impossible anyway, perhaps it would be better to live in comfort by using his sword, rather than wander remote lands all his life chasing some meager fame. He sank into thought for a moment, then saw the count smiling at him. He wore a mocking expression, as if to say that anything Shan did would be useless. The instant he saw that expression, the answer came out of his mouth on its own.
“Thank you for the offer.”
“Usually, this is where the ‘but’ comes in, isn’t it? I’m not used to being refused.”
The count seemed to have guessed his answer from the first sentence, and the smile vanished from his face as he grumbled. Of course, that didn’t scare Shan enough to change his answer.
“Even if it’s difficult, and perhaps impossible… I will become a knight.”
Originally, it was a dream half-planted in him by Roden. The desire to eat better food, as he had wanted back then, was already achievable now. If he chooses to become the count’s assassin, he could live an even easier life without much effort. But Shan’s desires were no longer simple enough to be satisfied by material things alone. A longing for honor, power, or perhaps something even nobler, had quietly taken root inside him through his travels.
“Do you understand what it means to refuse me here in Sedil?”
“I do.”
At the count’s chilling words, Shan slowly tensed his muscles. The moment the count gave a hostile order, he planned to grab the dining knife and take the count hostage. The fact that Sir Gowell stood nearby in full armor didn’t matter much. If the count believed the earlier contest was possible only because Shan had a long piece of scrap metal in his hand, then he would have to pay for that mistake. After Shan’s answer, the dining table fell so silent that even breathing could not be heard. What broke that tense silence was, unexpectedly, roaring laughter.
“Gahaha! Insolent brat! How amusing! Yes, fearless, disobedient ones like you are irritating, but amusing… The ones who only bow and scrape are easy to use, but they’re boring.”
A moment ago, his eyes had been sharp with anger, but now he suddenly burst into laughter, leaving Shan staring blankly, unsure how to react. The count smiled at him and said,
“Good. Though I failed to hire you, you entertained me, so I should pay the price. Tell me what you want.”
“That magic sword…”
“Don’t say stupid shit.”
The count’s face immediately turned serious, as if his laughter from a moment ago had been a lie.
***
After leaving the count’s castle and returning to the inn, Shan saw Roden pacing anxiously in the stable right next to it. Judging by the packs piled high on the saddles, it looked like he was ready to leave at any moment.
“I’m back. What’s with all that?”
“You said you went to see His Excellency the Count! Nothing happened, right?”
“Yeah...”
From driving a sword into Sir Gowell’s helmet during the spar to rejecting the count’s offer and nearly coming to blows. After briefly going over everything that had happened, Shan answered calmly.
“Nothing much happened.”
“Looks like quite a lot happened. Spill it already.”
As expected, it was hard to lie to Roden. A short while later, after hearing the whole story, Roden let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh...”
“Is that relief or despair?”
“I don’t even know. Anyway, it doesn’t look like His Excellency is about to march in with an army, right?”
“Hmm, probably not.”
Shan wasn’t confident in judging people, but it didn’t seem like the count would immediately come after them. If he had intended to, it would have been better to ambush them on the way back rather than let them leave fully prepared. The two unpacked the things they had packed in the room and lay down on their respective beds as they talked.
“Did you know Sir Gowell?”
“Nope. Our master isn’t the type to talk about his old students.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
Even so, someone who had risen to the position of the count’s guard knight was clearly successful, yet Darkal had never boasted about who he had trained.
“Come to think of it, Sir Gowell told me that after receiving the master’s letter, there might be people who dislike or envy me, so I should be careful.”
“Still strange when you think about it. He doesn’t seem like the type to write a letter like that.”
After briefly talking about Sir Darkal’s teaching philosophy, Roden stared at the ceiling and muttered quietly.
“So he said it’s impossible for an Alto to become a knight…”
“Yeah. Do you think it’s true?”
“Well, I don’t know about unwritten rules among nobles. But considering there hasn’t been a single Alto so far, it does make sense.”
Among the well-known Alto mercenaries Roden knew, there were a few who were about as skilled as knights. Until now, he had thought that if the skill level was similar, there was just no reason to choose an Alto, but after giving more thought, it was stranger that there hadn’t been even one Alto with exceptional ability like Shan in Pendia’s long history. While Roden fell into thought, Shan rolled around on the bed and muttered in complaint.
“From the way he talked, it sounded like no matter what achievements I make, it’ll never happen.”
Of course, it might be possible if Shan were to defeat a dragon, but realistically, the chance of a real dragon appearing in Shan’s lifetime was slim. It had been five hundred years since a true dragon last appeared, back when the empire fell.
“So, your mind hasn’t changed?”
“No.”
Just as he told the count, Shan still intended to become a knight. If the nobles blocked his path with unwritten rules, then he would just become someone so great that breaking those rules would be more beneficial. And if that didn’t work, he’d gather a massive fortune, hire an army of mercenaries, overturn Pendia, and establish a new kingdom. Then he could crown himself as the Knight King.
“Still, His Excellency isn’t entirely a bad person. He even gave us a gift.”
“Ah, right. This… looks really useful.”
At Shan’s words, Roden pulled out the booklet he had received earlier. It was the gift the count had given in place of the magic sword, as payment for going along with his whims all day. It was a compilation of highly reliable information gathered from explorers who sold their knowledge to the Explorer’s Guild.
Even within the guild, it was only provided to expedition parties that had earned high merit by contributing information multiple times. This wasn’t something someone could obtain with money alone. For them, who would soon embark on a long expedition, it was truly a valuable treasure.
***
Two days after the meeting with the count, the Green Eyes expedition party gathered again on the first floor of the Explorer’s Guild. The guild, as always filled with noisy chatter, fell silent the moment Shan appeared.
“Hey, that’s him?”
“Yeah… hey! Don’t say that out loud! He’ll hear you!”
“He really doesn’t look like it.”
Shan felt a strange sense of discomfort from the way people whispered about him. He had received looks like this before, after knocking people down in the plaza and after their first expedition, but this time it felt different. Even explorers who hadn’t seen what he did in the plaza looked at him with awe. He understood why when he met Vent and Jerpo.
“We heard the rumors. They say you fought a knight one-on-one and overwhelmingly defeated him?”
“It already spread?”
“The entire guild was buzzing about it yesterday.”
At their words, Shan widened his eyes in surprise. He had assumed they would keep it quiet, since news that Sir Gowell had lost to a mere Alto boy would damage his honor. Shan couldn’t help but wonder how the story had spread this far.
Then again, there had been over a dozen soldiers and servants present. It was impossible to silence all of them. Unless they killed them all, someone would eventually speak carelessly.
If I’d known, I should’ve won in a more convincing way than stabbing at his eye.
Such a thought crossed his mind, but threatening his neck or another vital point wouldn’t have been much better. Besides, if Sir Gowell hadn’t realized his vital point was in danger and kept attacking, Shan might have actually had to stab him before his sword broke. After feeling uneasy about the unintended situation, Roden spread out the map he had been working on and changed the subject.
“For this expedition, I’ve planned things out like this. Take a look and let me know if there’s anything that needs adjustment.”
“Oh…”
“The route’s gotten really detailed.”
“You even marked places farther than where we went? Neither Vent nor I have been there.”
The two looked curious about how he gathered such information, but didn’t press further. How one gathered information was a domain that should be respected without intrusion. After discussing a few policies, they gathered in a circle, clapped hands as if performing a ritual, and stood up. It was time to head out and excavate the ruins lying somewhere deep within the Demon Realm.
