WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Genius Knight of a Fallen Race ◈
Chapter 38: You Can Speak More Casually
──────
After returning to the estate, Awin became so docile that it was hard to believe she had ever caused that first rampage.
She calmly accepted feed and rested in the roughly repaired stable, looking every bit the perfect lady.
Of course, the other horses still treated her as if she were some kind of monster.
“So, you spent three days and nights rolling around with her?”
“Thanks to her, I’m completely wiped out.”
Roden looked at Shan’s grinning face and let out a deep sigh.
Really, Shan had no idea how worried everyone had been, yet there he was, acting so carefree.
“Well, it’s good that you tamed her. Honestly, I thought you’d beat that horse to death.”
Shan looked innocent enough, but Roden knew better than anyone how violent he could be.
Did Shan really seem like the sort of person who would change just because a girl got under his skin, when he had once punched one in the face and given her a bloody nose?
Roden had secretly expected Shan to lose his temper while fighting the horse, beat her to death, and come back.
“My master told me you shouldn’t rule a companion you have to trust with your back through fear. She might submit while you’re strong, but the moment you weaken, she’ll strike you from behind.”
If Shan had never received that teaching, if he were still the boy who believed he could only prove himself to others through violence, he would have tried to beat Awin into submission.
Had he done that, there was a good chance Awin would never have opened her heart to him.
Just looking at the burn marks on her hindquarters made it easy to guess how she had been controlled before.
As one living creature against another, Shan had competed with Awin to see which of them was more superior and tenacious. Only then did she acknowledge that he was more vicious than she was and choose to submit.
“Fine. That’s enough about that. Read these first.”
“What are they?”
“Letters from the people who came by while you were gone.”
A considerable number of the letters Roden handed over were from strangers, mostly minor nobles and merchants.
Once he set aside all the ones saying it would be an honor if Shan visited their homes, a few worth reading remained.
“Sir Katra has gone monster hunting again... Oh, Sir Lugh has decided to join Prince Elvin’s camp.”
“Really? That giant?”
“You didn’t read it?”
“It’s your letter. It wouldn’t be right for me to read it first.”
“Then read it now.”
When Shan held out the letter, Roden clicked his tongue as if he found the whole thing absurd, then took it and read through it.
Before long, his expression turned serious.
“Shan.”
“Yeah?”
“You said this Lugh guy is strong, right?”
“At least in this tournament, if I hadn’t been there, he would’ve won without question. If he trains a little more, he might become stronger than Fional.”
“Hmm...”
If Shan said that much, Lugh was clearly an extraordinary genius among ordinary knights, meaning humans other than Shan.
He would probably make a name for himself in the future.
It was hardly welcome news that such a talented person might one day become an enemy.
Shan would never lose a one-on-one match against Lugh, judging by the finals, but there was no guarantee that political struggles in the royal palace would be fair.
It was an extreme possibility, but if Marquis Abel and Lugh joined forces to attack him, even Shan could be in danger.
Still, considering that the two belonged to different camps, it was almost impossible.
“It would’ve been nice if we could’ve brought him over to Princess Serin’s side.”
“But honestly, the princess doesn’t have much to offer.”
“That’s the problem.”
Not many people knew how tremendous Serin’s potential, or danger, truly was.
To outsiders, she was simply a genius mage and a princess with an unusually strong interest in running the country.
The main reason she was not facing any serious threat was that both princes had let their guard down, thinking, Would a girl really try to claim the throne?
Since few people believed they could gain anything by joining her, anyone who was not in Shan’s position would naturally side with one of the princes.
“Let’s stay on good terms with him for now. He might bring us useful information from the prince’s side, and being in different camps doesn’t mean we have to kill each other.”
“Honestly, he makes me a little uncomfortable.”
Watching someone who looked to be over two meters tall stare at him with shining eyes as if Shan were an idol felt far too strange.
Shan made a disgusted face for a moment, then let out a small exclamation as he read the next letter.
“Oh, the princess sent one too. She says the item is finished and wants me to come pick it up.”
“Oho!”
“She also says that if I’m having trouble handling the horse I got this time, she might know a good method.”
“She guessed wrong there.”
The princess acted as though she knew everything, so Roden chuckled with satisfaction.
“When does she want us to go?”
“She says she’ll be at her villa that night after I return, so I should come then.”
“Damn, she really does know everything. How does she gather information? Is she using magic?”
As Shan continued reading, he asked with a strange expression.
“What, did my master come by too?”
“Huh? No. If he had, there’s no way I wouldn’t have seen him.”
“This is a letter from my master.”
It was a roughly written letter on old parchment, with none of the fine decorations or heavy perfume scent one might expect.
It contained just one sentence.
Congratulations.
If not for the Darkal family seal and signature at the bottom, they would have thought it was some prank letter.
“That really does sound like him.”
“It does.”
He had probably found it embarrassing to meet Shan in person and say something grand.
Darkal was an old man who could not stand saying things people wanted to hear.
For some reason, that short message carried a warm feeling. The two laughed over it for quite a while.
* * *
That night, Shan walked alone through the dim streets of the capital without even carrying a torch.
Since the thing he had to bring back was valuable, Roden decided to stay home so as not to draw the attention of the night watchmen.
His glowing eyes were not much of a problem.
Whenever the watchmen passed nearby, he only had to close his eyes and walk by memory.
Unlike ordinary people, Shan could walk several hundred meters along a route he had seen and still know exactly where he was.
After crossing several streets and arriving at the princess’s villa, Shan knocked on the door as Kagon had once done.
Bang, bang.
No matter how many times he knocked, the door did not open.
Should he knock harder?
Before he could think any further, Shan sensed a night watchman approaching from afar.
He stared at the wall beside the front gate, which looked three or four meters tall, then lightly jumped up.
Using tiny protrusions between the bricks and gaps barely large enough to fit half a knuckle, he climbed it like a spider.
The moment he landed on the other side, heat surged up from below.
‘What-’
Flames rising from the ground wrapped around his entire body. Shan instinctively channeled Spirit filled with the intent to defend throughout his body and covered his face with both arms.
If the flames had continued to engulf him, he would have exhausted himself and suffered serious injuries. Fortunately, the fire vanished after wrapping around him once.
“Who goes there!”
Shing!
Aran rushed out from deeper within the villa, a longsword in hand.
Seeing Shan lightly scorched by the flames, she asked in surprise.
“Sir Shan? Why did you suddenly activate the garden’s trap magic? No, more importantly, who opened the door for you?”
“Well...”
When Shan admitted that he had climbed over the wall, the female knight looked utterly dumbfounded.
“No matter what, how could you dare climb the wall of a home where the princess resides?”
“I knocked, but no one opened it.”
“Ah, there are only the princess and me in the villa today.”
She looked embarrassed after hearing that he had knocked, then changed the subject.
“Still, it’s fortunate that you’re unharmed. It was not a weak spell.”
“I have Spirit.”
Aran stared at Shan, who was only lightly singed and otherwise unharmed, as though he were some strange creature.
Spirit could be reliably imbued into objects with clear uses, such as swords and shields. Covering one’s entire body with it for protection was not only horribly inefficient but also extremely difficult.
Ordinary knights could never accomplish it in the brief moment a flame trap activated.
“I see. No wonder Her Highness devotes so much attention to you even while she is busy...”
Her muttering held faint jealousy along with self-reproach.
If she were that strong, the princess would not have needed to become so fixated on some Alto knight.
Unlike their last meeting in the reception room, this time they met in the princess’s bedroom.
It was broad enough to run through, and the luxurious bed in the middle was large enough for ten people to sleep in. A sweet scent filled the room.
Serin seemed to have just woken up. She wore a thin nightgown with only a robe over it.
Sitting in a cushioned chair and gently rocking herself, she smiled at Shan.
“It sounded quite noisy outside.”
“I had a small accident while trying to arrive more discreetly, Princess.”
“It could not be helped, but please use the front gate next time. I would not be able to sleep if I thought a knight like you might sneak in and cut off my head at any time.”
She muttered the rather brutal joke, then pointed to a long object on the floor in front of her.
Wrapped carefully in cloth, it was a rod-shaped object about three meters long.
“Here is something that has been eagerly waiting for its owner. A gift to celebrate your victory in the jousting tournament, and the payment for our first transaction. Take it.”
When Shan untied the knots and removed the cloth, a spear was revealed.
It was a long spear of suitable length, one that could be used for infantry combat or as a somewhat short lance.
What made it unusual was the unfamiliar script engraved across everything, from the leaf-shaped blade to the blackened ash-wood shaft.
It did not shine brightly, but it gave off a subtle glow that made it clear at a glance that it was no ordinary weapon.
“It was made by a master craftsman and used an entire troll magic stone. As long as the core at the end of the shaft remains intact, it will repair a certain amount of damage on its own. Even if it snaps cleanly in half, it will return to normal if you press the broken parts together. Wounds inflicted by its blade will also be difficult to heal. Naturally, it is far tougher and sharper than an ordinary spear.”
From the description alone, it sounded less like a modern magical tool and more like an ancient Alto magical device.
It was far inferior to Thousand Forms, but that was because the difference in materials was absolute from the beginning.
The princess was undoubtedly a genius far beyond any mage of this era.
Once they trusted each other more, Shan thought he might show her Thousand Forms and let her study the magic it contained.
Who knew what terrifying results she might derive from it?
“Of course, I tested it thoroughly, but tell me if anything goes wrong in actual combat. I will correct it immediately.”
“Thank you so much, Princess! I’ll put it to good use!”
Shan was so happy about his new weapon that he thanked her without realizing he had forgotten his formal speech.
Serin smiled in satisfaction, then clapped her hands as though she had remembered something.
“Oh, but if you intend to use such a splendid spear, you ought to have a fitting horse... I hear the royal family’s problem child was among the horses on offer this time?”
“The royal family’s problem child?”
“That Horais Warhorse. It was said to have inherited the greatest abilities among the offspring of a stallion gifted by the King of Horais ten years ago. At the same time, it was the only one to inherit its father’s temperament, so no one could tame it.”
Apparently, she meant Awin.
Come to think of it, the letter had said the princess would tell him how to tame Awin.
With a sly smile, the princess took out a fist-sized vial and shook it.
“Keep feeding this potion to that horse somehow. I had prepared it because I thought it would be useful if I could make use of her. Her intelligence will drop somewhat, but she will obediently follow commands from anyone. Just in case, it does not work on humans, so do not get any ideas about using it on people...”
“Ah, that’s all right. I’ve already taken care of it.”
“What?”
Serin’s long, narrow eyes widened at the unexpected answer.
“You took care of it? How?”
“I just took her outside and ran with her for about three days. She opened up to me after that.”
Shan did not explain in detail that he had spent three relentless days without getting off the horse even once.
It was a little too filthy a story to tell in front of the princess.
“Ha, honestly... You are an interesting person. I have not lived very long, but I have never met anyone this entertaining.”
Serin seemed disappointed that her gift had become useless, yet she also looked pleased.
After Awin narrowly escaped the danger of becoming a fool, the conversation moved to the jousting tournament.
“I am sorry I could not go see it myself. I had far too many appointments during the day that I could not possibly cancel.”
“I’ll wait for you to come see it when you have time.”
“That would be nice. And... You can speak more casually when it is just us.”
“What?”
“Your excessively formal way of speaking makes me feel distant from you. I liked hearing you speak as you did earlier. Do you dislike that?”
“No. No, I don’t dislike it, but...”
“Come to think of it, you spoke informally from our very first meeting. Though that was because I was hiding my identity.”
Trying to speak as he usually did on purpose felt strange, unlike when it happened by accident.
Was it because she was a princess?
After thinking for a moment, Shan realized why.
“Then you should be more casual with me too, Princess.”
“Me? Was I not already speaking casually?”
“That old-fashioned way you talk. You didn’t use it before.”
“Now that I think about it, you are right... Fine. Shall I speak with less distance between us?”
Serin returned completely to the bright, cheerful tone of a young mage girl. Smiling softly, she swung both legs.
Beside her, Aran muttered, “Princess, please have some dignity...”
Both of them pretended not to hear.
Of course, even if Serin told him to call her Sister Serin, Shan could not take that literally.
“So, did you see any useful talent at this tournament?”
“Sir Lugh.”
“The opponent in the finals? Kagon said the same thing. If both of you say so, then anyone with that much talent must stand out...”
Serin muttered that it was disappointing, since she had hoped there might be more undiscovered talent.
“Then again, it is not time to look for new talent. I received information that Elvin plans to recruit you soon.”
“Prince Elvin?”
“Even calling him a prince is a waste. Just call him that bastard.”
Deep contempt filled the princess’s face as she spat out the curse.
“It seems your worth has finally caught his eye. But he has no confidence that he can take responsibility for you until the end. It is obvious that he only intends to use you up and throw you away, so do not fall for his persuasion. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Honestly, he did not even discover you first, yet he has the nerve to set his sights on you.”
Not knowing what to say, Shan looked away and noticed a portrait hanging on one side of the bedroom.
The beautiful woman with long bluish-black hair seemed to be a painting of Princess Serin. Yet she looked older than Serin, with gentler eyes and a more graceful impression.
“It’s a very well-painted portrait.”
“That is a portrait of my mother.”
“Ah.”
“Aste Barbelka. She was an unfortunate person. I never even had the chance to properly see her face and speak with her once.”
Shan recalled Serin’s full name.
Serin Gizelle Aste Hasra.
The royalty of the Arman Alliance had long followed the custom of placing the names of their father and mother between their given name and surname.
That was why Serin’s third name differed from those of her half-siblings.
A brief silence passed before Serin suddenly changed the subject.
“Do you know what kind of person my father is?”
“Not very well.”
“Of course not. What kind of person the king is does not often make its way down to people below... And you are a foreigner to begin with.”
Serin let out a small sigh after hearing his answer.
All Shan knew about Gizelle the Third, the King of Pendia, was that he had married three times, that all three queens had died of illness while still young, and that he himself was now gravely ill.
“When my brothers said they did not care about Father’s health, you both looked as though you were thinking that the same could be said of me. You and Roden.”
Shan flinched in surprise at the princess’s sharp insight.
He had vaguely thought that, but he had never said it aloud. He could not understand how she had pinpointed it so accurately.
“My father is a terrible monster. He killed his elder brother, who was originally king, along with all his nephews, then took the throne. After that, he led such a debauched life that he destroyed every one of his wives too. If that man had not collapsed on his own, I might have poisoned him with my own hands.”
Serin added that his sons, Conrad and Elvin, were monsters as well, though in different ways.
Perhaps she was one too.
“The damned Hasra royal family itself must be cursed. It is truly ugly beyond measure...”
* * *
The day after hearing the princess’s complaints, which had been close to drunken rambling, Shan returned to the estate.
He did not repeat everything Serin had told him to Roden.
For some reason, it felt like something deeply private, not meant to be casually shared with someone else.
“All right, shall we start making a plan?”
Their topic was the princess’s commission, hunting the high vampire at Kastaman Castle.
Kastaman Castle was located in a relatively uninhabited wasteland north of Hasra City.
It would likely take five to seven days to reach it on foot.
“A plan... Do we need one?”
Shan meant that they could simply charge in, cut the high vampire down, and be done with it.
Roden chuckled.
“With your skills, you probably could. But high vampires are cunning creatures. What if it refuses to fight and runs away?”
“Ah.”
“No matter how fast Awin is, we need to know where the enemy is before we can chase it. That means we need a proper strategy.”
After saying that, Roden drew a large circle with his finger.
“The best option is to set up an encirclement. No matter which way it escapes, we’ll know which direction it went.”
“An encirclement? How are two people supposed to make one?”
“Why would there only be two?”
Roden looked at Shan as if he could not understand the question.
“You’re a knight now. That means you can hire and mobilize mercenaries!”
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
