WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Genius Knight of a Fallen Race ◈

Chapter 58: The Road to Paradise

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The people of Bran Village reacted with intense confusion and hostility to the sudden arrival of roughly a hundred and fifty Altos.

Even an ordinary group of Westerners could be suspected of being bandits in times like these. What were they supposed to think when more than a hundred Altos, a people with an especially high proportion of criminals, came pouring in?

Anyone in their right mind would have told them to get lost.

The only reason the villagers opened their gates and accepted them was Shan.

He said he would take responsibility and drive them all away himself if anything happened. They could hardly tell him they did not trust him.

The Altos who entered the palisade were a mess, as if they had wandered outside for a long time.

“Everyone, rest! Do not leave the formation without permission! Until further orders, contact with the villagers is prohibited!”

“Yes, sir!”

After giving orders that sounded convincing enough, Roden walked over to Shan. He wore an awkward expression, clearly aware that this was far from a normal situation.

“Who are all those people?”

“Well, it might take a while to explain...”

“Young Master Roden!”

A servant rushing over from afar interrupted him.

Roden looked pleased to see the servant, but also puzzled.

“Oh! Why is that servant here?”

Shan gave Roden the briefest possible account of everything that had happened, from Kalion being attacked by thugs and losing consciousness to rescuing Serin from the royal palace and escaping the capital together.

After hearing the whole story, Roden let out a deep sigh and gripped Shan’s shoulder tightly.

“I have a lot to say... but first, thank you. Really. For saving my father.”

If Shan had not rushed to the capital first, rescued Serin, escaped, and operated on him, Roden would have lost his father.

Kalion was Roden’s only remaining family after losing his mother at a young age. He meant more to Roden than anyone.

Shan scratched his ear awkwardly.

“Your father is my father too.”

He truly wished that, if he had ever had a father, it would have been someone like Kalion or Roden.

Not some wandering bum who abandoned a weaned infant in a village.

After their awkward exchange of gratitude, the two headed to the village hall to talk properly. Serin, Kalion, and the members of the Weavers household welcomed Roden.

“Young Master!”

“Tata, Madam Reda...”

As Roden greeted the servants, his eyes turned to Kalion, whose forehead was wrapped in thick bandages.

Several days of rest had restored some of his strength. Kalion looked solemn as he spoke.

“Did you return safely?”

“Yes, Father. How is your head? I heard you got beaten badly.”

“Watch your mouth... I’m much better now. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Everyone present could feel the affection behind the frivolous question and blunt answer.

During their conversation, Serin looked at Roden.

“So, I would like to know what happened with the Altos outside.”

“Ah, that... Everyone, please excuse us for a moment.”

Roden glanced around, asked the others for leave, then called only Serin and Shan aside to explain.

The story was unbelievable.

* * *

After parting ways with Shan, Roden headed west and soon sensed a troubling atmosphere among his group.

Given the circumstances, there was only one thing the mercenaries could be planning behind his back.

They intended to seize all the supplies, including the immensely valuable ogre remains.

The desires of those living day to day were stronger than anyone might imagine.

As Roden considered how to handle it, he came up with a bold solution.

He discreetly approached the Alto mercenaries who belonged to the Brotherhood and revealed that he held a position within the organization.

‘What? But you’re...’

‘That’s right. I’m not an Alto. I was invited in as a special adviser.’

Without revealing that he was Lion Mask, Roden introduced himself as a confidential member under Lion Mask’s command.

He said Lion Mask had personally recruited him to bring Shan Barendil into the Brotherhood.

Between the token carried only by the organization’s higher-ups and the secret password, they had no choice but to believe him.

After all, had they not been hired into Shan’s army on orders from above?

Seen that way, it was not so strange for Roden, Shan’s squire and adjutant, to be a secret agent as well.

‘Do you know what this atmosphere is about?’

‘Yes...’

Having decided Roden was their superior, the Brotherhood mercenaries immediately reported everything.

Some mercenaries were encouraging the others to kill their employer, Roden, divide up the supplies, and disappear.

Using the Brotherhood mercenaries’ information, Roden tracked down the ringleaders and executed every last one of them to establish discipline.

The group, reduced from twenty-eight to twenty-four, safely continued west toward Hasra.

Four days later, they encountered a group of Altos.

“Prince Conrad issued an order a few days ago to lift the lockdown on the capital and expel every remaining Alto and mage.”

The reason was Shan’s escape.

Since the capital had already been breached once, maintaining the lockdown no longer meant much. Food was also running short, so Conrad opened the capital and drove out all the Altos.

The displaced Altos split into groups and scattered in every direction. Some headed east and encountered Roden’s group coming from that direction.

Several Brotherhood members and their families were among them, so Roden could not simply turn them away.

Perhaps the old Brotherhood could have done so, back when it freely exploited Altos under the pretense of protecting them. But had the current Brotherhood not undergone major reform into an organization that protected Altos?

Even if that had not been the case, Roden would not have abandoned them.

Despite his grave and dignified appearance, he was soft-hearted and kind.

* * *

“As I took in a few people at a time, rumors spread that there was a group of Altos, and more kept joining us... That’s how we ended up with this many.”

“So much happened...”

“Well, not as much as with you. There are all sorts of nasty rumors around here that an Alto knight occupied a village. That’s why I came here on purpose. Otherwise, I would have had to make a slight detour.”

“What? There are rumors like that?”

Roden told the confused Shan what people in the area had been saying.

They said the Green-Eyed Knight, Shan Barendil, killed a royal knight sent by Prince Conrad, occupied a village, and was acting like its lord.

In reality, Shan had only paid for food and held out in the village hall. Apparently, some villagers who had received death threats had spread malicious rumors.

“If those rumors are going around, why haven’t Altos gathered here?”

“Of course they haven’t. Why would Altos gather somewhere only five or six hours from Hasra and invite trouble? These people wouldn’t have come here either if I hadn’t led them.”

“Ah...”

After hearing that, Shan felt they needed to leave the village as soon as possible.

Conrad was only leaving them alone because of his conflict with Elvin.

Once Elvin made a reckless attack and suffered a crushing defeat, or retreated farther south to wait for another chance, Conrad would surely come deal with this place as soon as he had the breathing room.

Even Shan could not stand against several royal knights and hundreds of soldiers.

“I was going to talk to you about that.”

“About what?”

“I discussed what we should do from here on with the princess.”

Shan told Roden everything Serin had proposed, including the offer of a ducal title and independence.

After hearing it all, Roden stared at Serin as if she were insane.

Honestly, the terms were absurdly generous, even to someone who knew the circumstances.

“Are you really offering such terms, Princess?”

“Yes. I can swear it on my mother’s name.”

Unlike Shan, Roden had not formed a deep emotional bond with Serin. Even so, the moment she mentioned her mother, he instinctively understood that her oath carried weight.

Wearing a serious expression, Roden looked at Shan.

“Did you speak to Father about it?”

Kalion had once entrusted Shan and Roden entirely with their problems with the royal family, but that had been before things reached this point.

Though weakened, Kalion was still the head of House Weavers. They needed to hear his opinion.

“Yeah. He said you and I should discuss it and decide.”

“I see...”

“You’re the one who’ll lead House Weavers from now on.”

Kalion was recovering from the injuries he suffered in the recent attack, but he was still weak.

Convinced that his judgment was not fully sound, he had left the choice to the two of them.

Roden squeezed his eyes shut, and Serin took a few steps back.

“I suppose I would only be in the way if I stayed beside you?”

“Thank you, Sister Serin.”

“What?”

Roden’s eyes widened in shock at the form of address Shan had let slip without thinking.

Shan realized his mistake and smiled awkwardly.

“Ah, we decided I’d call her that when no one else is around.”

“You...”

Roden looked back and forth between Shan and Serin, then let out a long sigh.

“A lot really happened while I was gone. Anyway, what do you think?”

“I want to help her.”

“I thought you might say that... Well, my thoughts aren’t very different.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. The reward is worth taking the risk, isn’t it? Besides, there’s nowhere suitable to take all the Altos gathered here right now. If it’s Pales, it should have more than enough room for all of them. It’s Pendia’s largest grain storehouse.”

More than anything, Serin saw Shan’s value and recognized it more than anyone else.

Conrad went without saying, and Elvin, who had fled south, did not seem likely to make much use of Shan either.

From everything he had seen and heard, Elvin was the sort of person easily swayed by others.

The reason Lugh had been treated far worse than his ability warranted was because he was a country knight with no connections.

To rise beside someone easily manipulated by flattering officials, one needed to be skilled in politics and schemes.

Shan would never be that kind of person.

Even with Roden’s help, there would be limits.

Above all, judging by that form of address earlier, the two might become closer than the relationship between a lord and retainer.

Considering Shan’s status, it was an utterly ridiculous thought, but if things went well...

Keeping that brazen thought to himself, Roden gave Shan the answer he wanted.

“At least it’s a far more specific and dependable plan than becoming independent warlords somewhere.”

“Great!”

Shan clenched his fist in delight, called Serin over, and told her that Roden agreed as well.

A bright smile bloomed across her worried face.

“Ah, truly... I can finally rest easy. Thank you for making such a good decision, Roden. I promise that not only my Shan, but your house as well, will be properly rewarded.”

“No. Our house is only a merchant family, and I am only a squire. Still, I want my lord Shan to receive a reward worthy of his abilities.”

“That will certainly happen.”

Serin smiled in satisfaction and nodded.

* * *

The first thing Shan and Roden did was settle their contracts with the mercenaries.

Their original mission ended when they returned to Hasra.

But the capital, their current destination, was expelling every Alto under Prince Conrad’s policy.

Shan offered them long-term employment.

Those who remained had not actively joined the betrayal and had kept silent. Among mercenaries, they could be considered some of the more decent ones.

For Shan’s group, who needed every soldier they could get, they were valuable assets they could ill afford to lose.

Naturally, Princess Serin planned to pay the costs with Count Paless’s wealth.

House Weavers was rich, but the money a few people carried with them could not cover the long-term employment of dozens of mercenaries.

Fortunately, every mercenary except a few accepted.

Shan was quite a good employer, and in harsh times when Altos were persecuted as they were now, people needed somewhere to rely on more than they needed to chase one big score.

Those who left were searching for families scattered by the capital’s expulsion order. They promised to join their families and then return to Paless territory.

The Alto refugees also decided to travel with them.

Rebuilding the scattered Brotherhood forces was one reason, but Serin also needed an emerging force willing to follow her if she was to bring about the magical revolution she desired.

Accepting them was good for Shan too.

Other than Serin, he had no ties in that land. Whether he had a force that fully supported him would make a huge difference.

They were refugees in name, but there were many young, healthy people among them who could fight.

It was sad, but those who could not had already become food for monsters.

Just as Serin and the Weavers servants had been endangered during the brief time they were outside Shan’s protection, the area around Hasra was not safe now.

If Shan took such people under his command and trained them, he would gain a fairly reliable armed force.

An army made up of Altos would not be welcome anywhere else.

Given the Westerners’ wariness toward them, it was an army that could only be raised in times like these.

After settling on a general direction, they made travel plans for their journey to Paless territory.

Serin looked down at the simple map they had drawn and spoke with concern.

“More than anything, I don’t know how we’ll obtain enough food for a hundred and fifty people.”

They could replenish their drinking water at rivers or streams along the way, but food did not fall from the sky.

Their party was too large to sustain through hunting or by purchasing food in nearby towns and villages.

Roden answered with a smile.

“Fortunately, we don’t need to worry about money. We have Alto relics.”

“Oh... Do you plan to sell them to any lord we meet along the way?”

“Yes. If they try to seize them by force, it will be unfortunate for everyone involved.”

A few relics of relatively low value would be enough to obtain the food supplies of these rural territories.

After selecting several items to sell and planning their route around that, the calculations came together more easily than expected.

“We need to stop by Torredel Castle along the way. The people my uncle sent should be there.”

The place where Serin had originally planned to meet Count Paless’s subordinates was northeast of Bran Village.

It would probably take around five days to reach them.

The next morning, the group, now numbering around a hundred and fifty, left the village at once.

The Altos who had finally rested for one day after wandering a long way still looked exhausted, but none protested.

Above all, they now had a clear destination where they could stay.

“We’re going to Paless territory?”

“That place is called paradise in Pendia!”

“I thought we’d be lucky to end up in some backward village in the eastern countryside...”

Count Paless’s territory was famous even among those who had lived in Hasra.

It was the only place in Pendia where monsters were rarely seen, a peaceful land where milk and honey flowed.

If they could begin a second life there, they could endure their current hardship.

Parents, older brothers, and older sisters with young children soothed and scolded the whining children, trying desperately not to fall behind the marching group.

“I don’t want to walk. My legs hurt. I want to rest.”

“Hang in there a little longer. It’s hard for Mom to carry you too.”

“Waaah...”

“Why won’t you listen?”

The woman suddenly snapped at the child, who would not listen no matter how gently she coaxed.

Her husband had died in the chaos that broke out in the capital not long ago, leaving her with only her child. She was trying desperately to take care of the child, but now even that child was causing her so much trouble that tears came to her eyes.

The younger brother she still had was busy looking after his own family...

As mother and child cried together, a black shadow fell over them.

Not only the woman, but even the child sobbing loudly stopped crying at once.

“Ah.”

Frightened by Roden’s sharp gaze as he looked down at them, the Alto woman quickly lowered her head.

It was a familiar gesture for someone who had spent a lifetime living in submission.

“I’m sorry. I’ll catch up right away.”

“Give the child to me.”

When Roden lifted up the tearful child, the woman reached out in alarm.

But instead of throwing the child aside, Roden placed the child atop an expensive Horais warhorse.

The woman spoke with a deeply grateful expression.

“Putting lowly people like us on such a precious horse...”

“It can carry several children without any trouble. This one is tougher than it looks.”

Shan had given Roden the Horais warhorse Kamad once rode, and Roden had named it Lipo.

Lipo calmly kept walking, apparently not bothered even with three children on its back.

It had readily accepted a new master too. Compared to Awin, it certainly had a much more easygoing personality.

“Look at that. Why can’t you let a few kids ride you quietly too? Hmm?”

Awin, on the other hand, would glare in fury and show her displeasure whenever anyone tried to put children on her back.

Thanks to Shan soothing her, she did not try to throw the children off without warning.

Shan had believed all Horais warhorses were this temperamental, but he sighed at this newly discovered truth.

There were a few incidents, but the march north went more smoothly than expected.

There were so many people that minor monsters did not even dare approach. When stronger ones attacked, the sentries and trained refugees held them back while Shan rushed in like lightning and slaughtered them all.

Seeing his overwhelming ability, the people felt protected.

What they had not expected was for Altos wandering in all directions to keep joining them shortly after they left the village.

Their original number of a hundred and fifty gradually grew as they moved north, soon reaching three hundred.

There were even one or two high-ranking Brotherhood officials among them.

Fortunately or unfortunately, their numbers did not increase much after around three days, perhaps because no more refugees had fled that far.

On the third day after leaving Bran Village, the food they bought from the first village was running out faster than expected due to their increased numbers.

When they reached an estate, Roden negotiated with its baron, sold a few relics, and obtained a large quantity of flour.

The baron seemed to covet more relics that Roden might have possessed, but with Shan, the Alto mercenaries, and the refugees standing behind him, the baron did not dare act on his greed.

Trade was safe only when backed by strength, especially in times like these.

With their food supplies greatly improved, the group ate their fill and continued stopping at large villages and small cities along the road.

Each time, several Brotherhood mercenaries acting under Roden’s orders secretly left behind coded messages.

Every Brotherhood member was to come to Paless territory.

After crossing a small river and passing around two mountains, they finally encountered Count Paless’s army camped near Torredel Castle on the sixth day of their journey.

“Princess!”

“Aran.”

Aran, Serin’s guard knight, ran over in tears and took her hands.

“You were gone so long that I feared something had happened. If I hadn’t worried that we might miss each other on the road, I would have gone looking for you...”

“A few things happened. First, I should apologize to you.”

“Pardon? Apologize for...”

Only then did Aran notice that Kagon was not beside her.

Her face turned pale.

Serin lightly bowed her head.

“Kagon lost his life protecting me.”

“I... see. It was what he had to do as a knight.”

Aran’s face was filled with grief as she forced out the answer.

Shan understood why she reacted that way.

Serin had told him that Aran and Kagon had promised to marry.

Shan had no personal relationship with either of them, so he had not noticed at all. Roden, however, had apparently guessed.

He said it was obvious from the way they looked at each other.

“Then why is Sir Shan here?”

“Ah, he has decided to swear loyalty to me. The oath ceremony will take place after we arrive in Pales.”

Aran looked happy at Serin’s words, but her grief had not yet faded from her face.

She was glad that the princess she served would see her wish fulfilled, but it could not bury the sorrow of losing the lover she had promised to spend her life with.

“I look forward to working with you, Lady Aran.”

“Mm. As do I.”

Aran had brought around fifty soldiers.

Their addition made the journey north much easier.

After all, they had gone from only around twenty properly trained warriors to seventy combatants in an instant.

At least Shan no longer had to rush over whenever a few monsters appeared.

What followed was another tedious march north.

Fortunately, after their food supplies became plentiful, they could travel at an easier pace and cover less distance each day. No one collapsed from exhaustion.

On the fifth day after leaving Torredel Castle, a vast river finally spread out before them.

Serin, who looked tired from the long march, smiled and declared,

“We’re finally here. Everyone, you’ve worked hard. Once we cross this river, we’ll be in Pales.”

The Alto refugees cheered as they realized that their long journey had finally brought them to paradise.

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