WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
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◈ The Genius Knight of a Fallen Race ◈
Chapter 61: Growing Differently with Each Passing Day
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“Won’t he end up a wreck like this?”
After the duel, during a simple tea gathering, Serin spoke with an uncertain look on her face.
She was referring to Baron Yurk, who had been carried away on a stretcher.
He had looked so utterly ruined that it was hard to imagine him ever serving as a knight again.
“I made sure not to hit anywhere difficult to heal, like the eyes. He’ll be fine.”
Several priests would probably tend to him, and he would recover within days or weeks.
Fractures were among the injuries healing miracles worked best on.
“I mean mentally, not physically.”
“That should be fine too, shouldn’t it? He did finish knight training, after all.”
The training required to become a knight pushed the body harder than an ordinary person could even imagine.
Only those who endured the agonizing pain of every muscle burning and melting away, every bone feeling as though it were being crushed, could gain Spirit.
Knights who had survived that process naturally had far higher pain thresholds than ordinary people.
That was why Shan had deliberately pushed Baron Yurk so hard.
“I see...”
Serin knew little of the warriors’ world, so she accepted the explanation.
After a brief silence, she smiled, one eye closed as she touched a finger to the skin above it.
“Well, in any case, the response is better than I expected.”
“That’s what you were checking?”
“Yes.”
They had arrived at the castle only yesterday, but she had apparently already taken control of spiders and scattered them throughout the area.
According to Serin, the influential figures of the Pales Territory had split into two major camps after the duel.
Some clicked their tongues and said Shan had gone too far, while others felt relieved to see Baron Yurk get what he deserved.
Surprisingly, the latter group was larger.
Many people had resented Baron Yurk, who had acted like a reckless scoundrel beyond even Count Paless’s control.
Besides, the insult the baron had thrown at Shan had been serious enough that no one could have blamed Shan even if he had killed him.
The only disagreement was over whether Shan’s response had been excessive.
“As a bonus, I got a clear look at Pales’s internal political structure. My uncle told me about it in letters, but seeing this sort of thing firsthand is much more accurate.”
People normally did not openly reveal their political leanings, so even placing spiders near them rarely produced meaningful information.
When a major event occurred like this, though, their reactions made it easy to infer where they stood.
Shan watched Serin move a finger through the air.
She was likely sorting people into those she would keep and those she would cut away on an imaginary sheet of paper only she could see.
Pales would need to stand as one for the coming battles.
“Is His Excellency the Count all right, though?”
“Hm? Why my uncle?”
“He didn’t seem pleased when the duel ended.”
Perhaps he had not expected the lesson to go this far. Shan remembered Count Paless’s face going pale as he looked at his fallen brother-in-law.
Even so, the count had firmly declared Shan the victor.
“Don’t worry. My uncle may be soft-hearted, but he knows right from wrong. You should be more worried about my aunt.”
“Countess Paless?”
“Yes. She keeps hounding my uncle, demanding to know how he could let his own younger brother be turned into minced meat like that. I think I’ll have to say something to her soon.”
The smile on Serin’s face made her look exactly like a scheming villain pulling strings from the shadows.
It was easy to imagine the countess suffering all sorts of hardships at the hands of her noble niece in the future.
After finishing her tea, Serin let out a light sigh.
“Ah, back to work. There’s too much to do.”
“You seem very busy.”
“Don’t even ask. I need to settle the administrative issues in the territory that couldn’t be handled by letter, observe people, restore magical facilities, prepare the ceremony... I wish I had ten more bodies.”
She was not exaggerating about being busy. Even after resting for a day at the count’s castle, Serin looked more exhausted than before.
Despite her makeup, dark shadows lingered beneath her eyes.
“Still, this will help. At the very least, anyone who defies me now knows that the terrifying Sir Shan might step in.”
Reforming the territory was bound to threaten entrenched interests and invite resistance. Serin thanked him again, saying she now had the force needed to push those reforms through.
“The foundation is laid, so now I need to do well... The people here see my mother in me. I don’t want to disappoint them if I can help it.”
“It seems everyone really loved the late queen.”
Aste Barbelka, the third wife of the King of Pendia and daughter of the previous count.
Shan had spent only two days in Pales, yet he had already heard her name more times than he could count.
Serin spoke with a wistful expression.
“I only know her through stories, but they say she was like someone out of a fairy tale. Beautiful, yet kind to everyone. An angelic young lady. Nothing like me.”
In Pales, Aste Barbelka had been something like everyone’s first love.
Though she was the daughter of a noble count and possessed angelic beauty, she had never been proud or aloof like other noblewomen. She always smiled warmly at everyone.
She had personally checked on injured knights, officials, and even servants who ran into trouble. Whenever she had time, she traveled through the territory to help the sick and weak with her own hands.
From the count and his family to the ordinary people of the territory, everyone had loved and admired her.
They called her the saint born from this land, its most beautiful jewel.
More than anything, it was her tragically cruel end that made people miss her.
Over twenty years ago, when the Pales Territory had fallen into crisis because of Gizelle the Third’s scheme to seize its vast wealth, Aste had saved Pales by offering herself to the lecherous king along with an enormous dowry.
When she knelt before the count, who refused through tears, and begged him to send her away, they said no one present had been able to keep from crying.
To the middle-aged and older people of Pales, Aste was a daughter, lover, and sister they had failed to protect in their weakness, who had instead protected them by giving herself up.
That was also why people still looked favorably upon Shan despite him beating the strongest warrior in the territory senseless as soon as he arrived.
It was already widely known that he was the one who had rescued Serin from the royal palace and brought her to Pales.
“And holding the ceremony will lend me even more support.”
Smiling, Serin held out her hand to Shan.
“Are you ready to become my knight?”
“Of course.”
The hand Shan clasped was rougher than one might expect from a noble princess.
* * *
The following afternoon, in the chapel inside the count’s castle, Shan knelt on one knee and bowed his head before Serin.
He wore crisp, carefully pressed clothes, while she wore a dress more ornate and heavily decorated than usual.
It was for the oath of loyalty that so many wandering knights desperately wished to make.
“Knight Shan Barendil, will you become my faithful spear, sword, and shield?”
“I will, my liege.”
After hearing his answer, Serin cupped both hands and scooped up the anointing oil beside her.
The mixture of olive oil, myrrh, and several spices flowed over Shan’s head.
“You who have been anointed, as long as you faithfully fulfill your duty, I too shall not abandon you.”
At their side, Count Paless and the bishop of the Diocese of Pales bore witness and confirmed their agreement.
The term of Shan’s oath was five years.
His salary as a knight was at the highest level, far exceeding even that of a royal knight.
Even the wealthy Count Paless found it somewhat burdensome, but no one dared call it excessive.
“Congratulations, Sir Shan.”
“Congratulations.”
Noman, the old knight who had first welcomed Shan to Pales, and Aran, his niece and the knight who had served Serin in Hasra, applauded.
Aran had known Shan since his days as an explorer, so she had habitually spoken casually to him. Only after receiving a fierce scolding from her uncle recently had she corrected how she addressed him.
Noman had demanded to know how she could treat a knight with such accomplishments so casually just because he was young. His rebuke had been terrifying.
Sir Shan Barendil’s first duty after formally entering Princess Serin’s service was escort duty.
Two days later, Count Paless announced that there would be an important proclamation and summoned people to the square before the castle instead of his office or meeting hall.
As the important figures gathered, commoners also came from all around, wondering what was happening.
Once everyone had assembled, it was not the count who stepped forward onto the platform, but Serin.
With Shan and Aran standing beside her as guards, she began her speech before a crowd of several hundred, amplifying her voice with magic.
“[Pendia is in crisis! Since the king fell, the two princes have been locked in a fratricidal conflict, each seeking the throne even if it means killing their own blood!]”
Serin’s opening declaration did not receive much of a response.
To the people here, Pendia was another world beyond the river. They had little reason to care whether people there killed each other.
Yet this had all gone as planned.
After taking a brief breath, Serin continued with the speech she had prepared.
“[I guarantee this! No matter which of them wins and becomes the new king, Pales will pay a terrible price! They will take the riches of this fertile land to repair the massive losses caused by their conflict! Just as they took my mother over twenty years ago!]”
The people’s expressions changed at the mention of Aste, Pales’s most beautiful jewel.
Even after all those years, the memory of her being taken by the King of Pendia remained a deep wound.
“[That is why I have come to this land! To prevent the people who loved my mother from being exploited! From this day onward, as the daughter of the King of Pendia and descendant of Count Paless, I declare that I shall inherit the title of Duke of Lynel and become the protector of this land!]”
The Duke of Lynel had once ruled both the present Pales lands and part of the territory across the river.
The title had vanished long ago when the Arman Empire split apart and the Kingdom of Pendia was founded. Reviving it and claiming it for herself was, in effect, a declaration of rebellion.
“[I possess the magical knowledge I gained in the capital, along with the strongest knight in Pendia! If every person of Pales lends their strength, we can keep Pendia from taking what is ours! For the peace of Pales!]”
“For Pales!”
Of course, only a few of those gathered understood such complicated matters.
Most simply joined the cheers stirred up by a few planted supporters.
They did not understand it well, but the daughter of that Lady Aste had returned to this land and would become the Duke of Lynel to lead them.
Count Paless and the other important figures standing beside her were supporting her too, so it could not be a bad thing.
* * *
The title of Duchess of Lynel that Serin had declared for herself would not be recognized the moment she left Pales.
What lord would acknowledge a princess who was not even a king simply creating a title for herself?
The surest way to prove one’s position was strength.
To gain that strength, Serin gave an order to Shan, now her knight.
Knight Shan Barendil’s second duty was to train the Altos he had brought with him into an army.
The planned Alto settlement was set on the plains between Pales City and the port to the south.
Like the mercenary villages in Ajun and Libert, it was intended to become a village for Alto mercenaries employed by the count.
Fortunately, Shan did not need to manage every complex and troublesome detail himself from the beginning.
Roden, the all-purpose worker, had volunteered to manage the Altos and had already taken quite a few measures.
“I sorted them according to their former jobs and physical traits first. What do you think?”
“It’s more complicated than I expected.”
A total of 141 of the gathered Altos had the physical qualifications to serve as soldiers.
Of them, around thirty had some combat experience through mercenary work or similar jobs.
Roden appointed them as senior soldiers, then organized the unit by assigning three or four inexperienced recruits under each of them.
He also classified those with special senses, like Shan, as scouts, while those who had been carpenters or blacksmiths were assigned to noncombat roles.
Even women and children unsuitable for combat were given whatever work they could manage.
Considering everything invested in them so far, the Altos needed to work instead of sitting idle and produce something useful.
“At this point, there’s nothing left for me to do.”
“What do you mean, nothing? You need to practice commanding too.”
“I wonder if I can do it well.”
“From what I’ve seen, you have more than enough talent.”
When they had hunted the ogre before, Roden had watched Shan make quick decisions and lead the army from the front.
Shan was not only an outstanding warrior, but also possessed more than enough talent as a field commander.
What enemy could stand against a knight with overwhelming martial strength and exceptional command ability?
Since Roden could not directly fight people, his role was to whip the soldiers supporting Shan from behind into shape.
“Run faster!”
“Keep your shoulders together! If you scatter, you die!”
“Thrust your spears properly! Don’t just pretend you’re poking them!”
“The red flag means retreat! Do none of you have any memory?”
“Sorry!”
As the huge, heavily bearded man roared into their ears, the half-dazed Alto soldiers answered as though they were having seizures.
Since they used wooden weapons for safety during training, Roden could step in and demonstrate without much trouble.
Naturally, Roden, who was skilled at handling people, did not rely only on the whip.
“Go home early.”
“B-but...”
“Your wife is sick, right? Here’s money for medicine. Have a priest see her too, just in case.”
“Thank you...!”
If Shan was like a blunt father who led from the front, Roden took the role of a mother who, despite his fierce appearance, carefully looked after them.
Shan’s salary had been set somewhat excessively high precisely so it could be used this way, so there was no reason to begrudge the expense.
As they received such consideration and homes were built for them one by one in a territory that felt like paradise on earth, the soldiers’ motivation naturally rose.
They had been driven out of the capital. They had no choice but to make this place their second home now.
The army’s training level and organization improved faster than expected. Before long, Shan and Roden received Serin’s permission to begin field training.
They crossed the river, patrolled the southern part of the Pales Territory, and hunted monsters.
“Hoo...”
“We’re back here again.”
After crossing the river by boat, the soldiers leaving the fortress grumbled quietly.
They had left Pales, where they could safely sleep sprawled in a field even at night, and returned to monster-infested Pendia.
Of course they would complain.
Not long after leaving the riverbank and circling the surrounding area, they encountered a pack of five or six gnolls.
At Shan’s command, ten of the dozens of soldiers stepped forward.
“Close ranks! Thrust!”
“Hah!”
The soldiers raised their shields high to block the gnolls’ attacks, then seized the exposed openings and drove their spears and blades into fur-covered flesh.
Just a month ago, if they had faced the same number of gnolls, they would have fought in utter chaos and half of them would have died.
Seeing them move together so well after only a short period of training was quite impressive.
“Urgh...!”
Still, a few weeks had not turned them into elite soldiers trained for years.
When one soldier stumbled and fell, placing them in danger, Awin immediately rushed to their side.
Shan drove his spear through the gnoll and killed it, then looked down at the fallen soldier.
“Get up.”
“I-I’m sorry!”
“It happens. Return to formation.”
“Yes!”
With such an excellent protector watching over them, the Altos steadily grew stronger as they gained field experience without suffering major losses.
Gathering monster materials, one of the few resources Pales lacked, was an added benefit.
Their unique physical traits also let them show strengths beyond a typical army in areas such as scouting.
“People ahead. Ten of them!”
“What kind?”
“They appear to be refugees! Their luggage is unusually large...”
“Let’s go.”
The Alto scout, whose eyes were nearly twice as large as others’, looked ahead and reported. Shan immediately gave the order.
After traveling several kilometers, they spotted a group walking toward them with difficulty.
Shan could tell from their clothes that they were mages.
“Oh, it really is an army of Altos!”
“The rumors were true.”
“Is this Pales?”
While patrolling like this, Shan and the Alto army sometimes rescued refugees fleeing the war and seeking Pales.
Some were Altos, but most were Westerners, particularly people connected to the Magic Society.
Ordinary people widely believed that Pales did not open its gates to just anyone. In truth, it refused migration from anyone other than Altos or people connected to the Magic Society.
There was no way to know who might be an agent of Conrad or Elvin.
“You’ve had a hard journey. Come with us.”
Smiling, Shan held out his hand to the mages.
Whether they had truly come with good intentions and whether they could be useful were matters for Serin to judge inside.
* * *
About two months after entering the Pales Territory, Shan’s daily life had become fairly routine.
Every morning, he set out from the count’s castle, trained the Alto mercenaries with Roden, worked out to keep his body from getting rusty, and spent time with the territory’s knights when he could.
Those who had kept their distance because Shan had brutally crushed Baron Yurk now gradually began approaching him as though they had always been friendly.
Baron Yurk had remained secluded even after recovering from his wounds, while Serin had completely taken control of the territory.
With her intelligence and overwhelming information-gathering ability, she reformed the administration and rooted out corruption. In an instant, she had seized Pales’s power in one hand and wielded it as she pleased.
They could not ignore Shan forever when he was practically her sword.
As Shan grew closer to the knights, he naturally began hearing how the war in the south was progressing.
They were the ones leading groups that regularly traveled for trade, so they received news quickly.
“Prince Conrad is winning?”
“That’s what I heard. They say the Kingdom of Luman may intervene in earnest because of it. What will become of the country at this rate?”
The knight sharing the news clicked their tongue.
Two months had already passed since the war known as the Pendian War of Succession had begun.
Since they were one of the war’s major forces, they could not help but take an interest.
They were currently consolidating their strength, but everyone knew they could not remain crouched here forever.
“We may have to march out, coordinate with Elvin in the north, and strike Conrad.”
“Have you heard anything from the princess, Sir Shan?”
“No. I haven’t really...”
Shan stopped mid-answer when his voice suddenly cracked.
The knight asked with a puzzled expression.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
Startled by the unfamiliar experience, Shan rubbed his throat.
Had all the shouting lately caused something to go wrong?
Come to think of it, strange things had been happening to his body for some time.
Sometimes he could not sleep for no reason. At other times, every joint in his body hurt as if sharp objects were stabbing into them.
He had dismissed such minor pain as the result of pushing his body too hard, but it seemed something might actually be wrong.
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