WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: HidingTurtle

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◈ The Wandering Knight and the Moving Castle ◈

Chapter 18: Great Warrior (1)

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“Sir Gopri's disciple? The Knight of Prophecy?”

Karas looked at Fannis in surprise.

“Hey, you should've told me something this important right away!”

“My apologies. I was busy recruiting and hosting the invited knights, then dealing with the Barsian knights.”

“Ahem.”

By casually using the mess Karas had caused as an excuse, Fannis left him with nothing to say.

“Do you know my master?”

“I've never met him. But no knight could fail to know his name. I knew there was something different about you.”

Seeing even Karas use an honorific, Eugene figured his master really must have been quite the man.

“We're keeping Sir Eugene's relationship with Sir Gopri quiet. It would be better if Gord let its guard down.”

“This is getting interesting.”

Karas drained his cup in one gulp.

“Chief Constable, send me in at the vanguard. Otherwise, I don't think my turn will ever come.”

“That certainly sounds reassuring.”

Eugene felt as though he had struck gold, though he kept a dignified expression. The pay was good, and a fairly strong knight was volunteering to lead the charge. He had no reason to object.

“...”

Only Homi looked on Karas with displeasure for trying to take her lord's glory. She never once considered the possibility that Eugene might lose. She wanted him to claim both the honor of leading the vanguard and the glory of victory for himself.

Still, speaking up here would be overstepping her place as a Squire. Once her lord made his choice, all she could do was follow.

* * *

Bonyard City's leadership had been holding Grand Council meetings frequently of late.

The Chief Magistrate, who served a three-year term, met with major officials such as the Chief Constable, administrators, and water officials, along with influential figures from the commercial and industrial sectors who held sway over the city.

“There have been no disruptions to goods moving in and out of Count Andar's territory. I expected him to raise tariffs or harass us with inspections, but he has remained quiet.”

“Of course he has. Those bastards want to spill a little blood and skim off the cream. Why would they cut into the city's income?”

Count Andar was the lord of a neighboring territory and the instigator behind this conflict. Several noble lords had joined him in a localized war.

Most wars in this world were like that. All-out wars that staked a nation's fate were rare, and a nation's destruction meant the fall of its royal house, the strongest of the great lord families.

“Eastham says it will reconsider renewing the spice supply contract.”

“Those Samurians have no business ethics, none at all. They must be thinking of dealing with Gord directly if Gord wins.”

Many groups sought to predict Bonyard City's future and gain even a single extra silver coin from it. The city's leadership was already exhausted just dealing with them.

There was another threat facing the city as well.

“The northern trade route is far more dangerous. They say the number of bandit groups has tripled, and it is still rising.”

“They're trying to make a killing while we're distracted by the Hall War. Those hyena bastards deserve to be torn apart!”

Normally, they would have gathered mercenary bands and formed a punitive force, but they had no time to spare now.

“Let's focus on those Gord bastards for now! Beating them comes before dealing with petty raiders!”

“What became of the envoy sent to the Lady of the Forest? If she could tell us where a worthy person might be found...”

The Lady of the Forest was a mage who lived in seclusion in the nearby Emerald Forest. She had lent Bonyard City and nearby villages considerable help several times when they were in trouble.

“Far from meeting her, they wandered around the forest's outskirts for a long time before returning. According to the envoys, ‘the forest rejected them.’”

“Damn it, what did you expect? She isn't someone we can meet just because we want to.”

Like many exceptional mages, the Lady of the Forest only appeared when she felt like it.

After exchanging all manner of reports, everyone turned their attention to one person.

“Fannis! Shouldn't you be the one making the biggest fuss here?”

“What happened to those damned knights? You are recruiting them properly, aren't you?”

Until a few days ago, Fannis had been busy sweating and making excuses. Today, he seemed remarkably relaxed.

“Don't worry. I've succeeded in bringing in both the best and second-best choices.”

“Is that true?!”

At his confident declaration, everyone clenched their fists.

Most members of the Grand Council either had noble blood or had amassed wealth through legitimate business. Quite a few looked down on Fannis, who had risen through liquor and gambling in the underworld.

Still, none of them disregarded his eye for talent. If he confidently claimed to have brought in the best and second-best choices, then he must have recruited truly remarkable knights.

“Tell us their names already.”

“My entire life's work is at stake, but everything is being handled by other people. The suspense is killing me!”

They had been desperately gathering knights from every direction, so there had been no time to report every update. Those whose futures were at stake could only grow more anxious.

“The second-best choice is Sir Karas.”

“Karas, the disgraced knight!”

“That troublemaker really came?”

Karas Cruise was a knight from a prestigious family in Samur, in the southern part of the continent.

He was kind to soldiers, slaves, and maids, yet harsh toward nobles and knights, which had gotten him into countless disputes.

Though he had challenged or been challenged to more duels than anyone else in the south, he had won every single one.

House Cruise had suffered endless headaches cleaning up after him, but his talent as a knight was so extraordinary that they were secretly proud of him.

The problem began when they arranged a political marriage.

“Father! I'm not even the eldest son. Isn't it too much for you to decide my marriage without asking?”

“You should start recognizing your duties as a noble, not just as a knight. The other family is the third wealthiest in the south. This is a rare opportunity.”

“Even if you ordered me to charge a thousand enemies, I would obey. But I will choose whom I love. I may wield my sword according to another's will, but my heart belongs entirely to me.”

Neither side gave ground, and Karas left his family to become a wandering knight after leaving behind a single letter.

The enraged lord of House Cruise declared that he had disowned him, but at his mother's tearful request, he did not strip Karas of his knighthood.

“Ungrateful bastard. Still, he has to make a living.”

Even the cold-hearted lord of House Cruise could cut ties with him, but he could not sever the affection he held for his own blood.

Karas happened to be headed in the right direction at the right time, allowing Bonyard City to invite him.

“If it's Sir Karas, we can trust him. His personality may be foul, but his skill is the real thing.”

“After causing so much trouble, he had better be skilled. Otherwise, he would've lost a body part long ago and been crippled.”

“But if Sir Karas is the second-best choice, who is the best?”

Everyone looked at Fannis with anticipation.

“Don't be surprised. The famous Knight of Prophecy...”

“Sir Gopri? We've won! We've already won!”

“Amazing! I'd love to know how you managed to bring in someone like him.”

As everyone cheered, Fannis waved his hand.

“...his direct disciple, Sir Eugene.”

The room fell silent in an instant.

“Eugene?”

“I've never heard that name.”

“Is he really his disciple?”

Seeing their reaction, Fannis reflected on himself. Now he understood how frustrated Solin must have felt when he had first reported the news.

“My subordinate and the Beard Mercenary Band confirmed it while bringing him here. Sir Eugene wiped out a wolf pack and a Warg by himself. That is not something an ordinary knight could ever do.”

“He killed a Warg?”

Even the Chief Magistrate, who had been listening quietly, asked in surprise.

“Yes, and in only three exchanges.”

Exclamations rose from every direction. Wargs were huge, swift, and cunning. They led wolf packs and knew when to strike and retreat, making them terribly troublesome.

Even outstanding knights had to block their escape routes with numerous soldiers, then exchange blows with them for a long time while drenched in sweat before finally driving a blade into their hearts.

Many knights had made a single mistake, had their throats cut, and collapsed while clutching at their severed arteries.

But killing one in three exchanges meant Eugene had overwhelmed it without giving it any chance to respond, ending the fight at once.

“This must remain a secret, but he also subdued Sir Karas in a single blow.”

“...”

As though their doubts and worries from moments ago had been a lie, everyone fell quiet. At that point, it was nearly the same as having Gopri himself there.

Clap, clap, clap!

When the Chief Magistrate began to applaud, everyone joined in.

“I see. There is a reason you called Sir Karas the second-best choice. If this matter is resolved safely, it will be no different from you having saved the city.”

“Thank you!”

Fannis proudly accepted the Chief Magistrate's praise. The contempt and resentment he had quietly endured at the Grand Council felt as though they were melting away like snow.

* * *

“A hunt?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Fannis made the suggestion with an even more respectful attitude.

“The third knight we invited has arrived. There is still time before the Hall War, and I thought you might be bored, so I arranged this. Wouldn't it be nice for such distinguished people to get acquainted?”

Eugene looked uncertain. He had been trained as a knight and had wandered the mountains to obtain meat before, but he was not someone who enjoyed hunting.

Even so, refusing was not an option. That was simply part of living as a knight in this world.

“Very well. Since the Chief Constable chose him, he must be an excellent knight. I look forward to meeting him.”

“I'll never meet another man like you in my life, Sir Eugene.”

The hunt was set for the following afternoon, after lunch.

Homi clenched her fist and steeled herself. The time had come for her lord to formally interact with other knights. As his Squire, she could not afford to appear lacking.

“You don't need to be so nervous. Let's go and enjoy ourselves.”

Eugene tried to reassure her, but his words did not seem to reach the snow leopard girl's ears.

The day of the hunt arrived. Fannis, the host, mercenaries serving as beaters, and three Champions gathered together.

The city had invited more knights than that, but Fannis had selected three at his discretion. They were Eugene, Karas, and a middle-aged knight named Cressy.

“I have already told Sir Cressy about you two.”

“A pleasure to meet you. I have heard much about both of you. I expect deeds worthy of that reputation.”

Karas gave a slight nod, while Eugene returned the greeting with proper courtesy.

“I'll do my best not to bring shame on my sword. I won't be a burden, so don't worry.”

“Excellent spirit.”

Cressy stepped back with satisfaction. He did not seem particularly interested in friendship either.

“There is another knight I especially wished to invite, but they are far away, so I do not know whether they will arrive in time.”

“If the matter is urgent enough for you to send someone such a distance, they must be a skilled knight.”

“That is right. They were originally our top prospect. Their martial ability is one thing, but they also have a good relationship with us. If they learn of the city's crisis, they will come running right away.”

Fannis smiled as he looked between the two greatest assets he had acquired.

“But with the unexpected good fortune of securing Sir Karas and with Sir Eugene here as well, it should be fine even if they cannot come.”

“Chief Constable, if that knight arrives in time...”

Eugene trailed off. No one had said it aloud, but if that knight arrived, Cressy would be the one replaced. It would surely wound his pride as a knight.

“You needn't worry about that. So long as I get paid, that is enough for me.”

Cressy waved him off as though he understood Eugene's concern.

“Sir Cressy is a flexible knight.”

Fannis dipped his head toward him as he tried to frame it kindly, but Eugene had already grasped the situation.

A knight who had given up pursuing honor was little different from a mercenary who fought well.

It was difficult for someone like that to become an outstanding knight. Strength was honed through an endless desire to challenge oneself and a struggle that did not spare one's life.

Still, it was difficult to find excellent Champions in a hurry on the frontier.

Finding knights like Eugene and Karas at the same time was close to a miracle. Including an average knight like Cressy was inevitable.

Someone who did not raise a needless fuss over pride and would accept being replaced by someone better if necessary? From the city's perspective, he was ideal.

‘If not for these two, they might have called in those Dhampirs we met a few days ago.’

Eugene found this group far more comfortable than hunting with those Dhampirs.

After making the acquaintance of the third Champion, Eugene looked toward one spot. From the moment they had arrived at the hunting grounds, someone had continued to draw his interest.

A warrior whose human and horse halves moved as one stood at the head of the beaters, making his presence known. A centaur.

“Is this your first time seeing a centaur?”

Fannis asked.

“Yes. My master spoke about them often, but this is my first time seeing one in person.”

Eugene approached the centaur. Even though he had dismounted, the centaur was so large that Eugene had to look up at him.

“What is your name, Sir?”

His equipment was good enough that he did not seem like an ordinary soldier.

“I am not a knight. I am only a guard squad leader. Just call me Barun. You do not need to be so formal.”

“Barun belongs to a guard force contracted directly by the city. He is capable and trustworthy.”

Fannis looked at Barun with a proud expression.

“Has everyone checked their equipment?”

At Barun's question, all the Champions nodded.

Cressy carried a cavalry crossbow, while Karas and Barun carried composite bows made in their respective homelands.

Eugene mounted his horse and received a heavy crossbow from Homi.

“You're really going to use that?”

Karas asked as though he could not believe it. It was clearly not something made for use on horseback.

Krrrik.

But Eugene finished loading it in two seconds, and Karas fell silent. Cressy and Barun could only stare, speechless.

Homi had to use her entire hand to draw back the string before setting the bolt. Eugene, whose strength surpassed even that, could load it at once using only two fingers gripping the bolt.

Pheee!

A sharp signal sounded from the forest.

“Th-then shall we go?”

Half flustered and half delighted, Fannis pointed toward the hunting grounds.

“Our city's mercenaries are exceptionally good at serving as beaters. It seems they have already found one.”

As a free city, Bonyard City had entertained guests like this more than once or twice. Naturally, its contracted mercenaries had become skilled at it as well.

The knights mounted their horses and rode into the forest.

“Drive it to the right!”

“What are you slow bastards doing? It's getting away through the narrow path!”

The beaters' shouts rang out from every direction. This was Eugene's first experience of a noble-style hunt.

Footnotes:

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