192: The Ashen Wolf [1]
“Young knight, what is your na?”
Hair as beautiful as if obsidian had been lted and reforged swayed softly.
A voice dropped before Paracelsus.
It had a strangely enchanting charm to bewitch people, but at this mont, he couldn’t allow himself to be captivated by it.
The woman before his eyes was his enemy.
Chaeeng!
Paracelsus deflected the sword that ca at him along with Ulysses’ question and replied.
“I am Paracelsus.”
“Interesting.”
Ulysses spoke as though she genuinely found it amusing.
However, the knights and students present found it peculiar. It was odd for soone at the level of a Sword Emperor to speak of finding enjoynt in the swordsmanship of a re fledgling.
In truth, Ulysses wasn’t particularly impressed by Paracelsus’ swordsmanship. Though it was quite exceptional for his age, it was nowhere near enough to rival soone of Ulysses’ caliber, nor was it refined. His technique was riddled with openings, marred by unrestrained anger.
However…
What truly intrigued Ulysses lay elsewhere.
“Paracelsus… Paracelsus, huh… How amusing. Does that an you possess talent worthy of being bestowed a na by him? A talent that surpasses even his? That obstinate man proclaid it so to soone like you, a re fledgling?”
A na.
Yes, that was it.
Ulysses was now pondering the na Paracelsus.
The na originally belonged to Celsus.
The na Paracelsus had been derived from him.
——————————————
The [Conqueror of the East] and the [Ashen Wolf].
Among the many nicknas attributed to Paracelsus, the two most famous were these.
Of course, there were also criticisms regarding these presumptuous nicknas.
Most of the reasons were. He was too young to bear the na of Conqueror, and no matter how talented he was, there was no way such a monstrous individual could be wasting away in this eastern remote place.
Occasionally, just as great talents erge from nowhere, a remarkable, prodigious knight would suddenly appear, but… they argued that the ti for such occurrences had long passed.
Naturally.
It was a given that the young n of the continent would dream of becoming knights of their nation, serving their lords, and earning recognition for their loyalty, perhaps even gaining a noble title.
But such grand dreams were relegated to the era of the once-prosperous Catalyu Kingdom.
What were knights of recent tis like?
They were often scions of distinguished families, taught by exceptional swordmasters, wielding weapons crafted by master craftsn. They sparred with each other, debating who was stronger…… or who had connections to more prestigious families.
Therefore, the knights and mages gathered in taverns or guilds.
Or common folk that look over them couldn’t believe it.
That a genius had arisen who could overturn all these inequities and ignite a fla that might consu the entire eastern region.
Paracelsus.
He was a genius.
From birth, he possessed overwhelming talent, laden with innate skills. These abilities were honed and awakened by none other than Celsus.
The creator of the ancient swordsmanship [The Living Sword], and a legendary healer.
Through a chance encounter, the untad Paracelsus crossed paths with Celsus, and they ford a master-disciple relationship.
Two years ago,
The beginning of this relationship was when Paracelsus was just beginning to make a na for himself.
——————————————
[Side Story – The Origin of the Na]
I wanted to beco a doctor.
Though I never t him, my father was said to be a kind military doctor who treated the poor.
My mother, admiring him, married him and bore a child.
I, Paracelsus was born.
But I cursed the fruit of their love for my entire life.
The War of the Five Nations.
A war that broke out in the vast eastern continent plunged into an unprecedented era of chaos.
It was all sparked by a mythical object, the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’, also known as the “Elixir.”
Both my father and mother died.
I was the only survivor.
Along with the helpless children of the orphanage.
So… I had no choice but to pick up the sword.
——————————————
At first, I had no na.
Greyish-blue, or perhaps ashen.
That was what they called at the abandoned orphanage.
A delicate and frail childhood spent under the apron strings of a nanny.
But for , every mont was a fierce struggle in an endless competition.
When I look back on that ti, I can’t help but recall all kinds of nightmarish stories. Though I lack the words to describe it fully, a few mories are clear.
First, I was an orphan.
Being an orphan abandoned by their parents in the ‘Salvatore’ orphanage wasn’t particularly unusual, but I will explain in advance to avoid troubleso explanations later.
I will say this again.
I am an orphan, and my education is lacking.
Therefore, I may not be very accustod to narrating the events I experienced. I can only describe them plainly, as if tracing the path I have walked,
like the feeling of passing through an underground sewer.
— Hey, ash brat! What are you doing wandering around? Picking fights again?
— Yep, still a worm, huh.
— Don’t cause too much trouble! Otherwise, she will cry again! Hahaha!
The she they pointed to was none other than the girl I often fought within the orphanage.
Her situation was a little better than mine.
Her na was Aeloi, a sowhat odd na with a hint of alcohol to it, but at least she had one. Unlike , she knew the fate of her family. They had died, and she understood that no one was coming to find her, though it was a bit of a problem itself, but it definitely made her better off than .
“Don’t bother .”
“That’s my line! And stop picking fights everywhere! I’m the one who has to treat you afterward! We’re already short on supplies, and if you keep making doing that…!”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”
This girl often started fights with . Usually, it was because she claid I wasn’t doing my share of the orphanage chores. I found her nagging annoying and often ran off.
Perhaps she didn’t like that, as she eventually took to keeping an eye on .
That’s when I made a decision.
I would leave this wretched orphanage….
Anyway, looking back on my life at that mont, I couldn’t help but think, how could there be so much to do in this miserable Salvator Orphanage? Even the youngest children worked hard, with jobs brought in from here and there.
The handso boys were sold off as playthings for wealthy nobles or ard with rusty swords and sent to hunt monsters.
The girls did mostly static tasks like nding clothes, selling various items, or latching onto passing travelers, hoping to secure a way out.
Among the boys, I was the latter.
By thirteen, I was nearly 5.5 feet tall. No lecherous noble with peculiar tastes would show interest in soone like .
My fierce eyes didn’t help, either.
At the ti, I was still rather lean, but after years of wielding a sword in training, my fra had grown too large to ignore.
Now, I look like a giant to anyone who sees .
Even nobles with eccentric preferences didn’t want .
My ashen hair, heavy with a sense of defeat, played a role as well.
I wasn’t called ash brat for nothing.
Still.
People treated relatively well.
The adults often called ash-head or ash brat, but just being given shelter and food in a place like this was better.
Other orphanages had long since shut their doors.
Thanks to that, I could spend my spare ti continuing my sword training
Training, though, was nothing more than setting up a large log and chopping it with a sword instead of an axe. Still, wasn’t it better than doing nothing at all?
Ti passed, and the six-year-old abandoned child grew into a thirteen-year-old, nearly a full-fledged adult. Around that ti, a major event occurred that would change my life.
A nearby noble with a high opinion of himself decided to search for sothing out of fear of dying from illness and disease.
That sothing was none other than the legendary object called the [Philosopher’s Stone], one of the fragnts said to shape the world.
— To all who seek the Philosopher’s Stone, Count Kses has promised a massive reward!
Soon, a large-scale expedition force was organized. Despite my young age, I was already taller than most adults and skilled enough with a sword, so I volunteered for the expedition.
After many twists and turns,
I finally learned how to properly wield a sword for the first ti in my life.
The prestigious knightly order that had separated from Catalyu Royal Guard.
I joined the Polymorph Knights.
This was both a new beginning,
and the start of my tragic childhood.
….Ah, I suppose I should add one last thing.
Aeloi.
That girl, her last words to are still vivid in my mory.
— Why do you have to go off picking fights! Please…. can’t you just stay here?
— Why would I? Isn’t this exactly what you wanted? Participating in this will bring food support to Salvator, won’t it?
— In truth, for that’s not.. it’s just… forget it. Go. Just go.
I didn’t understand her final words.
But my decision had already been made, and I had no regrets. I calmly walked off to join the long procession of knights.
It was only natural.
There was no reason to dwell on complex emotions.
The greatest advantage and disadvantage of Salvator Orphanage was that anyone could be sold off at any ti.
——————————————
A year passed.
As anyone knows, a year is a long ti.
It’s especially long when you’re constantly replenishing thousands of supplies and exploring underground dungeons. Even the finest knights grew exhausted.
It was no surprise that the arrogant Count, grew increasingly desperate as his illness worsened. In the end, he was forced to halt the search for the Philosopher’s Stone.
He must have concluded that he could no longer endure. After all, there was no guarantee it even existed, and seeking such a legendary object with such slim odds of success was far from an easy task.
Finally, when the rage of others culminated in the start of a coup.
I simply thought, What do I care? and returned to this place once again.
Salvator Orphanage.
But why?
When I returned, there was nothing left but an empty ruin.
It was strange.
“…By now, Aeloi should be pestering as usual…”
No complaints about why I just ca now, no answers at all. Even after knocking on the door Aeloi and dozens of the other girls used to share, only a layer of pilled dust fell, and no response ca.
A sense of unease spread slowly through my body like poison. It was a kind of knightly intuition, akin to a reflex.
“This is strange.”
That was when I heard it.
Outside the orphanage, the voices of great number of people shouting in unison.
I quickly ran outside, grabbed hold of a man who looked easy to handle, and asked him.
“What’s going on here?”
“Let go!”
This, so you’re not going to answer nicely.
I imdiately grabbed him by the collar, putting force into my grip, and asked again politely.
“Shut up and tell .”
“Ugh… the Count… that bastard tricked us! He took rcenaries, saying he’d give us food supplies, but instead, he didn’t distribute anything! Worse, he captured everyone from the orphanage and took them as slaves!”
At that mont, my brow furrowed slightly.
“Took them? What happens now?”
I genuinely asked.
Honestly, I didn’t care what happened.
Whether they were sold as slaves or taken as concubines, what could I do?
This was warti, and I wasn’t a noble.
As a commoner, wasn’t I taught in the orphanage that this sort of discrimination was inevitable?
At the ti, I wasn’t thinking much of it, or rather, I was trying hard not to think about it. That’s probably a more accurate way to put it.
“You… Aren’t you that ashen?”
“And if I am, what about it?”
“Then, you’ll find this even sadder…”
“What are you talking about?”
I tilted my head, confused by the incomprehensible words.
Why would I feel sad?
But as the man continued, I started to sense sothing was wrong.
“Aeloi… that girl… she was taken as a concubine for Count Kses! By force.”
“…Hm.”
I thought for a mont before speaking.
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
But for so reason, a faint sense of confusion rose in my chest. In fact, Wasn’t this natural?
For a girl in this orphanage, the happiest fate was becoming a concubine to a noble family.
That’s why I tried to dismiss it as no big deal.
Even when I heard it was by force, I believed Aeloi life would improve. After all, what other choices did I have? Aeloi’s life could only get better from here.
In truth, she was the most beautiful girl in the orphanage, and her nature was kind and gentle. I didn’t want to admit it, but it was also Aeloi who treated every ti I ca back wounded.
But why?
This overwhelming weight in my chest, like a lump of lead—this suffocating sense of loss. Where did it co from? Why was it tornting ? I kept reflecting on it, but no clear answer ca to mind.
It was then.
“Shouldn’t you go?”
At that mont, I realized I’d been gripping the man’s collar for far longer than I should have.
And it was then that I finally understood how wrong I was.
Because of what the man, I ca to a realization.
If it wasn’t Aeloi’s own will, no one had the right to decide her life for her. And that I needed to save her imdiately.
“So, where is the count Kses estate?”
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