Chapter 013: Reunion (4)
“…The code, of chivalry?”
“Yes.”
I straightened my back rigidly.
I regulated even my breathing, consciously suppressing every minor habit that threatened to slip out instinctively.
I wanted Jayden to see , in this mont, as the epito of an Imperial warrior.
I hoped my sincerity and spirit would reach him.
I wished, this ti, to receive it with a reverent posture, to hold it not in my mind but deep within my heart.
‘One more ti.’
I wanted to hear that resonance again.
Just as the resonance he left in my past life guided to this one, I believed it would reveal the path I must walk in this life as well.
“Uh, well…”
Jayden blinked. His open mouth looked as if drool might spill out any second.
“…Ahem, I’m sorry. No matter how much I rack my brain, I can’t think of a decent answer to give you.”
“…”
“The code of chivalry… Was there such a thing?”
To say I wasn’t affected at all… that would be a lie.
I let out the breath I’d been holding slowly.
My eyelids and shoulders sank simultaneously.
The Jayden before now was undoubtedly the Old Knight from my past life.
The only explanation was that this guard captain must have had so awakening in the years leading up to the war between the Empire and the Kingdom.
Ironically, the timing was misaligned.
“By the way, that’s surprising. How does an Imperial swordsman know about chivalry…? Haha, it’s like I’ve been hit over the head with sothing.”
“Are you familiar with chivalry?”
“Of course. So washed-up swordsn like might have once held chivalry in their hearts. It was romantic, you see.”
“Romantic…”
Who would’ve thought the word “romantic” could taste so bitter?
Fear gripped suddenly.
What if, just what if…
What if the Jayden of my past life, reciting the code of chivalry and eting a noble end, wasn’t truly noble? What if he was rely drunk on romance, raving like a madman?
What if it wasn’t Sword Aura, or even Aura, but just my own delusion?
―Damn it―! Snap out of it, Bihen. Light, my ass. All I saw was a crazed old man throwing a tantrum.
…My head throbbed as if it might split open.
‘No way.’
To be shaken by this level of disappointnt? How pathetic, Bihen.
“You ca to the Kingdom on a warrior’s pilgrimage to learn about chivalry, right?”
Maserin, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.
I flinched, like soone startled awake from a doze.
Her voice, which would normally grate on , felt oddly welco this ti.
If she hadn’t spoken, I might have sunk deeper into a quagmire of brooding thoughts.
Jayden, who had been wearing a surprised expression, now looked troubled and furrowed his brow.
“I’m sorry about this. I haven’t been much help.”
“…No, it’s fine. Thanks to you, I was able to organize my thoughts more easily.”
I took a sip of water and, to catch my breath, asked another question.
“Do you have any connection to Ashham?”
Ashham.
The place where, in my past life, Jayden and I fought a life-or-death duel—where he t his end.
It’s quite far from here in Conwell.
How did this man, now just a rural guard captain, end up at the front lines?
‘Perhaps that story is tied to the mont of his awakening.’
Jayden shook his head, his brow furrowed.
“None at all. But why do you ask…?”
“…Ah, I got confused for a mont. Don’t mind it.”
“This is embarrassing. I wish I could give you at least one satisfying answer.”
It might be best to stop talking for now.
The more questions I asked, the more I felt like I was being rude.
At that mont, I felt a gaze from the side.
Maserin, glancing at , changed the subject.
“Those mages who attacked the caravan earlier. You said they were from the Crimson Fla Cult, right?”
“Ah, yes. It’s definitely them. It seems word of Zephyros’ dealings with the Empire has finally reached their ears.”
“Is there any chance they’ve allied with the Langster Faction?”
Jayden shook his head.
“The Crimson Fla Cult is an extrely conservative sect among the magic schools. They’d likely disapprove of other magic schools in the Conwell region joining hands with the Langster Faction. Rather, they probably see Zephyros, who brought in foreign influence, as the greater evil.”
I looked back and forth between the two, and Maserin spoke up first, as if she’d noticed my confusion.
“Magic schools are, as the na suggests, factions of mages. They usually band together based on shared mana lineage, ideologies, or regional ties. While knight factions are broadly divided into two categories, magic schools are too nurous to count.”
Perhaps realizing I was unfamiliar with the Kingdom’s politics, Jayden chid in to help understand.
Rather than a knight’s duty, the Sharon Faction valued honor and appearances, while the Langster Faction emphasized a crude martial spirit and the logic of strength.
In contrast, magic schools varied widely in character and scale, as nurous as they were, according to their explanation.
‘I’d never even heard of the concept of magic schools in my past life.’
In any case, thanks to these miscellaneous groups, presud to have been wiped out before the war, the Kingdom’s chaos was even more uncontrollable.
I shot Maserin a look, as if to say, “And what about you?”
“Being born with mana doesn’t an you’re automatically part of a school like so bloodline clan. It’s a matter of personal choice.”
“So, you’re a mage pretending to be a ronin?”
“I’m a bodyguard for the Gunbel Trading Company and a knight of Zephyros.”
“Hah, unbelievable.”
A rootless swordsman spouting sophistries.
Does wielding a sword and being born a noble make one a warrior or a knight?
No. One must have a clear personal creed.
A belief as vital as life itself.
That is the soul that resides in the blade, and only those who possess it are true swordsn.
A person’s skill level cos after that.
From that perspective, I’d say the Langster Faction knights, who follow their convictions down the path of domination, are better than this greenhorn.
‘In my past life, I, too, was a wandering greenhorn.’
Knock, knock.
A knock ca from behind.
The guard from earlier, who I’d seen before, poked his head through the rickety door.
“Uh… Captain, a ssenger from Zephyros has arrived.”
Behind the guard, a neatly dressed ssenger stepped forward.
His re presence made the scruffy guard beside him look like a defeated soldier.
“The First Commander has summoned you to Zephyros headquarters imdiately, Guard Captain.”
The young man, barely more than a boy, stood with his hands on his hips, head held high.
“…Wow.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t make heads or tails of what was wrong with this Kingdom.
* * *
I arrived at Zephyros’ so-called headquarters with Jayden and Maserin.
Headquarters or not, it was practically a lavish mansion.
Looking at the reception room, where various weapons were displayed like ceremonial ornants, I ca to a conclusion about Zephyros.
‘A gang of thugs.’
To be honest, my first impression of Zephyros had been sowhat refreshing.
As an Imperial warrior, absolute loyalty to the royal family and my house was a given virtue, so I felt both an instinctive aversion to their free-spirited will and a strong curiosity at the sa ti.
That’s why the conclusion I reached left a bitter taste.
‘…Just a bunch of spoiled nobles craving power.’
At the center of the reception room, which doubled as a eting hall, stood a large, clearly high-quality wooden roundtable.
Ness Servai, seated opposite the entrance, greeted us.
“Ah, welco, Guard Captain.”
Next to him, Jewel, sitting with her legs crossed at an angle, wiggled her fingers at in greeting.
The two n and won I’d seen earlier during the day were also seated.
Jayden bowed respectfully to them.
“Sir Ness, you called for ?”
“Have a seat. Have you eaten?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Pity. It was a good chance to try the Imperial turkey Miss Jewelina brought from the Empire. The at is quite tender.”
“Is that so?”
Jayden responded and took a seat.
To an outsider, he might seem overly compliant, but to , I saw the seasoned tact of soone who knew how to handle spoiled brats.
“What about you, Lord Bihen?”
Jewel had been eyeing with a gleam in her eyes since earlier.
It was almost overwhelming.
“I’m good.”
“When will we ever get to dine together?”
Ness tapped the table lightly, as if to draw attention.
“Ahem, I called the Guard Captain here because of the mages who attacked the caravan earlier. Is it certain it was the Crimson Fla Cult’s doing?”
“Yes, it’s certain.”
Jayden repeated the explanation he’d given Maserin.
Co to think of it, I’d sohow ended up sitting here, listening attentively, as if I were already part of Zephyros.
When Jayden finished, Ness stroked his chin and sighed.
“When I was still with my family before leaving ho, I sparred with the Crimson Fla Cult’s top disciple, so I know a thing or two. That school is stubbornly rigid to a fault. What could motivate such people to co all the way to Conwell, far from their usual territory? Do you have any guesses, Guard Captain?”
“As I ntioned earlier, it’s likely because of Zephyros’ dealings with the Empire…”
“No, I think differently. That’s just their surface excuse. We need to look at their true intentions.”
Ness tapped his temple with his index finger.
His already slightly slouched posture leaned further, half-reclining against the armrest.
This ti, Jewel spoke up.
“Sir Ness, I’ve said this before, but if our caravan keeps being exposed to this kind of danger, it’ll be hard to promise further support. You know, don’t you? My father was against investing in Zephyros from the start. The only reason this relationship continues is because of my will alone.”
“M-Miss Jewelina, do we really need to discuss such details here…?”
“Yes, we do. I almost died this ti, you know? Anyway, whether it’s the Crimson Fla Cult or whatever, deal with it quickly. I don’t have any reason to risk my life to help you all.”
Whether Jewel’s words were true or false, I couldn’t say.
But I was certain that her claim of supporting Zephyros solely out of her own will was a lie.
…Sure enough, Jewel glanced at and winked one eye.
“Don’t worry, Miss Jewelina. I already have sothing in mind.”
Ness spoke with a resolute expression.
“Guard Captain, make contact with the Crimson Fla Cult as soon as possible.”
“, personally…?”
“Yes. And make our intentions clear.”
I was genuinely curious about what plan he’d co up with.
Ness quietly buried his chin in his clasped hands on the table.
“If they want to negotiate, tell their leader to co to personally.”
“Pardon? You an…”
“They act radical under the pretense of rejecting foreign influence, but in reality, they harbor ulterior motives. They, too, have things they want from the Empire.”
“…”
“If we hint that there’s room for compromise, they’ll co crawling on their own. They’re just old n full of greed, pretending to be dignified. We need to coax and placate them appropriately.”
My hand instinctively rose. When I ca to my senses, everyone’s eyes were on .
“Wouldn’t it be faster if you went yourself?”
“…”
Even I thought my comnt was like pouring cold water on the mont.
In the ensuing silence, Jewel’s stifled laugh rang out loudly.
Ness’s face grew redder by the second.
A nacing growl escaped through his clenched teeth.
“…Ah, it was Sir Bihen who slew the Crimson Fla Cult mages, wasn’t it? I heard briefly from Miss Jewelina, but… what, you cut through fire magic with a sword?”
“That’s right.”
“When I heard that, I nearly burst out laughing in Miss Jewelina’s face. Cutting magic… I’d like to hear the truth from your own mouth.”
“You want to explain what happened?”
The man and woman, presumably Zephyros executives, glanced nervously at Ness.
I t Ness’s gaze, undaunted, as if ready for a staring contest, and slowly opened my mouth.
“I’ll move with Guard Captain Jayden.”
“Why would you…?”
“Ask Jewel about that. I still have a contract with the Gunbel Trading Company.”
I’d arbitrarily turned my promise to stick around until I found traces of chivalry into a “contract.”
From what I’d observed, Jewel held considerable authority here, so I planned to use her as a sturdy shield for the ti being.
Jewel, who was either thanking or questioning the truth of my words, rely nodded at
Ness’s probing gaze.
Ness’s jaw muscles bulged as he gritted his teeth to suppress his anger.
“If the Gunbel Trading Company is helping us… we can only welco it.”
For now, I had no intention of standing by if Jayden got into danger because of the trouble I caused by killing those Crimson Fla Cult mages.
My imdiate goal, if I had to na one, was to observe how this guard captain transforms into Cervantes.
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