kscans

1

Facing Doriatessa, Karz took a stance with his right hand holding a sword, extending it halfway. It was the fourth day of sword training. Bard couldn’t help but let out a small gasp.

He saw an opening on Karz’s right shoulder.

Never before had Bard seen an opening on Karz. This was an intentionally created opening. But even so, to be able to show an opening so clearly. Just what kind of realm has Karz reached?

While pointing the sword towards his opponent in a middle stance, Doriatessa swayed it back and forth. It was her favorite attacking pattern. After swinging the sword down and stepping forward, she would deliver a thrusting slash. Even if it was avoided, the consecutive attacks would continue. It was an attack that utilized Doriatessa’s agility and explosive power. It seemed that her mentor had accurately recognized her qualities and provided guidance to enhance her strengths. The sword was also suitable for the attacking pattern. Although this magic sword was only lent to her for this occasion, it seemed that she originally used a similar sword.

The magic sword “Night Maiden” had a narrow blade and a thick body, with a sharp tip and edge. It had a shape similar to a thrusting sword with a blade attached. There was a time when thrusting swords were popular. However, as armor developed and knights began wearing plate armor, there were no longer any knights using thrusting swords. One reason was that swords that could deliver damage by striking over the armor became mainstream. Another reason was that the attacking knights also became heavily armored, making thrusting less sharp and providing an opportunity for counterattacks. Nowadays, only attendants and squires carry thrusting daggers, which could be considered remnants of thrusting swords. They are weapons used to pierce and defeat opponents through the gaps in a fallen knight’s armor.

Even if a blade is attached to a thrusting sword, it becomes ineffective in terms of impact and easily breaks. However, the durability of this magic sword is extraordinary, making it an almost unfair weapon with the sharpness of a thrusting sword. With this sword, it might be possible to pierce through plate armor. However, in the martial arts competition, one cannot use their own sword. They can use their own armor, but the weapons and shields must be chosen from the provided options.

Doriatessa strongly stepped forward with her right foot and unleashed a thrusting slash, closing the distance in an instant. It was an impressive speed. However, she didn’t follow up with consecutive attacks because Doriatessa’s sword was deflected by Karz. Doriatessa stumbled and exposed her defenseless body. Her face turned pale, but Karz didn’t attack. He sheathed his sword, changed direction, and lay down on his favorite rocky ledge.

Realizing her mistake, Doriatessa bowed her head and left, starting to practice on her own. She had probably been thinking about it during breakfast. Without saying it to anyone, she quietly muttered, “What did I do wrong?” And Jurchaga provided an answer.

“Huh? Isn’t it because you didn’t hit the designated spot?”

Doriatessa looked at Jurchaga in surprise. Bard was also surprised. This mischievous person had noticed that opening.

After breakfast, they had another training session. Doriatessa carefully identified the opening created by Karz and struck it accurately. Although her sword was still deflected, Karz immediately created another opening. In other words, this was acceptable. Doriatessa continued to strike relentlessly at the consecutive openings created.

At the beginning of the next day’s training, Karz once again created an opening and had Doriatessa strike it. After that, he turned to the side and swung his sword into the empty air. It was a quick sword movement, thrusting the sword held in a middle stance forward. He was definitely demonstrating the correct technique. It seemed that Karz also thought it would be best for Doriatessa to polish her favorite thrusting slash, utilizing her agility and extraordinary explosive power.

Doriatessa bowed to Karz, who was lying on the rocky ledge, and continued to unleash sword strikes into the air. It seemed like she was imitating Karz’s movements, but Bard felt that something was missing. Once again, Jurchaga accurately pointed out the problem.

“Dora, that’s not it.”

Surprised, Doriatessa looked at Jurchaga. Bard was also surprised. It seemed that Doriatessa felt the same way. Nodding firmly, she resumed her practice. The tip of her sword had a completely different sharpness than before.

Once Doriatessa became able to accurately strike the openings, Karz continued to create openings one after another and had her strike them. He even changed the position of the opening right before Doriatessa struck. Doriatessa continued her training, relentlessly pursuing the openings created by Karz.

2

Doriatessa was taking her daily bath in the waterfall. At first, she only washed herself in the shade of the rocks, but she became envious of everyone swimming in the pool and started swimming downstream. Everyone was considerate and didn’t approach the downstream area while Doriatessa was swimming. Bard noticed this after a while, but whenever Doriatessa was swimming, either Karz or Jurchaga would be near the pool, just in case something happened. Both of them surprisingly treated women well. They naturally did so without consulting each other, so perhaps these two got along well.

Currently, Karz was waiting near the rocky ledge close to the waterfall. As for Jurchaga, he was being taught how to write by Godon Zarkos. Since he could only write his own name, Godon volunteered to be his teacher. Jurchaga seemed to have a good memory and was rapidly learning how to write.

Suddenly, Doriatessa’s scream echoed. Karz rushed out. By the time Bard arrived at the scene, it was already over. It seemed that a wolf had appeared. Karz had driven it away with just a glare, without even drawing his sword. Although he would easily kill a human, he wouldn’t recklessly take the life of an animal. Bard thought he was an interesting man.

Since that day, Doriatessa confidently swam in the pool. Moreover, she did so completely naked. She believed that even wearing a little bit of clothing would diminish the refreshing feeling. It was certainly strange for a nobleman’s daughter to have such a sensation. However, noblewomen would easily expose their skin in front of maids and servants, so it might be the opposite of what is expected of a noblewoman.

At first, Bard was unsure where to look, but he eventually got used to it. He decided to think of it as a fairy swimming in the forest. He wouldn’t stare, but sometimes it would unintentionally catch his eye. Doriatessa’s breasts were surprisingly large and well-shaped. The light pink nipples were vivid like translucent yufu fruits in the sunlight. The pure white naked body floating in the emerald-colored pool had a mysterious beauty. If someone saw it unknowingly, they would surely think it was a fairy. Much later, it became clear that Doriatessa also thought of Bard and the others as forest gods. Both of them felt that way about each other, to the point where there was a somewhat detached and gentle atmosphere.

At that time, they didn’t realize. How much joy it brought Doriatessa to be able to undress. A silver armor crafted by a master artisan. A magical sword of exceptional quality. Being a daughter of a noble family in a powerful nation. Obligations, expectations, and entanglements. She experienced the joy of knowing that she could live without all of them. Like a child, freely. Like a bird or an animal, without any pretense. While swimming in the pool, Doriatessa was reborn.

Bathing naked and frolicking with birds and fish may have been a kind of ritual. Seeing the birth of Karz Rowen, longing for it, and unconsciously wishing to be reborn led her to this point.

And the minds and bodies of the group watching over her also experienced a new beginning in the overflowing grace of the deep mountains’ gods. Strong bonds were formed among those who received the grace together. Bard, Godon, Jurchaga, Karz, and Doriatessa’s firm bond was formed by the riverside of this waterfall. Bard would later look back and say that.

3

“Uncle, please spar with me.”

Godon Zarkos said to Bard. It seemed that he was inspired by Doriatessa’s training and started asking Bard to spar with him almost every day. Bard had no choice but to go along with it. Godon’s battle hammer, which he swung, no longer had the clumsiness it once had. He had mastered the hammer technique, striking the opponent precisely and steadily, without wasting any movements. And each strike carried tremendous destructive power. Perhaps Godon was currently at the peak of his martial arts career. Bard initially thought that he couldn’t spar seriously with someone like him.

However, it was different. Mysteriously, Bard was able to easily anticipate and avoid Godon’s attacks. One reason was the presence of the ancient sword. After all, there was no need to worry about it breaking or chipping. Such a sturdy sword was truly rare.

But even so, why was Bard able to skillfully evade Godon’s attacks as if he were superior? It wasn’t as if he was still growing at this age. In reality, his back still hurt, and his muscles didn’t move as easily as they did in his younger days. Although the pain in his shoulders and elbows had subsided recently, his strength and speed couldn’t match Godon’s. Nevertheless, Bard was able to continuously evade Godon’s attacks as if he were the superior one. He didn’t understand the reason for his good condition, but since he could enjoy sparring with Godon to his heart’s content, it wasn’t a bad thing. However, he didn’t have the bottomless stamina like Godon, so they couldn’t spar for a long time.

Since he started feeling the signs of aging, Bard had reduced the amount of physical training. It had been a long time since he could compete in martial arts with such freedom and ease. Bard thoroughly enjoyed the mysterious pleasure.

4

Doriatessa stood without a sword. Karz’s sword slid into its sheath. The blade stopped right in front of Doriatessa’s face. Unable to dodge, she stood frozen with her eyes wide open.

Perhaps dissatisfied, Karz sheathed his sword and seemed to be thinking for a while. Then, his gaze turned towards Jurchaga.

“Hey, hey. Karz-kun? You shouldn’t look at your big brother with such eyes.”

Karz approached Jurchaga like a spider gliding on water and swung his sword at him.

“Whoa! Ah, that was close.”

Jurchaga awkwardly but skillfully avoided the sword. Karz remained expressionless, but he seemed to smile slightly, at least in Bard’s eyes.

Consecutive strikes were unleashed. Jurchaga continued to dodge while making strange sounds like “wa” and “ho.” Karz’s attacks gradually increased in speed. Bard couldn’t even capture the tip of the sword with his eyes. Nevertheless, Jurchaga continued to dodge.

When Bard looked at Doriatessa, she was staring intently at Karz’s sword. Her concentration was a treasure beyond anything else, Bard thought in his mind.

5

“Jurchaga, you’re quite skilled at dodging attacks. Your eyes must be sharp.”

Doriatessa’s admiration was genuine, with a hint of envy.

“Huh? Are you talking about dodging blades? I didn’t see it. There’s no way I could see something like that.”

“What? How can you dodge attacks if you can’t see them?”

“Well… it’s the atmosphere, I guess. Oh, and I pay attention to the opponent’s feet. And I also focus on their eyes, hands, and their entire body.”

“Impressive, Jurchaga.”

Godon Zarkos was also impressed.

“Really? Hehehe. I feel embarrassed when I receive so much praise. Well, if I want to continue my line of work, I have to be able to do this much.”

“I see. You’re quite something, Jurchaga.”

Their conversation probably didn’t align. When Jurchaga mentioned his line of work, he was referring to theft. It seemed that Godon believed Jurchaga to be a spy for Count of Linz.

“Well, it’s not something to brag about, but I’ve never been hit directly, whether it’s a sword or a knife, from the front or the back.”

Bard jokingly mentioned that he had been hit by his protective charm. Last September, Jurchaga infiltrated the residence of King Parzam’s envoy. Both the envoy and his two skilled guards were immobilized with a paralyzing drug. Bard, who happened to be there, captured Jurchaga with the help of a medicinal herb. He threw a protective charm at him. That was how Bard and Jurchaga first met.

“Yeah, that’s why it’s strange. I’m not the type to be hit with something like that. That’s why… I thought there was something special about Bard.”

Even after the meal, Karz continued to chase after Jurchaga. Although he had a blank expression, his sword speed was clearly faster than before. Perhaps being constantly dodged was bothering him. Jurchaga, who was usually able to dodge everything, was eventually unable to avoid Karz’s attack and had his sleeve cut off before jumping into a waterfall basin to escape.

After that, Karz unleashed a slash in the air. Doriatessa desperately tried to discern the sword’s trajectory. Jurchaga, poking his head out of the water, jokingly complained, “If all you have to do is slash the air, then just slash there from the beginning.”

From then on, half of the day was spent allowing Doriatessa to find openings, while the other half was spent slashing at the empty air or Jurchaga. Doriatessa’s martial prowess sharpened rapidly. She had already honed her skills under a good teacher. The growth potential granted only to nineteen-year-olds was causing Doriatessa to bloom day by day. In addition, Jurchaga’s evasion skills seemed to have improved even further.

One day, something happened.

As usual, Karz created an opening and attacked. But this time, he released a killing intent. By the time Bard noticed, Karz’s sword had pierced Doriatessa’s neck. Or so it seemed, but Doriatessa skillfully dodged Karz’s sword and counterattacked with a thrust-like slash to his left shoulder. It was exactly where he was aiming. The strike had enough speed that if he hadn’t been wearing leather armor, it would have caused a serious injury.

It was the moment when Doriatessa’s sword caught Karz for the first time. Of course, it was intentionally allowed, and the fact that she was wearing leather armor today was proof of that. In other words, Karz had reached a point where he could allow himself to be hit. Doriatessa was aware of this. She knelt down on the spot, as if she had just remembered something, and said, “Thank you!” while bowing her head. Karz responded with a smile that could be interpreted as either a laugh or not, and nodded slightly. Then, he swiftly approached the riverbank and stood in front of a branch of the Kachua tree, where a single flower was blooming. He unsheathed his sword without making a sound and swung it in a flash. After a moment, the branch with the flower fell gently. He caught it with the flat side of his sword and tossed it lightly. Doriatessa instinctively caught the red flower that flew towards her.

“Oh! What a stylish move!”

Godon Zarkos laughed. But what Karz wanted to show was not the plump, large Kachua flower, but the cut. Jurchaga was also grinning. Bard, on the other hand, did not laugh. The swordsmanship he had just witnessed vividly brought back a scene from his memory. A swordsmanship he had only seen once in his childhood.

Drawn to it, Bard walked towards the riverbank. Then, he raised his ancient sword in front of the branch of the Kachua tree and swung it down casually. The rough sword swung as if it passed through the branch. After a while, the branch fell as if he had just remembered it.

I did it! The technique I couldn’t do no matter how many times I tried, I did it now!

Karz looked at Bard with astonished eyes. The branch with the petals still intact fell into the water and was carried away downstream.

“Old man, who taught you swordsmanship?”

Karz asked at the dinner table. Bard replied that he had learned from a wandering knight for a year and then from Lady Elzera Tercia. Karz said, “I see,” and fell silent as usual.

6

Jurchaga and Doriatessa looked down at the waterfall basin from a rocky ledge.

“Jurchaga, what kind of bird is that?”

“That’s a Molucca. The two large ones swimming in front are the parents, and the two smaller ones with lighter feathers swimming behind are the children.”

“I see.”

“Yeah, Moluccas give birth to their young every spring. At first, the babies hide inside their mother’s feathers. They stick their heads out and open their mouths, begging for food. They’re like, ‘Give me food, give me food.’ Then, the father dives into the water and catches small fish and shrimp to feed them.”

“I’d love to see that. It must be adorable.”

“Oh, they’re so cute. When the father gets tired, guess what he does? He goes in front of the mother and dips his head into the water. Then, the mother shakes her body and drops the babies into the water.”

“What? But won’t the chicks die?”

“No, they won’t. The babies that fall into the water try to get back into their mother’s feathers, but the mother shakes her body again and flicks them away.”

“Poor things.”

“No, it’s different. When that happens, the babies climb onto the father’s body and hide in his feathers. Then, the mother dives into the water and catches food for them.”

“I see. In autumn, the babies can catch food on their own. When spring comes, they leave and find a partner to start their own families.”

“Ah, I see. So they cooperate as a couple. Moluccas are truly amazing.”

“In autumn, the children can already gather food for themselves. When spring comes, they leave and find a partner, and then they have their own children.”

The next day, Bard happened to see Doriatessa swimming in the pool below the waterfall. Two large Moluccas and two slightly smaller ones were swimming with her. They were swimming closely behind her, paddling through the water with their arms and legs, making themselves small like raccoons. Perhaps they thought they were baby birds. It was a peaceful scene.

Lately, Doriatessa’s sword seemed to have gained more grace. Bard thought that not only her skills, but also her heart, were growing.

Karz watched Doriatessa swimming innocently. His thick eyebrows fluttered in the faint breeze. The red raven was nowhere to be seen anymore.

With no place to go, Yueitan was restless and running around everywhere. Krildzuka had started following him and running alongside him. If the giant wild horse, Yueitan, were to run through the mountains with all his might, the small Krildzuka wouldn’t be able to keep up. And yet, they always returned together, so Yueitan was unexpectedly caring despite his appearance.

7

The next day, Bard woke up to the chilly breeze that brushed his nose. The fire had died down. Bard untied his cloak and got up, moving the remaining embers to the center and placing fresh firewood around the edges. The amount of firewood they used in one night was quite substantial, so they couldn’t make the fire too strong, no matter how much firewood they had. But they couldn’t let the fire go out either.

Normally, they would take turns keeping watch and someone would be awake. But this group didn’t do that. And yet, the fire never went out. Whenever someone noticed, they would take care of it, and it worked out well. They had developed a natural coordination, as if they had been traveling together for years. Godon Zarkos had gathered firewood in a place sheltered from the wind.

After Bard fell asleep again, some time passed before the fire died down once more. Bard thought that if no one else woke up, he would have to get up himself. But someone woke up. It was Doriatessa. It was rare for her to wake up at night, as she was tired from her daily training. However, her body seemed to have gotten used to it.

Everyone was resting in a place sheltered from the wind in a hollow of the rocks. They had laid sand and dead leaves in multiple layers and piled grass on top, so their body heat wasn’t being taken away too much. However, their ears, nose, and fingers exposed to the air would become as cold as ice by dawn.

Bard checked if there were any gaps in his cloak and buried his head in it. He listened to the sound of Doriatessa taking care of the firewood and fell asleep once again.

8

Another late night. Bard got up and moved away from the fire. The gentle moon, Sura, illuminated the forest.

During the day, he didn’t notice it because he was focused, but waking up in the middle of the night made him feel his age. His joints and muscles were groaning, as if they were barely holding on. It couldn’t be helped. As you get older, you need to urinate more frequently, and your body creaks. But at the same time, as you live with pain and discomfort, you also learn how to live. Breathing in the cool air of the forest at night filled his body with warm blood and brought forth new strength.

People are born and die every day, Bard thought. And if that’s the case, am I a dying person or a newborn? He didn’t know. That’s right. Not knowing is the truth. People don’t know which part of their life they are living. Even if you’re young, you might be nearing the end, and even if you’re old, you might still have a long way to go. Not knowing is what makes life interesting.

Living is playing. We lend our bodies in this world and play freely.

When Bard opened his pants to urinate, a small creature jumped out and ran along the riverbank. Then, a winged creature descended from the sky and grabbed the small creature before flying away. It was a river owl. With its wings spread, it was wider than Bard’s height. The river owl danced in the night forest, bathed in the light of Sura. It was like a scene from a fairy tale, Bard thought.

He returned to the fire and wrapped himself in his cloak, but his body was cold, and he couldn’t fall asleep right away. Bard remembered Karz Rowen’s knight’s oath. He was curious about what Karz would answer when asked who he pledged his loyalty to.

When Bard learned that Elzera was the one who guided his knight’s oath, he was at a loss. He couldn’t make the person guiding him the object of his loyalty. But he couldn’t imagine pledging his loyalty to anyone other than Elzera. What should he do? Bard thought long and hard and came up with the words “I pledge my loyalty to the people.” It was a declaration he created himself and became his guiding principle from then on. In other words, regardless of who he swore his loyalty to, Elzera was his lord, and the main family was the Tercia family. That was self-evident and a matter that came before any oath.

But a knight’s oath is sacred, and lies and evasions are not allowed. Bard desperately thought about it. What should he value in order to make Elzera’s wishes his own? What does the ideal knight in the depths of his heart command him to cherish, no matter what form it takes? And Bard discovered the words of his oath: “I pledge my loyalty to the people.” It was a phrase he had created himself and became his guiding light from then on. It illuminated Bard’s path like a torch in the dark night, whether he was serving Elzera closely, fulfilling his duties as a knight to the successive heads of the family, or even when he felt it was time to leave the Tercia family. If he had pledged his loyalty to Elzera, leaving would have been seen as betrayal and a violation of his oath. It was then that Bard truly understood Elzera’s kindness.

Those who create their own words become truly free. Bard had given Venn Urill the key to freedom. What kind of life would Venn Urill show him from now on? No, he had already shown it.

Living is quite enjoyable, Bard thought as he drifted back to sleep.

9

That day’s dinner was fish. A huge fish that Karz had caught in the waterfall basin. Karz had caught the fish with his bare hands, or rather, he had caught it while completely naked. Godon Zarkos was surprised and asked how he had caught such a big fish. He didn’t sense any signs of a struggle. According to Karz, if you acclimatize your body temperature to the bottom of the water and feel like a rock, the fish won’t escape, so you can just grab it. It was a long explanation, but the meaning was not clear.

Jurchaga dissected the fish and grilled it, also making a broth from the innards. The fish meat was lean. Everyone picked and enjoyed various parts of the fish, such as the back and belly, savoring different flavors in each location. The broth was made with only water and salt, but with such fresh innards, it had no unpleasant smell. It seemed like a wonderful dish to pair with alcohol, but unfortunately, they had run out of alcohol.

After that, Jurchaga made a unique dish. He seasoned the diced red meat of the fish with the broth from the innards and spices found in the mountains, then poured mashed yam over it. It was a strange delicacy that impressed everyone.

“Jurchaga, you’re good at finding food. I didn’t know there was so much food in the forest.”

Doriatessa said.

“Hehehe. My mother was also good at finding food.”

“Oh, so it runs in the family. What kind of man is your father?”

“He was a fast runner.”

“Ah, so you inherited your fast legs from your father!”

Godon laughed, and Bard and Doriatessa joined in. Jurchaga smiled happily and replied, “Yeah.”

After the laughter subsided, Bard told everyone that they would be moving from the next day. Winter was approaching, and the cold at dawn was becoming more severe day by day. It would be difficult for Doriatessa, who was inexperienced in camping, to maintain her health. Although her training was not yet complete, it was time to start moving. He asked Doriatessa to guide them to the port where they could cross the Ova River. Doriatessa shook her head.

“I truly appreciate your kindness. However, I cannot interfere with your journey any further.”

“No, no! We didn’t have a fixed destination in the first place. So even if we send you to Ova, it won’t be a detour.”

Godon interrupted, saying that they would send her to the capital, not just Ova. Doriatessa looked at him in surprise, and Bard told her that he had asked Lord Heridan. He said that two witnesses would be required, and they would testify that she had indeed defeated the magical beast.

Doriatessa bowed deeply.

“For your kind offer, I am truly grateful. However, I cannot obstruct your journey any further for my sake.”

“No, no! We didn’t have a fixed destination in the first place. So even if we send you to Ova, it won’t be a detour.”

Godon interrupted, saying that they would send her to the capital, not just Ova. Doriatessa looked at him in surprise, and Bard told her that he had asked Lord Heridan. He said that two witnesses would be required, and they would testify that she had indeed defeated the demonic beast.

Doriatessa bowed deeply. For a long time, her head had not been lifted.