kscans

In the end, the members who would go to Engdahl were decided as follows:

• Yangzengo, the acting chief of the Zoi clan
• Meritoke, a young member of the Zoi clan
• Maitalp, the commander of the first battalion and deputy commander of the Parzam Border Knights
• Lahorita, a young knight of the Parzam Border Knights
• Bard Rowen
• Godon Zarkos
• Karz Rowen

Bard didn’t give the exact location, but he said it was on the east side of Ova and closer to Linz than Himaya. So, they decided to head south along Ova to the trading village of Padellia and cross over to Linz from there. Padellia was about 170 leagues away, which would take 17 days to travel at a rate of 10 leagues per day. However, the knights of the Frontier Knights could cover the distance in 15 days. Unlike the eastern frontiers with their mountains and valleys, the western side of Ova was covered in grasslands and deserts, so as long as they had enough water and food, they could cover long distances in a short time.

Bard was unfamiliar with the situation on the western side of Ova, so it would be helpful to have knights from the Frontier Knights accompany them to guide them and provide supplies. Moreover, Padellia was under the jurisdiction of the Frontier Marquis, and the authority of the Frontier Knights would be of great help there. It was even better that Maitalp, the deputy commander of the Frontier Knights, would accompany them.

As they were about to depart, a patrol returned and reported that Manuno had set up a village by the Ova. Manuno was a strange subhuman with a snake-like lower body who usually lived only in the large wetlands at the foot of Fyuza. However, for some reason, they sometimes temporarily settled in the Ova basin after the rainy season. In any case, they couldn’t provoke Manuno, so they changed their route to pass through the fortress to the south and then head south along Ova from there.

“If we take that route, we might run into the Panzer Entrar(Storm General), but since we have a small number of people, we should be okay,” said Seifert.

Bard asked who the Storm General was.

The Storm General was a warrior who had recently started serving King Gaineria. Gaineria was one of the oldest countries in the central continent, but it looked down on other countries with its nose in the air and clung to troublesome ceremonial traditions, and had completely fallen into a small country. It had never used foreigners heavily before, but the Storm General quickly showed his prowess and was entrusted with military power. He defeated beasts and bandits, built forts one after another, drove away or taxed the caravans of other countries trying to pass through, and steadily expanded his effective control. For a country that had been losing its territory by losing battles, he was like a savior. There were no borders in deserts and grasslands to begin with. The only way was to increase effective control by connecting the dots and asserting territorial rights. Gaineria was located between the Goriora Empire and the Parzam Kingdom, closer to Lordvan Castle than either capital. It had not been a problem until now because it was a dead country, but with this sudden expansion, Parzam’s sphere of influence, which had extended too far to the east, was in danger of being divided.

“The Storm General is famous only by that name, and his real name is not known. He is invincible and elusive. He takes good care of his subordinates and is fair, and he is a man who does not seek his own profit. He has refused several times to be given land by the King of Gaineria.”

Bard had a hunch about the nickname “Storm,” but the rest of the description didn’t fit the person he had in mind at all.

The group set out. It took two days to reach the southern fortress and spend the night there before heading further south on the second day. A signal was raised behind them. They had stationed a scout in the middle of this desert. When they advanced a little further, they saw nearly a hundred cavalrymen ahead. Two of them were waiting in front, while the others kept their distance.

“That’s the person in all black. It must be the Storm General we’ve heard about. I’ll go talk to him. If we swear to just pass through without causing any trouble, he should let us through,” said Knight Maitalp, but Bard thought it wouldn’t be that easy. The Storm General seemed to be looking at Bard with a fierce joy in his eyes.

It was Jog Ward. The Storm. He was the illegitimate son of Caldos Gwendell. He had been defeated by Bard many times and seemed to find his purpose in life in taking Bard’s head. Bard had heard that he had fled, but he was surprised to find him serving as a general in this place.

“Bard! Rowen!” A voice shouted as they ran towards them with intense killing intent. Knight Maitalp realized that there was no room for negotiation.

The first to react was the young Gerkaast, Meritoke. He suddenly jumped out, swung his weapon, and headed straight for Jog Ward.

Though slightly smaller than Yangzengo, Meritoke’s body was much larger than a human’s, with arms thicker than a human’s legs. He wielded a curved, single-edged sword called the “Quitann” and rode a giant, wingless bird called the “Hield,” which had less endurance than a horse but was faster in short bursts.

Even seasoned warriors would be intimidated by such an attack, but Jog Ward showed no signs of hesitation. He charged forward, holding his sword with both hands and maintaining his balance without using the reins. His strong leg muscles allowed him to do so, and just before they crossed paths, he changed his course to the right, a dangerous maneuver that could have resulted in a head-on collision. Meritoke skillfully maneuvered his reins with his left hand to follow, and they crossed paths while looking to their left. Meritoke’s head was slightly higher.

Jog Ward’s sword was terrifyingly long and had a black blade. He swung the massive sword from above, and Meritoke’s curved sword was slightly slower in blocking it. The massive sword struck Meritoke’s head while pushing down his sword.

They passed each other. Meritoke was knocked off his giant bird, and Jog Ward turned his horse around and glared down at his enemy.

Bard was amazed. Jog Ward had just used a technique that Bard had excelled at in his youth. It required advanced horsemanship and a well-trained horse that could understand its rider without the use of reins. It also required a long, heavy two-handed sword and the strength to wield it. By suddenly changing direction and slowing down, the force of the charge was added to the sword. It was difficult to aim and dodge the sword swung from the side, and Bard had used it to defeat two enemy commanders and break the enemy’s morale with just three swings.

Jog raised his black sword to kill Meritoke, who was unable to stand up due to a concussion. Jog had no mercy for those who interfered with his long-awaited duel with his archenemy, Bard Rowen. Bard ran towards Jog, and Karz tried to follow but was stopped by Bard.

Jog heard the sound of Yueitan’s footsteps and turned around with joy. He must have thought that he could finally kill Bard Rowen, as he was now stronger than him.

Jog turned his horse’s head towards Bard again, and Bard approached him with a remarkable acceleration. He held the reins with both hands and did not draw his sword. Why didn’t he draw his sword? Jog swung his black sword with both hands, confused. Bard jumped into his embrace, colliding with his horse’s side.

Jog’s black sword was swung down. Even if Bard didn’t have a weapon, there was no mercy. The blow had enough force to kill an unarmed opponent. Bard raised his left arm and caught the black sword between his wrist and elbow. That part of his armor was thicker than his right hand and had five cores made from the bones of demonic beasts, embedded in it like a shield. It was a masterpiece of leather armor crafted by the artisan Porpo. Bard was almost as tall as Jog, but Yueitan was taller than Jog’s horse, so he was able to stop the sword before it gained momentum. Bard caught the Black Sword and then threw a punch with his right fist. The iron fist, tightly clenched, made a humming sound as it struck Jog’s jaw from right to left. The gauntlet was also made from the bones of a demonic beast. Jog lost consciousness and fell off his horse. Bard dismounted and drew his ancient sword.

“Bard Rowen!”

When he looked towards the voice, he saw a knight holding a sword to Meritoke’s throat. He recognized the face as belonging to one of the men who had followed Jog. The man had a good look about him. Bard asked him why he was there.

“I heard that you were traveling to Fyuza. Jog set up a net around here because it seemed like the most likely route for you to take. He helped a caravan that was attacked by bandits and gained favor with King Gaineria. He was hired to earn a living.”

Bard said that as a general, it would not be wise for him to attack a knight of the Parzam Kingdom who was accompanying him.

“Jog never had any intention of becoming a general. He was only asked to patrol the desert and kill bandits and beasts, as well as train soldiers. He didn’t put any other conditions on it, but he told the king that if he ever found you, he would prioritize settling things with you no matter what the situation. The king was pleased with his spirit and allowed it. After that, it was just a matter of circumstance.”

After hearing this, Bard felt like he understood the situation. Jog’s motivation was simply to settle the score with his archenemy, Bard. When he heard that Bard was going to Fyuza, he never thought he would cross the mountains and valleys to wait for him in the west of Ova.

It was laughable that he was fair and had good care for his subordinates. It was fair, indeed. Everyone was equally unimportant to him. Good care meant that he had trained them to be strong. He may have raised the strength of his subordinates to avoid them being exhausted by minor enemies. Or maybe he just hurt his soldiers as a substitute for his own training.

He was undoubtedly selfless. He didn’t want to be bound by territory or title, and he didn’t care about money beyond his livelihood. If there was a strong enemy, he would be delighted to go and kill them. If he was offered a reward, the only thing he might want would be a sturdy, long sword. It was surprising that he had accepted the position of general, but when he thought about it, it might be because he was a man who hated being ordered around by others. Moreover, he was entrusted with military power, so he was probably the highest-ranking general. He could live without being ordered by anyone.

This man. He must have raced around the desert without regard for his own safety. He must have helped travelers, defeated beasts and bandits, but in reality, he was just looking for Bard with bloodshot eyes.

What a straightforward man. Straightforwardly twisted. If you didn’t know the reason, he might look like a shining example of a pure and noble knight.

Bard sheathed his ancient sword and got back on his horse. He asked, “What was your name again?”

“Colin Crusoe.”

He then asked, “What about the others? Are they looking for me?”

“The other three are leading their units on patrols. They’re looking for you.”

Jog seemed to have had unexpected popularity. All four of his subordinates had left their hometowns to follow him on this crazy journey. But that was natural, Bard thought to himself. The border people were different from the weak knights in the center.

Bard told Colin Crusoe that he would go across the river once, but he would come back. He then signaled to the five people behind him and continued in the direction they were heading. Colin Crusoe immediately released Meritoke. Meritoke, who had fallen, tried to attack Jog, but was knocked down by Yangzengo.

Jog would be very angry when he woke up. He had finally found Bard after searching for him, but when he tried to fight him, he was interrupted by a strange green guy and had his consciousness cut off like a scam. He had every right to be angry. So, what would he do next? If he was the kind of person who could turn his back on the favor he received from King Gaineria and the trust of his subordinates, he would immediately follow Bard. If he followed, Gaineria, who had lost her support, would lose her territory again. If he followed, Jog was also that kind of man.

But please, Jog Ward. Learn the honor of a knight.

Bard prayed to whichever god was listening.