kscans

1

Bard couldn’t sleep, even as he lay with his eyes closed. The words he had heard earlier kept repeating in his mind.

“Van Fleur”

It was the name of a magic sword that appeared in fairy tales. It was one of those fairy tales that both nobles and commoners, if they were boys, would become obsessed with during their childhood.

But. But.

Tonight, he realized something. About those words. The name of the well-known magic sword, Van Fleur. If pronounced in an old-fashioned way, what would it become?

“Venn Urill”

It would become that. It wasn’t a coincidence. It couldn’t be just a chance occurrence.

Of course, no one would think that hearing the name Venn Urill would make them think of Van Fleur. Even if they noticed the similarity, it wouldn’t hold any meaning for them.

But. But.

What if there was someone who was searching for Van Fleur with an obsession strong enough to destroy a country? What would that person feel when they heard the name Venn Urill?

No. No.

They would definitely feel something. It would be a voice calling out to them. A voice saying, “Come, I am here.”

If that’s the case, is the name Venn Urill a trap to lure the General of Greed? To lure him out and then what? To kill him for revenge? If they wanted to kill him, couldn’t they just go to him instead?

“I don’t know. But for some reason, I can’t just leave it like this. I didn’t want to touch on Karz’s past. If he had something he wanted to talk about, I would listen, but I didn’t want to ask him myself. That would contradict the fact that I let him discard his name and free him from the old oath.”

“But, however. I feel like I have to ask about this now. If I don’t ask, I feel like I won’t be able to deal with the events that will happen from now on.”

“And also. Today, I learned about my mentor’s past. Probably, without a doubt. The only person who can confirm that is Karz Rowen. It feels like Karz is waiting for me to ask.”

While pondering various thoughts, Bard eventually fell asleep.

2

Bard received a message at the Toad household that the audience with the king had been postponed. It seems Prince Julelan has returned. It’s not surprising that there is not much time difference between Bard and Julelan’s return, as they were delayed due to heavy rain on the way. The palace is busy with reports and discussions, so personal audiences will have to wait.

Bard stayed home that day and left Yueitan’s care to the servants, spending his time in his room thinking. Various thoughts crossed his mind, and he couldn’t sort them out. He didn’t understand why his heart was so restless. They say that fate comes in some form. Perhaps, fate is about to come to him. It’s not just a trivial matter of life or death for this old and worn-out Knight. It’s a premonition about something much bigger and grander, about how things will unfold from now on.

He heard a knock at the door.

3

The attendant who entered the room while waiting for Bard’s response announced that the young master had arrived. After instructing the attendant to let him in, Karz Rowen was escorted in. If he had finished his business in the Goriora Empire and returned, his arrival was quite early. Well, whatever task he was given, this man was always quick. After seating Karz on the sofa, Bard asked if he preferred water or wine. Karz answered “wine,” so Bard poured red wine from a jug into a goblet and handed it to him. It was wine diluted with water to make it easier to drink. Bard took another goblet and poured wine for himself, then sat on the other sofa with it.

Karz quickly finished his wine, stood up, and went to get the jug of wine. He poured another full goblet and placed the goblet and the jug on the side table. He started drinking the third goblet slowly.

Bard asked if Marquis Fafarlen was doing well.

“Yes. I tried to return the travel expenses, but he wouldn’t accept it,” Karz replied. Bard commented that it would be considered refusing an invitation.

“No. I settled that matter,” was the reply. Bard felt relieved, but then came the shocking words.

“Yes. I said that if he was a swordsman strong enough to defeat me, he had the right to meet my father. Arflaburne challenged me. He was a good swordsman, but I thoroughly defeated him just to be sure. Marquis Fafarlen said he couldn’t defeat a Lord and gave up on the invitation from Lord Rowen.”

This man, what has he been doing in the Goriora Empire? Bard couldn’t help but be curious. Unbeknownst to him, Bard had caught a whiff of his mentor’s scent. Perhaps this man had also caught a familiar scent from Bard. If that’s the case, Bard and Karz meeting each other might have been guided by their mentor.

Bard looked at Karz’s face. It wasn’t a face that asked why he was asking such a question. Rather, it seemed like a face that finally decided to ask.

Karz began to tell the story of his upbringing and journey, occasionally getting confusing, and Bard interjected with questions.

4

Until now, Bard had thought that his mentor’s name was Cantor and his family name was Edda. But that wasn’t the case. It turned out that Cantor Edda was his name. Multisyllabic names often come from noble bloodlines. The “King’s Sword” doesn’t have a family name. However, Cantor Edda himself usually went by Cantor and preferred to be called that. For young Bard, he was using his formal name.

In the family of the Grand Duke of Zarban, there are occasionally individuals who are closer to the wolf people, meaning they are closer to the werewolves. However, Karz didn’t know if there really were such demi-humans as werewolves. But it was certain that there were individuals with distinctive features in their eyes, hair, skin color, and body hair growth. These individuals possessed exceptional physical abilities, healing powers, and reflexes, and they were extremely long-lived. Because their characteristics resembled those of the Werewolf King, they were called “Reincarnated Children.”

Reincarnated Children appear suddenly without any apparent reason. According to Zarban’s old customs, Reincarnated Children do not appear in the public eye. They are not despised. On the contrary, they are respected and revered as the reincarnation of the Werewolf King. When the Werewolf King died, he said he would become the King’s Sword and protect the country. Therefore, Reincarnated Children are called the “King’s Sword,” and their existence is kept secret, allowing them to work freely. In the past, when Zarban’s independence and peace were threatened, Reincarnated Children always exerted their power and repelled foreign invaders.

In the long history of the Werewolf King’s country, there has never been a case where two Reincarnated Children appeared at the same time. However, Karz was born while Cantor was still alive. Karz and Enishiritorg were born from the same mother at the same time. They both had the same mark in the same place. In other words, they were “Separated Children.”

The cursed flute was said to have been stolen by an evil demon from the dark god Patara Poza. The demon would play the flute on a pregnant woman’s pillow in her dreams. As a result of the curse, the child would be split into two. This is the “Separated Child.” The Separated Child is different from ordinary twins. Ordinary twins are two lives conceived at the same time, but the Separated Child forcibly splits a single life into two. As a result, the child born has only half the life force. They can only receive half of the gods’ blessings. Moreover, they are cursed. The only way to break the curse is to kill one of them.

It is unacceptable for the eldest son of a noble family, let alone the Grand Duke of Zarban, to be a Separated Child. One of them had to be killed immediately, and the fact that a Separated Child was born would be erased. However, Karz couldn’t be killed. He was clearly a Reincarnated Child. Killing the reincarnation of the Werewolf King was out of the question.

But they couldn’t kill Enishiritorg either. Since Reincarnated Children couldn’t appear in public, Enishiritorg had to inherit the position of Grand Duke. If they killed Enishiritorg, the Grand Duke family might be destroyed, relying on a second child whose birth was uncertain.

Shortly after Karz was born, Cantor went on a journey. Soon after, he came to the Eastern Frontier and met Bard. If that was the case, Karz would be one year old and Bard would be nine years old when Cantor left. In other words, Karz would be a little over fifty years old now. He didn’t look older than thirty at all. Reincarnated Children were said to live more than twice as long as humans, so he might be twenty or twenty-five now. After teaching Bard swordsmanship and other things for a year, Cantor returned to his journey. Bard didn’t know where he went or what he did. When Karz was fifteen, Cantor returned home and taught Karz swordsmanship.

When the invasion of the allied forces began, Karz was a little over thirty years old. Shinkai attacked from the west, Mercano’s Knights and Thula from the north, and Seion and Gaineria from the east. Zarban’s generals fought back and Cantor and Karz fought as a guerrilla unit against the enemy’s powerful Knights. Karz defeated the four generals of Shinkai. Cantor showed extraordinary prowess by defeating the main generals and powerful warriors of Mercano, Thula, Seion, and Gaineria.

Reincarnated Children wore black armor on the battlefield and only called themselves the “King’s Sword.” The enemy must have thought that the King’s Sword was flying around the battlefield even when it was empty. The King’s Sword seemed to have repelled the foreign invaders once again.

But everything changed when the Greedy General appeared on the front lines. First, Karz was defeated and suffered serious injuries. Then Cantor was defeated. Zarban’s knights were killed one after another by the Greedy General, and the invaders from various countries gained momentum. Finally, Shinkai’s army captured Zarban’s capital, looting and committing atrocities to the fullest extent. The Grand Duke and his family were killed one after another, and it seemed that the destruction of Zarban was inevitable. Karz pushed through his injuries and went into battle, infiltrating the Grand Duke’s mansion and dispersing the Shinkai soldiers who were committing rape and murder, but he collapsed from exhaustion.

When Karz woke up, he was in the camp of Andon Siburni, a Knight from Seion. He had been brought there by Cantor’s servants. Andon was a knight Cantor had met during his wandering days and had secretly sheltered Karz in the country.

Andon said that he was entrusted by Cantor and handed Karz two things. One was the magic sword Van Fleur. The other was a letter. The letter said:

“Abandon revenge. It’s all over. Even if you kill your enemies, people and countries won’t return. Try not to hate, forget as much as you can. Holding onto grudges will only torment your own heart and invite new conflicts. Polish your sword. Someday, you will encounter someone who needs that sword. If you can’t meet them, quietly become one with the earth. I was happy to meet you. Let’s cross swords again in the realm of the gods. By then, equip yourself with a sword that surpasses me. I look forward to it.”

After his wounds healed, Karz traveled through the countries in the central plains. His heart was empty, but he lived relying on those words to polish his sword. Whenever he heard rumors of skilled knight, he challenged them to duels. He did some reckless things.

During that time, he learned that there were Zarban survivors scattered throughout the countries in central plains. They were all suffering. Some of them had become slaves. Karz discarded the name given to him by Andon Siburni and introduced himself as Venn Urill, providing assistance to them and sending them to Krausk. He pretended to be someone requested by Krausk’s Feudal Lord. He also took on jobs like an assassin because he needed money.

After searching for Zarban survivors for over ten years, he learned about the marriage proposal of the eldest son of the Earl of Ryde. The identity of the princess he was to marry was unknown. However, Karz knew that the Earl of Ryde had secretly protected Princess Trienta. The mysterious princess might have some connection to Zarban. Karz sneaked into the Earl of Ryde’s mansion, claimed to be someone with a connection to the Zarban royal family, and talked to the princess. It turned out that she was Karz’s niece. He learned that she loved the eldest son of the Earl of Ryde and wanted to help him, but they needed a large sum of money. The young man had never done any business, and there was no prospect of him earning a million Gales in a year. Karz decided to take on a job that would earn a large sum of money. However, if he did a job in the central plain’s countries that would earn a large sum of money, it would attract attention. Someone might connect the sudden wealth of the princess with Karz. So he took on a job in the frontier. And that’s how he met Bard.

5

Indeed, Bard thought. After hearing Karz’s story, many things that had puzzled him were now clear.

First, why did he willingly want to go to the Goriora Empire, which he had been so reluctant about before? Karz didn’t want to go to the Seion Kingdom. There might be people in Seion who knew Karz’s face. If by any chance they found out that Karz was the man sheltered by Andon Siburni during the fall of Zarban, Andon, his benefactor, would be ruined. Similarly, he didn’t want to go to the Earl of Ryde’s territory. He had visited that place at least twice. He didn’t think he had made any mistakes that would make him recognized, but he couldn’t avoid being seen by innkeepers, shopkeepers, and passersby. Even if he didn’t think he had made any mistakes, his true identity and actions might be known. If his true identity as a Reincarnated Child and his actions were known, it would not only cause trouble for his niece but also potentially harm the Earl of Ryde.

Second, he didn’t want to go to Krausk. When Bard learned that Karz didn’t want to go there, the Earl of Linz said so. Also, after Godon Zarkos returned to his territory and quelled the rebellion, Bard accompanied Middle Zarkos, who went to Krausk to buy Colcordur. Karz volunteered to stay in the Mageia territory. That was to be expected. After all, Karz had gone to great lengths and spent a lot of money to help Zarban survivors. His actions might have become a topic of conversation in Krausk. And Krausk’s first Feudal Lord, Huddle Zoruarus, was one of the few people who clearly knew the face of the “King’s Sword.” If Karz went to Krausk, it would cause a commotion. If his true identity became widely known, Krausk might be dragged into the war.

However, there were still things that he didn’t understand. One of them was the strength of the Greedy General. No matter how skilled the Greedy General was, it was unimaginable that Cantor and Karz couldn’t stand up to him. When asked about it, Karz said:

“It’s not about swordsmanship. There’s no way to avoid it. It’s good if you can get close, but you can’t. He’s an abnormally perceptive man who doesn’t allow the enemy to approach.”

Karz said so, so it must be true. But what kind of technique is it? The mystery only deepened.

Another thing was why the Greedy General was so obsessed with the magic sword Van Fleur. Karz didn’t know that the Greedy General was so fixated on it. And he wasn’t seeking revenge against the Greedy General. Karz followed his great-uncle’s last words and tried to live anonymously in the city.

Why did he take on the name of the legendary magic sword, Van Fleur, as his own name? Perhaps even Karz himself didn’t know the answer to that. People live with contradictions. Even if they try to forget, they can’t, and even if they try to sever it, there’s something they can’t sever that boils and simmers inside them. That’s what made Karz take on that name, or so Bard thought.

But still. Ah, but still. What a tremendous life this man has lived.

His peaceful and proud homeland. It was trampled and destroyed without anything left. His beloved family and people were violated, taken away, and killed. In front of this man. This man possessed extraordinary strength and had the mission to protect his homeland as the “King’s Sword,” but he was defeated without fulfilling that role. How great was his regret, how deep was his despair? Bard didn’t believe in curses, but he understood that this man might have thought that if cursed beings like himself hadn’t been born, his homeland wouldn’t have been destroyed.

Moreover, revenge was forbidden. It was an order meant to wish for this man’s happiness, but it was an order that contained the curse of holding onto grudges. The more it was sealed, the more the hatred boiled and condensed inside him.

Still, he found a small purpose. To search for and help the survivors of Zarban and to earn a large sum of money for his niece. When those two things were accomplished, this man lost the will to resist the void. At that time, it was truly heaven that brought this man to Bard. Bard thought so.

But. But.

He still didn’t understand. Why did the Greedy General have such an obsession with the magic sword Van Fleur? If he was so obsessed, why did he leave Karz, who called himself Venn Urill, alone? Karz started using the name Venn Urill about five years after the fall of Zarban. The Greedy General must have gathered information about the central countries. A man who called himself Van Fleur, the name they had desperately searched for, was causing a commotion in the central plain countries. There’s no way he wouldn’t have noticed.

Did he die or fall ill? It wouldn’t be surprising. It was eighty years ago when they invaded Yanga and killed King Kherdevaj. Even if he was twenty years old at the time, he would be around eighty when Zarban was destroyed. It’s possible that his mind and body suddenly weakened. In any case, he’s probably dead now. Even if he’s alive, there’s no need to fear an old man of a hundred years unless he’s a threat.

But. But.

It’s not over yet. It’s just the beginning. Something is about to happen. A strong conviction-like premonition swelled up in Bard’s chest.