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CHAPTER 6 FYUZARION – Episode 9 Gathering of Heroes (Part 2)

3

Bard spoke to the knight Cheat Arno. He mentioned that in the valley north of Orbus, there is a place called “Drenshita’s Cliff”. Knight Cheat Arno, with a surprised look on his face, replied,

“Y-Yes. Drenshita’s Cliff is indeed located there. In the Padai Valley. But it’s impossible. There’s no way horses can descend such a cliff.”

Long ago, when the Parzam Kingdom was a tiny nation, there was a young knight named Drenshita. When the northern country of Dolufon invaded, the kingdom faced an existential crisis. Drenshita led twenty fellow knights to launch a surprise attack on the enemy commander from a location thought to be completely inaccessible. He successfully slew the enemy commander and routed their army, saving his homeland. The slope there was clearly not one that anyone would think horses could gallop down, and it came to be known as “Drenshita’s Cliff”. Bard had heard this story from Marquis Massimo Sambo, that rigid bureaucrat, on the way from Lordvan Castle to Parzam. Historical tales were usually dreadfully boring, but he had listened to this war chronicle with excitement. And he had thought, with youthful vigor, that he and Yueitan could probably make it down. That’s why, when traveling from Parzam to Goriora alongside Princess Marueria’s wedding carriage, he had looked around with a deep impression, thinking, so this is Drenshita’s Cliff. In other words, Bard knew the location. He had only seen it once, but a knight of the frontier firmly memorizes natural terrain even from a single glance. That place was exactly as requested. Indeed, no one would think of charging down such a cliff on horseback. But descending on foot would be difficult without ropes, and doing so would just make you a sitting duck. That’s precisely why it could be called an ideal spot for a surprise attack.

When Bard told this story, everyone’s eyes lit up as they glared at Knight Cheat Arno. Their eyes seemed to say, surely you didn’t think we couldn’t descend that cliff, did you? Knight Cheat Arno let out a small shriek.

Bard turned to Kirie and asked a question. If a knight had exceptionally high strength and sense of balance, they might be able to withstand that gale-like attack depending on the terrain. But wouldn’t it be difficult while riding a horse? Also, what about the attacks shooting light bullets and enveloping the sword in light?

“Um, Entrante. We’ll need to dismount the horses where the slope becomes gentler. What you call light bullets, that’s the attack that compresses air into rock-like masses and shoots them, right? I think those can be avoided if you observe closely. The preliminary motions have distinct characteristics. You can roughly predict the direction they’ll fly based on how the sword is swung. It seems they can only be shot straight. The biggest problem is the physical sword attack itself. I’ve heard before that it’s wrapped in light, but we can’t see it. But the sword itself is visible. The troubling thing is, even when we dodged the sword, we still got hit by the attack. But I figured it out after taking that hit before. The sword is enveloped by something invisible about this wide.”

Kirie indicated a shoulder-width with both hands as he continued.

“So we shouldn’t think of it as a sword. We should think of it as a log. Then it shouldn’t be impossible to avoid. However, he is far too fast, and the attack radius is huge. His reaction speed is also extraordinary. We must say his swordsmanship is also top-class. At a distance where our attacks can reach, avoiding that attack is extremely difficult. No. We should think it’s unavoidable. But even so, if several skilled fighters attack simultaneously, someone’s blade should be able to tear through him. The previous battle clearly showed that if a sword reaches him, it can wound and kill him.”

What Kirie was saying was this. Several skilled warriors would attack at once. Some would die. But some of their swords would reach. Alright. Bard also steeled himself. Then he turned to everyone and conveyed the strategy.

The bulk of the army would head for Fort Corpus. Advance slowly. And attack deliberately. But try to minimize casualties on both the attacking and defending sides. Besiege it for ten days, then withdraw to the kingdom. Only Bard and twenty knights would head for Drenshita’s Cliff. They would leap out in front of the General of Greed, announce their names, and challenge him to a duel. If he accepts, good. Even if he doesn’t, they would charge down the cliff and challenge him alone in battle. If they take his head, it’s their victory. However, even the survivors would likely be killed by Shinkai’s soldiers, so all twenty would end up dying.

The knights furrowed their brows and nodded resolutely. After further discussion, the assault team was selected, and it was decided General Wangog would lead the army attacking Fort Corpus. He was thoroughly dissatisfied, though. Strangely, the number selected by Arflaburne’s arrangements was eighteen. Bard had told Arflaburne,

“Choose the twenty who will head to Drenshita’s Cliff with me. But one of them is Karz Rowen.”

So he had thought nineteen would be chosen, but Arflaburne chose eighteen. Of course, twenty was a rough number and didn’t have to be exact.

During the discussion, Karz said nothing. What feelings did this man harbor about a rematch with his nemesis? Bard had his attendant Quinta present, but his eyes were red and swollen as he brought more tea. He was moved by the current meeting. These knights, with what resolve were they here? Sensing that, and moreover being moved by it – this youth had come to understand the harshness of reality and the loftiness of the gathered knights’ aspirations to that extent. Not bad at all, Bard thought.

4

There were a few issues. First, how to ascertain the enemy’s position. If the Greedy General became aware of their presence beforehand, he would likely send his subordinate officers and soldiers to annihilate them. They needed to know the enemy army’s location without being detected, and moreover, pinpoint where the General of Greed was among them. They couldn’t carelessly approach on horseback. They also couldn’t wait atop Drenshita’s Cliff for five or ten days, so they had to gauge the enemy’s marching speed and time it to climb the cliff. This was quite difficult. If only Jurchaga were here, this problem would be solved.

Second, who to entrust Yana’s bracelet to. The mission would be a success if General of Greed was vanquished, but afterwards, Bard and his men would be tortured to death by the Shinkai army. It would be disastrous if Yana’s bracelet fell into the hands of the Shinkai army. It must be entrusted to someone trustworthy. Furthermore, it would be ideal if that person possessed the agility to escape if pursued by the Shinkai army. This problem could be solved if Jurchaga were here. Perhaps he could send a message to Quinta and have her pass it to Jurchaga. Jurchaga could then observe the situation in various countries and hand the bracelet to whoever needed it.

Thirdly, there was no money. Although 1,800 knights and foot soldiers had gathered, there was not enough food for the upcoming march. Overwhelmingly insufficient. Desperately lacking, unless they resorted to plundering in Mithra. The food stores in Lordvan Castle were almost depleted. The remaining livestock, vegetables, and grains were all the property of the residents. If they took everything, they could obtain a considerable amount of food. However, that would be the same as telling the residents to die. If everything was taken away, they would not be able to survive. They had come to this remote place with the promise of being given livestock and farmland. Could he really take that away from them? But if there were no other means, there would be no choice. It would be fine if he could pay them money to buy it, but there was none. Even the treasury of the esteemed Fafarlen family had been completely emptied due to Doriatessa’s marriage and the affairs of Lordvan Castle. There was no money until the next tax from other territories arrived. The generals had also exhausted their funds during the journey here. Bard had used up his money for Fyuzarion’s sake. A large sum was deposited in the royal palace of Parzam, but there was no way or time to retrieve it now. He had already bought food from the residents with verbal promises, meaning he would pay later. It was impossible to do more.

While pondering what to do, a messenger visited Bard. The messenger presented a jewel box, a bag of gold coins, and a letter. The letter was from Countess Karriem. To avoid the danger of returning to the imperial capital, Countess Karriem had taken refuge in the territory of her relatives in the east. When Arflaburne’s brother, who was running around to procure food, visited those relatives to request assistance, Countess Karriem learned of Bard’s situation. The letter read,

“Nothing would make me happier than if these jewels and gold coins could be of any help to you.”
-Representative of the Society of Admirers of the Old Knight of the Frontier, Ferianthelnu Karriem (t/n: Ferianterne Karriem, representative of a group that admires the old knight from the frontier)

Bard cheered. The next moment, he was struck by a chill. Was it really alright to use this? Was he about to do something irreversible? No, it didn’t matter! If it came down to it, he would die with dignity. Or rather, since he would be dead by the time this operation succeeded, there would be no problem at all. Bard wrote a letter of thanks and handed it to the messenger, then gave the gold coins and jewels to Arflaburne.

“Are you a magician?”

For some reason, he didn’t feel like telling the surprised Arflaburne the source of the money. He sent a letter to Linz. He had entrusted 600,000 Gale to Count Linz. It was the remainder of the money he had received as a reward for protecting them from the Gwendell family’s assassins. He would have all of it converted into food and delivered. Seeing that the delivery destination was “the Goriora army camp besieging Corpus Fortress,” that mischievous old count would surely burst out laughing.

5

June 42nd. The night before departure had finally arrived. In the castle courtyard and arena, soldiers were eating. As soon as the gold coins were obtained, a large number of livestock were bought, slaughtered, and processed for preservation. The leftovers were being served to the soldiers tonight. Of course, ample alcohol was also distributed. Since drinking was not allowed during the march, everyone was in high spirits tonight. With approximately 1,800 soldiers, every corner was crowded.

“Your Excellency Union Marshal. Would you like to enjoy some of this meat?”

Bard accepted the plate offered by a junior officer. He didn’t recognize him from before, but with soldiers arriving one after another like this, it was impossible to remember every face. At a glance, it looked like the color of roasted pork. Beef had a reddish color when roasted, and the juices that flowed out were also red. Pork had a whitish color when roasted, and the juices were clear. But did pork have such a cut? It was a thin, circular slice of meat, about the thickness of a human wrist. There was a fairly large bone right in the middle. Anyway, he tried eating it.

“Oh!”

The saltiness and the oil oozing from the meat were excellent. It was meat with a good bite.

“Mmm, mmm.”

As he chewed, an indescribably deep meat juice overflowed in his mouth, and a rich aroma filled his nostrils. Strange. The impression of the meat had completely changed from when he took the first bite. The meat that he thought was crude actually had an extremely delicate flavor. Still, what kind of meat was this? It was good that they had gone to the trouble of slicing it thinly like this.

“If you’d like, please have some of this soup as well,”

the same sergeant offered a bowl. It smelled good. He slurped it down and exhaled with a sigh. Then, there was a strange sensation, as if the back of his nose was clearing up. He took another bowl and slowly savored it in his mouth.

“Oh, oh!”

What depth. What richness. This was an amazing soup. It was a clear soup that didn’t seem to have such a strong flavor, but it had a strength that was second to none. Like a woman who appeared gentle but had a strong heart. Wondering what ingredients could produce such a flavor, he peered intently at the bowl containing the soup. But he couldn’t tell.

“This is cow tail soup,”

he was told, and he thought, “I see.” However, he didn’t know that cow tail could make such a good soup. Come to think of it, the thinly sliced meat from earlier was also cow tail.

“For the lowest class commoners who butcher cattle but cannot eat the meat, cow tail is a secret delicacy. Although it may appear to be a vulgar ingredient at first glance, its soup is rich and powerful, and if the floating oil and scum are carefully removed, it can become a noble flavor that can be served at the royal dining table. That’s what Kamler said.”

Nodding in understanding as he listened, Bard was startled by the last sentence, as the junior officer’s way of speaking and even voice quality changed. He looked at the junior officer’s face again in surprise. It was Jurchaga.

“Hey,”

Seeing the smiling face with a slight raise of the right hand, Bard inadvertently felt like crying. Perhaps due to his age, he had become more prone to tears lately.

Amazingly, Jurchaga had been gathering information about the situation in Parzam. Jurchaga had concluded business deals in Krausk and Linz, then crossed Ova, and even extended his reach to Mithra before coming to Lordvan Castle. In the royal palace of Parzam, despite having information that Goriora has surrendered to the Shinkai army and is about to attack Parzam together with them, nothing can be done. At most, they have detained and interrogated the Goriora ambassador. But the ambassador knows pitifully little. Julelan’s condition is still poor, but the treatment is proving effective and he is on the mend. The poisoned dagger of the First Concubine had a greater effect than expected. Parzam, lacking a powerful leader like Julelan, is like a giant chained up, unable to move despite its great power.

The fact that the First Concubine is the daughter of the Argolide family has dealt a major blow. Chantillion, the general of the Middle Army, had to resign from his position and confine himself to his home. Baucles, the father of the First Concubine and the head of palace management, also resigned and confined himself. The Duke of Argolide has lost his voice and is said to be under house arrest in the palace. There is a power struggle between the Argolide faction and the anti-Argolide faction, and nothing can proceed properly. Bard thought that Cedermont, a general who came from outside, must be having a hard time in such a situation. After obtaining this information, Jurchaga came to Lordvan Castle. And he made and served Kamler-style grilled cow tail and soup. When Jurchaga left Fyuzarion, he could not have imagined that Bard would lead the knights of Goriora to challenge the General of Greed. He also had no way of knowing that the Goriora army, manipulated by the General of Greed, was planning to attack Parzam. Yet, Jurchaga’s sense of smell after investigating the information on the Parzam side and joining Bard is so sharp that it can be called abnormal. Also, there should be no acquaintances of Jurchaga in the current Lordvan Castle, so how did he manage to get into the kitchen and cook?

“So this is where you’ve been hiding, Jurchaga. Don’t do anything dangerous to make my sister sad,” Arflaburne said as he approached. Ah, that’s right, Bard thought. Jurchaga is Arflaburne’s brother-in-law. Of course, Arflaburne must have spoken to let him into the kitchen.

The three of them talked for a while. Bard voiced what he had been thinking lately. Indeed, a knight is originally an independent being. Even if it is an order from the emperor, if he cannot accept it, he can voice his objection or turn his back and walk the path he has chosen. However, in reality, it is not that simple. Everyone lives in a web of relationships. However, the resolve of the knights of Goriora who have come here is remarkable. It is surprising that there are so many knights who are willing to die for the old-fashioned chivalry these days. Even though it is a suicidal mission, there is no fear or confusion, Bard said. Arflaburne blinked his eyes.

“What are you saying? It is you who are making them do that. When they come to this castle, see you, and breathe in the wind that blows from you, their hearts mysteriously calm down and their resolve is set. They realize that what they have been looking for is here. They all feel with their warrior’s instinct that there is nothing to fear when they are with you. In the first place, the faces gathered this time are all twisted ones that are not easy to deal with. The weak ones did not even come near the castle. The brave ones were drawn to your martial virtue, and those who were not were blown away.”

Even Bard could only smile wryly at this flattery. However, he did not say anything more. Bard did not apologize to Arflaburne for making a plan that assumed death. Arflaburne also did not apologize to Bard for dragging him into a battle where he had no choice but to die. It was comfortable for both of them not to apologize to each other. There is a silent dialogue between knights.

Bard remembered a question he had forgotten. Why and how did Arflaburne give up on Doriatessa and decide to marry Princess Marueria? It was a bit too much to ask the person himself, but they were both going to die anyway. Bard boldly asked Arflaburne, “Why did you propose to Princess Marueria?” Arflaburne smiled wryly and answered.

“One of the reasons I joined the reinforcements to Parzam was that I wanted to have a good talk with Doriatessa one more time. At that time, I thought Bard would gain a title and land in Parzam. Naturally, Jurchaga would also settle down in Parzam. If that happened, it might lead to marriage. Above all, I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving Jurchaga and Doriatessa alone in distant Parzam. But when I went to Parzam and saw the two of them, my feelings deflated. There was absolutely no room for me to come between them. Ah, Doriatessa was already married to Jurchaga in her heart. I had no choice but to think so. I was completely disappointed. The kind Marueria seemed to have somehow noticed my broken heart. She kindly comforted me.”

In other words, he was captivated by her kindness. I see. Someone started singing a song. It was “The Pilgrim Knight”. Many people soon began to sing along. Why do so many knights know this song? Instead of thinking about such things, Bard also sang along. By the time they sang the third verse, everyone had stopped eating and drinking, and just sang and listened.

O knight
O knight
O pilgrim knight,

Your valor is engraved
In the hearts of the people
On the white wings of the Valkyrie(Idora).

Now grace overflows on earth
All pain is healed
On the morning when God’s miracle rains down
The final promise is fulfilled.

Padarien! (Praise!)
Padarien! (Praise!)

The old staff sprouts young buds
The dead warriors are reborn.

Ou Dee En Low (The divine throne is opened)!
Ou Dee En Low (The divine throne is opened)!

(t/n: check another version of the lyric here)

The singing voices of the knights echoed through the night at Lordvan Castle, watched over by the two moons.

6

The next day, July 1st. As instructed by the military commander, the detached force departed from Lordvan Castle. Jog Ward was just beyond a few sand dunes. Colin Kruizer was with him.

“Old man. You’re late,” he said, and for some reason, Bard reflexively apologized, “Sorry about that.” Jog and Colin naturally joined the ranks. As they approached Arflaburne, they bared their teeth and accused him, “Hey, you shiny bastard. You coward.”

Bard immediately understood what they meant. In order to receive his wife from the Argolide ducal family, Arflaburne avoided passing through Gaineria, an allied territory, and instead chose the route via Seion and Thula. That’s what it was about. In other words, Jog was accusing him of being a coward for taking a path beyond his reach, when he could have abducted the bride if they had come this way. This man was definitely odd.

Arflaburne laughed off Jog’s argument and threw out some teasing words. Jog took the bait, and the two continued their nonsensical bickering. Kirie Halifarth also rode up and joined the conversation.

The fact that they were able to wait by choosing the right time and place meant that Jog knew their plans. Who had informed him? The fourth son of the Fafarlen family was in charge of contacting Gaineria and purchasing supplies. He must have told them then. No doubt on Arflaburne’s orders.

These two might unexpectedly get along well. Arflaburne was confident that if he let them know, they would rush to battle. Jog was the twentieth brave warrior.

Bard and the others were about to take a gamble with low odds. But their hearts were as clear as the sky.