kscans

CHAPTER 7 CHALLENGE TO THE LABYRINTH – Episode 6 The Dragonoid (Part 1)

1

After obtaining plenty of salt and alcohol, they left the village. Without stopping by any human settlements, they headed south. Godon said,

“Uncle. Let’s not stop by Mageia. No, no. If you were to stop by, everyone would gather and try to detain you for a long time. It would be better not to stop there.” (t/n: as previously, he called him ojigo, esttemed uncle. he no longer call him bard danna.)

So they decided not to visit, even though Godon, the lord of Mageia, had been with Bard for over two years, neglecting his domain. They crossed the valley, went over the mountains, and arrived in Linz in early July. It had been a full month since they left the village by the Moonfish Creek. Quinta and Carla seemed a bit tired of the constant camping, and looked relieved when they saw the port town. It must have been the first time they had traveled such a distance solely by horseback.

“Welcome, Lord Bard and Lord Godon. Please, come rest here. My father will be along shortly. All of you, please make yourselves at home.”

The one greeting them was Werner Epivares, the eldest son and heir of Count Simon Epivares of Linz. He had really grown into an impressive figure. Judging by how the retainers spoke, it seemed he had already succeeded his father as the lord.

“Ah, Lord Bard! And Godon too. Well, well, to have you both as my guests. Hahaha! We must drink heartily tonight!”

Simon was supposed to be a bit older than Bard. He had grown quite thin, but his sturdy build and vibrant voice were just as they had been when Bard last saw him. Bard was greatly relieved and delighted.

“About three years ago, I passed on the family headship and title to Werner. Now I just enjoy welcoming guests. A carefree life of leisure.”

Interacting with the easygoing Count of Linz, or rather Simon, there was a certain warmth that flowed through Bard. He was reminded again of how precious true friends can be. As they were being shown to their rooms to freshen up from the journey, Werner came to see him.

“Lord Bard, pardon the interruption. But there is something I must give you.”

It was a letter from Julelan. Two weeks prior, a royal messenger had come to Linz. When they responded, the messenger said he had a letter for Lord Bard Rowen that needed to be delivered. King Parzam had urgently wanted to contact Lord Rowen, so he had three copies made. One for the Count of Linz, one for the lord of Himaya, and one to be delivered to Fyuzarion. The messenger never expected Bard himself to show up in Linz just two weeks later. Bard opened the letter, which said the king urgently needed to consult with him and requested he come to the capital immediately. It was quite unusual for the king to summon a non-subject like Bard in this manner. Something must have happened.

That evening, they were hosted by the gracious Simon Epivares.

“One more toast, Lord Bard! Ah, how delightful. But tell me, Lord Bard, must you really leave tomorrow? Can you not stay a few more days?”

Even with the king’s summons, since Bard was so far out in the frontier, it would likely take months for him to reach the capital. A day or two more wouldn’t make much difference. And yet, Bard had an uneasy feeling. A sense that he needed to hurry, or he may be too late. Thanking Simon for his hospitality, Bard said he must board the ship leaving the next day.

The next afternoon, Bard and the others’ clothes had been beautifully washed and dried. The horses were also well-groomed. It was an impressive display of hospitality. They boarded the ship departing in the late afternoon. Simon came to see them off at the dock. He had only two servants with him. Speaking of Godon, he was not present. He had been severely scolded by Simon, who is his maternal uncle, for neglecting his domain for over two years last night. Simon is Godon’s mother’s older brother. It was under Simon that Godon trained as a knight, and Simon is also the guide to his knight’s oath. He is a person that Godon cannot stand up to at all. Early in the morning, there was a wagon leaving Linz headed for Mageia. Along with that, Godon returned to Mageia. He should say that he was sent back home.

The Ova River is truly a special waterway. The far shore disappears over the horizon, and setting sail upon it feels like an adventure in itself. Floating on the rich waters, feeling the wind carrying the faint briny scent of abundance, the Ova embraces the cycles of life. As the ship cast off, Bard waved back to Simon.

At that moment, a suspicious man caught Bard’s eye. In addition to the dock workers, there was a large crowd of people seeing off those on the ship, each bidding farewell to the passengers, but this man was not looking at the ship. His gaze was fixed on Simon Epivares. And his right hand was slipped into his coat. Though his expression was too distant to make out, an ominous aura could be felt.

Oh no!

Bard shouted Simon’s name while pointing at the man. The man drew a dagger and rushed towards Simon. Simon turned around. Bard would later learn that this man was an assassin sent by a disgruntled relative who was upset that Simon had entrusted all of his business to Werner. At that moment, Bard did something strange. He couldn’t understand why he did it himself, even in retrospect. He drew the ancient sword. And just as the dagger was about to strike Simon, he called out the name Stavros. A sphere of light flew from the ancient sword, striking the man directly. The man, carried by the momentum of his charge, collapsed. As he fell, he crossed paths with Simon, which made Bard wince, but Simon seemed to have evaded him successfully. The ship was steadily moving farther away. Simon was waving broadly in Bard’s direction, shouting something. The man remained collapsed on the ground, unmoving. Bard breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Simon had escaped the danger. The crowd of onlookers was abuzz with this unexpected incident. But the ship, catching the tailwind, was rapidly sailing out to sea. Before long, the scene at the dock had disappeared from view.

2

After spending two nights on a ship, they arrived at the trading village of Paderia on the opposite shore. No, it was more of a town than a village at this point. Trade and exchange with the frontier had become more and more prosperous, and this town was now thriving. From here, they would go to the capital. It was decided that they would visit the Gerkaast Zoe clan after that.

The Bards hurried to Mithra. The path to Mithra was flat and unobstructed. The problem was the road from Mithra to the capital. If they could just meander along, it would be fine, but this time they had to hurry to the capital. That meant they would have to take the main road. If they took the main road, they would have to pass through the towns along the way. Now that he no longer had the rank of a General, it was expected that they would have trouble passing through.

But this problem was solved by the Count of Mithra. When the Count of Mithra saw Bard, he was delighted and hosted them lavishly for a night. And he issued them the highest-ranking pass he could issue. The next morning, as Bard were about to leave the Count’s mansion, there was a large crowd gathered in the square and along the streets. When they asked the Count of Mithra what the occasion was, he said they had gathered to catch a glimpse of them.

“Six years ago, you came to Corpus Fortress as the General and scolded our soldiers, driving away the demonic beasts. If it weren’t for you, the soldiers of Corpus Fortress would have been wiped out. I don’t know what would have become of this town of Mithra. The knights who returned from Corpus Fortress told the people of this town about the kindness you showed them. That’s not all. At that fortress, you restored the pride of the knights and taught them how to fight. From that time on, those who served at the fortress became local celebrities. And five years ago, you drove back the terrifying horde of demonic beasts that attacked Lordvan’s castle, saving us all. The people of Mithra have come out to greet their benefactor who has visited the town.”

“Hey, hey! Lord Bard. Look, everyone is waving at you. You should wave back.”

Confused by the unexpected turn of events, he instinctively raised his right hand, and a great cheer went up.

“Lord Rowen, if you would be so kind, please draw the sacred sword Stavros and respond to the people’s cheers.”

He was about to ask what this “sacred sword Stavros” was, but Carla cut him off.

“Come on, Lord Bard. Draw the magic sword. Quickly, quickly. Let the people see the craftsmanship of Swordsmith Zendatta. Come on, come on.”

Swept up by Carla’s enthusiasm, he ended up drawing the ancient sword and raising it overhead. Immediately, a tremendous cheer went up. The group was tearfully seen off by the throngs of people as they left the town of Mithra.

3

In the end, the travel pass may not have been necessary after all. In many towns, they were welcomed as honored guests as soon as they introduced their names at the gate. But they were unable to pass through quickly. In every town, before they could even ask about the location of the inn, they were invited by the lord or magistrate. The town’s prominent figures would come to greet them, and it was often difficult to leave in just one night. But they managed to arrive at the capital by the beginning of August.