Chapter 49: Who Are You, Mister?

“It is dangerous.”

The boy, who had grown more mature, opposed him once again, but Kariel’s resolve remained unchanged.

“There is no one in this area who can properly deal with us. In that case, I should at least stop by the neighboring territory.”

“It is dangerous.”

“…Risks must be taken. What I worry about most is the danger that may arise here while I am gone. That is my greatest concern.”

“I will do my best to protect it.”

“……I can only hope it does not come to that.”

Of the few horses that had been in the village, only one remained.

Even this one was a truly precious creature, managed jointly by the village.

Now it is only you.

From the moment he saddled the brown horse and climbed onto its back.

The boy’s eyes were clouded with anxiety.

“I will return. Whether with an antidote or a Priest who can resolve this.”

“……I suppose it cannot be helped.”

In the end, the boy could only pray for his safe return.

…….

There were several crises.

He dealt with ambushing bandits, but his horse died, leaving him with no choice but to travel on foot.

The rain grew torrential, making it feel like a disaster in its own right.

The sinking mud gripped his ankles like a swamp.

Even after somehow overcoming this and pushing forward.

…There was not a single person who welcomed Kariel.

Priests and clergy demanded money.

Some claimed it was the work of demons or a Heavenly Punishment… and instead cursed him.

They asked if he had come all this way just to spread the plague.

‘Why?’

How had the rumors spread this far?

It was bleak, but if he gave up here, what would become of everything?

He wandered the villages in his bare state.

He soon looked like a beggar, but he did not give up.

As the days grew longer, the number of dying people increased.

The pain would lengthen, and hope would gradually fade.

The number of patients would also increase.

Since farming could not be carried out properly, the practical problem of survival would soon emerge as a crisis.

The village he had worked so hard to build… was collapsing.

It was fine for the village to collapse, but for the people’s sanctuary, their hope, and their will to vanish.

…….

“You’re trying hard.”

After collapsing somewhere in the forest, an old man clicked his tongue while poking him with a wooden staff.

“What are you so desperate for that you wander the forest paths for days without rest?”

“…Has it already been that long?”

He had lost track of time.

In the dark forest, he hadn’t even known when the sun rose or set.

“You should worry about yourself; why worry about others? You could have died here.”

“I cannot die. I have work left to do; I cannot be so irresponsible.”

“Your will is firm. You are different from those who throw themselves into things thinking they can achieve anything just by vaguely claiming they’ll sacrifice themselves. Quite impressive.”

“…Elder?”

“If you go straight that way, you’ll find some yellow mushrooms. Collect only the ones with the pale color and leave. If you take those, you will be able to achieve what you desire.”

You’ve suffered enough.

“El…der?!”

His body shivered.

Waking from his sleep, he headed toward the place the old man pointed to as if possessed.

And indeed, there was a cluster of mushrooms.

“What on earth is this…?”

Should he trust this dream?

It was merely a dream.

Nevertheless, unable to let go of a sliver of hope.

Kariel did as the old man instructed.

And finally, he headed blindly toward the place he felt the man had pointed to.

—Aaaagh!

A scream echoed from afar.

Dragging his exhausted body, he rushed toward the sound.

Between the desolate valleys.

He witnessed a small force fighting desperately against monsters with hard skin, like tree branches.

It was a situation where the humans were clearly outnumbered.

Without a moment’s thought, he leaped into the fray.

…….

“To be saved twice, this must surely be fate.”

His shabby and miserable appearance had vanished.

Although accumulated fatigue clung to his face, simply washing and donning new clothes had completely changed Kariel’s impression.

Furthermore.

The blond youth respected Kariel to an uncanny degree.

“What do you mean by twice?”

The youth was the one who had become the master of this area prematurely.

And once.

He was the master of the very territory that had faced Kariel’s own lord, risking death.

“Previously, when there was an attempt to invade a village, did you not stop them?”

I was there at that time.

“…….”

“Though I am a child abandoned by my father, had I been captured, I would have either died or been used in some way.”

Yet, strangely.

His father fell from his horse and died.

His brothers also lost their lives one by one to disease or on the battlefield.

…Somehow, he was the only legitimate heir remaining.

After all, he too was a formal successor, carrying the blood of the legal wife.

“My father was greedy. Thus, taking advantage of this period of instability in the Berg Kingdom, he dreamed of becoming king himself.”

However, the throne was not a seat one could ascend simply by wanting it.

Moreover, he lacked the skill to lead an army or the overwhelming martial power to slay enemies alone.

“I have joined their alliance by providing a portion of my territory in coordination with the Enjul Clan, who have begun to lead the Berg Clan.”

“The Enjul, you say….”

“Yes. Led by the Great Warrior Illand, the Five Holy Swordsmen who have made their names famous even in Berg. And soon, the Pope is said to perform the Consecration of the Head of Household of the Enjul Clan. The Berg royalty… has fallen, but he will likely succeed to the throne.”

Had it come to that?

There was a distinct distance between the Berg Kingdom in the Northern Part and this area in the south.

Of course, it was only a few days’ ride on horseback, but with a mountain range in between, as well as lakes and swamps, it was not a problem for individuals or small merchant groups, but moving an army would inevitably face obstacles.

“I see.”

They were changing the world.

Unlike him.

“Still, does the Southern Berg not have Lord Kariel?”

“…Me?”

“I once witnessed Lord Illand personally and saw his Divine Rank with my own eyes.”

However.

“I could not say with certainty who was superior between him and Lord Kariel.”

“That is….”

It was absurd.

Him, who had run wild in a mere southern region, ignorant of the world’s affairs.

And a warrior of the century who had swept through countless battlefields and seized the world.

How could he be compared to such a person?

“…The southern warriors possess a strength developed while facing barbarians. That confidence gave my father the vain dream that he could wear the crown.”

There were countless renowned warriors.

“Lord Kariel. The fact that you cut down more than half of them left us trembling.”

What was so great about a warrior from a small lord?

If that guy had been my subordinate!

Why did the heavens not grant me such a subordinate!

“My father’s lament was great even then,” the youth said.

“Did you know? Even your own master feared you.”

“…….”

Kariel thought.

The reason his lord had let him go completely.

The reason he had not interfered with the village afterward.

And the time when they stood shoulder to shoulder.

…And even when they faced each other at the end.

Ultimately, unlike other subordinates, he could not treat him with coercion.

He only pretended to.

…It wasn’t that he didn’t know that.

But that was because he respected him.

Because they understood each other’s hearts and relied on one another to that extent.

…But from the outside, is that how it looked?

And perhaps, maybe that was the truth.

Kariel felt a complex emotion deep inside.

“I know you wish to leave quickly. Still, I fear an accident might occur if you ride through the dark.”

“…Are you offering me a horse?”

“Did you not save my life? And that is not all. I will not spare any support I can give. Not just now, but in the future as well.”

I have heard the stories.

“The ‘knight’ you spoke of is different from the mindset of a warrior or the oaths they take, but I find myself more drawn to that.”

Please.

“I will sincerely pray that the work you do proceeds well, without any problems.”

Until this moment.

Kariel felt relieved, thinking that everything had worked out.

Then, fatigue washed over him like melting snow.

For the first time in over ten days, he was able to sleep peacefully.

…….

“I hear the barbarian army is sweeping through the entire Baronens Territory.”

The next day.

Until he heard that news.

Kariel.

Was truly grateful that everything had gone well.

He rode one horse until it foamed at the mouth.

He could only be grateful to the youth who, considering such things, had provided him with spare horses.

When the second horse also foamed at the mouth, he began to run.

Running was familiar.

Since he was very young, the boy had run to build stamina and discipline his body as the knight instructed.

He ran through mountain paths, climbed uphills, and traversed downhills.

He ran across the plains as if flying.

In the end, the past version of himself was what placed him in this position now.

If he had not been accustomed to running.

He would have had to wait patiently until the horse recovered.

Because that would be the correct thing to do.

Therefore, the reason he could exclude such an option and run.

The reason he could bet on that possibility.

…This, too, was the product of the effort he had accumulated in the past.

Even if his body had aged and he no longer trained as desperately as before.

He had not rested for a single moment.

It wasn’t simply to teach the children.

Perhaps he had immersed himself in training for a while to escape reality.

Because whenever he rested his body, all sorts of despair, negative emotions, and thoughts rushed in like a nightmare.

The sun was setting.

Nevertheless, he did not stop.

His breathing was precarious, as if it might extinguish.

It was fine.

It was a familiar feeling.

Compared to when he was harassed by enemies for four days on the battlefield without a wink of sleep, he was still fine.

It was nothing.

It wasn’t even as if someone was targeting his life.

To find this difficult.

No way.

That was nonsense.

Even in the moment his entire body was soaked in sweat.

Even in the moment his consciousness grew faint.

On the contrary, he fiercely steadied his mind.

Making his breathing more stable.

Forcing his limbs, his body, and his head, which had become heavy like lumps of iron.

He moved.

He ran.

While it was impossible to ensure his physical condition wouldn’t collapse, he adjusted his state so that he would never collapse helplessly.

Desperate, yet he must not be desperate.

What if the enemies attacked the moment he arrived?

Was he planning to just stand there and watch?

Did he intend to just throw himself at them and die for free?

None of that was acceptable.

Think, even if it’s hard.

Prepare for the worst-case scenario.

All sorts of negative emotions tried to hold him back.

He shook them off.

And so, around the time the sun rose again.

It finally came into view.

…Fortunately.

The village did not seem to be burning or collapsed yet.

He couldn’t be sure since he was viewing it from afar.

Perhaps he had simply been too hasty.

…If that were truly the case, wouldn’t that be something to be grateful for?

Braving his anxious heart, he somehow reached the village.

“Lord Kariel?!”

Personnel with meager armaments greeted him with faces full of anxiety and fear.

However.

“Where is Luel?”

At Kariel’s question.

One of the youths stared at him with an uneasy expression.

No, everyone was the same.

“Surely…?”

“He has… fallen ill. His condition is… not very good.”

“…….”

His vision went dark for a moment.

But Kariel repeatedly steadied his mind.

“Take this.”

The youth, receiving the pouch from him, asked back in confusion.

“What… is this?”

“Not much, but grind it moderately and feed it to them. To all the sick. And… tell them to hold on with hope, because support will arrive soon.”

“Y-you heard that news too? That the barbarians are leading an army around here….”

“Yes.”

That was why he had run all this way.

“L-look over there!”

In the plains far from the village.

Outlaws appeared in a line, like a horizon.

“…….”

Though he had caught his breath for a moment.

His physical condition was currently at its worst.

For over ten days, he had wandered foreign lands through wind and rain.

Though he had barely caught his breath through a miracle-like opportunity.

He had pushed himself again to reach this place.

Therefore, he was grateful.

…At least, he could somehow prevent a terrible situation where something happened in a place where he was absent, as it had in the past.

He could not undo what had already happened.

But if it was something that had not yet happened….

“We requested help from the Lord… but he wouldn’t even meet us.”

“…It is alright.”

Kariel calmly absorbed their anxiety.

“I am here. Do not worry.”

Kariel told them to look after the sick and the remaining people.

After glancing at the shabby village sign.

He walked out toward the crowd watching the area.

While running, he had long since discarded anything unnecessary to reduce weight.

Therefore.

All he had were clothes soaked in sweat, soiled from stumbling and collapsing.

Still, I have two swords left.

One was given for the village.

But the remaining one was something he could not give up until the end to protect the village.

Even that, in the end, he had sold for a pittance while soothing his bitter heart to buy medicine for the villagers.

…However.

For some reason, he received a better sword as a gift from someone who was once an enemy.

In the end, nothing remained in his hands.

But all of those were merely tools and means.

Even the precious sword he had received from his master long ago.

Had he not lost it vainly while wandering a battlefield?

Therefore.

All that remains of me now.

Is only this one body.

“I beg of you.”

O God.

If you truly exist.

If you happen to be watching this place right now.

“Please be satisfied with just me.”

Then gladly.

Without a single shred of regret.

With a grateful heart.

I shall crawl this body into that pit of fire.