“…You’re small and lack technique, so you must always aim for vital points.”
Evernight spoke calmly while looking down at the small, round crown of Anya’s head. The tips of Anya’s ears had turned red.
Evernight quickly realized that he had done something unnecessary. Without hesitation, he released his hand from the scabbard and stepped back. At that moment, the boy met his eyes. The ancient forest was as quiet as if everyone was asleep, and Evernight was somehow overwhelmed by a sense of duty that he should stand still and face the boy.
“W-why, why are you h-helping me?”
“Well…”
Evernight took a breath to choose his words carefully.
“Because I’m partly responsible for your duel.”
It sounded like he was concerned, but he appeared half displeased. Indeed, Evernight had to flee to the forest every night instead of his study to escape Riario’s nagging as punishment for neglecting Anya, and he might even incur the Emperor’s displeasure.
But at this point, having already received the title of Duke, his respect for the Emperor ended here.
“……”
The boy’s face, which had always been pale or gloomy like someone on the verge of death, now had a proper glow and looked clear. Unknowingly, Evernight brought his hand to the corner of the boy’s mouth. There was a dried stew stain beside his lips.
‘Such a child…’
As he wiped it away, Evernight silently bid farewell to the boy. He felt no guilt. He was too cursed to have such emotions.
* * *
“Has His Imperial Highness added something new to his swordsmanship?”
These days, the lower-ranking knights and apprentices of Tildyen were busy enjoying a new form of entertainment. They sat leaning against wooden posts, watching the young prince’s training. At first, it was curiosity about seeing the proud and arrogant royal up close; now it was curiosity about the prince’s peculiar training method, stubbornly repeating the same movement.
“His thrusting form is still awkward.”
Anya took defensive positions dozens of times and then suddenly thrust his sword quickly into the air.
“I got some wine from Bella. Let’s drink and wet our throats.”
A man who had brought bottles and glasses from the wooden dining hall distributed them to everyone in turn. The North had low temperatures, so they often relied on warmed wine to raise their body temperature. They didn’t take their eyes off the prince even as they swallowed the wine.
“Oh, that was good just now. What do you think?”
The man in the next seat imitated the prince’s movement and tilted his head.
“But at that position, could it be aiming for the solar plexus?”
“The solar plexus would be easy to defend against, so attacks wouldn’t get through…”
A heated discussion broke out immediately. Despite the commotion being enough to make anyone turn around, the prince remained focused on his training.
“I have to admit his mental fortitude.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“And why do you all lack such mental fortitude?”
The men dropped their glasses at the grim voice from behind. The snow at their feet was quickly stained with red wine.
“Lord Riario…!”
When they hurriedly turned around, Riario was leaning against a tree with a gloomy smile. Seeing that the corners of his eyes and fingertips were blackened, he clearly wasn’t in good condition. Knowing they would be thoroughly scolded if caught by him in this state, they all slowly backed away.
“Hmm… Isn’t it time for the wall patrol rounds?”
“Ah, yes. Indeed.”
Riario clicked his tongue softly as he watched the crowd disappear, each not forgetting to tuck a wine bottle under their arm. The mage soon turned his gaze toward the boy. The honor duel was approaching. As the recently boastful Rips Mohan was quite an eyesore, Riario rather hoped that Anya Evernight would win the match.
‘Then there would be no trouble, killing two birds with one stone… but such miracles don’t happen.’
* * *
Anya enjoyed training that pushed his body to the limit. It allowed him to cleanly finish meals he had previously left half-eaten because they wouldn’t go down his throat, and at night, he could sleep deeply without nightmares. He understood now why his brothers had prevented him from participating in sword training. They probably wanted to keep it to themselves because it felt so good.
Anya rotated his stiff shoulders and pulled back the thick curtain. The castle grounds of Tildyen looked particularly eerie today, shrouded in heavy fog. Anya traced the water droplets on the window surface with his finger, then quietly closed his eyes and carefully read the flow of energy around him. A white light formed vaguely above his hand before dissipating.
‘Even wishing earnestly is ‘existence.’ One must become ‘nothing.”
Sabelli Nox, who had returned from the village, repeatedly said the same thing. Though intellectually Anya understood what that ‘nothing’ meant, he still couldn’t grasp how to become such a being.
‘You’re small and lack technique, so you must always aim for vital points.’
Evernight’s voice overlapped with Sabelli’s. Anya put on a chain vest over his leather armor and gripped his wooden sword, which was as precious to him as his life. The boy looked around his bedroom before leaving.
“I-I’ll see you, again.”
He didn’t really feel regret. He just wished he could have discovered the name of the flame. Walking through the dark corridor and treading on the dew in the courtyard, the boy stood in the middle of the training ground.
It was finally the day of the honor duel with Rips Mohan.
* * *
As dawn broke, the training ground of Tildyen Rock was filled with an unprecedented crowd. Lower-ranking knights and apprentices of the Tildyen Order gathered on one side, tossing silver coins to Riario. Most bet on Rips Mohan, though some bet on Anya, aiming for a big win as the stakes grew higher.
Riario gazed contentedly at the bulging purse of silver coins. Beside him approached Sisou, Karen, and Lorea. Sisou’s blonde hair was sticking out in all directions as if he had just woken up. He spoke as he stretched long. It had been a while since all the senior knights had gathered since the expedition.
“Who did you bet on, Mage?”
“It’s a secret. I don’t want to tell an idiot.”
Sisou pouted and plopped down on a wooden bench.
“It hurts when you say that with a smiling face.”
“As if your dull heart could feel hurt?”
Karen clicked his tongue as he adjusted his glasses. Sisou predictably flailed about, and Karen lightly dodged his flying fists. Lorea brought drinks from the wooden dining hall and set one down in front of each of them.
“Where is the Commander?”
“I don’t know.”
Riario answered while rubbing his hollow eyes. Despite spending over ten years with Evernight, he still couldn’t understand the man’s nature. When Riario first met Evernight, Evernight was just 18 years old, but he was already gaining notoriety in “Red Coast,” a free city known as the worst lawless zone.
“Hello everyone.”
Sabelli Nox approached in a brown robe that looked as if it had been moldering for several years. The old man greeted the senior knights with a smile but didn’t even make eye contact with Riario. However, Riario wasn’t the type to feel hurt by such things like some child.
“What was your intention in encouraging this match, Scholar?”
Lorea was the only knight of Tildyen who knew how to observe proper etiquette. His tone was calm and respectful, but he was actually the most concerned person here. Lorea was said to have been born as the illegitimate child of a southern lord. Being clever, he had early on recognized his limitations as a bastard and chosen the life of a wandering knight.
“Do you really think I encouraged it?”
Sabelli burst into laughter as he snatched Sisou’s glass and drank all the wine. The old man’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “No, Elder… Scholar, that was mine.” Sisou Kure restlessly paced around. Karen sighed softly and tossed his bottle to Sisou. So annoying.
“The boy came to me himself. How delighted I was to be called ‘Master’ after such a long time…”
Ha ha. At the loud laughter, Anya, who had been waiting in a corner of the training ground, finally looked over. The boy’s face visibly brightened, then ducked awkwardly upon seeing the knights nearby. Sisou waved cheerfully. Anya’s reluctant wave back was so awkward that even onlookers felt embarrassed for him.
“If you’re so fond of him, why didn’t you provide him with a sword? How can he fight with a wooden sword?”
Riario, who had been keeping his mouth shut and avoiding eye contact with Sabelli, spoke in a somewhat irritable tone.
‘Anyway, old man, you know one thing but not another. Do you know how much I had to search through imperial law for this matter!’
The law books of the Delphium Empire boasted a formidable thickness, as vast as the empire’s ancient history.
“A sword is something one must find for oneself, not something given by another… Ah, but I suppose you wouldn’t understand such things.”
Sabelli patted Riario’s shoulder with a benevolent smile. I understand. Then he said he would go to his disciple and walked away.
“Mage, are you alright? Your fist is trembling.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Riario smiled sweetly, but beneath his sleeve, his fist continued to shake slightly.
