Chapter 149

Chapter 149

The best nerve relaxants are sleep and time. Sleep alleviates stress, and time dilutes pain.

Therefore, for excessively great stress and pain, sufficient rest is essential.

Then, to reduce the stress and pain of someone who killed his brother, how much sleep must he get, and how much long time must pass.

Rickart stood with one arm extended, holding that arm with his other hand, and looking down at a puddle. It was a posture as if slightly shrinking back.

The puddle reflected the clouds in the sky, and showed my appearance. Unable to distinguish eye color, he looked even more like Vilter. The wind blew and the ripples momentarily swayed.

While some people are tied to the past and unable to advance to the future, conversely, because they are humans, they looked back on the past, realized what they didn't know back then, and advanced to the future too.

Beautiful memories remained as they were, and recalling Vilter merely brought to mind the boy who smiled brightly, but acted prickly toward anyone other than me.

Strangely enough, there were no knots formed in Rickart's heart. Heavy, rough, sharp and pointy things with nowhere to be relieved, that is.

Whether this mental state was due to the light pouring from the sky or what, it was unknown, but what was clear was that it wasn't something that didn't exist springing up, but all of it was things that existed inside my heart.

Behind hatred is love, behind pain is healing, behind vengeance is forgiveness, behind sorrow is joy. They didn't exist separately respectively, but were mixed and bundled together.

Therefore, looking at which side and making what choice was precisely the free will bestowed by God. Because there is free will, humans are painful at the crossroads of choice.

Of course, the current Rickart couldn't smile broadly and act as if nothing happened. With a quietly tearing heart, he cherished all of that in his chest.

Two branches growing from the same stem sometimes grow in completely opposite directions. Only our choices and paths were different, Vilter didn't resent me, and I also do not resent him.

If there is an afterlife, Billy would meet Mother first. Rickart thought of Vilter smiling while being held in Mother's embrace during childhood.

The quiet realization guided Rickart to a deeper, broader, and higher mental world.

Exactly like the bold and quiet mindset of a hero saving the whole world against the Demon King.

"Commander."

Someone called from behind Rickart. Hearing the voice, he thought he knew who it was.

When Rickart looked back, Raimund was standing with the chaotic interior of Karagosa Fortress as the background.

"Didn't I tell you to call me Ricky? Ray."

"I am unable to do so anymore. You know."

Rickart looked back at the chaotic Karagosa Fortress. It wasn't chaotic for any other reason, but because they were in the middle of organizing the belongings of the Flame Knights that had accumulated over a long time.

Being an organization hundreds of years old, there were many things like relics, and therefore many things to dispose of. To travel a long distance, that is.

Old massive wooden furniture, holy relics, weapons and armor, besides wonderfully looking objects. Though not disposing of everything and taking a few, if it seemed cumbersome they also sold holy relics.

When Rickart looked at it, things called holy relics were exactly things like a prophet's shinbone, a shroud, foreskin, whose authenticity could not be known, and so on.

The holy relic he had brought to the headquarters going through all sorts of hardships upon Edmund's request was also the finger bone of some unknown person.

It was a world with truly many fake holy relics. But because those fakes were so old they also became relics themselves, but Rickart had them dispose of everything big and heavy.

Selling holy relics? It was an instruction that wouldn't have been followed in the past. However, now it was different. Because the knights of the Flame Knights accepted everything Rickart said right away like the will of God.

"I searched the surroundings thoroughly but could not find your friend. There were eyewitness accounts saying he left the encampment at night the day before the sacred duel, however......"

Raimund said.

Although Rickart wasn't the type to hold onto someone leaving, he had some unknown lingering regret regarding Hashim.

To him who worried about me until the end, I want to convey that I am fine. For Rickart, he couldn't dare to fathom his final repentance and sacrifice for himself.

Many people loved Rickart. When he was born, his mother; when he grew up, his brothers; at the crossroads of his life, his father; friends who shared joys and sorrows; Marie.

And there were also existences he could dare call teachers. Nameless, Armand, and Hashim.

Rickart felt like he owed many debts. That sense of debt wasn't something that pressured and suppressed him, but the foundation making him grow further into an adult.

He was 18 years old. In terms of the era, it was an age where one should proudly fulfill an adult's share, but whether he was mentally an adult as well, wouldn't that be another matter.

Strong mental fortitude and a gentle heart. Having that and advancing steadfastly, living on.

Rickart descended from the citadel riding 'Crimson Comet'. Coming down from the citadel, it was bustling with people, and soldiers affiliated with the knighthood were seen in the midst of squabbling with merchants.

It was a squabble to sell goods even a little more expensively, and buy them cheaply.

However, when Rickart revealed his figure, everyone took off their hats and knelt on one knee like paying respects to a King. As if a ripple spreading, every single person knelt down.

Rickart, wearing comfortable everyday clothes with only a single sword strapped to his waist, looked at them and said to a nearby unfamiliar merchant.

"I will not say anything about leaving a profit. However, I hope you do that too in accordance with your conscience."

And he also spoke to a knight from a lordly family.

"Assemble King Santonio's army. Now you must also go to the place where you should be."

"However, there are many soldiers who wish to follow the Commander."

"Do not expect anything like salvation from me. I am not a saint. If there is salvation, it already dwells within all of you. If I do not keep the promise with King Santonio, I will merely be nothing more than a liar. It would be even more difficult to expect salvation from me right? Is it not so?"

"Your words are true but...... For me as well, somewhat......"

For people who saw the pillar of light directly with their own two eyes, it was actually difficult not to follow Rickart. In a world rampant with religion, it was natural that leaving the side of one chosen by God wasn't easy. Because being by his side they could go to heaven.

"Good. Then let's do this. I will remit all the sins you have committed until now. Instead, live nicely from now on. Is that fine then?"

Rickart wasn't a liar but if it wasn't a bad intention, and if necessary in a situation like war, he was the type to just tell a lie.

It was a bit contradictory but a situation is different from time to time after all. In these matters, he was a bit brazen.

Since Rickart spoke to this extent, the noble knight reluctantly accepted it and gathered the soldiers.

The soldiers all looked at Rickart with somewhat fearful and earnest expressions, and someone reached out his hand to try and touch Rickart.

When one person did that, all the others also reached out their hands, and it seemed like a flower made of human arms bloomed with Rickart at the center.

When his path was obstructed Rickart briefly stopped and spoke to the soldiers.

"Brothers, despite me being an outsider, you have bravely followed me and fought without running away. The bravery of Sinatria men, I will not forget for my entire life. Since there is parting when there is meeting, do not feel too sad. I hope salvation dwells upon your families, your friends, and yourselves. I heard the words of God, and He spoke thus."

Rickart spoke mixing truth and lies. Naturally he had never heard the words of God or anything like that.

Rickart thought the words of God were incessantly speaking to him through life. Whether to listen carefully to it or not was ultimately up to the individual.

However, moving such complex and deep thoughts into words would make it long, and since it wasn't intuitive, he just lied. Because soldiers were ignorant they couldn't understand if it was even a little profound.

And that lie worked amazingly so there were many soldiers crying sob sob from here and there.

Rather than being moved by Rickart's words, it was because some guilt or pent-up feelings they had been shouldering until now were untied. Each soldier also had a life. Living was suffering. For anyone.

The path opened again. Rickart rode his horse and advanced forward, and the soldiers followed behind him.

It was a place about a day away from Karagosa Citadel. Exactly, it was the place where Vilter ascended to heaven. Because he ascended to heaven, Vilter had no grave.

However, rumors that people were making something to commemorate him were circulating.

At the place where Vilter ascended to heaven, King Santonio was on horseback with a small number of escorts. He was constantly looking around his surroundings, as if looking for something.

When Rickart appeared with soldiers crossing the ridge, he turned his head and looked. As it was dusk, the sunset of farewell was shining between the two people.

Rickart slowly drove his horse, approached him, and called him with a soft smile. What they decided to call him when they met again.

"Sancho."

Not My King or Your Majesty, but calling him by a nickname brought a smile to the majestic man's face.

"God does not say anything to me."

It seemed King Santonio also heard the news that a miracle happened here, and wanted to try listening to the voice of God himself.

"Wait just a moment."

Rickart strained his ears towards somewhere with a deliberately heavy expression. Staying like that for a moment, he said.

"Well...... God says that strange clothing does not suit you very well, Sancho."

"What did you say? Hahahaha."

At Rickart's joke, King Santonio threw his head back and laughed pleasantly.

Rickart said good things to the soldiers, and tossed light jokes to his new friend. King Santonio didn't dislike that either.

"Around when will you leave?"

"I am trying to reduce the personnel as much as possible, but it is not easy."

The knighthood troops were a whopping 1,000 knights alone, and the number of auxiliary soldiers or regular soldiers was 5,000. Taking this large-scale troop and going all the way to Adelorn wasn't easy.

"Up to Orselo, load the supplies on ships and go. It will be much faster. If you speak to the Count of Valensha, he will lend you the fleet."

Rickart was already planning to do so anyway, but merely nodded his head as if he understood.

Santonio asked.

"How far is it to Adelorn?"

"Well, I didn't come normally either so."

"Will we have occasion to see each other again?"

"As long as we're alive, what would be impossible?"

"Haha, right. But...... What did God truly say?"

Santonio asked a bit seriously this time.

"It seems even you, Sancho, are curious about that. He did not say anything. Merely, just showed me. If that truly was God, that is."

"What did He show you?"

"That this world is already full of salvation. That our foolishness, our pain and suffering, are merely a journey. So no matter what happens, there is no need to despair. When it's tough and difficult, it's okay to rest for a while. He showed me that."

"......Hearing such words makes it somewhat better."

Santonio was a lonely and tired existence between his responsibility as a King and personal ambition. Just as a poor porter carries a heavy burden, he too had a burden.

Rickart and King Santonio couldn't help but be far apart so he didn't know if they could be friends. If they had lived in the same region, wouldn't they have become lifelong rivals.

Nevertheless, it wasn't that he didn't feel the sentiment of parting. Thinking about it, it was strange. Being able to be close because they were distant existences from each other, and having become close, having to grow distant.

Santonio looked back at the setting sun and said.

"For now, let the soldiers loose and let's set up the tent. For tonight at least, there is no time for you to sleep, Ricky. Between friends, alcohol cannot be left out."

"I have tasted alcoholic drinks of various regions, so let's see how delicious the drink here will be."

"Haha, Ricky you friend. I am a King. Any good drink in the world I have already tasted them all, but there was no drink as supreme as Sinatria's."

As any man does, Santonio was also overflowing with pride regarding alcohol. Especially since it was his hometown and he himself was the King, even more so.

Setting up the tent, Rickart drank with Santonio all night long.

Indeed, the taste of Sinatria's drink was top-notch. It was wine mixed with things like lemon, apple, and orange, but the sweetness was strong and accompanied by fatty meat and fish, it went down smoothly.

King Santonio truly drank well, and Rickart too burned his will and faced him in his own way.

They burst into loud laughter at trivial stories, and Santonio threw off the King's face and made comical expressions.

Like that, the night deepened. The first and last drinking bout.

Rickart got up from his seat quite a while after the morning sun rose. The inside of his mouth was parched and his head was dizzy.

At that time King Santonio brought drink and olive fruits into the tent.

"Alcohol must be defeated by alcohol."

It was dreadful, but it was a sort of consideration. Although extremely strong, eating one olive fruit spread a salty yet savory flavor, stimulating his appetite. Even though he had gorged himself like that the previous day.

Presently the King's chef brought out the meal. Instead of meat, soft bread, soup, and fruits were all there was.

Rickart ate breakfast together with King Santonio following the previous night. However, this conversation wasn't just laughing and chatting frivolously, but a rather serious conversation in its own way.

"The western part of the Empire has been divided into two countries since ancient times. Well if you strictly distinguish it it's three, but to view it simply, it's the Capet Kingdom and the Basque Kingdom. Just as countries clinging closely together typically become enemies, they are the same too. However, as you Ricky also know, both dismantled the knighthood branches and confiscated the assets. The journey back will not be easy."

"It does not matter."

"While I do not doubt your combat power, do not forget that many heroes in history were sacrificed by the three-inch tongues of politicians."

Rickart nodded his head as if he understood. Although it looked somewhat half-hearted, it was a fact he was sufficiently aware of.

Santonio stared blankly at Rickart eating and said.

"If I achieve the great task of unified Sinatria in my lifetime, let's see each other again then, Ricky."

It was a difficult task to achieve during his lifetime. Perhaps it might be possible. It was an unknown matter.

"I wish you luck in battle. Take care of yourself."

Rickart and Santonio finished their meal and went outside. They shook hands in front of all the soldiers watching, and hugged with their shoulders touching.

It was formally handing over the army he borrowed to him. Two leaders meeting and wrapping things up this peacefully was something hard to find in history.

Rickart dropped Leonia Fortress just as promised, occupied Valensha, achieved a great victory against Sultan Yusuf, and lastly handed even Karagosa Citadel to King Santonio.

With this, he kept the promise of man to man. In a way, it was a beautiful conclusion to the point of being unrealistic and non-commonsensical.

King Santonio led his army and returned. Rickart saw him off from his horse, then returned to Karagosa Citadel and prepared to begin a long journey.

To Adelorn, that is. Finally.

Packing supplies, reorganizing the structure, they also discarded the name Flame Knights. From now on, it was the Steel Knights. A steel sword born in flames and cooled with a brother's blood, that is.

However, it was far even taking a ship, and moving by land route, furthermore taking an army, it was unknown how long it would take.

In the middle there were countless Kings and lords, unknown territories, and villains and heroes, and there was even the Emperor.

The plan to traverse the Empire from west to east, from end to end, was reckless and close to impossible, but the newly born knighthood was prepared to follow Rickart without an inch of doubt with iron-clad belief.

Even if there was hell at the end of the path he walks.

The knighthood headed to the Empire. The Empire that worked them like dogs for hundreds of years and then finally abandoned them, that is.

Since they even changed the name of the knighthood, they had no intention of pointing a vengeance-filled blade. However, whoever blocks their way will have to endure a steel storm.