Chapter 220

Chapter 220

***

It seemed words were going around. Although they didn't necessarily reach their ears directly, they could clearly feel it in the atmosphere.

A person from Kalitz Academy defeated a swordsman from the Viola Clan. How? I heard they have a Codex.

Such words spread throughout the whole city in an instant. Even faster than the time it took Rickart's party to find a new inn and arrive.

Receiving people's attention was sometimes a pleasant thing, sometimes a burdensome thing, and sometimes could also be a dangerous thing.

However to gain a name and make a reputation known as a swordsman, as an adventurer, it was also a thing one had to endure.

"You should have come to our side earlier. We don't nitpick backgrounds like that. Aren't everyone commoners or lower nobles anyway? The reason the Viola Clan people are always angry is because of an inferiority complex. Inferiority complex."

A person wearing very luxurious clothes slightly loosened said. Saying you can tell a person's status by looking at their glass, the glass containing wine wasn't made of animal horn or wood but silver.

Perhaps a bit tipsy, his posture was also arrogant. Even so he wasn't picking a fight, and his speech was on the polite side.

The ones conversing with such a him were none other than Rickart and the three young adventurers, and the one with a red nose since broad daylight was precisely the owner of the inn where people from Beringen Academy mainly stayed.

"It's like tripping over their own legs. They're the ones who stepped up to divide ranks and look down on others, then got done in by you guys. Anyway, the people on the Viola side really like dividing ranks."

"Are you from Beringen Academy, Owner?"

Graf asked.

"Of course. I am the 4th son of the Pfalzmern family, named Erinent. And I am a 10th graduating class of Beringen Academy. Even the introduction is exactly different right? Those from Beringen Academy all reveal their own families. Have you heard of the Viola Clan revealing their families? Do you know why those kids don't mention their families? It's because they are all lower nobles or children of merchant families. Rather, they don't look down on people like me as commoners or well, look down on it as an academy whose name they haven't even heard of. Because in the eyes of people like me, the Viola Clan or commoners aren't much different."

The innkeeper wasn't picking a fight, but listening quietly to his words he was subtly unlucky. To the point where from a certain perspective the belligerent Viola Clan felt better.

"I think I somewhat know why their relationship isn't good."

Rickart muttered to himself. Then Erinent merely chuckled snicker and drank a sip of wine.

"Unlike those who only stubbornly stick to the sword, our career paths are all different. Only the talented kids walk the path of the sword until the end. Honestly we have a bit of a complaint too, how did the world become so that commoners crawl up to nobles? Wouldn't it be an unimaginable thing if it were the old days? Yes? No matter if they don't have succession rights, still nobles have fundamentally different roots. Don't you think so?"

It seemed Beringen Academy, represented by Erinent, also had their own complaints.

However, Rickart conversely felt the heartlessness of time or something like that. Beringen Academy was originally a place where orphans or kids almost no different from orphans lived in a group. Moreover Rickart lived in that notorious 'Chicken Coop'.

But as time passed, it was hard to enter Beringen Academy unless you were from a family with pedigree or the child of an incredibly wealthy household. Because only such kids gathered, naturally it was somewhat obvious that a tendency to look down on anyone other than themselves arose.

"Anyway I heard you're from our academy? Which graduating class are you?"

The Beringen Academy graduate named Erinent, the innkeeper, asked. Overflowing with a noble's pride like that but was it okay to act as an innkeeper? Rickart answered harboring such a question.

"......The first."

Rickart was the 1st graduating class, and the student who received the diploma for the first time. That too was given when the current Principal Karlrich was a student.

Erinent uniquely understood the 'first' Rickart said simply as the 1st graduating class, not as 'the very first' or 'for the first time'.

"The first? You're a very senior graduate. It is an honor to meet you. But you don't look that old though? Wait, I think I've seen you somewhere too."

In Beringen Academy there was a full-body stone statue of Rickart. So Erinent felt a sense of déjà vu from Rickart, but didn't think he was the owner of that stone statue.

"In the North, aren't blonde swordsmen common?"

"This isn't the North though, well, understood. Since you're from our academy and a great senior I should obviously give you a special discount. Just give me four silver coins for the room price. You have to calculate the price again after noon the next day, and meals and bathwater are free."

Four silver coins for a day's lodging fee was incredibly expensive. But to think that's the discounted price. In the first place, Beringen Academy had many from wealthy households so everyone somewhat lacked the concept of money.

Lena opened her money pouch and paid the price. Seeing that Rickart said.

"I will take the Codex for a while. If they try to snatch it at the Federation level, there's no method you guys have."

Rickart had business at Stormhearts Castle.

"......We are fine. We almost memorized it anyway. But will you be okay, Mister? At least taking a bath before going."

"Then I'll be late. It will take about a day or two."

"Understood."

Lena handed over the Codex obediently. Rickart felt trust in this part. Someone trusting me, that was a quite pleasant feeling.

"Leaving. Always check the exits. That is not cowardly."

"Yes."

Rickart received and packed the Codex and left the inn. As soon as he left the inn he felt stinging glares from here and there. He could tell the owners of those glares were people from the Viola Clan without even looking.

However, they didn't necessarily approach and pick a fight or did harm. It was a dishonorable thing to retaliate for a win or loss decided in a fair match.

To not have such dishonor, a new justification was needed. That was the meaning contained in those stinging glares. Looking for if there was any pretext to fight by any chance.

The sun was high in the sky and Rickart thought they would probably approach more explicitly if he got out of the city. Walking out of the city without any vigilance having such thoughts, bizarrely no personnel approached. He couldn't feel gazes either.

He thought to himself, did they unexpectedly accept results well? So he just walked the road heading north where human presence was sparse. The roads where many people came and went were the south, east, and west.

The north road had sparse human presence because there was no reason for people to go out except for official business. If you had business going north it was better to slip out to the west or east and go through the main road.

Anyway, Rickart walked the road wrapped in a dark red cloak. From afar it looked like a red flower bloomed in a large field.

To Rickart it was a familiar road. Since Stormhearts was his original hometown anyway. However, if there was a difference from the past, it was the fact that the road was quite well paved.

The sun slowly tilted from the peak. When it became a full afternoon the wind wasn't blowing so he even thought it was a bit hot. The weather was truly sunny.

Around the time he thought of taking off the cloak for a moment, there were people blocking the road and standing. Rickart saw them from afar, and just walked continuously without decreasing or increasing his speed.

And the wind blew again. The red flowers in the field fluttered like Rickart's cloak.

"To openly receive the Codex and go alone like that. I don't quite understand, Senior."

Erinent who conversed briefly earlier said. Rickart looked calmly without even being surprised and answered.

"Why the relationship between the two isn't good, I know now."

"What do you mean?"

"The Viola Clan is belligerent with a wretched inferiority complex, and Beringen Academy only tries to take care of greedy self-interests with a clumsy superiority complex. Such collective personality isn't something that can be easily changed just because you're the head of the organization. Rushing Bolka or Karlrich wasn't the way to solve it."

"Hmm...... Spouting unknowable sounds. Have no personal feelings. You know right?"

"I am just reluctant to spill blood on the land of my hometown. If I say I am the Chairman of the Council of Six and the King of Adelorn, will you retreat?"

"Is that so? Then I am the Emperor's husband."

Erinent dismissed Rickart's words. It would have been good if he followed his sense of déjà vu he felt earlier.

"Asking just in case, are you the client?"

Rickart asked.

"What request? We don't take on requests. Only sitting at the head of a desk and doing things like slitting the bellies of ordinary adventurers. Utterly lowly bastards don't know satisfaction. The whole world is full of vulgar bastards so it doesn't work out just by working hard."

"Didn't know you had such grievances."

"Enough of that, don't expect respectful treatment for a senior. Weren't there almost no nobles among the early graduates right?"

"If I'm not a noble what does that matter?"

"Hmm...... It's not that there's a big difference, but just that the guilt is a bit less?"

"Then I will also not have guilt. It's fair."

"No no, just leave the Codex behind. Then I don't necessarily have the intention to kill you. If that's the maximum respectful treatment it's respectful treatment."

Rickart silently drew his sword. The name the Mage of the Wastelands gave it, the so-called 'Lightning Fire', for a legendary masterpiece sword it was just ordinary. Except that it was a little longer compared to a general longsword.

"It will sting a little. There is no pain beyond that. If that is my consideration for juniors it's consideration."

It was a calm voice in calm eyes. There was not a single bit of trembling.

Only then Erinent thought it was strange. That he was this calm.

However if a female swordswoman from an unheard-of academy could defeat an elite swordsman of the Viola Clan, it meant the Codex was genuine. Then how strong would I become if I learned it? Such an absurd dream, or desire blurred his insight.

The three swordsmen blocking the road and standing also drew their swords. Win or lose, live or die. Even if times changed this concise struggle hadn't changed at all.

Rickart looked at the three swordsmen. So many methods to kill came to mind that he was rather at a point of confusion about which one to choose.

So to let them choose, he held the sword in one hand and walked forward defenselessly. So from the opponents' position they wondered what this was.

Being also bewildered, but still unable to retreat, a sword that exactly seemed to be thrust reluctantly burst out from the left. Rickart thrust while making the swords clash. Then accurately the guard bounced off the opponent's sword and pierced the chest.

It looked so easy there was no time to feel something like a difference in level or anything. However the surviving two launched a pincer attack from both sides while their companion was being done in.

Although the distance was slightly apart, Rickart turned his body first while stabbing one person with the sword and faced them. And then pulled out the sword that pierced the opponent. Not just pulling it out, but slicing upwards.

Slicing exactly like cutting some cheese the sword completely split the chest and even split the skull. In a short moment the two people clearly ended up seeing that. Then even while attacking a thought crossed their minds that something was wrong here.

Rickart naturally got into a posture holding the sword, and struck the sword down hard. The combined strike of the two people overlapped on a single line.

JJAEAENG-!

A very sharp metallic sound was heard, and the two swords broke. Even before the pain was conveyed, Rickart disappeared from the two people's eyes.

He didn't move fast or anything, when the opponents' nerves were temporarily disorganized by the shock of the swords breaking he just slightly moved, that was all.

One person's neck snapped. Accurately speaking it was right that the head was completely turned to the side while being cut off.

Erinent only then felt pain in his wrist, and discovered Rickart again whom he had lost from his field of vision. Strangely his eyes looked gloomy somewhere. What exactly?

It was an extremely short moment to hand over words. Because Rickart first, cut that moment. The flashing sword light pierced Erinent's eyes, and so he squeezed his eyes shut but his neck stung.

Ah, I'm dead, the thought crossed his mind. And that was correct. As his sense of direction seemed to disorganized, almost simultaneously with that he lost consciousness.

Three corpses sprawled on the roadside, and Rickart retrieved his sword. Fastening his somewhat disheveled cloak, he set out on the road without even looking back at the corpses. The scent of blood smeared into the warm sunshine of the spring day.

Rickart hurried his steps and arrived at the place where Stormhearts Castle was at dusk.

The village people were cleaning up after finishing their daily work, and looked at the unfamiliar yet familiar swordsman. To the newly born he was an unfamiliar guest, and to those who lived here a long time he was a welcome guest. Rickart greeted them at least with a smile.

Going up the low hill and reaching the castle, exactly like old times he saw the village people who worked at the castle getting off work. They opened their eyes roundly upon seeing Rickart.

"It's been a long time, Butch. What about Father?"

"Uh? Uh...... He's inside."

The hometown friend named Butch seemed to hesitate briefly whether he should use polite language or if he could speak comfortably. Rickart simply took off the angular facade of the world and smiled while touching his shoulder.

There was no such thing as a grand welcome ceremony. Because he came suddenly without even saying a word.

The sound of young people who didn't know Rickart asking who it was could be heard from behind. And they answered 'Young Master Ricky'.

The inner castle was neat but somewhat solitary. Now it was a place where his older brother and sister-in-law weren't here, I'm not here either, and only Father was there.

Rickart headed to the place where a human presence was felt. Going up the stairs it was Father's bedroom which he didn't go to often even when he was young.

The door was slightly open, and Rickart briefly thought about what that slightly open meant, then eventually pushed the door open.

Father was sitting by the window where the sunset was falling, immersed in contemplation alone. At an age looking towards 60 wrinkles had noticeably increased, and his body looked somewhat small compared to the past.

He looked back at his son, then without any sign of surprise or gladness turned his head back.

"Are you here."

"Yes."

"You can use the room you used."

Father hadn't changed a bit, and was blunt. Rickart sat opposite the small table. The red sunset illuminated the father and son.

"It's still a bit cold. I think it would be good to light a firewood fire."

"Well. Anyway Ricky, this."

Abellich tapped his own cheek looking at his son. Rickart wondered if something got on his face and touched his own cheek. A small dried blood scab fell off.

"Ah, this. On the way coming, I killed three people."

Rickart didn't explain the reason in exhausting detail.

"Yeah...... And you weren't hurt?"

"Me? No way."

"Then it's fine."

"But you know, Father......"

Rickart called Father exactly like he had something to say. Abellich just quietly waited for his son to speak.

Rickart paused for a moment, then said words anyone might say.

"Am I, doing well?"

It was a very complex meaning. Very. What he saw and heard while coming here from Kalitz, also feeling disappointed, and along with that questions about a shred of self-reproach or self-doubt.

It was his deepest inner heart that he didn't reveal even to his close friends, nor to Marie.

Abellich thought quietly about his son's question then answered.

"I didn't know you would become a King. Even more so didn't know the daughter-in-law would become an Emperor. To speak honestly how could I, a mere manor knight, understand all the difficulties you go through? So I don't know if you are doing well or not. However, even if things don't go exactly as you wish don't be too disappointed. Since whether you are doing well or not isn't something for you to judge anyway. There are also things you come to know only after time passes. Like when you Ricky and Billy left the house."

"......"

"At that time I also didn't know whether what I was doing was doing well or not. Sorry that it's not a suitable answer."

"......No. It was sufficiently good advice. Thank you."

Afterward the father and son had no words. They just watched the sunset falling together for a long time.

Just as the sunset sends off the day and sinks fleetingly, even if the things I did failed to reap great results and were meaningless actions, Rickart decided not to be disappointed.

Chapter 44 - Inside the circle I drew. End.