Chapter 42

Chapter 42

***

Life might be walking while cherishing unbearable pain and intolerable sadness.

One must cherish it. Not throwing it away or turning away from it, but cherishing it. Rickart and Bori-bori cherished that pain and sadness.

And as much as its size, as much as it is heartbreaking and painful, they will grow into stronger people.

However, time was needed until it took root inside and stood tall. The time to accept, that is.

Rickart and Bori-bori buried Nameless under the temple. Just in case wild beasts came and ate him. As for the Quintet, well, whether they get eaten or not.

However, the huge corpse of the person called Hannet was so big that it emitted a massive stench as it rotted. There was no need to endure and tolerate even this.

And staying in the ruined village for a few days, food was almost running out. Now was the time to leave.

One sunny day, the sky was blue and white clouds were clean like pure cotton. The wind was somewhat cold, but not to the extent of shrinking the body if dressed thickly.

On such a day, Bori-bori was sitting with his knees together on the temple floor, like a baby animal unable to leave its dead father's side.

Looking at his expression, he didn't look depressed or sad. But he wasn't blank either, just staring blankly as if lost in thought.

But someone tapped such Bori-bori's shoulder. Looking back, Rickart had finished preparing to leave and gestured to go with his sword on his shoulder.

Bori-bori also stood up quietly carrying his bag without saying a word.

Leaving the temple, a fresh green field holding moisture was visible. Although a little early, white and yellow flowers that already bloomed were also visible.

A clear stream made of melting snow flowed. Sunlight touched the stream, breaking trickle trickle, and flowed to the lowlands.

Rickart and Bori-bori, the two boys walked along the stream.

"Hmm......"

A man with an impressive neatly trimmed beard was examining the sword carefully with his brow furrows deeply. It was a quite serious expression.

The blade was about 1 meter, and the center of gravity was perfectly balanced. It was clean without any damaged parts on the blade.

The craftsmanship was excellent, but the man didn't frown because of that.

It was precisely because of the subtle blue luster revealed when tilting the blade slightly. The luster was very profound, like looking at moonlight.

The man raised his head and spoke. Two boys wearing red and dark brown cloaks were staring at him blankly.

"Where did you get this?"

"......"

The two boys didn't answer. Did I speak quietly? That can't be. Can't they speak?

The man moved his gaze to the sword again. Then, the blonde boy grabbed the scabbard chin and held out his hand. Probably meant to give the sword back.

The man returned the sword as if regretful, and the boy put the sword deeply into the scabbard with unexpectedly skillful hand movements.

Slither. Clack.

And he turned around to leave the shop, but the man called him to stop.

"W-wait a moment."

As the two boys looked back again, he asked.

"How much were you thinking of?"

"......"

Still no answer. They must be unable to speak. Armed boys who can't speak. It was peculiar.

However, that wasn't important right now, and the weapon merchant pondered for a moment. Whether to just call a dirt cheap price, call a moderate price, or speak honestly.

The blonde boy stared intently, as if examining the direction of the heart causing internal conflict beyond the merchant's eyes.

Eventually, the merchant chose conscience. But unavoidable regret made him sigh deeply.

"That sword, in my view, is a sword made by mixing a metal called True Silver. It's named whatever price you call it even if mixed with a very small amount. Moreover, throughout the Empire, there aren't many blacksmiths who can handle True Silver. According to one theory, people who reached Sword Master mainly use it. They say it has good compatibility with mana. So, I mean it's an object I can't pay the price for properly. If you want to receive the proper price, you'll have to go to a big city and put it up for auction."

The sword held in Rickart's hand was none other than the sword Steiner used. The Ghost Sword was at Bori-bori's waist.

At the weapon merchant's honest words, Rickart smiled brightly, put one silver coin on the table to pay for the appraisal, and bowed his head. Bori-bori bowed his head awkwardly as if following that appearance.

And they left the weapon shop. They tied Steiner's sword to the backpack and fixed it firmly for now.

Although it was the same longsword type, it was smaller than the Meteor Iron Sword Rickart used, so it seemed there would be no actual use for it. Because what fits one's hand is the famous sword.

Rickart and Bori-bori went out to the city, went around here and there, and bought necessary items.

Famine relief crops like potatoes or sweet potatoes, dried food made by grinding various grains, steaming and lumping them, smoked ham, firewood, and such.

But while buying items, the two didn't say a word. If there was something to express, they tapped each other to signal with eyes or just made simple hand gestures.

Was it because they suffered too great a sadness losing Nameless? That wasn't it. It was just merely close to imitating Nameless.

It was a mourning unique to the boys, and half was play too. Like a bet where the one who speaks first loses. Although they didn't explicitly agree to do so.

Doing so, even without words, if eyes met occasionally, laughter came out for no reason. While doing so, the two boys learned the value of silence. Because there were things heard and seen only by being silent.

And well, there was nothing particularly uncomfortable without speaking. Communication was unexpectedly fully possible, and if there was a fight with someone, they just had to fight without avoiding it.

Like that, Rickart and Bori-bori left the city and walked along the road to the south. It was the road to the Academy.

Looking around the mountains and streams, it seemed they stood on the boundary of winter and spring. It was the end and also the beginning of a season. He hated winter, but thinking of Nameless, it wasn't just entirely hating it either.

Regretful feelings and feelings welcoming spring mixed. It wasn't because he couldn't get a grasp, but felt like spreading becoming a third profound color.

Anyway, looking at it one way, it was an incident where two of the Empire's 9 Swords died at once. And one of them was finished by Rickart's hand.

This was a truly absurd level of feat, but Rickart himself wasn't very interested in such things. Whether anyone recognized it or not.

Fame is just fame, and it was light like a feather without substance. Rickart knew it would scatter like sand before the wind as time passed.

There are many strong people in the world, and someone else will probably fill that spot. And that person will also fall to someone. That was the fate of those walking the path of the sword.

Then what is important? A harmonious family gave Rickart a peaceful mind, and Nameless planted certainty in human will and an indomitable spirit.

That was the important thing. And Rickart didn't miss the important parts.

Since he mastered running wild with a sword long ago, he pursued something deeper and wider than fame or anything.

Splash splash!

While Rickart was walking immersed in thoughts, he passed a bridge and heard the sound of splashing water roughly.

So he stopped walking and looked under the bridge, and a knight wearing armor was floundering falling into the water at a slightly distant place.

No, first of all, it didn't seem to be a knight. Because the physique was excessively small to be a knight. Moreover, perhaps having lost the sword, the scabbard at the waist was empty without contents.

Secondly, falling into the water was impossible because the depth of the river wasn't that deep.

That is, someone wearing armor was floundering in the water alone.

Rickart and Bori-bori stood still and watched wondering what that person was doing. Then thinking some help seemed needed, they turned around the bridge and went down.

Approaching the person wearing armor, the Great Helm, so-called tin can helmet worn on the head, was turned to the side, so the view seemed blocked.

They wondered if they should help, but while coming down the bridge, the person came out to land, and seemed to balance somehow and come to senses even while staggering, so they just watched quietly.

But doing so, the person floundered in the air alone again and fell on their butt on the gravel field. Then, turning the helmet forcibly while sitting for now, he caught his breath for a moment.

However, discovering two boys staring down at him intentionally, he was startled and jumped up and down on his butt from the sitting position.

"Kyak!"

And dragged on the floor moving away.

"D-do not come close!"

Whoever heard it, it was a girl mimicking an adult man's voice. Since the two boys had no thought of going close in the first place, they just stood and watched blankly.

"Hmm."

Since he couldn't know what she was doing at all, Bori-bori made a sound, 'Hmm'. Then immediately Rickart pointed at Bori-bori and said.

"Uh? You lost."

"Me? Why?"

"Just now you said Hmm."

"That's not a word."

"Anyway, you lost."

"Dad also said Hmm before."

"Did he? Anyway Bori, you lost."

"......What happens if I lose?"

"Well, I don't know that."

Perhaps not knowing what on earth the two boys were saying, the girl wearing armor, who still couldn't stand up sitting there, was speechless and dumbfounded, only blinking her eyes.

That is, it was a situation where they couldn't understand each other. Why the girl was floundering at the water's edge wearing armor, and why the two boys were arguing about losing or winning over something nonsensical.

Anyway, in the girl's view, the appearance of the two boys was somewhat peculiar. They were armed better than expected, and their appearance was neat so they didn't look like bandits or robbers.

Since childhood, the number of children doing banditry wasn't small, but bandits were generally dirty because they couldn't wash properly living hiding in mountains or forests.

Rickart and Bori-bori looked back at the girl who made them finally break the silence after not saying a word for a few days.

Rickart spoke.

"Don't you need to dry your clothes and warm up your body first? It's still cold. You could die."

Not necessarily from sword fights, but if you leave home and come out to the wild, there were infinitely many causes of death. Representative among them was starvation, and another was hypothermia.

If you stay just one night outside without any travel items, you could know how painful it is. Especially now was the time when winter hadn't fully gone.

In Rickart's view, the girl seemed to have nothing besides armor.

"Uh...... Uh......"

However, pure goodwill was rare in the world. She couldn't accept the word of helping readily.

"If you don't feel like it, can't be helped. Take care. Let's go."

As the girl hesitated, Rickart tried to turn around and leave coolly to the point of being cold. Then the girl called him to stop hurriedly. Because she really could die.

"W-wait a moment."

Rickart and Bori-bori were just turning their bodies and looked back at the girl again.

"T-thank you for your goodwill, Sirs. H-however, this small one has nothing currently. I-if by any chance, you desire this small one's body as a price, that cannot be done. Please promise in the name of God and the Empire that you won't do so."

The tone was like a knight's tone from some grandfather's days.

"Okay, I promise."

Since Rickart didn't think of such things at all, he accepted immediately. Because it wasn't difficult.

Doing so, he held out his hand. The girl hesitated a little, then held that hand and stood up from the spot.

Standing up, she was similar to Rickart who was about 160 cm. Originally girls grow fast, but if she was similar to Rickart who had good development itself, the age seemed similar too.

"It's a little early, but let's look for a camping spot."

"Ung."

Like that, two boys and one girl moved together. Whenever the girl walked, a sound chiling chiling occurred because of the chainmail. The wet surcoat worn over the armor was just purple without any crest.

Since it was good to light a fire and dry the body as soon as possible, they couldn't go far and stayed at a suitable place in the forest near the stream.

It was a place where a wide and large rock protruded like a roof. They unpacked there and lit a bonfire immediately.

The problem was, to dry the body, she had to take off the armor and clothes.

The girl felt awkward sitting down, and didn't know what to do even after sitting.

She kept looking at the two boys' reaction, and Rickart and Bori-bori stared at her intently to the point of being burdensome. So even taking off one helmet took a bit long.

But taking off the helmet, a truly surprisingly beautiful appearance was revealed.

The blonde hair tied back tightly was somewhat disheveled, and fine hairs stuck to the face due to moisture, but it couldn't fade the beauty at all.

Her eyes were blue like jewels, her skin was white like snow without a single blemish, and her features were refreshing.

However, since the situation was what it was, the girl's withered appearance reflected in the bonfire light looked pitiful.

But the words of the two boys were a spectacle.

"If Erze saw you, she would have skinned you immediately."

"I thought that too."

"......Uh?"

"It's okay. Relax. We killed her."

"......Uh uh?"

She didn't know what they were saying but it sounded like terrifying words. Bori-bori took out a towel and spare clothes from the bag.

"Help you take off the armor?"

Rickart asked. At that, the girl lowered her head as if shy and said.

"U-ung......"

Rickart surprisingly, very skillfully unfastened the clasps of the armor and took it off in an instant. Under the armor, she was wearing a gambeson, which was quite heavy when wet because it was clothes filled with cotton.

Hanging the armor on a nearby branch, Rickart sat next to Bori-bori. And turned around to sit together with Bori-bori.

The girl was flustered, shy, and confused as this was her first experience in her life. While her heart beat as if exploding, thoughts like 'is this okay' kept occurring.

Leaving aside other things, she had never thought about changing clothes outdoors.

However, Rickart and Bori-bori didn't ask her story, and didn't even ask her name.

Anyway, the girl took off her clothes, wiped her body with a towel while looking at the two boys' backs. And changed into Rickart's clothes. Since the height was similar, it fit tolerably well.

"I-I wore it all."

Maybe because she was frantic, the girl's tone went back and forth. Rickart and Bori-bori didn't turn back absolutely like gentlemen, and only then turned around to sit.

"Better now, right?"

Rickart asked. At that, the girl only nodded sitting with her knees together. Perhaps because she passed a big crisis in her own way, she seemed a little calmed down. The loose wet blonde hair came down to her back.

"If our paths overlap, we can take you there. Where are you going?"

At that, the girl looked at the bonfire with somehow sorrowful eyes and said.

"Beringen Adventurer Academy."

Chapter 9 - Establishing Discipline. End. Note: Wait, line 285 in raw was empty, but usually chapters end with a signoff. Oh, the actual chapter title for this arc is usually put at end? No, I see "Chapter 9 - Establishing Discipline" in Ch 46 end. Ch 42 raw doesn't have it. I'll just end it.

Wait, looking at Ch 46 translation, it ended with "Chapter 9 – Establishing Discipline. End."

The raw for Ch 42 just ends with "Beringen Adventurer Academy."

I will check if there is more text.

Raw File:

283: “베링겐 모험가 아카데미.”

284:

285:

It ends there.

The previous chapters had chapter title at end? Ch 50-46 did.

Ch 45 did not? Let's check Ch 45 again.

Ch 45 ended with: "In front of overwhelming violence, there was no status, and everyone was just equal."

Okay, I will just end the translation.