Chapter 122 : Chapter 122

Translator: AkazaTL

Pr/Ed: Sol IX

***

Chapter 122 — Cherville (1)

The call of the nation.

A problem that every man living in the Iron Kingdom of Cherville faced sooner or later.

Especially for a swordsman whose name had begun to spread — evading conscription into the Iron Legion was utterly impossible.

Yet throughout the long history of the Iron Kingdom, there had always been those dissatisfied with this “duty of national defense.”

Nobles. In the Iron Kingdom, where the logic of strength defined order, nobles trained with the sword by default to survive.

They knew that in this turbulent nation, the blade held more sway than the law. Thus, they made their children practice swordsmanship as well.

Across the Iron Kingdom, it was a common sight to see young noble children barely able to walk, brandishing sticks in their gardens to learn the basics. Not only sons, but even frail daughters were urged to at least reach the level of a Sword Beginner.

So when the Iron Legion’s conscription began, it wasn’t only commoners and serfs who were summoned — but even the noble heirs with bright futures ahead of them. No matter how desperately their fathers tried to have them assigned to the rear, unforeseen deaths were inevitable in war.

The noble youths of noble blood died equally on the battlefield. The nobles were furious about this. And thus, out of that fury, a new clause was born within the Iron Kingdom.

“A knight who has been formally invested, or one affiliated with a knight order, need not answer the call of the nation.”

An exceptionally rare clause in the Iron Kingdom.

It must have been born because there were quite a few enraged nobles back then. Regardless of their intent at the time, this clause now served as my one and only escape route.

“According to this clause, I am not subject to conscription.”

A small connection. I still hadn’t forgotten the conversation I had that day.

— If you cannot hide something perfectly, hold your tongue. A clumsy lie is worse than silence. Young boy, steel does not speak.

That honorable duel where I fought as the Proxy Warrior of Fetel. The old knight who had appeared with Daisy. The old man who had seen through my true nature. I remembered his words.

— When you forge your Wings, come find me.

Now, I have forged my Wings. From the moment I reached Sword Runner, I had gained the right to seek him out.

“As far as I know, Lord Karavan, you are not a knight formally invested. Which means you’re affiliated with some knight order — which one would that be?”

Of course, it was only a small connection. I had never been knighted, nor was I formally affiliated with that old knight’s order. But what did that matter? Ever since the House of Rhapsody’s legion had shown up unannounced, I’d realized something: in this world, even the smallest thread could change everything — depending on how you used it. What mattered wasn’t size, but pretext — and whether or not even the faintest thread remained connected.

“Sir Vermartin.”

What mattered was not what one had — but how one used it.

“I am under the command of Vermartin the Steel.”

Now then. It was time to step into a broader world.

***

The Iron Legion’s recruiting officer seemed to accept my words after some thought.

“Sir Vermartin the Steel, you say. So you’re already affiliated with the ‘Yellow Elephant’ knight order. That’s unfortunate. I thought with skill matching your reputation, you’d have been a great asset to the Iron Legion.”

“I feel the same.”

“The Iron Legion is always open to the capable. We make no distinction between noble or commoner, serf or slave. If you ever wish to serve the Iron Kingdom, contact us. You’ll be welcomed.”

“……Understood.”

After shaking my hand once, the officer glanced over the Karavan domain — seemingly looking for any promising men over fifteen. But of course, there were none.

This was a rural village where it was hard to even find a young man, much less a capable one.

The officer, finding no one of worth, spoke with mild disappointment.

“It seems we came for nothing. In any case, please submit the related documents within a month. It’s not that I distrust you, Lord Karavan, but there are procedures to follow, so don’t take offense.”

“I take no offense.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

The recruiting officer and his men departed. The army had appeared out of nowhere and vanished just as suddenly, but the residents weren’t surprised anymore.

Whether the army came or went, they weren’t nervous — if anything, they regretted that the soldiers hadn’t stayed longer. They had learned last time that when the army lingered, there was good money to be made.

Watching them, I asked jokingly — weren’t they afraid?

The villagers replied:

“As long as our lord is here. You’d face anything head-on without stepping back, our lord. Whatever comes, we have no fear, hahaha.”

A calm, unwavering reply. And hearing it, I thought to myself—I still had to become stronger.

Far stronger than I was now.

***

“I’ll be going to the capital.”

“The capital — you mean Blade City, Cherville?”

“Yes. I need to go to Cherville to settle this conscription issue. But that’s not the only reason.”

“You have something else to do?”

“I’ll be preparing for a long journey.”

A long journey. At my words, Tom and Sancho looked puzzled.

“I’ll be leaving the Iron Kingdom and heading for the Sky Empire. More precisely, I’ll be climbing the Sky Mountains.”

“……I hope I misheard you.”

“No, you heard correctly. I’ll go to the Sky Mountains.”

“Lord, have you gone mad?”

Sancho looked confused, while Tom’s face was truly alarmed. It was the difference between one who knew the wider world and one who did not. No matter how knowledgeable Sancho was, it was knowledge limited to the Karavan domain.

That was why he could only scratch his head. But Tom was different — I had expected this reaction.

‘Even from how he reacted when the dragon appeared, I knew.’

Tom knew the wider world. At least far better than Sancho and I did.

“Prince Arhan, do you know what kind of place the Sky Mountains are? They’re one of the most dangerous regions on the continent — as perilous as the Krevelin Great Forest or the northern Monsterland.”

“Unfortunately, I know little of both the Great Forest and the Northern Continent.”

“Then why would you go to the Sky Mountains……?”

“Because the soul of the sword is telling me to.”

I looked at Tom.

“The soul of the blade I took in — its former master — is being drawn to the dragon. If I can fully absorb that soul, I can grow far stronger than before. When the path ahead is clear, there’s no reason to retreat.”

“You could lose your life, Lord.”

At Tom’s warning, I replied lightly.

“Tom.”

“Yes?”

“Of all the roads I’ve walked so far, not one has been safe.”

Tom fell silent.

He knew I was right. None of my paths had ever been safe. Every moment had been a crisis, every step a risk of death. But I had survived — and grown stronger each time. The Arhan Karavan who had just begun swordsmanship was a completely different man from who I was now. This journey, too, would become an opportunity — if I survived.

“……You’re right.”

Avoiding danger wasn’t an option. If I had wanted safety, I should never have started down this path.

“I personally support it.”

Sancho raised his hand.

“While your presence calms the residents, it doesn’t contribute much otherwise. Lady Hailyn and I are already Managing the fief’s affairs as acting lords, and we’ve even begun hiring skilled specialists with the money we’re earning. Administration is running smoothly. All you can do here is swing your sword behind the manor. I may not know swords or the wider world, but I know this much — you’re still young, and you need broader experiences and horizons.”

“……”

“Do what you must, my lord. I, Sancho, will hold the fort.”

Yes. What I needed to do was clear.

Sancho and I shared the same goal. We were the only two here who had truly experienced the terror of Swordmaster Carlos. And with my journey now set, Tom spoke.

“I’ll go with you.”

“I’d welcome that, but are you sure?”

“I am. It seems the 「Arena」 that once employed me is in serious trouble anyway. Blade City gathers all the blades of the Iron Kingdom — it’s a good chance to stock the Hall of Honor again. Besides…… since we’re going to meet a dragon, I might be useful.”

Each time Tom mentioned “dragon,” his expression darkened slightly. Thus, with Tom joining, I looked over the members of this upcoming journey.

Seol Yoon was a given. Which meant — two Sword Runners and one Sword Expert — a formidable lineup. But strength aside, the balance was off. I’d never heard of a group made up entirely of swordsmen.

Even if Tom, as an old steward, could handle logistics and paperwork, we still needed others.

The essential members for any journey were: a mage to handle spiritual matters, a ranger to act as a guide, and a cleric or healer to tend to injuries. That was the basic composition. No expedition consisted solely of swordsmen — except perhaps bandits.

“You’re heading to the capital, you say. I’ll come with you.”

“……That’s unnecessary.”

As I was debating who to include, Orc Sherizik spoke.

“If you come, Sherizik, that makes four swordsmen.”

I couldn’t exactly say, I don’t want to bring an orc, you’ll just eat all our supplies, and honestly, I’d rather not see your face. If I did, it would start a duel — one I’d probably lose. Hearing my flimsy excuse, Sherizik gave a smile that could’ve been amusement or threat.

“It’s fine. I was born and raised in the mountains. I’m a better tracker than most rangers of the Empire. And I can use the shamanic spells my father taught me.”

“……”

“With those spells, I can even perform healing similar to the miracles used by priests.”

Damn it. Sherizik was annoyingly competent.

And so, to recruit the final member, I went to Witch Audrey. Truthfully, I wanted to keep her here forever — she was a capable fighter, an excellent administrator, and her presence reassured me.

But I couldn’t leave without her. She was an accomplished mage, well-versed in the Sky Mountains and Sky Empire, and above all, it was the Witches themselves who had requested the task related to 「Flight」.

“Finally! I’m leaving this dump behind!”

“……”

“Yaaay!”

Thus, the members of our journey were decided.

The young lord and the girl from the eastern continent.

The orc and the Witch, and the old steward.

A group utterly insane by any standard.

As I nearly finished preparations to depart with this eccentric crew, one thought lingered.

‘Surely not…’

That old knight. He hadn’t forgotten me, had he?

***

“Sir Vermartin, have you ever hired a swordsman without consulting me?”

“Swordsman? Not that I recall.”

“Then perhaps you accepted money during conscription season and listed a noble’s son under the Yellow Elephant’s roster? Other knight orders do that, but we’ve never— Has our order fallen on hard times lately?”

“Hmph! Do you take me for such a man? I, Vermartin, despise those nobles who use knight orders to dodge service! Any true man of the Iron Kingdom must answer the Iron Legion’s call without delay!”

“Then what’s this?”

At his booming protest, the woman handed him a document. It bore the seal of the Iron Legion. Vermartin frowned and read slowly through the contents.

“Hmm. Huh?”

And then—

“Whuh—wahaha! Wahahahaha! Well now! That romantic brat has done something amusing!”

He roared with laughter.

“A romantic brat, you say?”

“Don’t you remember, my foolish deputy Meken? The boy who dueled him and took both his arms! That romantic lad who became a Proxy Warrior for a fallen knight, won the duel of honor, and demanded a banner — like a hero straight out of a chivalric tale!”

“Ah… right. The country bumpkin Sword Walker who defeated Sir Meken in a duel.”

At Vermartin’s words, the woman recalled the incident. Yes, it had happened — a story that had stirred even Blade City for a while. But as far as she knew, that boy had never joined the Yellow Elephant. Suspicious, she said:

“But I don’t recall that boy ever joining. He’s never been employed by us, either. So this means he used our name without permission—”

“Hah! Without permission? That romantic boy would never do such a thing in this dreary age! This must be a message to me.”

“A message? Come on. It’s obvious he just tried to find a loophole to dodge conscription by dropping the name of a knight he knew.”

“No, no. Not so. A boy with a heart as steadfast as steel wouldn’t do that. This must be his way of contacting me through the conscription office — to tell me he’s coming to Blade City soon, to show me how he’s changed.”

“……”

“Ha ha ha! I look forward to it!”

Vermartin laughed heartily, stroking his beard.

“For him to reach out to me so boldly — there can be only one reason. In this short time, he must’ve forged them already. The hardest Wings to bloom among all lineages — the Wings of Steel.”

Contrary to Arhan’s worries, Vermartin had not forgotten the boy he’d met that day. Of course he hadn’t — how could he? The boy might have thought it a passing encounter, but for Vermartin, it had been exhilarating — the realization of something he had dreamed of for so long.

The Blood of Steel, thought to be lost from the continent.

The descendant of Steel, returned once more.

Vermartin couldn’t hide his anticipation, laughing quietly.

The woman beside him asked:

“Why are you so sure there’s no ill intent? If there was no prior discussion, then our order’s name has been used. Normally you’d never let that slide, Sir Vermartin.”

“Because I like that boy. And—” Vermartin stopped mid-sentence. The woman tilted her head. And in his heart, Vermartin murmured silently: —Because at last, I can fulfill an old promise.

No one heard the old knight’s inner voice. After a brief silence, Vermartin cleared his throat and raised his head.

“……I’ll tell you later.”

“I’m curious. Can’t you at least explain a little?”

“A little, hmm. Very well — I can say this much.”

“……?”

“The day that boy arrives in this city and stands before me—”

Vermartin grinned.

“He’ll learn the true reason why they call me ‘Vermartin the Steel.’”