Chapter 217: My Name Is… (2)

Chapter 217: My Name Is... (2)

The ridgeline of breathtaking cliffs in the western continent.

There were people who lived with bladed tools from birth.

The nomadic people of Silleya.

Originally living at the foot of the northern mountains of the continent, they somehow ended up in such a rugged place. No one knows the reason. Some said it was to escape the flames of war in ancient times or because it was better to migrate to a warmer place, but no one remembered such old stories in this era.

The same was true for the chief elder, the leader of the people.

Boom - Pop -

Fireworks adorned the night sky. A grand festival celebrating a great achievement was in full swing in the Silleya settlement.

Everyone gathered in small groups, sharing food and drinking the stored liquor from the warehouse.

It was a stark contrast to the empire, which must be in chaos by now. The [Chief Elder Kaijin] was immensely proud of the ideal village scene.

In the midst of this, a figure was seen hurriedly running from afar.

Kaijin focused his senses. Who could be running around so busily instead of enjoying the festival?

He tried to send someone to identify the person, but Kaijin soon realized who it was, whether he liked it or not.

“Who is this, if not the proud warrior of our people?”

Kaijin welcomed the ‘spy’ who had climbed to the pavilion in the middle of the mountain in a single breath.

Panting heavily, the spy couldn’t catch his breath to properly greet the elder due to his hasty arrival.

“You should have come more leisurely. Here, have a drink.”

“...Thank you.”

The spy drank the offered liquor, caught his breath, and took out a letter.

“What is this?”

“The new emperor has issued a decree to shrink the borders. This is a copy of the decree sent to each knight order.”

Kaijin listened to the spy’s words and opened the letter.

The content was simple.

[The duration of expeditions will be significantly reduced from now on, and the Makal Mountains will no longer be the border. The empire will prioritize acting for the people and will no longer bear unnecessary sacrifices.]

“...Ha!”

Kaijin let out a laugh.

The new emperor was said to pursue both peace and prosperity, but he changed his stance as easily as flipping his palm after just one defeat.

“This will certainly let the monsters into the continent. Is the empire trying to eat itself alive?”

“It’s strange. If that happens, even people not living in the cities will suffer...”

“Haha. The new emperor is truly a fool.”

Kaijin thought of the former emperor [Iron-Blooded Franz].

A ruthless man who sought out and killed all the warriors who accomplished great deeds, sending more troops if he couldn’t kill them the first time...

But the current emperor was not only the opposite of his father but was also making incomprehensible decisions.

“Does he really think our people will be troubled by mere monsters?”

“...That’s too much of a joke.”

Whoosh -

Kaijin emitted a sharp aura and incinerated the letter.

The Silleya people died if they did not become warriors. Therefore, most of the adults in the tribe were top-class masters capable of emitting aura. The only exceptions were the families welcomed from ‘outside.’

Kaijin wasn’t worried that the tribe’s warriors would struggle against mere monsters.

“Let’s see if such a cowardly stance can block future great tasks. Bring the writing materials.”

The shadowy figures brought out a box with organized brush and paper. Kaijin wrote a new letter to his daughter, who was away from the village.

“This is a letter and a voucher for the princess.”

“Yes.”

“Take your time returning. We have the sword; we just need to swing it.”

Watching the respectful spy leave, Kaijin thought of his daughter in a distant land.

A child with talents surpassing his own, praised as the best jade.

Even though she was just past her prime, the aura she emitted was calm and clear, unmatched by any warrior capable of emitting dozens of auras. Her exceptional martial prowess was unparalleled.

He had heard that Hugo Prient was old and no longer as capable as before. Therefore, the sword handle would eventually be held by their side.

He had also heard that Hugo Prient had children, but Kaijin wasn’t worried at all. Those hothouse flowers would surely be no match for Yoru, who had gone through many real battles.

However, he harbored a small ember in his heart.

“...As long as it’s not the Sword Ghost.”

The Sword Ghost.

A name Kaijin gave to Glen Prient on a whim.

Kaijin thought of the man he met in his younger days.

-You still have a need to stay alive.

A mirage-like man.

A man who didn’t even seem human, whom he searched for 20 years to meet again but hadn’t even heard the name of.

But the mirage was not a hallucination or a lie. Somewhere on the continent, his real form existed.

The man took his arm as if to ensure he would remember his name, so even 20 years later, he remembered it.

“......Glen Prient cannot escape time either.”

Kaijin touched the stump of his arm, severed from the left shoulder.

“I can never thank you enough.”

Victor, sitting on the throne, said with a smile. However, her face, seeing her old friend after a long time, couldn’t hide the worries despite the smile, as she had gone through a major ordeal.

Shiron replied without smiling.

“It was something I had to do. No thanks are needed.”

“No, I must thank you.”

“It’s not necessary.”

“Thanks to you, we were able to act quickly. No prominent figures from other countries died in the empire, and thanks to that, there were no rumors that the empire responded inadequately and let neighboring countries fall into chaos.”

“...Surely, there wouldn’t be such rumors.”

“There were a few such incidents in the past.”

“...”

“If you asked, I could even lick your feet... any thoughts on that?”

Shiron answered by stepping back from the throne. Feeling a deep regret, Victor tried to make a deadly joke.

“I’m kidding.”

“Answer quickly.”

“No.”

“...I believe you. You are not gay.”

Shiron turned around, recalling the solid sensation that didn’t match Victor’s delicate face.

Despite Shiron’s intense hug, Victor’s lower part didn’t get hard at all.

Lucia lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. It was just before dawn, and she hadn’t slept a wink for hours.

It was strange.

She hadn’t yet recovered from the travel fatigue, and she had unburdened her mind...

Though she pretended not to, she was sure Shiron, who was secretly kind, was exhausted from the relief activities...

Lucia decided to get up. After all, going a few days without sleep was nothing to her...

“...When did you come in?”

As she sat up, she saw a familiar child’s face. Since Latera was not human, it was hard for even Lucia to sense her presence.

“Have you found yourself?”

The angel, who resembled a friend who had died hundreds of years ago, smiled brightly.

“Found myself... Yes, I did.”

“What did you find while wandering? Kyrie? Lucia? I’m curious.”

“...Well.”

Lucia plopped back onto the bed.

She considered chasing Latera out to try to sleep again, but this wasn’t the first time this had happened, so she decided to let it slide ‘today’ as well.

Just a month ago, they had talked about various things, leading to a discussion about identity, prompting her to visit Dawn Castle to calm her mind.

Ignoring the sensation of something crawling into the blanket, Lucia opened her mouth.

“When I came back, I thought I was Lucia, but after returning, I feel like I’m Kyrie...”

“Why is that?”

“Why do you ask?”

‘Even if you ask that...’

“...Maybe because I’ve lived as Kyrie longer?”

“How old was Kyrie when she died?”

“Why should I tell you that?”

Lucia turned her head in frustration. Latera laughed softly while facing her.

“Why not?”

“Why? Because...”

“Lucia, you’re a fresh twenty-year-old now. You shouldn’t be concerned about age.”

“Are you picking a fight?”

“Nope.”

“She definitely died in her mid-twenties, okay? So let’s drop this topic.”

Although the conversation had veered off, Lucia felt a bit more at ease.

“Anyway, did I tell you that Kyrie was from a northern nomadic tribe?”

“I think I’ve heard that. Why?”

“...When I heard the word ‘barbarian,’ I felt bad for some reason. Even though I’m no longer Kyrie.”

Lucia recalled the word she hadn’t heard in a long time.

Barbarian.

Hearing that derogatory term made her feel bad, just like in the past. Even though she wasn’t a barbarian anymore, the term seemed to reinforce her fading identity as Kyrie.

“It’s not just that. It’s strange to think this way, but I felt a bit resentful towards people who use the word ‘barbarian.’”

“Hmm...”

Latera, who had been joking around, let out a subtle groan. Lucia’s face flushed red.

“I-I understand their feelings too. If another tribe invaded our village, I would have cursed them too.”

“I understand. Your identity as Kyrie reacted to the word ‘barbarian,’ right?”

“Yes! Exactly...?”

Lucia suddenly sat up in bed. There was a clear sign of someone approaching. It was Shiron.

Lucia quickly sat at the dressing table and began brushing her disheveled hair.

“Need some help?”

“Huh? Yes, please!”

Latera helped Lucia with her grooming.

-Knock, knock.

“Come in...”

Lucia responded while fully prepared.

Shiron cautiously opened the door.

“Latera, you’re here.”

“What’s going on?”

“...There’s a place we need to go.”

Shiron looked at Lucia with half-closed eyes.

“Sorry to bother you early in the morning, Lucia. You should get some rest.”

“...Huh?”

Lucia followed Shiron out of the room. It was strange. Usually, in such situations, she was used to being taken along, but today Shiron didn’t seem to need her, so she moved involuntarily.

“W-what? Aren’t you taking me?”

“...You must be exhausted from the trip. Go and rest. Latera and I can handle it.”

Shiron looked at Lucia with ambiguous eyes. Normally, he would have used Lucia’s strength to capture Yoru, but this time he wanted to let Lucia rest, feeling he had been relying on her too much.

Just as he turned to leave, Lucia grabbed the hem of Shiron’s clothes.

“T-take me with you...”

“...Why.”

“I... I don’t want to go to school?”

Unable to come up with a good excuse, Lucia blurted out whatever came to mind.