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Riftan’S POV - Under The Oak Tree - Chapter 22
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Riftan paused and looked at him. The man was wearing an abominably serious expression.
In the eyes of the others, he seemed to be an interesting person?
Among the knights, very few were able to own their own castle and land. Even if they were born as aristocrats, when they are expelled from their inheritance rights, they often end up in rows. He slung his purse around his shoulder and laughed.
“What good is honour to a person when death comes. I’ve told you several times, I’m not interested.”
“Then what was the reason you came to the fencing contest?” The man frowned as if he didn’t understand.
Riftan felt heat around his cheekbones. He couldn’t say he attended just to see the girl in his memories.
He looked at the man as if he had nothing to say and then turned away. Then a scarlet-haired gentleman who was listening to the conversation interrupted seriously.
“If your pride doesn’t give you a chance to improve your status, you are the biggest fool in the world.”
“…If you don’t leave, I’ll kill you.”
“I don’t know why you’re stubborn. Do you think there are knights in the world who accept mercenaries like us as official members? Even if there are, they’ll just let you do their dirty work and use you however they want.”
“And you’re the one telling me that?”
As if cynically sarcastic, the gentleman opened his mouth as if trying to shout, then twitched and clicked his tongue.
“What’s the use of talking about it for a hundred days? You can go in and see for yourself. You don’t have anywhere to go anyway, do you? You said it was better to be a mercenary, but that’s when you’re part of a mercenary corps. There can’t be a crazy man who would entrust a lot of missions to a wandering swordsman.” The ex-mercenary’s words were not wrong, so I continued, “Unless you join another mercenary group, it will be hard to get paid well anyway. In that sense, it is better to join the Knights. Once you get in, you’ll like being with us.”
“Why should I listen to the people who attacked me by surprise?” Riftan spoke coldly.
The knight spoke without a hint of embarrassment.
“It’s something very simple in the end. I just wanted to test my skills. The way knights fight doesn’t seem to suit my spirit.”
“Surprise attacks are not to my taste either.”
“I’ll keep that in mind next time.”
There would not be another chance. Riftan felt nervous and turned back towards the street. However, when the grey, misty street came into view, doubts about what he would do came to him.
The knight commander opened his mouth as he looked at him with a quietly thoughtful look, seeming to have read the hesitation on his face.
“I don’t know if it was too sudden.” He took a step back. “How about we do this? First of all, you enter only three months in the Knights of Rendragon. If you don’t like it, you can always leave the Knights. Anyway, to become one of us, you must be an apprentice and go through a period of training.”
“…Will I be doing missions in those three months?”
“Tss, my god, this is the first time I’ve seen such a doubtful person!”
The gentleman with the thin physique lost his patience and raised his voice. The commander raised one for silence and said.
“You will not be given a mission until you become a full time knight. If you accept my offer, you will live as my apprentice for three months, learn horsemanship and learn the basics of tactics. Most apprentices go through the same training process and become knights.”
“… …”
“Of course you don’t have to complete the 3 months. If you don’t like it, you can resign at any time and leave. If you want to become an official member, you just stay. There is nothing to lose for you.”
“…Why are you trying to enlist me so persistently?”
“I will only say that your extraordinary skills are highly sought after.” He stroked his neatly groomed dark beard with a relaxed smile around his mouth. “One reason must be that our King likes you very much. You’re like a rare wood. If you train properly, you will definitely be a great knight.
Our monarch seems to have judged that it may be beneficial for you to join his knights before you become a knight of another country.
Riftan looked into the hazel eyes, trying to peer inside the man. However, he found nothing and was flooded with uncertain emotions.
Riftan’s mouth tightened, he didn’t ask to understand why he was nervous as a coward. As the man said, it was a proposal that would do him no harm. Wasn’t he thinking of leaving Balbon anyway? If he doesn’t like the Remdragon knights or something, he just leaves them immediately and that’s it.
“…Well. I accept your offer.”
A satisfied smile appeared at the corner of the man’s mouth. “You thought it through.”
Just in time, the mist gradually faded away by the sunlight breaking through the clouds. The man turned to the Grand Sanctuary and said:
“Then I will introduce you to other members. Let us go to the lodge where we are staying.”
Riftan looked at his back and then slowly followed him.
Then, a mage who was observing the situation from a distance followed them. Only then did the knights’ eyes turn to Ruth.
“Is this your colleague?”
“That’s right, I am Calypse’s wizard.” Ruth raised her head stiffly and said.
Riftan looked at him as if it was a joke. Since when did this leech become his wizard?
He thought about getting rid of him, but suddenly saw a faint anxiety pass over the wizard’s face. Riftan shut his mouth tightly, why did he feel this unpleasant feeling?
“Damn it…”
He brushed his hair roughly, alright. At least, isn’t this the one guy he trusted the most?
Riftan hesitated and said bluntly. “He’s my mage.”
“Right. I was looking for a mage anyway. I’ll be considerate so you can be together.”
After the man’s voice of jubilant joy, the wizard’s deep self-regard began.
As Ruth prattled on to explain what a great magician he was, he was startled. The clouds gradually lifted and the golden sun enveloped them. Riftan prayed for a good sign.
*** * * * ***
The years passed like flowing water. Riftan, who was running through the canyons leading the knights, stopped talking when he heard a high-pitched hawk cry. Agalde, a superior specimen among birds, glided smoothly down the valley.
He raised his armour-clad forearm. Agalde landed on him and roughly scraped his gauntlet. Riftan calmed the hawk with a deft hand and released the mailbox from his ankle. He pulled a small piece of parchment from inside and read it, Urslin Rikaido came to his side and asked impatiently.
“What is the news?”
Riftan replied carelessly, crumpling the parchment with one hand.
“All remaining raiders on the northeast front were eliminated. Now return to Weddon.”
“That means…”
“It’s a victory.”
About 140 knights shouted at once, excited before he finished speaking.
Riftan had a level smile around his mouth. After half a year, of roaming the frontier and subjugating Drystan’s invaders, it was overwhelming to read the order for them to return.
Riftan shouted in vox aloud. “We will not move east! We must hurry and join the command.”
As if he had understood his words, Agalde flew skyward with great force. Riftan pushed the horse against the wind as if following her.
Finally, as they emerged from the long gorge, they saw 200 horses running over the vast desert, kicking up dust and dirt. Riftan gasped as he saw the blue flag fluttering in the wind.
“Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much damage.”
“If they are injured by the attack of dozens of mages, then they do not deserve to be in the Remdragon Knights.”
Uslin, who stood next to him, said with a tone of pride.
Riftan had a strange look on his face. It has been four years since he joined the Knights. Meanwhile, the Knights of Remdragon have swelled their ranks at a great rate, their numbers now exceeding 400, gaining a reputation as guardians of the eastern front and beginning to attract the attention of noble society.
The second son of Count Rikaido, one of Wedoon’s prestigious nobles, volunteered to join.
“When we return home, we will have months of holiday. Do you plan to stay in Anatol again this time?”
Suddenly, Rikaido Uslin, looked sideways at him and asked without interest. Riftan muttered in an ambiguous tone.
“Yes…”
“Would you like to stay in the capital this time? His Majesty wants to give Lord Calypse the title of Baron. To do that, we need to reduce the repulsion of the central nobility…”
“Are you saying to coexist with the nobles?” Riftan let out a cold sneer. “I’m sorry, but I refuse to do anything that doesn’t suit my temperament to obtain a noble title. It is enough to have a knighthood and a manor.”
“The lands are but a formal concession in favour of Sir Calypse’s future position as commander. A territory and a title more proper…”
“Silence.”
Uslin closed his mouth with a face of dissatisfaction. Riftan pretended not to see him and led his horse towards his chief.
“Are there any wounds?”
“You insult me with your question.”
Evan Triden, who had raced to lead the Knights, grumbled and removed his helmet from his head. A hawk roaming the sky landed softly on his shoulder. The commander tossed a piece of meat to Agalde and smiled at ease.
“Now everyone wants to treat me like an old man.”
“The after-effects of the last wound have not completely disappeared.”
“Well, it’s all right. Sooner or later, I must show you my strength.”
As if it wasn’t a bluff, his boss looked without any apparent wounds. Riftan slumped his shoulders.
“Are you heading for the capital?”
“No, I’m going to Château de Croix. The duke is hosting a month-long victory banquet.”
Riftan tensed his shoulders. Because of his frequent involvement in disputes with Drystan, he often entered the duchy, but he avoided views of Croix Castle desperately. He said with a blatantly uncomfortable expression.
“I have left my territory empty for too long. If the mission is finished, I’d like to go back.”
“Who said the mission was over? In the future, there will be negotiations for damage compensation between Drystan and the Dutch. Then I have to observe the process thoroughly, as ordered by His Majesty. Anyway, I have to stay in the Duchy for about a month.” Triden made a bitter smile when he saw Riftan’s disoriented face. “I know you are uncomfortable with him. But you are a knight of His Majesty the King. If the man adopts an insulting attitude, I will formally protest, so please go with me just this once.”
The reason he avoided Croix was not only because of the dislike he felt for the Duke. But not bothering to clarify his complicated inner situation, Riftan sighed.
“If it’s the commander’s order, I’ll go.”
Triden smiled and tapped him on the shoulder.
They stopped by the desert and moved towards the Duchy. As the horse ran relentlessly, Riftan felt something swell in his chest. The strange sensation became even more intense when the ducal gate appeared in front of him.
Riftan gripped the horse’s reins tightly and looked up at the grey-white walls. Not long after becoming a knight, he had returned to this place. However, as soon as he stood in front of the gate to the territory, a strange fear came over him. He would turn away in shame and run away.
He still didn’t know what he was so afraid of. Was he afraid of discovering how he lived miserably? Or was he afraid that the only fantasy that sustained his spirit would disperse like a mirage?
Riftan mocked himself. He was no longer an inexperienced child clinging to memories. It had been a long time since he had stopped trying to console his loneliness by thinking of her, and he no longer felt the need to see her.
Occasionally, when he saw the flowers in the field, he felt a strange longing, but that was all. He knew well that what he had cherished was no more than an illusion.
“Maybe it’s not a bad idea…”
Memories are always beautiful. Maybe it’s time to wake up from the fantasy. Riftan with several knights led their horses down the wide, brick-lined road and looked around the vast territory. The farmers who were ploughing the fields hurried to keep up their pace. As he watched them closely, the leader a horse ahead looked at him and said.
“I am well aware of your dislike of the nobles, but please be as careful as possible. As you know, the Duke of Croix is the head of the eastern nobility. There is no good in making him your enemy openly.”
“It is a useless worry. Don’t even treat me like a human.’ Riftan replied in a dry tone.
“Don’t even think of them as equal humans, but don’t think of them as enemies either.”
The commander said seriously and turned his head forward again. They immediately crossed a gentle hill and arrived at the gates of Croix Castle. As if expecting them, the guard opened the gate wide.