Chapter 27
The Jervain twins.
The children of Callavan, who will become the core powerhouses of the next generation.
Orphin, assigned to escort Rivan and Rinney, had recently been struggling with the thoughts of someone branded into her memory, even while she was busy hunting the beasts.
That someone was Callius von Jervain.
He appeared suddenly, and disappeared suddenly as well.
More precisely, that swordsmanship, from one who had abandoned the name of Jervain and become a Pilgrim.
That swordsmanship never left her thoughts, and was a constant source of torment.
‘Silver Flower Wave Sword.’
That sword she had seen at that time, even if only for a moment, was still clear in her mind’s eye.
Silver Flower Wave Sword.
It was similar to the Silver Flower Wave Sword wielded by Saint Stella in the legends.
There was no room for doubt.
Because there was only one swordsmanship in the world that broke the opponent’s swordsmanship and transformed the energy into silver petals.
‘How could a scapegrace wield that sword?’
Besides, that sword –
No matter how great a sword art may be, if the skill of the one performing it is poor, it ends up mediocre.
But that wasn’t the case for Callius.
He had the strength worthy of that swordsmanship.
And right now –
Orphin saw Callius holding the fork, and was convinced.
‘He must’ve hidden himself on purpose.’
No matter how immature Rivan’s swordsmanship is, it cannot be written off as just a sword with some divine power behind it.
He is a descendant of the bloodline of Jervain.
Manipulation of divine power, and Jervain’s unique sword art. All of that was incorporated into his swordsmanship.
To beat that with a fork? Utter nonsense.
Yet Callius managed it.
And on top of that –
‘To break a sword with a fork.’
Callius easily blocked Rivan’s sword with his fork, slid the sword between them from that point of contact, and then broke it with a snap of his wrist.
It showed his strong power and immaculate skill.
And it is was something that definitely could not be achieved without very precise and skilled manipulation of spiritual power.
‘Why…’
She didn’t know why, even with that level of skill, the emanations of his divine power felt so weak.
From Orphin’s point of view, Callius should have been one of the strongest swordsmen in the North.
At least that’s how she saw it.
“My, my sword… No, how could a fork or whatever break the sword I got from my father… This, this ….”
Rivan looked like he was in a panic.
Although from the collateral branch, he was born in a famous swordsmanship family; and yet his sword, which he was proud of, was broken by a mere fork, so how could he not?
It would be a tall order for even an adult to endure the current situation, but Rivan was only a 14-year-old kid.
“It’s a special sword that my father gave me, but that, a fork…”
He couldn’t stabilize his emotions at all.
He looked alternately at the fork Callius was holding and his broken sword, and then bit his lip.
“Damn it!! What are you all gawking at, just standing around!!”
Rivan’s voice, full of anger, woke up the Knights who had been watching the scene with admiration.
Sreung!
Five Knights drew their swords.
Orphin had been contemplating what to do, but now she had no choice but to draw her sword as well.
‘Can I do it?’
Would a mere half-dozen Knights be an opponent for one who has mastered Stella’s sword?
Orphin bit her lip.
“Now get him down on his knees and bring him to me!! To insult me is the same as insulting Jervain!”
“Hmm.”
Callius started at the Knights approaching him with a blank face.
This little boor[1] is so annoying, but what can you do?
This was business as usual for aristocrats.
Callius glanced at the approaching Knights and put Emily behind him.
The girl was holding her stomach, sniffling as if she’d seen a funny show.
Now you’ll have to see blood at the climax.
“Stop.”
A low, heavy voice made the Knights stop in their tracks.
Soon, the snow-covered bushes swayed and sprinkled snow, and a good-looking man appeared from between them.
As soon as they saw his face, the Knights bowed their heads in surprise.
He was Jervain’s successor.
Adopted son of Count Jervain.
And, Rivan and Rinney’s father.
It was Callavan von Jervain.
“Ah, father!!”
“Father!”
As soon as Rivan and Rinney saw Callavan, they ran to him with wide smiles.
However, they had no choice but to stop, because the sword Callavan was holding was soaked in the blood of demonic beasts.
“Father! He insulted me!”
“That’s right! He insulted brother! He broke brother’s sword with a fork! How could you do that? That’s amazing! Brother’s sword is so sharp, and it broke like kindling!”
If he doesn’t kneel, Jervain’s honour will be besmirched. Rivan scrambled to say something like that, repeating like a parrot the phrase that who knew whether was a curse or a compliment.
Callavan wiped the blood off his sword and asked Orphin.
“What’s going on?”
“That is….”
After a while.
Hearing about the course of events, Callavan looked at Callius with curious eyes.
And then proposed.
“Will you swear allegiance to me?”
“Ah, father… that’s, what…”
“I’m a person who puts talent above anything else. I don’t know what you’re looking for or why you got involved with the Wheel, but whatever you wish for, I can make it happen.”
I have that power.
Everyone was surprised by Callavan’s sudden suggestion.
Emily was the same.
“Ca-, Master Callavan.”
Emily moved to stand in front of Callius in surprise, and opened her arms as if trying to ward Callavan off. An attitude like screaming, never!
“Emily.”
Callavan looked at Emily and narrowed his eyes.
“He is my escort.”
“… Emily. I’m sorry to tell you, but the choice is not ours. If you have any pride as a swordsman, you should respect his choice.”
Ignoring Emily, who was hesitating and speechless, Callavan turned to Callius who was still wearing his hood.
“Even if my son’s sword was held by a child, it wasn’t something to be broken by a fork.”
So, if it was a fork that broke the sword –
No, there was no need to see more of Callius’ skills.
“It’s sudden.”
“There is nothing sudden. If you want fame, you will have to swear allegiance to me, who will become the next head of the family. If you want success, you will have to follow me even more. Isn’t that right?”
There was nothing wrong in what he said.
The adopted son of the present Jervain Patriarch.
The Count’s successor.
On top of that, his swordsmanship skills were excellent and his leadership skills were exceptional.
He was a caring father to his children, and had a broad enough heart to hold the loyalty of his Knights.
If it had been an ordinary wandering Knight, no matter how much Emily tried, it would not have been easy to refuse his offer.
“I refuse.”
But that wasn’t the case for Callius.
As if he didn’t expect to be refused so curtly, Callavan’s expression distorted monetarily, but then it again returned to a soft smile.
“Can you tell me why?”
“I seek neither fame nor success. Because they are not necessary.”
Looking at Callius’ retreating back, Callavan asked again.
“Then what do you want?”
“Sword. A stronger sword.”
Saying so, he led Emily and her attendants away. Looking at his back disappearing into the woods, Callavan licked his dry lips.
“Ah, father. He insulted me…”
“Rivan. I don’t know what kind of honour you’ve lost, but this time, you’ll have to endure it.”
“Why….”
“That man is not a Knight.”
“Then what is he?”
A stronger sword.
It has only one meaning.
Callavan said, stroking the hair of his son who had questioned with innocent eyes.
“Perhaps, a Pilgrim.”
Tadak, tadak.
Even the bustling White Forest had become quiet by the time moonlight fell.
Around a small bonfire, Callius and his companions sat and rested after a brief refreshment.
“Why did you do that?”
Sighing, Callius looked at Emily, whose eyes were fixed on the bonfire.
“What do you mean?”
“The fork. You didn’t have to do that to Rivan.”
She was asking about what happened before.
Callius thought for a moment, then threw a piece of wood into the bonfire.
“The level of that kid was about perfect for a fork.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s it.”
A lie.
Rivan and Rinney.
The two’s tendencies were well known to Callius.
The two were notorious as Jervain’s little terrors when they were young, but given a few opportunities, they will come to their senses and become great Knights.
‘There was one such route.’
I know because I created several possible routes. Besides, Rivan and Rinney were meaner than I’d thought, and I didn’t like how they were behaving.
So I deliberately touched Rivan’s pride, and ended up breaking his sword.
With a fork.
I’d honestly been uncertain if it would be possible.
However, the fork, under the influence of the Silver Flower Wave Sword art, brilliantly broke Rivan’s sword, and also broke his arrogant pride.
‘I don’t know if he’ll wake up with just this or not… Although there will be more opportunities in the future.’
Otherwise, it’ll be difficult.
Now that the Fatalite’s Wheel quest has appeared, even if it’s only a child’s sword, the North will need it.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I felt refreshed.”
Emily, who imitated Callius and threw another piece of kindling into the fire, got up and went into her sleeping bag.
Callius looked at Emily with strange eyes, and then pulled out Loas.
‘Have you regrown a little?’
Loas, which had been broken in half, had regrown a little after Callius entered the White Forest and hunted a few beasts there.
Not as fast as a lizard’s tail, but the rate of regeneration was still quite strange.
[Predator Sword – Loas]
Grade – Life Sword.
Inhabited Soul – A mixed soul.
Unique Ability – Predation.
Predation Count – 723.
‘When the bandits were wiped out, it was close to five hundred.’
The number of beasts he’d occasionally hunted in the North while scouring the White Forest for Bernard exceeded two hundred.
If you catch roughly just three hundred more, the rank of Loas will go up, so it’s a smooth journey so far.
When Fatalite’s Wheel turns in earnest, this three hundred or so number will be nothing to talk about.
It is only a matter of time before Loas rises to the rank of Spirit Sword.
That way, even if you fight with Rakan, it won’t break or degrade easily, so it’ll be worth trying.
‘By the way…’
Callius’ eyes gleamed sharply as he looked around.
Tak, tadak.
All he could hear was the sound of the bonfire.
The forest was exceptionally quiet.
Strangely, nothing was captured in his aura sense. Most of the beasts in the White Forest were nocturnal, but they were being so quiet, wasn’t it suspicious?
‘Feels like something beyond my perception, slithering around.’
Clouds were slowly covering the moon overhead.
As the round full moon was obscured, the whole area was dyed in darkness, insulting the given name of the White Forest.
Then, a foul odour hit the tip of his nose. At the same time, the forest shook.
Ripples of energy were spreading out.
When the clouds lifted again, and the pale moonlight once again illuminated the surroundings –
A huge axe, dripping blood, was before his eyes.
The large arms holding it, and the green skin engraved with primitive tattoos.
One of the Sons of the Axe God, riding on the back of a giant beast.
Was looking down at him.
[The chain of fate coils around you.]
[Survive the fate of death.]
They have many names. The fabled demon tribe that are sometimes called Barbarians, Greenskins, Magicborn[2], or even Witch Beasts.
Non-human beings who live beyond the White Forest’s northern edge.
Primitive and savage, a tribe of warriors unafraid of death.
With an axe in hand, those warriors cry out the name of their God and seek a worthy death on the battlefield.
But a more accurate name for them is –
“Orc.”
A barbarian race from the North, whose battles with Jervain have stretched across the White Forest for centuries.
It was an Orc.
Editor’s Notes:
[1] 말본새 (lit. horsefly) – somebody who speaks rudely.
[2] 마인 (ma-in) is the same as Loas, which we defined as a Chimera. However, here the combination magic + person is a bit more specific from context, so we are translating it as Magicborn (changed from Devilman). Since Loas was created as a more mixed being, we thought Chimera was more suitable to describe it, but not appropriate here. Contrast 악마 (ag-ma) which will be translated as Demon.