Academy’s Genius Swordmaster

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 198: To the North (4)

Traveling with Carabel was a better decision than expected. Over the course of two years, Carabel had grown significantly, providing mercenaries with bedding and meals far superior to most inns.

Until Rundalian. As long as the road connected from the island continued, safety was guaranteed, making each day comfortable enough to be considered a sightseeing trip.

It was the afternoon of the fourth day into the journey. Despite nearing summer, the air was growing cool. Ronan furrowed his brow at the sight of the skewered meat roasting over the fire.

“Damm it, why’d you cut the meat so big? Am I a lion?”

“As long as it tastes good, who cares. And it was not cut, it was torn apart by hand.”

!”Anyway, it’s just too darn tough…”

Ronan shook his head slightly. The fist-sized meatballs seemed more like dishes made for beasts like Varen or Zafia rather than humans.

Whenever Marya was in charge of cooking, this kind of dish always appeared. Handling the muscular wild boar meat like clay with bare hands was something only she could do among them. Marya picked up a skewer and offered it to Ronan.

“It’s noisy, just open your mouth. Ah~”

“Anyway.”

Grumbling, Ronan finally opened his mouth and took a bite of the meat. Since it was physically impossible to eat it all in one bite, he had to take small bites like an apple. Ronan nodded quietly as he chewed.

“…Delicious.”

“Hehe, right?”

It was surprisingly tender, with excellent seasoning. Smiling, Marya patted Ronan on the shoulder. Their behavior was so natural it seemed they were already in a relationship. Adeshan, quietly observing, bit her lower lip.

“Mmm…”

During the past several days, Adeshan had come to realize keenly the strategic advantage his childhood friend had as Eri described. Despite the close psychological distance, it was too close, almost as if intentionally so. Sometimes it felt as if they were deliberately acting that way. Suddenly, Marya, who had been quietly sitting, looked at Adeshan and spoke.

“That’s right, you should eat too.”

“I-I’m fine. I’m not very hungry right now.”

Adeshan waved her hand. Perhaps due to a bitter taste in her mouth, she wasn’t particularly hungry. Then Ronan, in front of her, picked up a skewer and held it out to her.

“Don’t say that, just try it. It’s surprisingly good.”

“Ro-Ronan?”

Adeshan’s eyes widened. A chunk of meat the size of an apple lingered in front of her. It was a gesture with an obvious meaning.

“Th-then… just one bite.”

She closed her eyes tightly and took a bite of the meat. Ronan held the stick until she removed her mouth. Adeshan covered her mouth in surprise at the taste, which was better than expected. Seeing her childlike reaction, Ronan chuckled.

“It’s delicious, right?”

“Yeah. It’s delicious.”

Adeshan chuckled softly. It felt like the nine days of accumulated pain were melting away. Occasionally, events like this helped him avoid having breakdowns or going crazy. Suddenly, Ronan’s smiling lips sparkling caught her eyes.

“Oh… you have some grease. Wait a moment.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly approaching, Adeshan wiped Ronan’s lips with a handkerchief. Ronan hesitated for a moment with Adeshan’s face so close. Her beautiful ashy eyes were sunk between thick eyelashes.

‘Ah, damn it. Why am I like this?’

Feeling strange, Ronan averted his gaze. It was a symptom that had developed recently. Adeshan withdrew her face after meticulously wiping away the grease.

Accustomed to taking care of others, she didn’t realize that this was as daring an act as feeding someone. Marya, who was watching the two alternately, smiled meaningfully.

“Oh-ho…”

Regardless, the journey continued. As the carriage wheels turned northward, the surrounding scenery gradually became more and more desolate. Ronan and Adeshan sat facing each other, leisurely enjoying the slow-moving scenery outside. Ronan stretched his arm and pointed to the distant snowy mountain peaks.

“Beyond there is the Tukan Plateau. It’s very close to the stronghold of those damn wild Werewolves. They don’t discriminate between humans and beasts, so we need to be careful.”

It was also the location of Rundalian, their destination. Adeshan tilted her head.

“Okay. Thanks. But how did you know all that?”

“I’ve traveled around there for almost a year. Under orders from someone who looked just like Sunbae.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m kidding.”

Ronan chuckled as he reminisced about his past life. The Tukan Plateau was where he first received orders from Commander Adeshan and where he first met Marya, who had become the Countess Armalen.

Looking back, the mission for mine development and imperial expansion seemed like a miserable experience. They had come back covered in werewolf blood and had to roll around in the snow because there was no water to wash it off. Many Punishment Squad members had died there.

‘I hope we pass through this time without any trouble.’

That was all he hoped for. Considering the current time frame, the influence of those hairy thugs shouldn’t be as strong as before.

Three nights passed since then, and the Carabel’s caravan crossed the threshold into Astan, the beginning of winter. They were greeted by the still snow-covered ground. The howling of wolves each night under the moon reminded them they were heading in the right direction.

* * *

As the sun set, the night sky became filled with thick clouds obscuring any sight of stars or the moon. The procession of Carabel’s caravan came to a halt, signaled by the sound of the lead bells. Duon’s voice resonated loudly.

“Tonight, we will camp here!”

The snowy plain spread out before them as far as the eye could see. In the distance, the lights of Rundalian twinkled like stars on the ground. It had been four days since they left Astan, and now they had entered the vast plains of Tukan.

The mule drivers, as if waiting for that announcement, pulled on the reins. The twelve carriage formed a large circle, preparing for the night’s rest. As the carriages came to a complete stop, merchants and mercenaries stretched and descended from their carriages.

“Ahaaaam… will we arrive tomorrow?”

“As long as an ice dragon doesn’t come and freeze everything, we should be fine. We just need to keep going like we are now.”

“Damn it, they should at least sell beer in Rundalian, right? Even Werewolves must drink.”

Each of their faces showed signs of accumulated fatigue. Despite having nothing to do and good welfare, escorting Carabel was a demanding job in many ways. They had to stand guard even while resting, and the enemies they faced were more likely to be non-human.

“Finally.”

Ronan, who had been keeping watch until the end, jumped off the carriage roof. As he took a deep breath, the cold wind with snowflakes swept through his lungs. He looked back at Adeshan and spoke.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

“Tomorrow at last.”

“Yeah… You’ve worked hard.”

The thick snowflakes cast shadows on their faces. They knew better than anyone how threatening the hostile intentions of non-human creatures could be.

The biggest incident in the past five days was when an eagle, mistaking a bald mercenary’s head for a rock and dropped a rabbit on top of it. Yet, Ronan and Adeshan remained vigilant. Marya, wiping her eyes, embraced the two of them.

“I’m glad I brought you two. Thank you so much.”

“Let go. I can’t breathe.”

“Ahaha… We’re the ones who are indebted to you.”

Despite their resistance, Marya didn’t let them go. She hadn’t expected to be this grateful. With a somewhat moist voice, she continued speaking.

“I will definitely repay this favor. It’s my promise as the next leader of Carabel. Yes, I’ll cover all the expenses at the forge we’re heading to this time.”

“What favor are you going to repay? We agreed to help each other.”

“Quit it, and just accept it.”

Marya exerted a slight force on Ronan’s right arm. Ronan, feeling suffocated, groaned. By noon tomorrow, Carabel would arrive at Rundalian. It was the fork in the road where each would go their separate ways. Marya spoke.

“Both of you, get some sleep now. Today, I will be on watch for our carriage from start to finish.”

“It’s okay, Marya. Wake me up anytime you need to.”

“If she insists on doing it, then leave it to her. Yeah, let’s just rest by ourselves.”

Ronan chuckled as he headed towards the wagon. Adeshan, who hesitated for a moment, followed him. Adeshan hadn’t had a proper sleep since leaving the inn.

The two sat facing each other, leaning against the carriage ‘s wall. As their buttocks touched the ground, fatigue washed over them. When their eyes met, they smiled at each other.

“Thank you for your hard work. Sunbae.”

“Ronan… You too.”

Adeshan couldn’t resist the urge to doze off, and she was nodding off halfway. Her half-opened eyes were quite adorable. No, they were cute. Ronan was quite sleepy too. Sweeping his bangs aside, he spoke up.

“We’ll be heading to Hyran by tomorrow, is that okay? We won’t be able to travel as comfortably as now.”

“That’s fine, of course… I heard so from the beginning…”

“Then, it’s a relief. Let’s continue working hard together.”

“Hehe… Yeah. I’m enjoying it now, but… that’d be even better…”

Adeshan, who couldn’t finish her sentence, drooped her head. Soon, Ronan’s eyelids, which had been getting heavier, finally closed. The sound of breathing began to spread throughout the carriage.

“…”

Silence fell. Even the moonlight didn’t illuminate the inside of the carriage on this moonless night. Beyond the wooden walls, only the sound of the wind howling could be heard.

In the sparse world of dreams before him, Ronan saw his father, whose face was shrouded in shadows, and Adeshan wiping his lips.

He punched his father in the face, and he couldn’t remember how he reacted to Adeshan. He felt time flowing like sand. Suddenly, Ronan opened his eyes and spoke.

“Sunbae.”

“Hmm. Forty-three.”

Adeshan was already awake. She responded without any hesitation. Ronan tilted his head, seeming to be disgusted by the specific number.

“Damn… there’s quite a lot.”

“What? Were you still not asleep?”

Marya, hearing their conversation, leaned her face into the carriage. Unlike the two, she couldn’t perceive anything. Ronan silently placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“It’s an ambush. And they’re quite skilled too. It’s not easy to kill someone without a sound like this. Could there be a mage among them?”

“…What?”

Marya’s face stiffened. Suddenly, Ronan thrust his sword into the roof of the carriage. Thud! At the same time, a piercing scream tore through the air as the blade pierced through the wood, creating a gaping hole.

“Kheeeh!”

It wasn’t a human voice. Ronan swiftly pulled out his dagger, now stained with a deep crimson hue. Blood gushed out from the hole in the ceiling, painting it a dark red. Caught off guard by the sudden outburst of violence, Marya stumbled backward.

“Wh-What in the world is this…?”

“It’s an ambush! Everyone, wake up!”

Instead of answering the question, Ronan shouted loudly. Soon, the entire Carabel began to bustle with activity without any warning.

Crash! Kicking down the door, he leaped onto the roof. A werewolf in leather armor lay sprawled on the ground, clutching its chest. It seemed to still be breathing, judging by the gurgling sound it made as it writhed. The werewolf glared at Ronan with bloodshot eyes.

“Grrrr! Human…!”

“Ugh, damn it.”

It seemed things were going too well somehow. Ronan silently drew his sword from its sheath. Swish! With a clean slice, the werewolf’s head separated from its body. The rolling head tumbled out of the wagon naturally. Turning the sword once, he scanned the surroundings. Luckily, there were no other Werewolves in sight.

‘I guess they were scouts. No matter how stealthy it was, though…’

It was an unbelievable stealth skill. Ronan soon spotted what he was looking for on the western side of the plateau. Dozens of pairs of eyes were shining in the darkness. Roughly counting, they looked to be about forty, just as Adeshan had said. Marya, who had climbed onto the roof following him, asked in shock.

“Wh-What are those?”

“A band of thieves.”

Forty pairs of eyes with long tails were running towards the Carabel. Dong! Dong! Dong! Belatedly, the sound of bells rang out. The mercenaries, awakened from their sleep, rushed out in confusion.

Click. The sound of Adeshan loading her crossbow could be heard from below the roof. Ronan, staring into the darkness, grabbed the hilt of his sword.

Whoosh! A bright crimson illuminated the darkness. In the pitch-black plain where not a single spot of light could be found, the glow of the lanterns on the carriage stood out like a lighthouse. As the area brightened, the figures clad in bone and leather garments revealed themselves.

“Kraaaa!”

“Kheung!”

Exposed to the light, they growled disgustingly like vampires. Most of them were Werewolves, with the occasional Werefoxes and Werebears. Judging by the patterns engraved on their attire, they seemed to belong to a tribe Ronan had never encountered in his past life. Ronan spoke.

“Long time no see.”

“Grrr!”

The attention of the creatures focused on Ronan. Their teeth gleamed menacingly in the light. They probably knew how to speak, but judging by their silence, there seemed to be no chance for dialogue this time either. With one corner of his mouth raised, he muttered quietly.

“It’s perfect. Before sharpening the sword, you need to feed it some blood.”

“Grrraaaaagh!!”

The roar, filled with flesh, echoed under the night sky. Forty beasts charged forward like a flood. Ronan, calmly measuring the distance, pulled his sword handle.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

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