episode_0051

The land of Count Canosa is situated at the southern end of the long and rugged Alpen mountain range.

Heading further south from here leads to the Papal Territory, while crossing the mountain range to the north leads to the Empire.

And below the mountain range, the villages that once flourished with trade were collectively known as Alpen, named after the mountain range itself. It was common to derive names from the surrounding natural elements.

Traders would circumnavigate the mountains unless they were crazy, often passing through the villages of Alpen in the process. In that sense, this area was a hub of transportation.

However, recently, the movement of people and goods came to a halt. This was due to bandits deliberately left unchecked by the Emperor blocking the passageways.

A reversal of paying tolls to nobles to paying tolls to bandits had arrived in Alpen.

The people, groaning under this unjust malice, naturally turned to the Count for salvation.

“From today, you will be our hired knight. Your exceptional skills will be of great help.”

“Oh, thank you…”

“Call me Raven.”

In response, the Count bestowed a knight upon the region, urging them to make it their stronghold.

The village administrators and peasants harbored doubts about this decision. Countless knights and mercenaries had come seeking money and fame, only to fail. What could one mere human change?

Nevertheless, they remained silent, trusting in the Count’s reputation.

The knight, known by the impressive nickname of Sunblade, had garnered a reputation not only for his skills but also for his character, so at least he wouldn’t be a hindrance.

And when they heard that the knight willingly bolstered his efforts to rid the area of bandits, they refrained from expressing discontent.

The knight was aware that he was placed in this situation as a sort of test from the Count. If he failed to excel in this task, all the reputation he had built up would crumble.

“Look over there, brother! Another foolish knight has arrived!”

“Are they planning to eradicate our bandit gang? They’ll have to get past our Alex brothers first.”

And their first opponent.

The bandit brothers, former city guards notorious for robbing travelers on the road, were crushed on the spot when they first encountered the knight.

“Hmm? How did you find your way here?”

“That reaction means this is one of the bandits’ lairs.”

“If you know that much, well, it seems like the likes of the Alex brothers are all gone. But it ends here. I, the fallen priest William, will be your opponent.”

Next was a wizard who had walked the path of the clergy but succumbed to greed and turned to banditry.

“That guy didn’t disappoint. He may have been arrogant and flimsy, but his magical prowess was worth noting. But I, the Blood Axe Brute, may prove to be his match.”

“This is insane, seriously.”

Finally, even a veteran bandit from Marcus’s mercenary band.

As they vanquished numerous challengers, the troublesome beings that remained in Alpen literally evaporated.

The onlookers, witnessing his systematic defeat of each opponent, chanted his nickname day after day.

Initially, they had intended to call him a mere wolf hunter, as he had hunted down wolves threatening the livestock and people.

But now, in order to honor his deeds that could not be expressed by such a mundane moniker, they bestowed upon him the most magnificent name filled with awe.

“Sunblade! Sunblade! Sunblade!”

“The dull name of wolf hunter does not fully encapsulate his accomplishments.”

“We have been mistaken all along. Truly, Sunblade is a figure worthy of his name!”

It had only taken half a year to reach this point.

Recognized as the owner of Alpen not only by the lord but by everyone, Raven could now obtain the land, fame, wealth, and honor he desired.

And he was still known as the Radiant Sword.

*****

As promised, the viscount handed over the land to me.

The moment the area consisting of a village with nearly three hundred residents and a few small villages scattered around entered into a fealty contract with me, it fell into my hands.

“Hey, wake up!”

“Did you sleep well?”

Early in the morning, as I sat on the bed looking out the window, Lycia came running over and sat next to me.

Glancing at my face for a moment, she then turned her head to see what I was looking at.

Beyond the small lake, a huge mountain stretched endlessly, its end not visible even when it turned its head.

Even in the clear water like a mirror, its reflection was perfectly visible. It looked as if the mountain was floating.

The snow had lightly dusted the once green fields until summer, and the mountain peak, painted white all year round, pierced the sky.

In a world free of dust, everything was clear. Within it, there was a beauty that could not be captured in photos or paintings.

Enjoying the refreshing atmosphere of that winter morning, Lycia leaned slightly towards me and spoke.

“Raven, Raven.”

“Yes?”

Having spent almost half a year together, the girl had started calling me by my name.

It seemed like the distance between us had lessened compared to before. There was no longer a stiff feeling like when soldiers addressed me as “Sir.”

Initially, she hesitated between calling me “Sir” and my name, but somehow, she had gotten used to calling me by my name recently.

“Do we have anything to do today?”

“It seems the headquarters of the bandits has finally been discovered. We need to go deal with it.”

“I want to come too!”

“It’s far away, it will be very tiring. Stay home and rest this time.”

Early in the morning, I spent time chatting with the girl like this.

After dealing with breakfast together and handling minor tasks that couldn’t be resolved by the village steward, the day was over.

There was nothing difficult to handle except for occasional reports of bandits or sightings of wild animals in the vicinity.

The war between the Emperor and the Pope seemed to be on the verge of breaking out, but in the end, it was just lingering in a tense atmosphere like thin ice.

The life I had lived so far was filled with traces of struggling to climb higher.

I had never experienced having a home and a companion, but it brought a rare sense of comfort to my life that had been running non-stop.

*****

It’s fine as it is, but should I really go to university?

Lycia had thought about that before.

However, after feeling powerless from her experience in Philah where she had to watch from behind, she became cautious.

Raven was already going to be frequently sent to the battlefield, so thinking about that made her feel like a child left on the shore.

Of course, considering her age, it wasn’t a thought suitable for dealing with adults, but she couldn’t help feeling anxious.

With precedents already in place, there was no guarantee that there wouldn’t be more in the future.

Telling her not to go to the battlefield was almost like telling her to become unemployed.

Moreover, if she were to break the fealty contract and give up the land, there was no other way for her or him to make a living.

But even if she tried to earn money as a magician from this age, wouldn’t that be like advertising herself as a saint to the whole world?

So, the conclusion of her repeated deliberations was this.

“…I guess I have to stick around and protect you, right?”

She had long since abandoned the thought that it was enough as it was. Seeing the magic Amelie used, she realized how arrogant she had been.

Honestly, it had to be admitted that the magic she knew was still insufficient for an adult and its power was lacking.

However, it was fortunate that there was still plenty of room for improvement. Adults were inherently flawed in that way.

So, she decided to quickly go to university in the spring to learn magic and come back.

After all, the distance between Alpen and the university was about a week’s ride by slow horse.

Even if there was an urgent matter, it was a distance worth traveling back and forth, so she could at least feel relieved.

With that in mind, the confident Lycia spent most of her time either studying magic alone or blessing the village.

Of course, every village had a church, but it was even harder to hide her mediocre magical skills.

The steward who had hoped for a significant increase in production and quality since the arrival of the new knight in Alpen screamed with joy without knowing a word.

Although it was still a village that could not even be called a city, Alpen had been steadily growing for only half a year.

And it was clear that Lavender played a significant role in restoring public order in the process.

But to do so, he always had to put himself in danger.

In the end, he was an honorable and just knight, and Lycia, who could have been picked up from the ruins thanks to him, had no intention of breaking his will.

The goodness willingly given in the face of overwhelming injustice. The girl herself knew well how sad it was not to have that.

That’s why Lycia wanted to live such a valuable life. Lavender felt the same way, making them a perfect match.

“Do we have anything to do today?”

“It seems the headquarters of the bandit group has finally been discovered. We need to go take care of it.”

So, as expected.

She had to believe in herself.

“I want to come with you!”

“It’s a long way and it will be very difficult. Just rest at home this time.”

It still seemed like a long way to go.