Ch.10Misalignment (1)

“What is a Knight of Atanga, old man?”

The boy’s sudden question.

Pausing his hammering, Old Hogel looked up and glanced at Najin. Though the sword wasn’t finished yet, Hogel had called Najin to the forge to check his build and how he held a sword.

‘I’ve taken all the measurements, so he could just leave, but here he is asking questions.’

Though he frowned at having his work interrupted, Hogel heard a rather nostalgic name in the boy’s question, so he set down his hammer for a moment.

Knight of Atanga.

The story of those noble knights was worth putting down his hammer for a while. Hogel moistened his throat with a sip of water before speaking. The old man had lived long enough to know many things, and he wasn’t the type to be stingy about sharing his stories with others.

“Atanga. A nostalgic name. Why, did Ivan mention the name of Atanga?”

Najin nodded.

Inwardly, Hogel clicked his tongue. It would be extremely rare for Ivan to mention Atanga’s name.

“So what is Atanga? Is it some famous family name?”

“Atanga is not a family name, boy.”

Old Hogel snickered.

“Most knights belong to families, and identify themselves by their family names… but those who belong to Atanga are different. Atanga is a kind of military group, a knightly order.”

Knights of Atanga.

“A knight is one who upholds honor and pride. Without honor and pride, a knight cannot exist, nor should they.”

Those who keep the ancient knightly precepts.

“Hundreds of years after the age of heroes, the meaning of the word ‘knight’ has changed a lot. Anyone can become a knight if they have enough strength, even those without honor or pride.”

It’s an age where the weight of the name ‘knight’ has become lighter.

Muttering this, Old Hogel spoke with emphasis.

“The Knights of Atanga directly oppose such an age. They uphold the ancient precepts, saying that those who don’t maintain pride and honor cannot be called knights, and they work to restore the true definition of knighthood.”

Some refer to Atanga like this: idealists. Others say: only the knights among knights can belong there.

“They don’t have even a speck of flexibility, they’re upright, rigid, and sometimes foolish. But that’s precisely why you can’t hate them.”

“You speak as if you’ve met many of them.”

“I have met many. I’ve forged quite a few swords for those fellows.”

The old man’s eyes grew distant as he recalled his past glory. A faint smile hung on Hogel’s lips as he indulged in memories.

“Well, that’s what Atanga is. Fellows who live and die by pride and honor. Just like knights from fairy tales.”

“That sounds pretty cool.”

“They are cool fellows when they speak of their honor and pride, if nothing else.”

Though they often seem foolish, he muttered. Hogel picked up the hammer he had set down.

“Your sword will be completed in about three or four days. Come back for it then. If you need a sword to use in the meantime…”

“Ah, that’s fine.”

Najin interrupted Hogel.

Rising from his seat, Najin tapped his waist.

“I can use this for now.”

What Najin pointed to was Ivan’s sword hanging there. It was a masterpiece that Hogel had forged a decade ago. Seeing Ivan’s sword, which should have been at Ivan’s waist, now with Najin, Hogel’s eyes widened in surprise.

Ivan, who rarely entrusted his sword to others, had given his sword to someone else. Hogel wasn’t blind to what that meant.

“That…”

Hogel smiled.

“Seems you’ve earned Ivan’s approval.”

“Well, I am pretty great.”

“Cheeky bastard.”

Hogel laughed as he watched Najin leave the forge with that joke. It was a refreshing laugh he hadn’t had in a long time.

2.

“So what did you decide?”

Offen’s question missing its object.

Ivan’s hand paused briefly as he was maintaining his sword. But only for a moment; Ivan resumed his work and spoke. He understood what Offen was asking.

“I decided to teach him.”

“That’s unusual. So, did you see something?”

“I did. Probably the same thing you saw.”

Ivan grinned. At that attitude, Offen let out a disbelieving laugh.

“That’s not like you. I thought you didn’t take these kinds of gambles?”

“I didn’t. Not since I lost an eye and fell down here.”

But, Ivan said.

“What can I do? I’ve seen it now.”

The boy’s radiance. A brilliance too beautiful to rot in this underground city. That light was enough to reawaken dreams that Ivan had once abandoned.

“Who wouldn’t have their heart race after seeing something like that? Damn cocky little brat.”

Ivan too was once a swordsman who dreamed of reaching the peak, a knight who yearned for the stars. And the radiance Najin showed him was like the starlight he had forgotten since falling to the underground city.

Thinking of that radiance, Ivan smiled.

The smile on Ivan’s lips wasn’t the murky smile of a ruler dominating the underground city, but the transparent smile of a knight who once chased the stars.

“You haven’t changed.”

Offen smiled bitterly at Ivan’s appearance.

‘So it’s come to this.’

When he first encountered Najin’s radiance.

Offen had pitied Najin’s fate. He felt sorry for Najin who would ultimately have to rot in this city for his entire life. That’s why he had suggested to Ivan at the bar. How about giving Najin a chance?

A suggestion thrown impulsively without any plan. A proposal born from sympathy for the damn kid.

Ivan had accepted that proposal. He began to flesh out the suggestion and make plans. He looked just like Ivan from his knight days. It was a sight both unfamiliar and nostalgic now.

“Whew…”

With a slight smile, Offen exhaled deeply. It wasn’t his usual alcohol-soaked breath. Offen, now completely sober, placed his hand on the hilt at his waist. It was his beloved sword that he had wielded countless times in his mercenary days.

“Things are going to get busy.”

“Indeed. We’ll need to think about how to teach him.”

“Well, that too, but…”

Offen gestured with his drawn sword.

“First, let’s think about how to deal with that.”

Where Offen’s sword pointed was an entrance to Hors’s territory. Not the main gate at Hogel’s forge, but a back door through the tunnel.

Naturally, there were guards protecting the back door.

Ivan, who had erased his knightly smile, narrowed his eyes and lowered his gaze. After checking their gait and equipment condition, Ivan fingered his sword hilt.

“Four grunts and one officer.”

“Is that guy strong? I haven’t met him before.”

“Not really. He can handle mana, but he’s not Expert level. Probably the fourth leg or something.”

“Any traps?”

“Nothing immediately visible.”

“Good then.”

Offen jerked his chin.

“I’ll take the three on the right.”

“Then I’ll handle the officer.”

The conversation ended there.

The two men, looking down at the tunnel entrance from the hill, kicked off the ground without any signal. Yet no footsteps could be heard.

Offen had completed countless mercenary missions.

Ivan had been deployed on numerous operations as a knight.

Though they couldn’t match Rangers who specialized in stealth, infiltration, and assassination, they too had done their fair share of infiltration and assassination. They hadn’t reached the Sword Expert level by just swinging swords at walls. They had more than enough practical experience.

Tap.

By the time their footsteps echoed, Ivan and Offen had already approached right in front of the guards. As they widened their eyes and tried to shout, Offen’s sword sliced through a guard’s neck.

Blood splattered. Cutting through the spurting blood, Offen’s sword shot out like an awl.

“Kuk…”

Another guard’s nape was pierced.

As he pulled his sword from the neck of the guard who collapsed with blood blocking his throat, Offen took a large step forward. Toward the mouth of a guard who belatedly sensed their presence and hurriedly turned around, Offen reached out his hand.

Grip.

He covered the mouth and slit the throat.

Three died without even screaming once. After dispatching the three in an instant, Offen exhaled and looked back.

“Kuk, kuuk…”

There was an officer crawling on the ground, clutching his neck. But even that didn’t last long. Ivan struck down his sword on the officer’s spine as he crawled.

A brief convulsion.

The officer stopped moving.

The method was to first cut the Adam’s apple to prevent screaming, then finish them off. Ivan, pulling his sword from the corpse, pointed to the inside of the tunnel. A signal to enter.

Tap.

The two moved toward the darkness-shrouded tunnel.

3.

Late afternoon, Najin patrolled the streets.

Only a very few organization members knew that Ivan was away, and it’s not like anything would happen just because he was gone for a few days, but…

‘There’s always the possibility.’

The atmosphere in the underground city has been ominous lately. There might be undiscovered spies from Hors’s side plotting something. So he was patrolling the streets, but there was nothing unusual.

“…”

Before he knew it, patrolling had brought him near the plaza. Najin glanced at the soldiers guarding the center of the plaza. Come to think of it, wasn’t Excalibur supposed to disappear at midnight today?

The Star’s Trial only lasts for 13 days.

And today was the 13th day.

Najin had been lurking around the plaza consistently for the past 13 days hoping to see the sword, but apart from the first day, he hadn’t even seen the light emitted by the sword, let alone the sword itself.

‘I just got to stare at the guards’ armor a lot.’

Najin smiled bitterly.

Still, he wouldn’t need to hang around the plaza anymore. The sacred sword would disappear tomorrow, and when it did, the voice ringing in his ears would also disappear.

Draw the sword. You can draw it.

Ruminating on this phrase that now felt almost familiar, Najin moved his reluctant feet. Just as he was about to leave the plaza.

“Najin!”

Someone called his name.

Najin turned his head back. There was an organization member running toward him. One of the few who knew Ivan was away.

‘Tax collector Jek.’

Excluding Offen and Najin, he was the highest-ranking person in Ivan’s organization.

“What’s the matter, Jek?”

“Huff, whew… It’s, well.”

“Catch your breath and tell me. What is it?”

Jek, who seemed out of breath from running, took deep breaths. After exhaling deeply, Jek said:

“Right now, a guy from the Dusk Spider organization is causing trouble in front of the Daisy Tavern. He’s demanding to bring Ivan immediately. Says he has something to tell Ivan.”

“…What?”

Najin blinked.

“Is he crazy? Why in someone else’s territory? We should tie him up and wait for Ivan to…”

“We can’t restrain him.”

Jek cut off Najin’s words.

“Right now, about a dozen men are trying to hold him, but they won’t last long. He’s an officer. The first leg, Arnold. You should probably come.”

The first leg of Dusk Spider, Arnold.

The strongest among the eight legs, and according to Ivan, a powerhouse approaching Sword Expert level. Najin’s eyes narrowed as he heard Jek’s story.

“Let’s go. I’ll go ahead, you follow.”

“Got it. I’ll follow as soon as I catch my breath.”

Najin started running toward the tavern where the first leg was supposedly causing trouble. Though he was heading there, Najin couldn’t shake off the sense of unease he felt.

‘Why on earth?’

The question lingering in his mind.

The first leg Arnold was known as the second-in-command of Hors’s Dusk Spider organization. Why would such a figure enter Ivan’s territory and cause trouble?

‘Did he notice Ivan was making a preemptive move?’

No, that doesn’t add up.

If he had noticed Ivan’s preemptive strike, wouldn’t he be protecting Hors in his own territory instead? Moreover, he wouldn’t come all the way here, cause a disturbance, and demand to see Ivan saying he has something to tell him.

A strange sense of unease.

And above all.

“…”

The air in the street was different from usual.

Najin rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. He frowned at the stench mixed in the air. It was a stench he had smelled before. However, he couldn’t remember exactly when.

“…bring him here!”

And a voice rang in his ears.

He had already arrived in front of the tavern. There was the first leg, Arnold, shouting as he shook off organization members who rushed at him.

“Bring Ivan here! I must tell him!”

He shouted.

“That both Hors and I were merely being used!”

Arnold’s eyes, as he shouted at the top of his lungs, were bloodshot.

As if he were intoxicated by some drug.