Ch.16Light That Should Not Be Taken (2)

The battle ended only by early morning.

Despite the numerous addicts prepared by Hakan, and the countless traps and maze-like tunnels prepared by Horse, they had succeeded in taking Horse’s head, but they had wasted too much time.

“I’m dying.”

Offen groaned.

After swinging his sword so much, Offen rolled his stiff arms and glanced at Ivan. Ivan’s expression was frozen stiff.

Well, that was understandable.

During the battle, the two had seen it. Stars rising in the sky of the underground city. Though they couldn’t know the exact details, they knew that Najin had done something, and that it was more than enough to attract the attention of those above.

In other words.

Things had gone completely wrong.

The two returned to the center of the underground city in silence. The center was filled with the corpses of addicts, and the stench of blood mixed with drugs was overwhelming. Even as a figure of speech, the atmosphere of the center was far from peaceful.

Organization members on edge.

Residents hiding in buildings, whispering.

At Ivan’s return, their gazes briefly flew to him, but soon Ivan noticed their gazes shifting. Their eyes were directed toward the center of the square, where a figure who seemed to have been sent from above was standing.

Different from the attire of an ordinary soldier.

A figure with face and body hidden in dark leather.

“…The Order’s shadow agent.”

Offen muttered in a small voice.

Ivan’s expression grew even more grim. As Ivan took a step forward, the shadow agent raised his head. When their gazes met, the agent spoke.

“Criminal Ivan, listen.”

It was a declaration.

“Sir Berlo, knight of the Sacred Host, wishes to see you. Criminal Ivan, answer the summons.”

Knight, Berlo.

At that name, Ivan’s expression hardened.

“Follow me.”

After Ivan left following the shadow agent, Offen, who had been watching silently, let out a long sigh. Because he sensed that things had gone terribly wrong.

…Offen was a mercenary.

To survive as a mercenary, one always had to make quick judgments. Offen assessed the current situation and made a decision. It was a decision he had been postponing for a long time.

“So it’s come to this after all.”

Sighing, Offen headed somewhere.

2.

In an alley where even the dim light of the mineral lamps didn’t reach.

Leaning against the wall of the secluded alley, Najin slowly caught his breath. Having just become accustomed to mana, the backlash from fighting while drawing sword energy was catching up to him.

The debilitating fatigue and exhaustion pulling at his body.

Add to that the injuries sustained in the battle with Hakan, and even standing was an ordeal.

‘The fortunate thing is…’

Najin glanced at his arm.

The arm that had directly taken the explosion. The arm that had been limp was now recovered enough to move. It would be difficult to swing a sword, but not enough to hinder movement.

Abnormal recovery ability.

It wasn’t hard to guess where it came from. It must be thanks to the blessing of Excalibur. In heroic tales, King Arthur would rush toward enemies while instantly recovering from broken arms and holes in his body.

Najin didn’t yet possess such transcendent recovery abilities, but the recovery power of the sacred sword was a great help. It was thanks to this sacred sword that he could barely move now.

“……”

Najin silently looked at his right wrist.

Narrowing his eyes and focusing on the flow, a pattern in the form of a constellation appeared on his wrist. This change had occurred when he thought about hiding Excalibur.

The sword of stars, transformed into starlight and dwelling within his body.

By focusing on the flow and grasping the air, he could draw the sword again. After staring at the constellation engraved on his wrist for a long time, Najin let out a hollow laugh.

‘I can’t believe it.’

It still didn’t feel real.

But Najin knew that he now had to pay the price for drawing the sword. Ivan had said it was okay to cross the line, but there are limits to that.

This had crossed the line too far.

Too many people had witnessed him drawing the sacred sword. Among them were soldiers sent from above, so naturally, this news would have been reported upstairs.

How would they respond?

‘Perhaps…’

Wouldn’t they try to bury him?

Najin always assumed the worst-case scenario. He didn’t even expect things to work out well by chance. The world had always been cruel to the boy.

There was a high chance that Ivan and Offen would turn against him.

They were people too, and for people, their own safety is most important. Until the situation became clear, escaping should be the top priority.

‘…But where to?’

There’s no exit from the underground city.

The only way up is through the window at the center. Even if he went up that way, he would only meet death at the spears and swords of the guards and knights.

Where, how, and how far should he run?

He didn’t know. He needed to think about it now.

Blink.

His eyelids kept closing. The fatigue from drawing mana, combined with the unknown exhaustion accumulated from wielding Excalibur, was overwhelming him. Thinking he’d just rest his eyes for a moment, Najin leaned his head against the alley wall.

How much time had passed like that?

Thud.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Najin’s eyes snapped open. Footsteps in the alley, and the sound of something being dragged. The sound was getting closer.

“……”

Holding his breath, Najin suppressed his presence.

As he watched the figure emerging from the darkness, Najin’s eyes widened.

“Dragging blood like this, who wouldn’t notice, you stupid kid? You’re completely exposed, so come out quickly.”

It was his sword master, Offen. Najin was about to rise immediately out of joy but paused. He didn’t know how much time had passed, or what choice Offen had made.

“Tsk. They say raising a disciple is useless. Starting with suspicion already.”

Offen clicked his tongue.

Then he took out a bag from his chest and tossed it toward where Najin was hiding.

“Come out. I don’t intend to kill you.”

“……”

Najin carefully got up.

Picking up the bag Offen had thrown, he found it filled with bandages for treatment, simple potions, and plenty of jerky pieces.

“Use that to wrap your wounds. Nothing’s easier to track than someone dripping blood.”

Muttering that, Offen gestured to Najin. It was a signal to move aside. As Najin stepped aside, Offen threw the corpse of an addict he had been dragging to where Najin had been sitting.

Then, stab.

He stabbed the addict’s corpse with a knife, covering Najin’s blood with the addict’s blood.

“From now on, it’s best to move without leaving footprints. Trackers will be on your tail soon.”

“…What is this?”

“What do you mean? Can’t you see I’m helping you escape?”

Offen glanced at Najin.

Najin silently looked at Offen. Under that gaze, Offen let out a long sigh and spoke.

“A knight and shadow agent came from above. From the looks of it, they seem to have been sent to sink you, and Ivan was summoned. By now, they’ve probably talked and made a decision.”

Offen ruffled his hair.

As if annoyed by the situation.

“Ivan is a realistic man. He’s become realistic. In this situation, he knows what the best course of action is. Ivan’s plan to raise you has failed, and ultimately, there’s only one option left for him.”

He made a gesture of cutting his throat.

“To kill you. If he doesn’t kill you, Ivan himself will die. In the end, he’s a person before he’s a knight. You know that for people, their own life is most important.”

“…I know.”

“Right. So don’t blame him too much.”

Offen let out a long breath.

“But I don’t really want to see that. It’s not right. That’s why I want you to escape.”

The sight of them pointing swords at each other to kill, Offen didn’t want to see that. Nor did he want to see either of them die.

“But where to?”

Najin replied.

“There’s nowhere to run. I’d have to leave this underground city, but the only way out is through the window…”

“There’s one more.”

Offen cut off Najin’s words.

As he did, he pointed to Najin’s bag.

“There should be a map in there. The lowest level of the underground city, where garbage is dumped into the landfill. If you go a bit further from there, there’s a cliff where the waterway falls.”

A place ordinary people can’t descend.

A steep cliff that even someone like Ivan or Offen would have to risk their lives to climb down. A cliff that once descended, can never be climbed back up.

“If you go down the cliff and follow the waterway, you can leave the underground city. You’ll have to risk your life, but accept that. There’s no other way anyway.”

The only way to leave this city alive.

Najin wouldn’t know, but this bag and map had been prepared by Offen long ago. Since the day he confirmed Najin’s talent, Offen had been preparing. In case things went wrong, to help Najin leave this city.

Offen was a mercenary.

A renowned mercenary who had survived for many years.

During his days of fame above, he had been thorough in his preparations, always assuming the worst and finding remarkable ways to survive. His specialty, which had been unused since falling to the underground city, Offen now used for the boy he had taught.

Looking at Najin, who was staring at him with trembling eyes, Offen shrugged.

“Why are you looking at me like that? What, are you moved?”

“…What about Ivan and Offen?”

“For us, there’s no point in running.”

Offen grinned.

“Those who fall into this city are all branded by the Sacred Host. The moment we step into a place where starlight reaches, trackers will immediately follow. But you’re different.”

Not fallen into the city for committing a crime.

Not judged at the tribunal of the Sacred Host.

Simply born in this city, you don’t bear the brand.

“So you can escape.”

“…Why are you doing all this for me?”

“I wonder.”

Offen smiled bitterly.

“Actually, unlike Ivan, I don’t have much attachment to life. I was the leader of a successful mercenary group above, you know?”

A story he had never told before.

“I received respect, did everything I wanted to do, saw all there was to see. I’ve enjoyed almost everything life has to offer. But there’s just one thing I couldn’t do.”

Offen spoke of his life above.

“Star.”

Offen looked at Najin.

“Having my own star. The first step to becoming a constellation in the night sky. Accumulating achievements recognized by the heavens to engrave a star in the night sky. That’s the one thing I couldn’t do.”

More precisely, I tried but fell into this city.

Muttering that, Offen grinned.

“I failed, but.”

Offen raised his hand.

“You’re different.”

You.

“You have talent. You’re not someone who should rot here. It’s too wasteful for you to rot away here without even getting a chance to try.”

Najin, you have talent.

There’s a light in you that shouldn’t rot in a city like this.

Perhaps that day, Offen glimpsed in the boy the dream he had let go of.

“Last night, the star that illuminated the underground city. That was your doing, right? The organization members were saying you drew a sacred sword, is the rumor true?”

Najin silently nodded.

Then, focusing on his wrist, he grasped the air. Despite trying to grasp as weakly as possible, the overflowing starlight gently illuminated the alley.

Even though he had only heard rumors.

The moment he faced the sword of stars, Offen’s eyes widened.

With dreamy eyes, Offen instinctively reached out toward the star in Najin’s hand. However, the moment Offen’s hand touched it, the starlight scattered. As if saying you don’t have the qualification.

“…Anyway.”

A star that couldn’t be grasped even when reaching out. Looking at the star that shone all the more brilliantly because of that, Offen burst into laughter for the first time in a long while. Like his younger self who used to dream.

“What a brat.”

Hiding his bitterness, Offen reached for his waist.

“That thing, it’s too bright to be useful while on the run. So…”

The sword attached there.

A sword that Old Man Hogel had suddenly brought to the center and handed to Offen before coming here.

“Tell that brat.”

“I won’t repair it if he breaks it this time, so use it well.”

The sword that Old Man Hogel had forged for the boy.

Offen handed that sword to Najin.

“Old Man Hogel said.”

He’ll kill you if you break it.

At those words, Najin couldn’t help but smile.

“Go now.”

Having conveyed what needed to be conveyed.

Having said what needed to be said. Offen slowly rose and turned his back on the boy, taking steps away. How many steps had he taken? A voice came from behind.

“Offen.”

Offen turned around.

There was Najin, slowly bowing his head.

“Thank you. Master.”

Calling me master at the end, huh. Looking at the boy who bowed deeply, Offen let out a small laugh.

3.

“I’ll get straight to the point.”

Knight of the Sacred Host, Berlo.

“Cooperate with the search, Ivan.”

Looking at Ivan, who was kneeling surrounded by the Order’s hunting dogs, Berlo murmured lowly.

“Find and kill the boy who drew the sacred sword. If you don’t bring me his corpse, I will kill you…”

A junior who once belonged to the same knighthood.

Looking at his junior who had lost his honor and could no longer be called a Knight of Atanga, Berlo smiled.

“If you bring him, I’ll restore the honor you lost.”

Pointing at Ivan’s empty eye socket, he said.

“I’ll write a letter of recommendation in the name of the Sacred Host so you can be reinstated as a Knight of Atanga.”

Unlike High Priest Orlang, Berlo knows how to compromise with reality and how to handle people. Whether human or beast, it makes no difference. With whip and carrot, even the wisest can be controlled like beasts.

“Choose, Ivan.”

Berlo made an offer, and also a threat.