Ch.67Moonlit Night’s End (2)

A lazy afternoon with sunlight pouring down.

Najin was strolling through the marquis’s garden. The incident had been settled, and what came next wasn’t his stage anymore. Najin knew his role had ended once he brought Dieta here.

What would follow was a battle of politics and justification.

A fight between politicians who stab each other with daggers while flipping through complicated imperial law clauses… battling with their three-inch tongues and a few lines of text. Najin was ignorant about such matters, so he had no intention of stepping forward.

‘There are experts for that anyway…’

Snake that Swallows the Gold Coins, Dieta.

Having returned to being a cold-headed merchant, she was preparing her counterattack with the help of Marquis Eldelmar. She said it wouldn’t take long to reclaim her merchant guild.

“Don’t worry. This is my stage.”

“When I return to Cambria, I’ll definitely repay you.”

A fight doesn’t always involve wielding blades and seeing blood. Dieta had her own battlefield. To avoid disturbing the busy Dieta, Najin often took walks around the marquis’s estate.

As long as he had the medal given by the marquis, he could receive good treatment wherever he went, so there was no discomfort.

While taking such a walk, Najin sat down on a bench and suddenly looked ahead. There stood a tall tree. Although it wasn’t a thorn tree before his eyes, looking at the tall tree reminded him of the battle from a few days ago.

Griffin wielding the sword energy of the red thorn tree.

He was a formidable opponent who had driven him to death multiple times. He was also the knight who clearly imprinted on Najin what it meant to be a Sword Seeker. Sword Seeker, mental image, inner landscape. Najin mulled over these words.

Then, blink.

Najin closed his eyes.

When he closed his eyes and focused on his inner self, there existed his mental image that had barely sprouted during the battle with Griffin. A space that was still just a few steps wide.

The landscape of the underground city Attman in a pitch-black space.

There, two stars were positioned in the sky and on the ground, and a girl was sitting on a wall, looking at the star in the sky. Najin walked through the landscape that had settled in his inner self.

One step, then another.

The girl sitting on the wall, swinging her legs, turned her head to look at Najin. Bluish-white hair flowing like waves. Eyes as blue as a calm lake. When she met Najin’s eyes, the corners of her eyes curved.

“What, you came?”

The magician of the lake, Merlin.

She, who had settled in Najin’s inner self, welcomed him.

2.

“It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

“Well, it does seem like it’s been a while since we’ve faced each other. About four months? Or three months?”

“It seems about that long.”

Merlin patted the spot next to her with her palm.

Najin climbed up the wall and sat beside Merlin. It was the place where the star high in the sky could be seen best.

“Is it possible to meet like this now?”

“Not often, but it should be possible if you close your eyes and concentrate.”

Merlin answered.

“My consciousness is settled in your mental image, and the clearer and more concrete your mental image becomes, the more distinct I’ll become. It’s still a bit blurry, right?”

She leaned her head toward Najin.

Indeed, Merlin’s appearance was still blurry, as if reflected on water. There was a difference from when they met in her star domain.

“By the way.”

Merlin turned her head to look around.

She was looking at Najin’s inner self where she was settled.

Looking around at the landscape that was most strongly imprinted in Najin’s mind, she exhaled briefly.

“It’s a bleak landscape.”

“Is it?”

“Yes. No forest, no lake, no sunlight. Dark and gloomy. This must be the landscape of the underground city you lived in, right?”

“In a way. Actually, it’s a bit brighter than this.”

Najin smiled bitterly.

“There are many sunset-colored mineral lamps hanging in front of that tavern over there. Sister Ipoli comes out every day to clean the sign and check the mineral lamps.”

Blink, and mineral lamps appeared around the tavern.

A shallow sunset glow spread around it.

“That way leads to the window. It seems that part hasn’t been drawn yet… but beyond that path, it’s a bit more splendid. It’s the brightest place in the underground city.”

A path extending into darkness.

Light leaked from that path. Although he couldn’t yet visualize what was beyond, he could at least imagine the leaking light.

“Really?”

“Yes. And over there…”

“There’s something like that too?”

“The people here long for the upper town. I guess they wanted to create a landscape that resembles the upper town, even a little. I’m not sure though.”

As he conversed with Merlin, Najin looked around the landscape. The city that had been pitch dark now had large and small lights hanging, transforming it into a more elaborate landscape.

Of course, if Najin lost his concentration even a little, they would all disappear. They hadn’t fully settled in his mental image yet. Najin looked at the landscape settled in his inner self with a bitter and somewhat nostalgic feeling.

“It feels strange.”

Najin murmured.

“I thought it was a terrible place, a place I didn’t even want to recall, but looking at it like this, I feel a bit nostalgic.”

“That’s how hometowns are.”

“Is it the same for you, Merlin?”

“Even though my hometown was a terrible place, after it was burned to ashes by a witch, I did miss it a bit.”

Merlin smiled bitterly.

“Anyway, it’s good to refine your mental image like this from time to time. If you don’t constantly maintain awareness, your mental image will gradually erode and crumble.”

She exhaled deeply.

“What you should fear most is oblivion and erosion. So cherish this landscape you’ve created for the first time.”

With her chin resting on her hand, Merlin gazed at the scenery of the underground city Attman with wistful eyes. They were eyes that seemed to recall something, eyes that seemed to reminisce about something.

“Once you lose it, you can’t even regret it. Because you can’t remember.”

“I don’t think my memory is that bad.”

“What are you saying? This is different from memory.”

Merlin laughed as if in disbelief.

“There are definitely those who try to taint your mental image. Those who damage memories and stir your mind with their fingers, those bastards. That’s why I’m telling you to be careful.”

“It still feels like a distant story.”

“You never know. It might be closer than you think.”

Well, Merlin jumped down from the wall. Walking through the streets of the underground city Attman, she said:

“Your landscape isn’t bad. It has a cozy feel.”

With her hands behind her back, Merlin turned to look at Najin.

“It would be nice to have a lake too, make one sometime.”

“I’ll try.”

With a chuckle, Najin blinked a couple of times.

The landscape of the underground city disappeared, and the scenery of the marquis’s garden came into view. After gazing at the tall tree for a while, Najin eventually moved on.

3.

In Marquis Eldelmar’s office.

The knight commander, Wolfhild, who was reporting to his master, finally expressed his subjective opinion.

“In my assessment, he is close to being a Sword Seeker.”

“…Is that true?”

“Yes, by objective standards, Sir Griffin, the knight commander of the Arbenia ducal family, is formidable. Sir Griffin, who wields sword energy exceeding 5m and practices the ‘Arta Trigadian’ swordsmanship, is by no means an easy opponent.”

Wolfhild continued.

“In close combat, I would certainly lose, and even at a distance, I cannot guarantee victory alone. The title of the duke’s first sword isn’t given to Griffin for nothing.”

Griffin is formidable.

He wasn’t a Sword Seeker who had just awakened his mental image, but an experienced swordsman who could fully control his mental image.

“That young man withstood such a formidable opponent’s sword. Moreover, he even cut through a fragment of the sword energy. He performed a feat that would be impossible at the Sword Expert level.”

“That’s…”

“He’s either close to being a Sword Seeker or has grasped a fragment of the mental image. His momentary physical abilities seemed to have already reached the level of a Seeker.”

Wolfhild had witnessed the clash between Griffin and Najin. He was a knight who wielded a great bow, and had honed his observational and insight skills for over a decade.

The marquis trusted his eyes.

Because of this trust, Marquis Eldelmar couldn’t hide his surprise. The marquis exhaled a long “Hmm.”

“Surprising. To reach such a level at that age?”

“According to his identity, he’s 28, but…”

“Even considering that age, he’d be the youngest Sword Seeker. A talent reminiscent of the Star of Sword, Sir Charon.”

Or perhaps a talent surpassing Sir Charon.

If this became known, it would surely cause a significant ripple. Although the young man’s story was currently circulating only within Cambria…

“He’ll soon stand out. Beyond as well.”

He’s not someone who will remain in Cambria.

He’ll soon advance to a broader stage. Someone with such talent wouldn’t be bound to a single stage for long. Marquis Eldelmar laughed in disbelief.

“Where did such a talent emerge from, I wonder.”

His place of origin, his real name, his actual age.

All of these were hidden about the young man. Even when investigated, no information came up. Is he really from a family whose records have been erased? It’s rare for information to be so cleanly wiped.

“Unknown identity, values chivalry, and possesses exceptional sword talent…”

The marquis, mulling over this information, inadvertently smiled.

Seeing his master laugh out loud, Wolfhild tilted his head and asked:

“Why are you laughing…?”

“I think I’ve been watching too many plays lately. An absurd thought crossed my mind.”

To his blinking knight, the marquis opened his mouth with a chuckle. Although it was an absurd fantasy, the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

“Doesn’t that young man remind you of King Arthur?”

“…Pardon?”

“Unknown identity. A figure who suddenly appeared from somewhere. Values chivalry, honor, and pride. Possesses exceptional sword talent… and has reached a high level at a young age.”

The characteristics of the young man.

“And the place where he started to stand out is Cambria, the City of Opportunity. The fact that he’s trying to start his journey in this city… doesn’t it remind you of the life of King Arthur?”

Each point might be common individually, but when they all overlap, a rare story emerges.

“A young man resembling King Arthur, appearing in the City of Opportunity after hundreds of years. Ah, what a thrilling story!”

The marquis looked at his knight with shining eyes.

“What do you think, Sir Wolfhild?”

“If I may be so bold, I think you need to reduce your play-watching, my lord.”

“Hmm. Is that so? I have been visiting the theater quite frequently these past few months. Perhaps I should cut back…”

“You might also need to reduce your support for the theater troupe…”

“Oh no, that’s not possible.”

The marquis became serious.

“It’s a project I’m promoting. If the theater troupe grows, we can make Trebache’s name known through tourism, which would be beneficial in the long run.”

Well, whatever.

Muttering thus, the marquis looked at the document on his table. A document sent from the Cambria Central Guild. At the top of the document was written [Final Approval for Promotion Examination].

Marquis Eldelmar silently skimmed through the examination content.

Although the adventurer in question didn’t have many recorded activities, each of his actions was significant, and he had received near-perfect scores in promotion tests supervised by experts in various fields.

At this point, the promotion was as good as confirmed.

It’s just that for a red-grade adventurer, being a proven expert endorsed by Cambria, ceremonial permission is sought from the foundation’s representative. The marquis smiled at the name “Ivan” written on the document.

Unknown identity.

Nothing known.

Risk of identity disguise.

Without even glancing at such “risk factors,” the marquis signed his name on the document. Then, with a thud, he stamped it with the seal bearing the marquis family’s emblem.

It was the moment Najin’s promotion to red grade was confirmed.

* * *

Several days passed, and the incident was concluded.

After dancing in the dirty political arena for the past few days, which was complicated, messy, and full of nitpicking, Dieta flopped onto the bed, swaying.

Still, the incident was settled.

Her return to the position of guild master was confirmed, and in a day or two, she would head to Cambria and return to her daily life. Of course, she would face checks from the ducal family in the future, but that was a problem she had to navigate through.

Lying on the bed and looking out the window, she saw a brilliant moon. Looking at the brightly shining yellow moon, Dieta suddenly smiled.

The moon is so beautiful.

The bright yellow moon she had seen while escaping with Najin flashed through her mind. Somehow, the image of Najin’s firm back and the arms that had carried her came to mind, causing Dieta to twist her hair.

‘Come to think of it…’

Before leaving the estate, didn’t the marquis say he would host a banquet? Dieta wasn’t particularly fond of noble gatherings like banquets or festivals. She had always received only contempt there.

But this banquet would be different.

It’s a banquet hosted by the marquis, and she would attend as the marquis’s guest along with Najin. No one would dare to insult a guest in front of the marquis.

‘Banquet, so… dancing.’

Dieta swallowed dryly.

Banquet and ball. And dancing.

It’s a scene that often appears in sweet romance novels. Lovers dancing under brilliant lights. The highlight of the banquet. As she thought about these things, she recalled the image of the marquis winking at her slyly.

That look seemed to shout, “You know who you’ll be dancing with, right?” True to the marquis who loves plays, he had prepared a stage to conclude the moonlight escape drama.

Although his intention was obvious, if asked whether she disliked it, the answer would be no. Feeling her face heat up, Dieta rubbed it dry.

“Dancing, so… I…”

With that person?

Dieta’s heart beat loudly. Burying her face in the bed, she unconsciously tapped the bedspread with her feet.