Ch.8383. Outing

A knight who has reached the stage of Radiance can run as fast as a horse.

That doesn’t mean they never ride horses at all. Apart from the fact that a well-bred warhorse is a symbol of nobility, horses are indispensable creatures due to various practical circumstances. Even knights cannot run all day without rest.

‘My backside…’

It hurts. With each movement of the horse’s legs, a dull vibration traveled up his thighs. Rex slightly lifted his sore buttocks as he gripped the reins. He was truly grateful that he had learned horseback riding in advance.

In the past, he hadn’t felt the need to practice horseback riding when there was barely enough time to hone holy magic and swordsmanship, especially when it seemed useless at the time. But he ended up learning it anyway after Berger scolded him, saying that a knight’s disciple must know how to ride a horse.

Suddenly, he found himself missing the well-maintained courtyard of the lord’s castle. Riding a horse on wild dirt paths littered with gravel and deep holes was truly exhausting.

“The weather is nice.”

Berger muttered in a low tone. The summer heat that had brought heavy rains was finally subsiding, and autumn was approaching. Though the sunlight was still bright, the leaves overhead shielded them from its intensity.

Quite some time had passed since they left Lindvale and entered the nearby forest. Once they exit this place, they would reach the village, their first destination. Rex nodded with a gentle smile.

“It’s refreshing.”

“It’s not bad to enjoy such moments of rest occasionally, don’t you think? Though we’re not exactly on a leisure trip right now.”

In the middle of speaking, Berger suddenly put on a playful expression. Rex tilted the corner of his mouth awkwardly and averted his gaze. It was obvious that Berger was about to make some frivolous joke, and that premonition soon became reality.

“Who is it?”

“…Pardon?”

“I’m asking which one you would choose. It seems both of them have feelings for you. Well, you don’t necessarily have to pick just one. According to Imperial law, nobles can have up to four wives.”

Rex heaved a heavy sigh and kept his mouth shut. Though he didn’t say anything, his reaction was enough to make Berger burst into laughter. Ignoring his snickering, Rex turned around with a sullen face.

A horse was following them from a slight distance behind.

Surprisingly, Elin knew how to ride a horse. In terms of riding skills alone, she was even more proficient than Rex. The problem was Chloe. Having grown up within Lindvale her entire life, it was natural that Chloe had no experience riding horses.

They couldn’t let her walk alone, so someone had to share a horse with her…

‘I guess I have no choice. I don’t want to burden Sir Berger, so I’ll ride with Rex—’

‘I’ll take you.’

Elin readily offered the seat behind her. Feeling bad about making the people-averse Elin uncomfortable, Rex told her not to worry about it, but what he got in return was a rebuke filled with inexplicable displeasure.

‘Rex.’

‘Yes?’

‘Stay put.’

Come to think of it, despite having met quite a long time ago, he had never seen the two engage in private conversation. He had thought that since Elin was introverted and Chloe was sociable, they would be compatible. But that was just an assumption; in reality, they were like fire and water, completely incompatible.

Chloe sat behind Elin with a pouty face, clutching her back. Rex couldn’t help but smile wryly as he watched her flinch whenever the horse acted up. Elin, who was guiding the horse indifferently, waved her hand. Rex waved back lightly and turned his head forward again.

‘This might be for the best.’

Perhaps being so close would help narrow the distance between them. Rex hoped that Chloe and Elin would become friends. Recalling his efforts to ease the awkward atmosphere while being stuck between them, he felt a chill run down his spine for some reason.

“That child is quite talented.”

Berger glanced at Chloe and spoke.

“You said she’s been an adventurer since she was young? It’s rare to see someone achieve so much at the age of eighteen. Of course, she’s not as good as you, Rex, but she’s better than most Seedlings.”

“Is that so?”

Previously, Berger had met Harald’s party once in the dungeon, but they hadn’t exchanged many words. Berger’s sole purpose was to take Rex as his disciple. They were essentially strangers, which is why they had exchanged greetings this morning before leaving Lindvale.

Naturally, Chloe was intimidated by Berger. Nobles were beings that ordinary adventurers rarely had the chance to encounter, and among nobles, knights were especially highly regarded. Since Berger was a meritorious knight of Lindvale, it was understandable that she would feel intimidated.

“In my view, that child is a genius like you. With quality support, she will undoubtedly rise to Holy Flame before long. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to take her as a disciple.”

However, Berger held Chloe in high regard. Rex didn’t disagree with that assessment. It was just that his own case was exceptionally unusual; someone like Chloe was certainly deserving of being called a genius.

In a world where even nobles with family backing struggled to move beyond the Seedling status by the age of thirty, Chloe was already approaching the next stage.

“Don’t worry. Even if I take that child in, it won’t reduce the attention given to you.”

“I wasn’t worried about that in the first place.”

Rex replied in a nonchalant tone. Berger shrugged and added one more thing.

“In contrast, that girl Elin is quite peculiar.”

“Pardon?”

“Blue Mages are rare even in Lindvale, with only two of that rank. And she’s an elf on top of that. When did you become friends? They’re known to be a race that keeps their distance from others.”

“…You knew?”

While Elin had revealed that she was a mage when introducing herself earlier, she had never mentioned being an elf. She hadn’t disclosed that fact even to Harald’s party. Even the people from the Magic Tower whom they visited during their literacy lessons seemed unaware of Elin’s true identity.

“I didn’t know until yesterday. Thanks to the close relationship between the lord’s castle and the Magic Tower, I had heard that a new mage had arrived from elsewhere.”

Seeing Rex blinking with a puzzled expression, Berger raised the corner of his mouth as if finding it quite amusing.

“I didn’t pay attention in the dungeon, so I didn’t notice. But silver hair and green eyes are typical elven features, aren’t they?”

“She’s wearing a robe with magic cast on it. How did you see through it?”

“Magic isn’t omnipotent. The realm of mages differs from that of the sacred, but its origin comes from the divine. Though not entirely the same, there are aspects that are connected.”

Being unfamiliar with knowledge related to mages, Rex quietly listened to Berger’s explanation.

“You know that anyone can become sacred by accumulating karma in dungeons, right? Mages are different. It’s a special quality, or rather, a qualification—without it, you can’t use magic no matter how hard you try. What exactly that is hasn’t been revealed, but one thing is certain: only those with that talent can receive the selection of the Witch Goddess Artela.”

The Witch Goddess Artela, uniquely, doesn’t establish her own dungeon. Nor does she bestow blessings. The way mages grow also differs from typical sacred ones. While the sacred focus on accumulating karma in dungeons and satisfying divine preferences, mages develop magic through research and knowledge accumulation.

The Magic Tower is to mages what temples are to other divine orders.

“The point is, magic fundamentally comes from divine power. Therefore, sacred ones at higher stages can break through magic. Once you reach Radiance, you too will be able to see through the magic cast on that robe.”

As Rex slowly nodded, Berger stroked his chin and muttered.

“In any case, it’s certain that she’s an extremely powerful mage. Even I find it difficult to gauge her specific abilities. And to think she’s an elf on top of that—it’s truly remarkable. I simply cannot understand why she follows you around.”

“Really now…”

Once again, the conclusion was a remark teasing him. Rex swallowed the sigh that was about to escape. Berger grinned, having gotten the reaction he wanted.

“What kind of place is Waldenbrook?”

If left alone, Berger would clearly continue to tease him. Rex changed the subject. He was genuinely curious as well.

“It’s a peaceful village. If you go further in, there’s a large valley, and the stream that flows from there is cool year-round, perfect for dipping your feet in.”

Waldenbrook was quite far from Lindvale. They had been traveling for five or six hours already but still hadn’t arrived. If they had been on foot, it would have taken at least a full day.

“We can’t manage all the villages in the barony. For those of a certain size, the lord sends a representative, but villages with no taxes to collect tend to be neglected. As far as I know, even regular patrols to Waldenbrook happen only once a month.”

Rex nodded with a composed face. It didn’t sound particularly foreign to him. His own hometown, Oakbrook, was essentially an abandoned village within the domain. Except for the tax collector who visited once a year, no one paid any attention to it.

Compared to Oakbrook, Waldenbrook was actually better off. At least they had formal patrols, and occasionally knights like today would visit in person.

“There shouldn’t be any particular problems. As I said yesterday, think of it as an outing.”

Berger said, lightly striking the reins.

“I can see the end.”

The dense forest trees gradually disappeared, and an open landscape came into view. As the shade that had been covering the sky was removed, dazzling sunlight poured down. Rex shielded his eyes with his palm and looked ahead.

‘He said the village would be right after we exit the forest.’

From what he’d heard, Waldenbrook seemed similar to Oakbrook. The word “brook” means a stream. There was a stream in his hometown too. Already feeling a sense of familiarity in his heart, Rex smiled faintly.

“…Huh?”

The smile vanished instantly. Rex widened his eyes and stopped his horse. Elin, Chloe, and everyone who followed couldn’t easily open their mouths either.

“……”

The village was nowhere to be seen. All that entered their vision were piles of ashes that seemed to have cooled long ago.

Berger drew his longsword with a hardened expression.