『Humanity’s territory is expanding once more.』
『Regaining lost lands and history.』
『The front lines that continue to advance.』
Swish.
『120 years ago, the successful reclamation of ‘The Magical City of Artiya’ taken by Gletus the Betrayer.』
『In the following year, the thirteenth successful repulsion of the Ancient Lich Skebal. The rumor of Hero Rania’s statement, ‘Maybe we could stack a tower with Skebal’s skull?’ is trending…』
Rosel chuckled while skimming through the newspaper.
Tilting his coffee cup, Rosel eagerly read the paper. An array of flamboyant words and sentences. Despite not being a fan of such ornate styles, he made an exception when reading the newspaper. More specifically, when he saw praises for his only disciple.
“That kid is still going strong.”
What parent wouldn’t feel joy reading about their child’s accomplishments? The name ‘Rania van Trias’ appeared in every newspaper Rosel opened, and he couldn’t help but smile contentedly. It seemed she was still doing well.
With a thud, Rosel set the newspaper down and gazed out the window. The long winter had ended, and spring had arrived. Squinting at the languid sunlight of spring, Rosel thought.
This was the third spring he welcomed without his disciple.
Three years had passed since Hero Rania van Trias set out. In other words, it had been four years since Hero Galahal’s death and three years since Hero Kyle’s retirement. Or perhaps…
“It’s been a year since those kids graduated.”
There were those known as the ‘Golden Generation’ of Apuria Academy. Kids who had endured a rough school life under a certain Hero, dubbed Puria’s Nightmare. It had already been a year since those rough kids graduated from Apuria and ventured into society.
Rosel lifted the newspaper he’d put aside.
Finding an article about those kids wasn’t difficult; it was right after Rania’s impressive feats. Looking at the names written in bold, Rosel couldn’t help but gasp in awe.
『Shadow Knight, Belnoa van Dragonik.』
『Heroine of the Divine Bloodline, Chloe.』
『Pioneer, Resti Elenoa.』
『Guardian of the North, Lac von Grace.』
Rosel chuckled as he glanced over the achievements they had each accomplished on their respective stages. Kids grow up quickly; much quicker than adults realize.
2.
Ding, a small bell attached to the tavern door chimed cheerfully. A gust of wind pushed its way inside through the opened door. Though spring had arrived, the north still hadn’t seen its version of it.
“Phew…”
The man who entered let out a long breath, shrugging off the heavy robe he had worn. Shaking off some snow from his hair and shoulders, he muttered.
“Why did you insist on meeting in a place like this? I suffered just to get through that snow.”
“Well, you said it yourself. Treat me to the best drink in the north.”
A voice called from deeper inside the tavern.
As the raging snowstorm raged on, a young man dressed lightly raised his drink towards the newcomer entering the tavern.
“The drinks here are the best in the north! First off, they taste sweet! You can’t compare them to the harsh, bitter alcohol the Warriors of the North keep pushing on me. I still don’t know how they find it enjoyable…”
“Oh, really…”
The young man smiled back at the man who looked somewhat exasperated.
“It’s been a while, Belnoa.”
“Yeah. It has been a while, Lac.”
Guardian of the North, Lac von Grace.
Shadow Knight, Belnoa van Dragonik.
“And Chloe, it’s been a while too.”
“Have you been well? Lac.”
Chloe, who had followed Belnoa in, smiled and shook off her robe. Her white hair flowed like waves.
“Feels like it’s been a year since I last saw you!”
With a lively voice that sounded not a bit different from graduation day, Chloe stepped boldly into the tavern. But her stride didn’t last long as Belnoa seized her by the neck.
“Lose the robe. Shake off the snow first.”
“Oh, right.”
Chloe let out a shy laugh as she passed her robe to Belnoa. As if familiar with the routine, Belnoa expertly shook off the robe and draped it back over Chloe’s shoulders. From a distance, it looked like a parent tending to a child.
One year since their graduation from Apuria.
The three who reunited after a year clinked their glasses together at the table. It was Belnoa who broke the silence first.
“So, have you heard? We came here because there’s an operation to execute up north…”
“Yeah, I heard it from my father. The Demon Lord’s army is acting strange, right? They’re plotting something here.”
“Well, that’s not the only thing.”
While the two conversed, Chloe tapped her glass against theirs.
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, right? I wanted to find you this time! I hear you’ve been doing something amazing? Lac.”
Chloe rummaged through her robe and pulled something out. Though several years had passed, her hobbies seemed unchanged; what she revealed was a notebook made from cut-out newspaper clippings.
“Hey, check this out. Alone, you repelled a horde of beasts from the north, cutting down the Demon Lord’s general ‘Kepeht’ with a single swing of your axe…”
Flap, as she turned the pages of the notebook, Chloe continued speaking.
“The relentless onslaught of the Demon Lord’s army trying to pierce through the north, yet you never once called for assistance from the royal capital, stopping them by yourself… This is your story, Lac.”
The title Guardian of the North wasn’t given for nothing. Lac had repelled the Demon Lord’s forces numerous times over the past year without sustaining any damage.
While the snowy expanse Lac protected was just a wide plain, the warriors of the north called it a wall. A wall that would never crumble, guarded by a powerful warrior.
“I’ve heard about your exploits too.”
Lac scratched his head awkwardly as he spoke.
“Even as an apprentice, engaging in all kinds of missions is what distinguishes you as a Hero, while a Shadow Knight supports that Hero… This is your story, isn’t it? Warriors often ask me. How strong is the Shadow Knight named Belnoa?”
Chuckling, Lac raised his glass toward Belnoa. Belnoa let out a hollow laugh and clinked her cup against Lac’s.
“So, I told them. I’m stronger than Belnoa.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That’s right, I won our duel back at Apuria for the top ranking.”
“Why are you bringing up old stories…? ”
Things might be different now, but Belnoa refrained from saying that. What had changed wasn’t just herself. A glance at Lac revealed numerous small scars covering his arms. They were surely wounds from blocking beasts and battling the Demon Lord’s army.
What Lac lacked was combat experience.
However, through the real battles over the past year, he must have completely bridged that gap. Belnoa clearly remembered the anecdotes she had heard about Lac, having not been made public. Even more had likely gone unsaid during the events that occurred in Lac’s protected tundra.
Of course, it was the same for her.
“Lately, you seem to be meeting up with classmates often. Resti visited the north not too long ago.”
As he tilted his drink, Lac mumbled.
At the mention of a familiar name, Chloe tilted her head.
“Resti? She came by?”
“Yeah. I think she mentioned setting up a branch of the Ashen Tower in the north…? I recall she talked with my father for a while.”
Well, whatever the case.
With that thought, Lac set his drink down as if it marked the start of the main topic.
“Belnoa, have you succeeded in ‘that’?”
A question that mumbled around the objective.
However, Belnoa knew exactly what Lac was asking. To that question, Belnoa quietly shook her head.
“No, not yet. I don’t have a clue.”
“Is that so…”
“And you?”
“Same here. I don’t have a clue either.”
Both Lac and Belnoa sighed deeply.
Cluelessly blinking, only Chloe looked on as Belnoa began tapping her fingers on the table.
“The Master said we’d find out if we kept moving forward, but it doesn’t seem like there’s any response.”
“It’s probably a long road ahead. It feels like it’s embedded in my heart like a seed. But it shows no sign of sprouting.”
Three years ago, just before embarking, Rania had handed them that. Recalling it, both let out bitter laughs. The final assignment given by the Master, as befits the title of Puria’s Nightmare, was unreasonably difficult.
“I miss the Master.”
“What a coincidence, I was just thinking of her.”
Rania van Trias.
She was an incredible teacher, now a senior figure. They had finally succeeded in reaching the starting point of the same path as her, but… they felt quite far from the destination.
“It was prominently featured in today’s newspaper as well.”
“She’s the kind that accomplishes feats almost every day.”
“Oh, I also have some clippings saved!”
While Chloe busily flipped through her notebook, Belnoa rested her chin on her hand and muttered.
“It’s been ages since I’ve seen the Master.”
“She hasn’t even returned to the royal capital.”
Her stage lay in a distant place.
A place where no one’s footsteps had reached for centuries. She was moving toward the deepest depths of the Phantom Territory. Belnoa and Chloe hadn’t yet reached that place.
“I miss the Master. I have so much I want to brag about.”
Chloe let out a soft smile while caressing a page in her notebook. It was a page marked with someone’s signature, which upon closer inspection read ‘Galahal.’
“I want to tell her I’ve been doing well. I’m following closely behind… But she seems too busy to even see me.”
“Surely she’s still hearing news about us, right?”
Belnoa mumbled as she tipped her drink.
“Chloe, you don’t know the Master well enough, do you? She’s quite interested in the public’s reaction.”
“…Huh? What do you mean?”
“I mean, she might be collecting newspapers like you do.”
“Oh come on, the Master isn’t that kind of person.”
Chloe waved her hand dismissively, insisting there was no way.
“She’s a noble figure. She wouldn’t care about the reactions of others. She’s someone who just nobly marches forward.”
“…Well, she is indeed a ‘great’ person.”
I wonder if she’s listening to everything we say.
With that silly thought, Belnoa raised her glass. Clink, as their glasses collided, a loud sound filled the air.
3.
At the forefront, in the core of the Phantom Territory.
The knights marched to where the history and ruins of the lost human civilization lay intact. The ruins and scattered remnants surrounding them were laden with historical value that couldn’t be measured, but no one paid them any mind.
This place was merely a battlefield.
Whether it was remnants of ancient civilization or ruins, anything could be strategically utilized as necessary. In the midst of such a battlefield, a lone knight walked. The knight’s steps were light, lacking any sense of tension despite being in the heart of the Phantom Territory.
This knight was not special.
No one was in such a place.
This was none other than the area under ‘her’ command. Unlike the other front lines swarming with beasts, there was not a single one in this space. Even in the core of the Phantom Territory, the battlefield was eerily quiet with only ash swirling in the air.
Thud.
After a long walk, the knight reached the destination.
In that place where ash swirled, a woman sat perched upon a rock. The wind blew, causing her hair to flutter. Her flowing hair was the same as the ash that filled the surroundings.
A woman who didn’t match the scenery at all.
So out of place from the surrounding vista, she was even alien, but now that mysterious atmosphere had become a symbol of her being. She was the one responsible for this area and stood as the sole guardian of a single front line.
“Reporting to the Hero, Rania van Trias!”
The strongest hero. The ultimate force of humanity.
A wise one, a guide, and the one who continues the lineage of Ashen Mages to reach the rank of Great Mage.
Illustration preview Click
“Here’s today’s newspaper!”
Towards the one called by many names, the knight shouted with a booming voice. At that moment, the woman perched upon the rock turned her head to gaze at the knight. The knight swiftly withdrew the newspaper from within his pocket. This was the knight’s duty.
‘To inform the Hero of the world’s news!’
More specifically, to gather and present ‘praising articles’ about the Hero. It was indeed a peculiar task for a knight, but so what? He felt a considerable sense of pride in being entrusted with this job.
As soon as Rania saw the newspaper, she broke into a radiant smile.
Though he’d seen that smile many times before, the knight stiffened for an instant. It was such a captivating smile. One reason he kept doing this task was surely to witness that smile.
“I’ve been waiting.”
Bring it to me right now.
Murmuring that, the knight dashed over to Rania.
