SOTBW - 4

As the sun rose, the battle ended. Maximón thrust his blue-blood-stained sword into the ground and looked around. The blood had seeped into the hard-frozen ground, making the earth muddy like after a spring rain.

The surviving soldiers, with practiced ease, formed groups and turned over the corpses, checking for any survivors. Young soldiers piled the dead soldiers onto stretchers and ran into the fortress.

Most of the corpses were not intact. Some had their bellies eaten out by Serith while still alive, dying with their eyes open. Such corpses were common in Noctis Fortress. So no one was distressed by the horrific scene spread out on this field.

Such grim sights were commonplace here. One could not survive in the fortress without enduring such things.

The Serith were monsters that only devoured humans. Those monsters attacked the fortress once a day, only at night. Hundreds of years ago, through the sacrifices of heroes, they had succeeded in trapping the monsters somewhere in the cold north, but they had not yet found a way to completely eradicate the Serith.

But then and now were different.

At least in those days, there were dragons, magic power, and magic. All that was left for humans now was the prophecy written by Sylin Bastronia, a great hero and revered as a god.

After the dragons completely disappeared due to an unknown disease, magic power vanished. People who lost their magic power naturally abandoned magic and left no records. They couldn’t even imagine that the cursed Serith would roam the world again in the distant future.

It’s not that there is nothing to replace magic power. There are special beings called Sword Masters and Divine Ability users, but the problem is that the probability of both being born is extremely low. Now, there is only one Sword Master left in the entire continent, and there are only seven Divine Ability users. With that number, they can’t do anything. Really, nothing.

Therefore, there is only one solution.

Just fighting back with weak human bodies.

Maximón put on a tired expression and handed his blue-stained armor to a young soldier. The young soldiers, wearing thick winter gear, disinfected the armor with boiling water.

Serith blood was harmful to humans. If the elderly or those with weak bodies were covered in the blood, their skin would become red and blotchy as if they had been burned, and in severe cases, pus would form and even rot. Therefore, the bodies of soldiers who always fought on the front lines were covered in black blotches like patients with the black plague. Those scars were proof that they had saved the world from the monsters.

After changing his clothes, Maximón headed straight to the barracks near the gate. The surviving knights were waiting, covered in blood, to report the situation.

“The damage?”

“So far, there are twenty-one deaths and thirty-four missing. If we piece together the fragments of the corpses and identify them, the casualties will increase,” Belshua reported first. The missing are immediately treated as dead after a day. It is highly likely that they are inside the Serith’s bellies.

Maximón rubbed his forehead and glanced at Jacob.

“What about the juvenile that climbed over the wall? Was it dealt with safely?”

Fortunately, the juvenile fell near the knights’ quarters, so there were no casualties…,” Jacob trailed off.

Maximón glanced at Jacob with a tired expression.

“Did the injured soldiers in the quarters deal with the juvenile?”

“That is… the truth is, we haven’t yet found out who dealt with the juvenile.”

“What?”

Maximón frowned as if demanding a proper explanation.

Jacob, with a troubled expression, reported the soldiers’ testimonies exactly as they were.

“When I arrived at the scene, the juvenile had already been completely dealt with. So, I asked the soldiers who discovered the juvenile who had killed it, but no one knew.”

“Did it die from the fall?”

“No. The juvenile had been completely dealt with by a sword of unknown origin. Judging from the fact that after decapitating the juvenile, the sword was thrust deeply along the cut surface of the neck bones to prevent any regeneration, it is presumed to be the work of a skilled person with a high understanding of combat against Serith.”

“And yet you don’t know who did it?”

The knights of the Romsoa Knights gathered in the barracks, forgetting that they should be treating their injuries, listened intently to Maximón and Jacob’s conversation.

It was a very interesting incident.

Jacob glanced at his colleagues who were looking at him with excited eyes, as if urging him to say more, and then continued with a troubled expression.

“Some soldiers said they witnessed someone presumed to be wearing a skirt leaving the scene and hurriedly entering the maids’ quarters. It was a dark night, so it’s not a reliable testimony, but….”

“It’s likely a maid who was on night watch.” Belshua added his opinion, having listened to the story.

“But isn’t it a bit strange?” Daniel, who had his legs up on the table, tilted his head.

“Think about it. Let’s say a maid really caught a Serith juvenile that the Romsoa Knights accidentally missed. If it were me, I would spread the news everywhere, receive a hefty reward, and be treated like a hero for a few days. Isn’t that normal? It’s the same as making a huge contribution, but why did they just leave the scene after killing the juvenile?”

“Well, they must have had something to hide.” Belshua replied indifferently to Daniel’s question.

Daniel’s question sparked a lively debate among the knights gathered in the barracks. The murmuring grew louder, and Jacob, looking anxious, glanced back and forth between Maximón and the other knights.

Then, Maximón quietly spoke, “Silence.”

At his single word, the knights quickly shut their mouths. The barracks, which had been as noisy as a marketplace, fell silent, and Maximón rose from his seat.

“Belshua, remain on the field and identify the dead soldiers. The rest of you, hurry and get treated before your injuries fester. Jacob, you’re coming with me to the scene.”

With the orders given, the knights saluted and swiftly exited the barracks.

Jacob led Maximón to the site. Soldiers there were already preparing to leave, having loaded the Serith juvenile’s corpse onto a cart. Maximón stared at the juvenile, which was dripping bluish-silver fluid, then glanced at the sword placed in the corner of the cart. It was the sword of unknown origin that Jacob had mentioned.

But he recognized the sword.

“It’s a practice sword.”

Maximón picked up the sword. The blade was completely dull, to the point where it could be touched with bare hands. Jacob asked back in a flustered voice, “A practice sword?”

“You didn’t have these when you were a trainee. You fought with real swords no matter what. So many young soldiers with no combat experience were dying, so the higher-ups supplied these.”

Though they are never actually used. Maximón tossed the sword to Jacob. Jacob instinctively caught it. He hadn’t noticed while it was stuck in the spine, but looking at it closely, the blade was ridiculously blunt to be used for killing.

No matter how soft the Serith juvenile’s torso was, it was impossible to cut or stab the man-eating monster with this. The juvenile’s hide was quite tough, so one had to have experience to cut it at once. Jacob’s expression quickly changed as he checked the blade.

“Soldiers said they saw someone running towards the maids’ quarters, someone who was thought to be wearing a skirt?”

Maximón asked again, his back turned to Jacob.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Jacob placed the sword back on the cart and stood next to Maximón. Maximón was looking closely at the Serith juvenile’s neck. The cut surface was messy with protruding flesh due to the sword being thrust along the spinal cord, but Maximón’s dark green eyes didn’t miss the cleanly cut edge.

Soldiers who had just been thrown onto the field used their swords like clubs, overwhelmed by their inexperience and the pressure emitted by the Serith. Therefore, the severed necks of the Serith they killed were all ragged, like old rags, from repeated strikes, crushing, and rubbing with the blade until they were cut.

In the Kingdom of Bastronia, which was like a candle in the wind, how many knights here in Noctis Fortress could cleanly cut a Serith’s neck with a practice sword?

“A considerable expert.”

Maximón gave a faint smile.

“Jacob, bring the maids who were on night watch. We must find out whose handiwork this is.”

________________________________________

“Commander. I’ve brought the maids who were on night watch last night.”

Jacob said politely, knocking on the door of the commander’s office. It was Daniel who opened the door. Daniel and Belshua had brought a round table to the corner of the office and were playing cards.

Belshua quickly shuffled the cards, which were so old that the pictures had faded, and glanced at the two people who had followed Jacob in.

One maid was a great beauty with black hair, and the other maid had ordinary looks but, unusually, had hair the color of dry earth. Her hair, which was a very light yellow yet faintly tinged with a dull light pink, was rarely seen in the Kingdom of Bastronia.

Perhaps it was because of this rare hair color, uncommon in this area. Even though the black-haired maid was by far the more strikingly beautiful, the three knights who happened to be gathered in the commander’s office looked at the same place as if they had made a promise.

And so did Maximón.

Click. As Daniel closed the door, a strange silence settled in the commander’s office. Maximón glanced at the mountain of documents piled on his desk and then stared at the two maids.

“Names.”

Maximón commanded briefly.

The black-haired maid hesitated and then answered first.

“I’m Amelia.”

The other maid spoke soon after.

“I’m Najane.”

Maximón, who had risen from his chair, stood in front of Najane and Amelia. Maximón looked back and forth between the two with cool eyes and then asked quietly.

“What time were you on night watch last night?”

This time, Najane answered first.

“I was on night watch from three in the morning until six in the morning.”

Amelia wondered why the knight commander was curious about a mere maid’s night watch time, but she was very intimidated and so spoke obediently.

“I was on night watch before Najane, so I was on duty from midnight until three in the morning.”

The Serith juvenile climbed over the wall at around two in the morning. Therefore, Amelia was more likely to be the one who had dealt with the Serith juvenile than Najane.

Maximón asked another question.

“Were there any incidents near the maids’ quarters last night?”

It wasn’t a question. It was pressure to confess honestly, as he already knew the truth. Amelia was bewildered but, having worked as a maid for many years, skillfully hid her emotions.

Najane, who had been looking down at the floor the whole time, raised her gaze for the first time. Maximón’s dark green eyes were like moss covering the bottom of a lake. She couldn’t see through his thoughts or emotions at all.

Then, Maximón rolled his eyes and quietly looked at Najane. Their eyes met. Silence. More silence. An unknown, strange silence lingered between the two. Maximón faintly smiled, as if he found Najane amusing.

Najane, who had lowered her gaze again, spoke in a resolute tone.

“I was tired from cleaning the stables all evening last night, so I fell asleep right away and didn’t hear any commotion.”

Amelia, who had been watching for her cue, quickly replied.

“Yes, I also don’t know what happened last night.”

Maximón, sitting on the edge of the desk, raised the corner of his mouth.

“Both of you, hold out your palms. There’s something I need to check.”

Najane and Amelia followed Maximón’s order. Maximón silently looked down at the four palms. The two maids’ hands looked rough due to long hours of manual labor, and hard calluses were unsightly embedded in various places on their fingers.

The calluses caused by menial work and the calluses caused by training swordsmanship were subtly different in their location and feel. It was a difference that only someone who had held a sword for a long time, like Maximón, could know.

Maximón’s emotionless gaze lingered particularly long on Najane’s palm. Najane tried hard to ignore it. The rough calluses caught between her fingers and palm. They were undoubtedly a swordsman’s hands.

Maximón smiled meaningfully.

“Both of you, wait in your quarters until further notice.”