Chapter 216 : Chapter 216
Chapter 216 : Outer one (3)
Isaac looked up above his head. The mottled sky was gradually turning dark.
He cast his gaze far ahead once more. The barracks of the army led by the Mercenary King stretched out in a long line.
At this distance, they must have already noticed their appearance. However, even if they backed away now, it was still not too late.
"......"
Isaac stared at Rowen, who stood alone at the vanguard. Sitting on the saddle, the silver-white cape behind his back fluttered long. Each time it did, his shoulders, trembling with a cough, were clearly revealed.
Having finally made up his mind, Isaac approached him.
"Brother, no matter how much I think about it, this is not right. Please reconsider."
"What do you mean? Cough!"
"How can you duel the Mercenary King head-on with a body that has not even recovered yet? It is too reckless, Brother."
"......"
"More than anything, we must also consider coordination with the Duke of Conwell. This is far too arbitrary—"
"Stop."
Rowen raised his hand to stop him, as if there was no need to hear any more. Right on cue, the sound of horseshoes drew closer from the direction of the Mercenary King's barracks.
Clop! Clop!
A rider holding a white flag was approaching. It was a messenger sent by Rowen to propose a one-on-one duel to the Mercenary King.
The approaching messenger hurriedly dismounted his horse and shouted.
"He says he accepts!"
Rowen nodded.
"I will entrust the command of the army to you from now on, Isaac."
"......Brother?!"
"I am going to stake my everything on this duel. Regardless of victory or defeat, I will ultimately die anyway. Cough!"
"Brother, what on earth are you saying—"
Rowen grabbed Isaac by the collar.
There was a different reason why Isaac was shocked. It was by no means the physical strength of a sick man.
"If I can reclaim the pride of Windermere with this wretched life of mine, I will gladly die as many times as it takes."
"B-Brother......"
"What the sword of Windermere truly is!"
"......!"
"Engrave it clearly into your eyes."
Along with a cough, his grip relaxed. Rowen pulled the reins.
Isaac watched Rowen's back as he slowly drifted away, utterly helpless.
His clenched hands began to tremble. It felt as if his heart would leap out of his throat.
'......Isn't this the price I've already resolved to bear?'
He had also thrown away everything. For true freedom and the liberation of his soul.
'Even if I turn my back on the family...... this is the only way to protect myself.'
Isaac had already lived deceiving himself countless times. Now, to avoid betraying himself any further, he willingly chose the path of becoming a traitor to the family.
"Brother."
Roxy approached Isaac and patted his shoulder. This was all she could do.
"......"
The two of them were watched by Bolero from behind.
He had remained in the Windermere camp at Isaac's request. Ostensibly, it was to guard Isaac and Roxy, but the underlying calculation was that he could serve as a liaison connecting Bihen and Conwell. It was also advantageous for reading the war situation.
Of course, taking all these reasons into account, it was hard to deny that his personal feelings for Isaac were the strongest factor.
***
Whoosh—
A dry wind swept away the dirt and dust.
Hugin and Rowen stood facing each other with a wide distance between them. Soldiers stood lined up behind each of them, as if deploying a wall of humans.
Flutter— Flutter— Flutter—
Hugin looked up at the flag of the Windermere family fluttering above Rowen's head. It was shaking wildly in the wind.
"Young master, your shoulders must suffer quite a bit to carry all of that."
"......"
"If it's hard, why don't you set it down for a moment and rest? That's the wise thing to do."
"I'll remember that as your last words."
Rowen tilted his upper body obliquely. His breathing gradually subsided into a faint rhythm.
Flutter— Flutter— Flutter—
The silence was long and heavy.
Flags and the hems of capes swayed like waves everywhere. Hugin's and Rowen's stood in stark contrast, a clear clash of black and white.
A wave of black and white.
'......'
Hugin's eyebrow twitched. It wasn't intentional, but he saw a glimpse of the immediate future. It was a scene of an overwhelmingly massive white wave crashing down upon him.
Chilling.
Before passing judgment, his body reacted on its own. His body automatically glided in synchronization with his right foot, which he had unconsciously pulled back.
In the eyes of Kendrick, who was watching from right behind, it merely looked as though Hugin lightly took a step back.
SHWRING—!
It was as if white lightning had exploded.
An afterimage as thin as a single thread grazed past Hugin's skin.
Hugin was certain. If he had been even slightly further forward, his head would have undoubtedly been severed.
CLACK—
The sound of a scabbard closing echoed from Rowen's waist. His posture remained as unmoving as before.
'What was that?'
Even Isaac, who was right behind him, didn't know what had happened. Roxy also tilted her head in confusion.
'Just now, without a doubt......!'
Only Bolero barely managed to see it. He was the only one, excluding Rowen and Hugin.
'......'
Rowen's exhalation trembled faintly. He quickly calmed himself. It's not over yet.
SHWING!
He lightly flicked the handguard with his left thumb. The moment the transparent inner blade was briefly revealed, the sword blade slid out smoothly.
This time, Isaac and Roxy didn't miss the strike either, seeing it clearly.
It was scattering silver flashes in all directions.
SHWREEEK—!
Hugin narrowed his eyes. The trajectory of the sword was reminiscent of a densely woven spiderweb. It was completely omnidirectional. Finding a path of survival was the urgent priority.
'So this was the white wave I saw at first.'
Hugin brought his hand behind his back. He ran his fingernails down the three sword hilts hanging horizontally. It was his unique habit when choosing a weapon.
'This should do.'
It was the middle sword. He used it when meeting a worthy opponent. The leather wrapped tightly around the handle was dingy, stained with grime.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Kendrick's eyes and mouth widened simultaneously. Only then was it visible to everyone's eyes.
White sparks splattered loudly around Hugin's body. They appeared briefly along with friction sounds whenever Hugin raised his sword as if performing some action.
'What on earth is that......?'
Kendrick rubbed his eyes. He wondered if he was seeing things due to the alcohol. If he had had just one more cup, he might have mistakenly thought that Hugin was performing an awkward sword dance all by himself.
SHWIIIIK!
In an instant, Hugin's eyes flew wide open. Rowen's blade bent like a living snake, rushing in from a bizarre direction.
'Is this the Whip Sword of Windermere I've only heard rumors about?'
Only now were all his questions resolved. Ultimately, that Whip Sword was the problem. The flexibly bending blade far exceeded the reach of a regular sword, completely ignoring physical distance. The absurdity of distance and speed felt in the combinations raging from the first strike until now was precisely because of that irregular sword.
'On top of that, it's fundamentally based on fast swordsmanship.......'
He was a troublesome opponent. The exact moment Hugin clicked his tongue,
SHRIIIIK!
the blade wrapped tightly around his sword body. It felt as though a metallic whip was clinging to it.
Grate— Grate—
Hugin and Rowen engaged in a contest of strength. The elongated blade was taut, as if on the verge of snapping.
'Heh, his physical strength is no joke either.'
Judging by his appearance, he looked so frail that he might crumble at a mere nudge, but his strength was completely otherwise.
In the midst of this, his posture showed absolutely no disarray. It was to an unpleasant degree.
'......He's not an opponent I can go easy on.'
Hugin placed his finger on the blade bound by the Whip Sword. Contrary to public rumors, he wasn't a bellicose person.
Although he was counted as a leading contender for the title of The Kingdom's Finest Sword of the generation, he didn't possess any unique conviction or philosophy regarding the sword, nor was he one to pursue lofty techniques. In truth, he was closer to a figure lacking a martial spirit.
His strength was solely his obsession with survival...... Which was equivalent to his tenacity toward Partizan.
Few in the world knew of the Blue Flame that contained his essence.
WHOOSH—!
A vivid blue blaze surged over Hugin's sword. The tightly wound Whip Sword was instantly shattered to pieces.
'……!'
Rowen's eyes widened. Hugin was closing in at a fierce speed.
CLANG!
Rowen barely managed to block Hugin's strike. It was a heavy sword falling from above his head.
"......Cough!"
"Hmm?"
Hugin tilted his head. Along with the sound of a cough, his opponent's shoulders flinched. It was an unnecessary movement. His face wasn't clearly visible due to the posture of tilting his upper body obliquely.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Exchanges of blows flashed in an instant.
When the distance widened again, the positions of the two had swapped. Having previously had their backs to the ranks of their respective camps, they now stood side by side in a composition that revealed their profiles.
"Young master, did you have a pre-existing chronic illness?"
"......"
"Your condition is a mess."
"Don't waste your breath on useless talk."
Hugin smoothly stroked his chin with the back of his hand.
"I happen to make it a rule not to fight sick people."
"I'm not a sick man, I'm a dead man."
"Hmm?"
"I've staked the entirety of my remaining life. No matter the outcome of the battle, this exact moment is ultimately my end."
Rowen lowered his shoulders further, as if deliberately trying to hide his face. His bleached white hair shook lonely.
"......However, it's strange. Only now, standing at the end of my life—"
A cough cut off the end of his words. After steadying his breath, he continued speaking.
"My heart is pounding like crazy."
"......"
Rowen gathered his posture. Within his long, drooping hair, his pupils gleamed sharply.
"Come. I'll take you along as a companion on the path to the afterlife."
Hugin burst into laughter as if utterly dumbfounded.
"There's nothing left once you die, Rowen."
"It's the same even right now."
"Isn't it just that you've turned a blind eye to it?"
"......What?"
Hugin's highly developed intuition always flashed glimpses of the future suddenly and without warning, but right now, it reflected a shadow of the past.
In a fleeting moment—
Hugin saw a boy who had once stood within a brilliant light walk into a bleak shadow on his own, entirely disheartened.
The boy had possessed a highly anticipated talent, but now, everyone's expectations had become a weight pushing him into a deep abyss.
And because the boy had been prostrate the entire time, he failed to see the faint light seeping in from one side.
"You probably dug a hole yourself, crawled inside, and just crouched there quietly. 'I'll turn my back first before I'm abandoned,' with a twisted mindset like that."
"You sure mouth off just because you have one. How dare a mere mercenary scum—"
"Yes, exactly like right now."
Hugin raised his sword. The blue flames surged violently.
"Like a child throwing a tantrum."
The figures of the two vanished. To the eyes of everyone watching, it appeared that way.
"A......!"
Roxy let out an exclamation involuntarily. She covered her mouth with both hands. The rims of her eyes quickly grew wet.
'Brother!'
When they reappeared, the positions of the two were reversed.
Rowen was on one knee, his head bowed. And before him, a blade tip enveloped in Blue Flame precisely targeted the space between Rowen's brows.
Rowen spoke as if resigned.
"Please do not bring disgrace upon me."
"......"
"Don't make a mockery of me. Finish it quickly."
"No, it's a draw."
WHOOSH—!
In an instant, the blue flames enveloping and swaying around Hugin's sword completely evaporated. Nothing remained in the spot where the flames died out. Black ash merely scattered helplessly.
"Well, as you can see."
Thud—
Hugin nonchalantly tossed away the sword that had only its hilt remaining.
"I've never killed a person with my bare hands, you see."
"You bastard......!"
"If you want, I'll fight you again tomorrow. I've grown interested in you."
"Are you saying you intend to humiliate me?!"
"Fine. If you insist, I'll speak as the winner. Since I don't particularly care for this victory, I'll win decisively tomorrow. Go back and reorganize today."
Hugin turned around. His pitch-black cape, dark as raven feathers, was heavy and did not sway easily. Thanks to that, Rowen couldn't see the sword behind Hugin's back.
"You bastard, stand right there— Cough! Cough! Urgh—!"
Hugin, who paused for a brief moment, let out a faint sigh before moving his feet once more.
The bustling sounds of moving the unconscious young master gradually grew distant.
***
When Rowen opened his eyes again, it was late at night.
"......"
The inside of the barracks was warm and cozy.
'......Is this the warmth of life?'
Rowen rolled his eyes left and right with difficulty.
The exact moment the servant whose eyes met his was startled and about to make a fuss, Rowen placed his index finger over his lips as if telling him to be quiet.
After signaling the hurriedly nodding servant to approach, he listened to the whole story.
Fortunately, not even a single night had passed yet.
"Everyone must have lost sleep, so do not wake them."
"Y-Yes! Young Master."
"You should also go inside and rest. You have worked hard."
Only long after the servant left did Rowen let out a low sigh.
Emotions that could not be described in words were mixing inside him.
—Like a child throwing a tantrum.
A smirk escaped him involuntarily. Well, it's not a wrong statement.
Suddenly, he felt a wave of thirst. Previously, it didn't matter either way, but the feeling of being thirsty was truly a long time coming.
It was the exact moment he was about to raise his body.
'……!'
He couldn't move an inch, as if tightly bound to something. It wasn't that anything was visible, which brought a chilling unpleasantness that his body refused to listen.
"Whoa, whoa, you must remain still."
Goosebumps surged up his spine to the crown of his head. Rowen's trembling pupils moved toward the direction where the voice was heard.
Someone walked slowly out from a shaded corner of the barracks.
"How do you feel, Rowen Windermere?"
The voice was fatally sweet. It was a gentle and sweet fine voice.
"Who are you?"
"Well, I wonder who I am."
Golden eyes gleamed within the shadow.
"I hope it was a meaningful life, Rowen Windermere."
Raven lightly placed his index finger on Rowen's forehead. Using that as a starting point, a blue solid line surfaced. The solid line sliced across Rowen's torso in an instant.
WHOOSH—!
The blue flames swallowed Rowen.