Chapter 22 (1/2)

Chapter 22. Farewell to Her (2)

TL: Warriormonk

Editor: Warriormonk

“What is it?”

“We may have found a lead, sir.”

All the members of the investigator team jumped up from their seats.

“A report was made by the soldiers on the border patrol. According to them, two people crossed the border about an hour after our holy knights did.”

“Who were the two people?”

“They were reported to be Luke Esteban, fourth son of Earl Esteban of the Hansel Kingdom, and his apprentice knight.”

Lancaster’s face darkened. He had been briefed about all the members of the party that had been annihilated as well as any significant relations with other people.

“Luke Esteban, the fiancée of the saintess hopeful?”

“It seems that their clothes were covered in dust, as though they’d been riding nonstop for a long time.”

“Looking at the situation, it seems that they were chasing after the saintess hopeful.”

The holy knight next to Lancaster blushed with excitement.

“It’s very possible that he witnessed the ambush as it was happening.”

“Indeed.”

Lancaster tweaked his head as he pondered an idea.

“Is it possible that he is an unknown aura master?”

The holy knight smiled bitterly as he shook his head.

“Luke Esteban is known to be in his mid-twenties.”

“Hm, it seems not then. Either way, considering that he was only an hour behind our party when he crossed the party, it is very likely he witnessed the ambush.”

Having come to a decision, Lancaster made his order.

“We ride to Esteban Earldom. I will question Luke Esteban thoroughly once we get there. The rest of you, make sure that the corpses of our comrades are given proper burial.”

“As you wish, sir.”

Lancaster walked towards the carriage, his face locked into a fierce expression of determination.

“We ride to Sith Empire.”

Kurotan nodded thoughtlessly at Luke’s words.

“All right.”

“It’s so very comfortable for me that you were once an Orc. Had you been a true human, you would have tried to dissuade me.”

“Why?”

“Because, Sith Empire and the kingdom of my birth, Hansel Kingdom, are by no means on friendly terms.”

Sith Empire was an aggressive kingdom located in the center of the continent. The Sith Empire had started numerous wars in an effort to increase their territories, wars that had resulted in the collapse of multiple kingdoms.

Luke’s Hansel Kingdom, was currently in an alliance with Tranbel Kingdom, as well as the Garnet Kingdom in the north in order to deter Sith Empire.

Kurotan nodded and then proceeded to ask another question.

“So why do you wish to go to the Sith Empire?”

“Because a year from now, I will have to go to earl Wellington and ask about Isabelle’s whereabouts. I might as well secure a good standing for myself in the empire before that.”

“Your explanations make no sense to me, so I will just do as you order.”

“…All right, and I will try to find bodies for your brothers that are sleeping in the spirit sword.”

Until now, Luke had kept the problem of possessing a spirit sword containing the souls of hundreds of orcs in the back of his mind. Kurotan had earned his trust, but not all orcs had the same personalities. Now, however, it was as though he had a fire at his back that he needed to outrun.

In order to be able to take back Isabelle from the church of Maal and also protect her from the church of Flora, Luke needed strength.

‘If you look at it now, it seems taking in Kurotan was a stroke of luck for me.’

Luke was determined to make use of any resources he had in order to protect Isabelle.

Kurotan happily replied to Luke’s decision.

“That sounds good to me. I wish to see them very much. However…”

Kurotan suddenly warned,

“If you wish to control them, you must become stronger than you are now. I have already acknowledged you and therefore follow your orders even though you are weaker than I am, but I do not know how the others will react.”

“I already know that orcs all religiously follow the law of strength. No need to worry, Kurotan.”

Luke gripped his fists tightly.

“From now on, I will be desperately improving my skills. I will do anything to protect Isabelle.”

A smile spread across Kurotan’s face.

“Then, to commemorate that feeling, shall we spar?”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”

Luke unsheathed his sword with no more words and stood up.

The current Kurotan had already surpa.s.sed Luke. Now, it was hard for Luke to handle Kurotan even if he went all out. Luke’s att.i.tude, however, was completely different from the previous training sessions.

“Keeuk.”

Luke collapsed from a critical hit from Kurotan, but he refused to give up.

‘I can still fight.”

“You shouldn’t over do it.”

“I can still fight.”

Luke clashed with Kurotan to the very limits of his physical capabilities. During the process, he came to a single but important realization.

“Kurotan, the speed that my aura is circulating at is increasing the more I push my limits.”

“You’ve just realized this? This is considered a basic among basics within my tribe.”

“I never knew. I suppose I should push myself to my limits more often.”

Luke and Kurotan continued to travel towards the Sith Empire while training heavily.

The borderline dividing Tranbel Kingdom and the Sith Empire was truly strictly guarded. This was because only thirty years prior, an alliance of Hansel, Tranbel, and Garnet Kingdoms had waged war with the Sith Empire.

The emperor of the Sith Empire had launched a war against the Garnet Kingdom when a diplomatic party that he had sent to the kingdom had been ambushed by bandits. Hansel and Tranbel Kingdoms had been in an alliance with the Garnet Kingdom, and therefore declared war with the Sith Empire as well.

The war ended after six months of fighting. The Sith Empire decided that three kingdoms were too much to handle and asked for a truce.