Chapter Fifty-Nine: Sword Demon (Part One)
The night had grown deep.
Under the bright, jade-like moonlight, a refreshing breeze wafted over from the lush valley creek.
Along the winding riverbanks, a few wild deer frolicked by, quickly disappearing into the pine forest lining the river. In the distance, the towering mountain ridges stretched endlessly under the night sky, where the charred remains of what used to be a camp lay scattered amid the floating ashes, with ominous corpses lying about—a truly gruesome sight.
Not long after, the patrolling knights hurried back, staring in silence at the destroyed campsite. Some looked anxious and on edge, while others knelt before the corpses, hands clasped together in prayer. A few managed to catch the fleeing wildebeest, leading the still trembling giant beasts to where the cargo carts now stood as mere blackened frames, gazing down at the scattered coins on the ground, whispering what could only be praises like “thank heavens” or something alike.
Meanwhile, across the mountains, in an open valley, the nighttime chirping of insects created a melodious chorus, with the grass swaying and rustling in rhythm with their song.
If we zoomed our view a little further out, on a high mound in the valley, two small figures sat across from each other around a roaring campfire. One of them, smaller in size, was skewering chunks of meat on a crude stick, patiently roasting them over the flames.
After a moment, she noticed the meat sizzling and bubbling, so she took some salt from a small bag beside her and sprinkled it evenly over the half-cooked pieces. Then she waved her little hand in front of her nose, savoring the enticing aroma wafting in, her eyes sparking with anticipation.
This meat was fresh venison, hunted just a while ago, and the salt was something the female swordsman had with her. What she was roasting was a particularly juicy thigh, while other quality cuts wrapped in deer hide lay nearby, meant for savoring over the next few days.
It had been ages since I last had freshly roasted venison like this…
I thought as I stared at the crackling flames, daydreaming about how delicious the deer meat would taste, completely distracted by memories of its flavor.
After all, seeing deer in the desolate lands of the Eastern Continent was quite a rarity. They mostly resided in the bountiful realm of Silgaya. However, after the floods that year, the once plentiful wild deer in the southern lands had almost been wiped out entirely. Only as you approached the northern territories could you occasionally catch sight of them.
While I was roasting the venison, sweet anticipation building up within me, I suddenly recalled something and lifted my gaze to the small female swordsman across from me, who had curled up, hugging her knees, gazing blankly at her sword in silence. I thought for a moment and remarked, “So, you’re not really planning to hunt down those refugee kids, but instead thought of giving them some food, or maybe showing them a way to survive?”
After a couple of beats, she finally responded with a nod, not a word uttered.
…So she just wants to k*ll the knights, huh?
This girl has beef with the Church…
But wait, two years ago, she was firmly on Angel’s side.
What happened since then?
“Spill it.”
I asked her again, “Earlier, in the pine forest, you said you were betrayed by the Church just like I was. What’s that about?”
“……”
The female swordsman paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully.
I couldn’t help but scowl, “What? You don’t want to talk about it?”
After flipping the meat in my hand and getting the other side nice and toasty, I noted she was slowly shaking her head: “I just don’t know where to start.”
She adjusted her grip on her sword, holding it tighter, “Two years ago… I watched you; I saw your… dark power. When you killed the Jester, I was nearby… I was under orders.”
“They had me watching you…”
She paused again, hesitant as if she wanted to add something but couldn’t find the words, and after a few more seconds, carefully chose her language: “I’m not very smart… I don’t understand many things. Back then, I just followed orders because they paid me, and doing well came with bonuses, which was enough for me… I’m just good at killing, so they called me the Sword Demon. I was a Pope Knight and was tasked with hunting down rogue Pope Knights…”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa—”
I interrupted her, a bit impatiently, “I just asked why the Church betrayed you. I’m not interested in your past life story. You don’t need to tell me all that fluff.”
“Sorry…”
The female swordsman apologized, lowering her head: “I’m not good at talking to people…”
…She’s a bit scared of me.
But it doesn’t seem like she fears for her life. She’s not scared of d*ath, but she’s definitely acting a tad timid in front of me… She wasn’t like this during our little slashing match earlier. Back then, she was decisive and cold-blooded, completely in killer mode. Now, she looked like a different person altogether…
I could tell she didn’t want to talk, but was forcing herself to find the words to communicate.
Was it guilt from the past that made her uneasy?
Or is it just a straightforward case of social anxiety?
Either way, her speech was stilted and lacked coherence… If our earlier encounter hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have recognized her and might’ve thought her just a simple, shy girl from the country who got nervous around strangers.
But she really is a Pope Knight…
“If I’m not mistaken, you’re no longer working for the Church, right? Who led you to turn this way? Was it Angel?”
I asked, but I probably already had an inkling of the answer.
“Angel…”
The swordsman’s voice dropped softly as she uttered his name, a flicker of hatred crossing her eyes without disguise: “No, it wasn’t him who acted… It was Archbishop Ansiel. Right after you and that monster got taken out, he and a few guys in black cloaks ambushed me, wanting to silence me… I’m not stupid, but I’m not foolish either. I could tell it was premeditated… I usually only work for money, but that time, they didn’t intend to pay me at all.”
“They wanted to k*ll you because they didn’t want to pay you? Ah… I see, it’s because you’ve seen my power, right?”
“It’s… not just that…”
“What else is there?”
“The people from Stag Town…”
“…Stag Town?” I blinked in surprise.
“Yeah… those who survived were all killed.”
At this point, the female swordsman fell silent again, hesitating for a long time before seemingly steeling herself: “I… participated… so I killed those innocent people. That was the order I received back then…”
“…Oh.”
In that instant, it felt like my heart suddenly constricted.
In a daze, the image of me kneeling amidst the infernal ruins, crying weakly before the corpses flashed through my mind.
What a…
Surprise, yet upon reflection, it almost felt expected.
She dared to confess this before me, initiating this topic herself…
“Why did you do that?”
I asked her flatly, my expression unchanged as I fixed my gaze on her, my indifferent eyes revealing the slightest hint of menace: “Was it because you’re just a good little soldier? Or because there’s a fat paycheck? Do you really love money that much?”
“I needed the money for my mother’s treatment…”
“That’s your excuse?”
“……”
The female swordsman fell silent.
“Whew—”
I looked at her, releasing a long breath: “You know, if I had just gone ahead and killed you earlier, I’d have been doing the world a favor. Now I’m feeling a bit like I want to k*ll you. Do you have any objections?”
“……”
She hugged her sword, still bowing her head in silence.
Does she think not speaking will help her escape anything…?
“Let me ask you again. If you need money so badly, why didn’t you grab those coins earlier?”
I began to sneer, but suddenly, I heard the female swordsman murmur softly.
“…My mother is dead.”
Her voice sounded eerily calm.
Yet her bowed head was hidden in the dim firelight, so I couldn’t see her expression.
