Chapter 145
In a vast chamber large enough to hold a hundred adults, there was but a solitary presence.
A man, seemingly guilty of grave sins, was not only hung in the center of the wall but also tightly bound by numerous chains.
The chamber echoed only with his labored breaths.
His condition was such that it wouldn’t be surprising if he drew his last breath at any moment.
Before this man, another figure appeared.
A man with hair as red as blood.
The red-haired man gazed silently upon the chained one.
After a long silence, he murmured,
“It’s always a fresh sight to see you, once so radiant, now bound like a sinner.”
The chained man did not respond, merely exhaling a thin breath.
But the red-haired man continued, undeterred,
“Do you remember when you came to me, proposing we change the world together?”
His eyes deepened with a somber hue, perhaps reminiscing past memories, flickering with distant emotions.
Yet, that was fleeting as his gaze returned to its original state.
“I followed you, believing you would be the one to change this rotten world. There was a time I thought you were the only one who could.”
A slight furrow formed on the red-haired man’s brow.
“But when that belief shattered, do you know how profound the betrayal I felt was…?”
With those words, he returned to his silent vigil over the chained man, as if demanding an answer.
Yet, no reply came.
After a long while, the red-haired man shook his head in resignation,
“It’s pathetic of me to keep asking, knowing you cannot speak.”
With nothing more to say, the red-haired man turned and left the chamber.
Bang!
The door slammed shut, as if it would never open again.
At that moment, a subtle change occurred in the still, chained man.
Creak.
A finger trembled ever so slightly, and in a whisper barely audible, he uttered a name,
“…Yan.”
The man, bound in chains, was none other than Yan’s father, whom he had been desperately searching for.
The former commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Army, Argon.
* * *
Disembarking at the previous station, Yan led the trainees towards the village.
The trainees, having little experience outside their second exam, marveled at the surrounding landscape as they walked.
It was as if they were encountering civilization for the first time.
After a while, a familiar scene began to unfold.
Wooden fences and the rooftops of houses peeking over them.
And from within, the bustling voices of people.
The trainees gazed at the entrance of the village, which resembled a settlement of slash-and-burn farmers, with curious eyes.
At that moment, they locked eyes with a few villagers emerging from the settlement.
“…What are you all doing here!”
“Strangers! They are strangers!”
The villagers, upon seeing the trainees, started shouting towards the entrance of the village.
Soon after, a commotion arose, and villagers armed with picks and shovels came out.
“Identify yourselves!”
“We are not mere slash-and-burn farmers; we are the demesne folk of Armenia! If you cause trouble, the Empire will intervene!”
Fear was etched on their faces, yet their determination to defend their home was palpable.
The trainees were taken aback by the villagers’ stance.
They turned their heads slightly.
Yan, drawing all eyes, sighed and stepped forward.
As the lordly Yan emerged from among the strangers, the villagers’ expressions turned blank.
But only for a moment, as a few villagers collapsed to the ground, sighing in relief.
“Phew… To think they were companions brought by our lord.”
“What a relief. Truly a relief.”
For those who had always lived on the run, oppressed, the sight of a group of outsiders was nothing less than terrifying.
Yan stepped forward with an apologetic look.
“I should have come ahead before bringing the children. It seems I’ve startled you for no reason.”
The villagers shook their heads vigorously.
“Oh no! It was that fool who caused the commotion.”
The villagers glanced at the man who had first cried out about strangers.
The man exclaimed with a shocked expression.
“Ah, but it’s always been the rule of the village!”
Yan chuckled, calming the man down, then pointed to the trainees and introduced them.
“These are the ones who will take on the roles of knights and peacekeepers of our demesne.”
The villagers’ eyes widened in surprise, and some tilted their heads in confusion.
Typically, those who served as knights or peacekeepers were of middle age.
But those brought by their lord were…
“So young?”
“They hardly seem like knights…”
“They look rather frail. Can they even chop wood?”
The villagers murmured among themselves, but none of the trainees missed the whispers.
Yan gave a cue to Lorena and Cruel, who stood at the front.
They stepped forward and drew their swords with a fierce motion.
Clang!
The sound of the swords being drawn cleanly startled the murmuring villagers.
But the demonstration was not over yet.
Whoosh.
A blade aura extended straight from the sword, indicating they had reached a mature stage even within the fifth rank.
A few villagers gasped in astonishment.
“Sword aura!”
“Only the strongest among knights can wield such power…”
Other villagers asked questions, tilting their heads in curiosity.
“Is that really so impressive? It doesn’t look like much…”
“Hey, you fool, with that sword aura, you could slice a boulder the size of a house in one stroke.”
“Wow! Is it really that amazing?”
The conversation continued as some villagers began to explain just how remarkable the sword aura was.
Yan, overhearing, felt his face warm with the praise, though it seemed not to be exaggerated.
Thus, the villagers realized that the sword aura was something even the great knights who had tormented them could not wield.
The way the villagers looked at the trainees changed.
From suspicion, wariness, and distrust to astonishment, curiosity, and reassurance.
That’s when it happened.
Cruel, pleased with the attention, snorted and sheathed his sword with flair.
“To think these simpletons would understand my greatness. How amusing… Ouch!”
Smack!
Crunch.
Cruel bit his tongue as he made a crunching sound.
Yan had struck him on the back of the head.
Cruel took a deep breath and slowly turned his head.
Yan looked at him with disdain.
“You, you wretch!”
“You always have to add unnecessary comments. Watch your mouth. What do you mean calling my future demesne folk simpletons?”
“B-but they are simpletons!”
“What did you say? Stop your nonsense and apologize to the demesne folk.”
Cruel’s eyes widened.
He, of noble birth, was to bow his head to these simple slash-and-burn farmers?
But as Yan slightly raised his fist, Cruel cowered.
“I-I’m sorry.”
Though his words were muffled due to his bitten tongue, the villagers seemed to understand the situation.
They waved their hands awkwardly.
“Yes, we understand. Please, raise your head now.”
In the midst of this, a villager raised his hand.
When Yan prompted him to speak, the villager asked a question.
“Lord, I apologize for asking… but there are no empty houses in the village. Where will these people stay…?”
A middle-aged man laughed heartily.
“If it’s alright, as a gesture of welcome, I’ll take the village youth and show off our skills!”
The man was the village’s most skilled carpenter.
With him leading the young men, it was certain they could complete the work within two or three months.
But Yan did not permit it.
He shrugged his shoulders and looked around at the trainees.
“One must build one’s own house.”
The trainees glared at Yan with sour faces.
“Did you forget? You have to work hard to receive the elixir.”
At that, their eyes flickered, and they swallowed hard.
For the elixir, the trainees could build as many houses as needed.
Yan smirked at their reaction.
“If it’s too hard, ask for help.”
“Oh!”
The trainees cheered at Yan’s mercy.
They had learned many things at the training center, but building houses was not one of them.
Uncertain how to proceed, they were relieved to know they could receive technical assistance, which would surely shorten the time needed.
Thus, the discussion about the trainees’ residence was settled.
Another villager raised his hand.
“Then, since it seems we’re only receiving and not giving… we’d like to hold a modest welcome ceremony, if that’s alright with you?”
Yan looked at the trainees.
They gazed back at him with eyes uncharacteristically bright.
He waved his hand dismissively.
“Go ahead with the ceremony. But don’t drink too much.”
With permission granted, another round of cheers erupted.
And so, the preparations for the first festival in the Armenian Demesne began in earnest.
* * *
Two Hours Later.
The villagers emerged from their homes, each carrying generous portions of meat, alcohol, fruit, and bread.
The trainees diligently laid out the household items and wooden tables provided by the villagers in the open square.
And Kasa, borrowing firewood from the carpenter, piled it high in the center of the village and set it ablaze.
Whoosh!
The fire spread rapidly, driving away the winter chill with its warm embrace.
With all preparations complete, the festival exclusive to the villagers and trainees commenced.
Despite Yan’s assurances, the villagers’ worries proved unfounded as the trainees mingled with them effortlessly.
Long oppressed at the training center, the trainees reveled in their newfound freedom.
Yan sipped his drink, observing the festive scene.
The trainees, who had once competed fiercely for their lives, now chattered and laughed, blooming with stories.
“Hey, hey, your eyes are glazed over, man. Don’t overdo it and put it down.”
“Nonsense. You’re the one staggering like you’re completely drunk.”
Cruel and Roman, as if they had made a bet, were guzzling alcohol straight from the barrel.
With two empty barrels already rolling around, their hangovers tomorrow would be no joke.
Nearby, Kasa played joyful music on an instrument borrowed from a villager.
“Wow! That guy plays really well!”
“Given his good looks, he must have been a famous bard.”
“Should I ask him to teach me?”
The villagers quietly enjoyed his beautiful melodies.
In the distance, Charl, drunk, gathered other trainees around him for a grand speech.
“So what did I do? It was…”
Listening in, she was loudly expounding on how her life had changed and the mindset one should adopt.
Thump.
Sensing someone nearby, Yan turned to find Lorena crouched beside him.
A silence fell between them.
After a moment, Lorena, watching the festivities, spoke up.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect so many kids to survive. I thought maybe thirty at most.”
“Well, if we hadn’t gone east after the second exam, that number would’ve been about right.”
“Without you, I think the rest of us would’ve died too, right?”
“Nah, come on. We’re not that weak.”
Lorena suddenly fixed Yan with a stare.
After a while, she turned away again.
“I thought so too, but now I’m not so sure…”
“What do you mean? If you call yourself weak, kids your age would curse you.”
“Hmph. You always talk a good game.”
“That’s one of my specialties.”
“Yan.”
“Yeah?”
“I want to become stronger.”
This time, Yan turned to look squarely at Lorena.
She continued to gaze back at him.
Yan read a fierce longing to become stronger in her eyes.
So intense it almost made him sigh.
“Then you should’ve gone back home. Duke Beowulf would’ve been the best to fulfill your wish. Hans the butler said as much at the training center.”
“Stop joking around.”
Smirk.
Yan changed his tone, smiling.
“Then don’t drop out. I have so many enemies that you’ll have more than enough chances to fight.”
Surviving those fights would naturally make her stronger.
Lorena nodded quietly.
Yan returned to the festivities with a light laugh, leaving the conversation behind.
Thus, Yan and Lorena watched the lively festival in silence.
It was a peace they hadn’t felt in a long time.