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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Campfire Tales
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Please take good care of me.
Night was a safe time when magic beasts did not stir. The only potential enemies were bandits, but with three knights in the group, there was no reason to worry about them.
Since the regular soldiers had come along to handle chores like setting up camp and preparing meals, the knights and squires scattered around the clearing, grilling and eating the meat from the magic beasts they'd caught earlier that day while chatting.
Arsen and Palato were no different.
"It's a bit different from the expedition I had imagined."
"What did you imagine to say that?"
"I thought it would be a bit more... intense, dangerous, and desperate. That's how it was before."
"That's because we're traveling as a group. The outside isn't a place where you can survive alone. Neither I nor the other knights venture out there by ourselves."
With a sizzling sound, meat was cooking on a flat stone.
It was from the edible magic beasts they'd hunted that day, gathered, drained of blood, and butchered.
"Even traveling in a group like this, we couldn't light a fire during the day and had to make do with simple rations. It's just that strong magic beasts are rare around here—if we ran into one of those, it would probably turn into the kind of expedition you imagined. Don't let your guard down."
"Understood."
After leaving that stern advice, Palato soon lightened his tone again and picked up a piece of meat.
It was from the magic beast Arsen had inwardly dubbed the giant hedgehog—the Thorn Lump.
"No feast like this! Have you ever tried Thorn Lump meat?"
"Never."
"Give it a try this time. Strangely enough, it has a tangy bite to it. It's dangerous for regular folk, but for knights, it's a delicacy. It doesn't circulate in markets, so you can only have it on expeditions. I had them butcher a special one earlier just for this."
With those words, Palato personally transferred a well-grilled piece of Thorn Lump meat onto Arsen's plate.
It vaguely evoked thoughts of pufferfish poison, which was a bit unsettling, but Arsen figured Palato wouldn't give him something harmful, so he just ate it.
The tough texture typical of magic beast meat, along with a sweet, savory umami.
Sure enough, as he'd said, after chewing the tender, fatty meat a few times, Arsen felt a slight tingling on his tongue.
He'd never eaten pufferfish in his previous life, so he couldn't say if this was what a bit of pufferfish poison felt like, but it wasn't bad at all.
"Is it good?"
"It's delicious."
"That's a relief. I gave some to other knights before, but surprisingly few liked it."
"Didn't you just call it a delicacy?"
"It is to me. And since I'm a knight, that makes it true, doesn't it?"
Knight Palato said it shamelessly as he popped a bite of Thorn Lump meat into his mouth and chewed.
Then he changed the subject with another story.
"By the way, we've already talked about the purpose of this expedition, right?"
Arsen couldn't help but chuckle at the brazen attitude.
"Yes. Confirming the bandit group and hunting the Unicorn Rhino."
"We'll set up base at Crata fortress first. The castle lord's residence should be intact. After that, we'll spend about a fortnight scouting and hunting the bandits."
"What if we catch them, fine—but what if we don't?"
"I'm planning to invest up to a month. If we can't find them after that much time on the move, they've probably already left the area. Then we'll go straight to hunting the Unicorn Rhino and head back."
This time, they ate the meat with dried vegetables and cheese.
It was much better than just the meat alone.
"Speaking of which, you walked from Crata fortress to the estate all by yourself, right? How long did it take?"
"About five days, I think. I got chased by magic beasts along the way, ended up at the Tyren River, and barely made it back following the riverbank."
"Wow, you really took the long way around. It'll probably take about the same this time too. We're going straight, but with the wagons, you know. It's a hassle, but we have to eat to live."
The knights and squires were all mounted on riding beasts, so they could move quickly.
But the wagons carrying the all-important food and water had to be pulled by magic beasts akin to large, slow, but strong lizards—perfect for hauling heavy loads.
The creature, simply called a Cargo Lizard, had bulging eyes and was also nicknamed "king-eyed."
Because of it, the expedition's pace was terribly slow.
At first, Arsen had thought it would be better for everyone to just pack enough for themselves and ride the lizards hard—what was with all that baggage? But after hearing Palato's explanation, the amount made sense.
It was supplies for nearly thirty people to eat and drink for at least a fortnight, maybe over a month.
Assuming they'd supplement with magic beast meat, most of the food was non-perishables like hardtack baked to last, dried vegetables, fruits, and cheese.
There were tons of water barrels too—probably because there wasn't much water in the forest, and what there was tasted foul.
Arsen himself had once run out of the water he'd taken from the bandits and tried drinking from a stream to quench his thirst, only to vomit it right back up.
Once he sensed the other man had fully relaxed amid all these conversations, Arsen lowered his voice, wary of anyone else overhearing.
"By the way, Knight Palato, may I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Is there some grudge between Knight Entir and my father?"
Arsen noticed Palato's eyes widen slightly at the question.
Checking an opponent's subtle reactions right as he asked was a skill Arsen had brought from his previous life and used to great effect.
With it, he'd survived his childhood by reading others' moods, and even after coming to the estate, it had earned him plenty of benefits in social dealings.
Palato's voice dropped too, as if sharing a secret.
"Hmm, did Knight Entir say something?"
"He said my half-and-half face, resembling my father, rubbed him the wrong way. Honestly, I've never felt like I resemble my father, though."
He'd heard a few times at the estate that Lenoc had been handsome or a fine young man in his youth, but each time, it was hard to believe and felt novel.
The Lenoc in Arsen's memory was just a bearded drunkard and troublemaker.
With his shaggy hair and beard blending together inseparably, it was hard to tell who looked worse between him and Luden.
Well, plenty of people in the world went to ruin with age.
"Whew... Entir, that guy really..."
Palato frowned and let out a light sigh upon hearing that.
He turned his head briefly to glare at Knight Entir in the distance, then whispered to Arsen—shielding his mouth so no one else could hear.
It was so quiet that a regular person would have to press their ear right up to his mouth to catch it.
『To make a long story short, it's a messy tale—a love triangle. The woman Knight Entir liked started dating Knight Lenoc, so Entir, furious, picked a fight with him. It was old news, but widely known at the time, so most folks our age know it... Knight Zenovia, if you're eavesdropping, might as well come listen.』
As he spoke, Palato suddenly addressed Zenovia, making Arsen whip his head around.
Zenovia had apparently finished eating and was sitting alone in the corner of the clearing.
She was nearly fifty meters away from where they were talking.
Even knights had better hearing than regular people, but no one could hear a whisper from that distance.
Yet, astonishingly, the moment Palato finished speaking, Zenovia shot to her feet and walked over.
"Sorry, Knight Palato. I tried to ignore it, but it sounded too interesting..."
"I figured you'd hear it anyway, so I thought I might as well call you over. I have more to say anyway."
Arsen nodded in agreement at Palato's words.
Zenovia sat down awkwardly across from Palato and Arsen.
『Anyway, Knight Entir got beaten badly and was punished for starting the fight to boot. Enough reason to hold a grudge.』
Palato said that, then—uncharacteristically—added in a voice laced with malice.
『Even after that, he kept causing incidents now and then. That's why he couldn't settle in the estate and keeps getting dispatched to fortresses.』
It was the first time Arsen had seen Palato badmouthing someone like this, so he was inwardly impressed with Entir.
Just how much of a disaster did the guy have to be to draw this from such a nice uncle figure?
This was why everyday conduct mattered.
Gossip from someone who always badmouthed others wouldn't stick, but when a perpetually courteous man who never spoke ill of people did it, it left a strong impression.
『Lately, I heard he'd improved enough to return... but looks like the saying 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' holds true. If he tries to bully you, come to me. I'm in charge of this expedition, after all. Same goes for you, Knight Zenovia. He's infamous for going crazy over women, so if he tries anything weird, just beat him down. I'll testify for you.』
Arsen had wondered why Palato, a good ten years younger than Entir, was the leader.
Who knew it was for a reason like this?
Arsen looked pityingly at Entir in the distance, gathering some squires and spinning what seemed like tall tales.
It was bitter to think even a braggart like that was a fellow knight.
"By the way, Knight Zenovia."
"Yeah? What?"
"How did you hear Knight Palato from that distance?"
At Arsen's question, Zenovia looked at Palato with a flustered expression.
It clearly meant 'You didn't tell him?'
Palato nodded.
"From experience, telling young knights about that stuff just gives them weird ideas. You too, back then, climbing the tower thinking you'd gain your trait..."
"Ah, please... can't we pretend that never happened?"
"Hmm, anyway, that's why I didn't bother teaching it. Figured you'd learn when the time came. Tell him if you want. This Arsen kid's an old soul anyway."
Zenovia let out a groan at Palato's words before finally speaking.
"Some knights, after awakening, develop one bodily function exceptionally. Like my hearing, or enhanced vision, or holding breath longer, or unusual strength. We call it a 'trait.'"
She glanced at Palato and continued.
"Knight Palato has incredible eyesight. He could probably spot a magic beast on that distant mountain. That's why he's at the front of the column."
Hearing Zenovia, Arsen recalled that Palato's specialty was javelin throwing.
Indeed, exceptional eyesight would pair perfectly with thrown weapons.
"How do you develop it?"
"It's not something you can control. You might suddenly get it doing something mundane like picking up a cup or opening a privy door, or in the heat of a fierce battlefield. Our estate only has four knights with traits. Most don't have them."
Thirsty, perhaps, Zenovia took a sip of water before continuing.
"So don't obsess over traits—focus on basic training. Useful traits in combat are rare anyway. My hearing or Knight Palato's vision aren't that big a deal in practice. Neither of us is outstandingly stronger than other knights just because we have them."
Zenovia said that, but to Arsen, both seemed incredibly useful.
For starters, surprise attacks would be nearly impossible against someone like Zenovia.
She could understand whispered words from fifty meters away, mouth covered. No matter how quietly you moved, she'd pinpoint you from around a hundred meters.
Ranged attacks like arrows or spears would be detected by the noise of preparation.
With Palato's vision, sniping foes with javelins would be aided, not to mention tracking or fleeing.
Spotting an unbeatable enemy first and escaping—that was a victory in terms of survival, wasn't it?
"Still, having any trait would probably help."
"Not necessarily? Mine's caused me plenty of inconvenience. I got a house outside the estate lord's residence because living there felt stifling, but it was awful. Every time I tried to sleep at night, I'd hear panting from all directions..."
"Ahem, Knight Zenovia. No filter around kids."
"Ah, sorry. Anyway, excess can be as bad as lack. So don't envy it too much—stick to the basics. Basics. Got it?"
"Understood. I'll think of it as nice if it comes, no big deal if not."
"Good boy. Knight Palato's right—you really are an old soul."