Chapter 7: The Spring of Seventeen (5)
TL: Jonny16
The knights were not foolish.
None of them failed to grasp Cain’s meaning.
Of course, Ethelred’s side was a little late to respond.
Commander Cloyd queried Vanderbilt in a shaky tone.
“Jayden is…….dead?”
“You knew he was coming for the Young Master, Commander Cloyd.”
Vanderbilt’s voice grew colder.
The two’s relationship had always been tenuous, but now that Cain had made his position apparent, he was Vanderbilt’s enemy.
Cloyd spoke quickly when he learned that Jayden had gone to meet him.
“He was one of our knights, so he should be good enough to escort the Young Master……”
“Vanderbilt!”
Cain called the elderly knight angrily.
Vanderbilt put his palm to his chest and knelt on the dirt floor, shouting immediately.
“Yes!”
“Make Cloyd shut up. The more I hear him, the more irritated I get.”
“Understood.”
Swoosh━.
Vanderbilt lifted two fists as large as rocks.
“Commander Cloyd.”
He had no weapon save his fists because Cain was holding the greatsword, yet it was enough to make him shut up, just as Cain had said.
“If you say one more word from now on, my fist will enter your mouth.”
Vanderbilt poses a quiet threat.
Cloyd found it difficult to open his jaws as he saw him defend himself with his two fists.
“Did you kill them?”
Philip’s murderous intent intensified.
If his goal had previously been to pressure his opponent, he now had a strong desire to kill.
“Are you worried about those trash?”
“No matter how incompetent they were, they’re my knights.”
Cain inwardly clicked his tongue.
Although 〈Los de Kaerot〉 was an enemy and Philip was the wicked man who created this circumstance, he was still capable.
It seemed much better when compared to Ethelred’s feeble knights.
“Yes, I killed them.”
Philip raised his left arm and dragged his right arm, which contained the sword, back like an arrow in sync with Cain’s response.
Woosh━.
The sword, held horizontally, gave off a crimson aura.
It was the correct knight’s rite of ‘En Zauer,’ which would undoubtedly kill the opponent.
“Since you’ve awakened your aura, it shouldn’t be a problem to kill the three of them by surprise.”
Cain didn’t bother to correct his statement.
He simply extended his feet shoulder-width apart, curved his waist slightly, and raised his greatsword to his chest.
Thunk, thunk.
Footsteps were engraved into the muddy ground.
At the same time, the two of them started to move in a circle.
It was an entirely different sight than the struggle he had waged with Abel.
“Y, Young Master, please win!”
Abel clenched his hands as he applauded Cain from afar.
Philip grimaced at Abel’s words. It indicated that he could no longer use him as a puppet.
“Just call me brother.”
Cain acknowledged him coolly.
“……brother!”
Abel was now someone he had to walk with, and he had a lot to do for him in the future.
‘I have to pay back my debt.’
Abel was the one who caused him to regress.
He couldn’t and shouldn’t forget the debt.
Whew━.
Cain exhaled through his thoughts.
White breath pierces the cold winter raindrops.
He lacked the magical blade ‘Winter,’ but he possessed the ‘Power of Winter.’
Cain tightened his grip on Vanderbilt’s greatsword, praying for a miracle.
‘Rise, Winter.’
Why is a magic sword called a magic sword?
It is because it performs miracles like a sacred blade, but unlike a holy weapon, it has a cost.
[‘Winter’s end is just that.]
[Will you stroll ‘Winter’ even then?]
‘Give me the strength to crush the enemies as I have before.’
[『Four Seasons』 suggests you reevaluate your option.]
‘Whatever the outcome, there is no future without today. Please give me the strength to survive today!’
That was the manner of an adult.
Not the boy Cain, but the adult Cain, who chooses his own life!
[The future is being consumed.]
Only sacrifice could effectively harness the power of ‘Winter.’
Crackle crackle━!
Instead of white sparkles, pure white lightning began to blast throughout his entire body.
Crash━.
As if pulled by Cain’s lightning, a massive bolt struck the distant sea, blocking everyone’s view.
Thud!
In the brief second when the light flared,.
Cain dashed forward.
Philip also reacted.
“For Ross━!”
He likewise charged forward, breaking Cain’s formidable momentum.
A crimson straight line was painted in the air.
A great sword fell like a thunderbolt.
Clang clang clang━!
Sparks flew as the attacks of life and death clashed on the battlefield!
Cain twisted his arm and wrist, flinging his greatsword wide to one side.
A faint white aura shimmered on the surface of the great sword as Philip’s three swords glided over it, causing sparks.
Quake quake quake━.
The atmosphere trembled.
The shockwave surged across the surroundings as the two’s auras repulsed one another.
Raindrops bounced in all directions.
There wasn’t time to breathe.
The ordinary knights watched the intense conflict with bated breath, while the true knights, who had advanced to the rank of expert, were filled with both astonishment and doubt.
They knew Philip’s ability.
But was Cain thus strong?
It was more than just increasing aura power; it was also about getting the experience that only those who had crossed thousands of battlefields could have.
Clang━!
But there was no time to think.
The fight between the two heated up even further.
Cain swung his greatsword up as it was.
To counteract the greatsword’s better reach, Philip grabbed the short sword at his waist with his left hand.
Clang.
Short sword and long sword.
He hit the greatsword with two crossed swords.
Philip’s eyes brightened up.
The greatsword was powerful with each blow, but if it failed, its posture collapsed, revealing a gap immediately.
Like the gap that would undoubtedly result from his counterattack right now.!
Thud!
Cain did not withdraw.
He did not evade.
He stepped forward.
“How!”
Philip was astounded.
He should have fled naturally when the dread of the sword struck, and he should have attempted to retaliate in that space.
But Cain approached him stupidly.
At the same time, the greatsword that had been bouncing up straightened upright.
‘It is boiling.’
Cain assessed the situation calmly.
‘So far, it’s a normal miracle.’
Miracles are miracles.
However, it was appropriate combat for an expert-level deputy commander and a promising successor who had awakened his aura would display.
Cain didn’t want this.
The hard lightning bolts that erupted from his heart did not want such a mediocre battle , either.
Even if he wins.
Even if he loses.
He needed power that could burn his entire body and cause his chest to rip open━!
Cain gritted his teeth until they snapped.
He hoped for a greater miracle.
‘More━!’
Plain and dry.
He despised the fact that he had to spend so much time breathing.
Cain was already a man with a heart that had to walk on the blade, a man willing to burn himself in order to attain his aims.
[The future is being consumed.]
Crackle crackle━.
The pure white lightning got much brighter.
Cain’s still-developing bones cracked, and his muscles burned.
Lightning flashed between his nerves, scratching his head.
The sufferings and fate that would await when the ‘future’ vanished were vividly depicted again.
But Cain’s wind never stops.
For two lifetimes.
Because he couldn’t afford to appear lukewarm, even against a minor villain named Philip.
To look forward to a tremendous miracle that would bring him to victory!
‘I still want to see you tomorrow, Winter.’
[The future is being eaten even farther.]
Instant.
The world slowed down.
The droplets paused in midair.
In that.
Crack━.
Pure white lightning flashed from his purple eyes.
Crackle, crackle, crackle ━!
The lightning that flashed across Cain’s entire body lit him up.
Philip’s expression steadily changes.
Faces of surprise spread like waves.
Cain didn’t care about any of that.
Just one.
‘This is the blade I can wield to the fullest extent possible!’
The history of the frontline was extensive.
The duration of ‘Winter’ was significantly longer.
The masters of the magic sword fervently craved strength while burning their lives.
From hand to hand.
━Have mercy, Lord.
From life to life.
━God, have mercy on us.
To benefit the world, even if it means sacrificing oneself!
May no one in the future face a life as difficult as theirs!
Their wish was for light.
And it transformed into a sword that slashed through the night, where even the stars hid.
The sole light in an otherwise gloomy sky.
True Form.
Kyrie.
All of the lightning bolts quickly focused on Vanderbilt’s great sword.
A sword was carried by someone in sorrow, another with a scream, and the prior Cain with regret.
The contemporary Cain possessed hope.
From below to above.
From left to right.
He swung his mighty sword.
The lightning sword technique, Kyrie.
Like a crescent moon, it sprang out of Cain’s sword and constantly showered down rain.
And he cut Philip.
And.
The Cain of the past and the Cain of the present were likewise separated.
Quake, quake, quake━!
The scars of lightning are etched in the air.
The crescent-shaped sword technique that clearly ripped through the world, ran far out to sea before scattering.
Whoosh━.
Shock, surprise, and dread.
When everything came together, the sound of rain filled the air.
Thump, thud━.
The second sound was Philip’s corpse ‘dropping’ down the dirty dirt floor, split in half.
The knight who had been living till now was killed instantly, from shoulder to waist.
Cain brushed back his unkempt hair and spoke.
“One on one.”
” ……!”
Overwhelming violence!
Now, the count’s family successor, who had just recently awakened his aura, had killed a competent expert knight in one breath!
Thud, thud, thud, thud━.
The knights of 〈Los de Kaerot〉 formed a defensive formation around Philip’s body.
“De, Deputy commander…….”
Philip Ross Francis was clearly deceased, so there was no need to establish his life or death.
All they could do was shut his wide-open eyes.
The knights of Ethelred were perplexed by the sight of Cain, whom they had secretly underestimated.
Only Vanderbilt cried tears of joy.
Cain raised the corners of his mouth.
Click━.
He pointed his greatsword toward them.
One of the knights with an orange bracelet yelled.
“This is too much!”
“What?”
“Just in a training session, you would go this far━.”
“Just? A training session?”
Cain snorted.
He swung his greatsword, pointing at the knights gathered here.
“This was an execution ground for me. You bastards who brought my half-brother with you to eat the count’s family whole.”
He tilted his head to stare at the Ethelred knights.
No one, including Cloyd, could meet Cain’s gaze.
“You pathetic bastards who just watched and thought that an opportunity would come, saying that everything would be different when the Lord Count came. Weren’t you all my executioners?”
” …….”
Nobody could answer.
Because that was a widely known fact.
They didn’t say it out loud, but they believed today would be the last day for Ethelred’s successor, Cain.
That was why they made Cain’s position inescapable and stood by, whereas no one had ever put out a hand.
If there was, it was only Vanderbilt.
The knight of 〈Los de Kaerot〉, who had challenged Cain, shouted again.
“The Lord Marquis will not let this go!”
Cain nodded.
“Of course.”
His too calm answer was enough to make him flinch.
“But how would the marquis know?”
A deathly smile appeared at the same time.
The knights of 〈Los de Kaerot〉 shuddered during that moment.
They felt the frigid air of the harsh north pierce their spines.
“Cloyd.”
“……Yes, Young Master.”
His voice lacked strength.
Commander Cloyd appeared to have aged ten years in an instant.
Because he felt tremendously bitter when his life was so harshly criticized.
“The sea of Ethelred is rough. And a storm is blowing on top of that. It’s really unfortunate that the knights of 〈Los de Kaerot〉, who were training in the misty field of the cliff━”
“You’re not saying?”
“Everyone fell to their deaths.”
“Young Master!”
Cloyd cried out in surprise.
Cain’s heart felt too cruel.
Cain remained focused on 〈Los de Kaerot〉 as he gripped his sword.
“Cain Ethelred commands. Kill them.”
The knights of Ethelred, having shown themselves, began to wield their weapons blankly in response to Cain’s remarks.
Cloyd shook his head furiously and spoke.
“No, you can’t! This is an all-out war!”
“Why?”
” ……Yes?”
“Just kill them and get rid of their mouths.”
“This is not a battlefield━.”
Cain cut off Cloyd’s words with his sword.
It was a sword that could fall in either direction when held vertically.
Quang━!
Lightning struck Cain’s greatsword in a moment, then wrapped around his entire body.
It was the same scene as when he killed Philip just now.
“The war has already begun.”
” ……!”
“Kill them.”
Cloyd flinched.
Even when he saw it again, his calm, burning aspect reminded him of Edmund.
It appeared that Commander Cloyd was not the only one who felt it. Ethelred’s knights began to murder the bereaved knights of 〈Los de Kaerot〉 at the same moment as Cain’s remarks.
They instinctively realized that the sacrifice for their new master had to be red.
Cain Ethelred is seventeen years old.
This was the final winter before spring arrived.