Kays Translations

Chapter 215: Scenery of Crime

Josel rode his beloved horse along the highway.

As he breathed in the winter air, the coldness felt pleasantly invigorating.

...Indeed, moving my body like this is more suitable than being stuck doing paperwork at the office.

It had been a long time since he went on a long ride alone. The inns were cheap, and the meals were simple, but Josel was thoroughly enjoying this short trip. He realized that the inspection of the highway, which his mentor Gerhardt suggested as a means to boost his spirits, was just an excuse.

Should I buy souvenirs for my mentor and family? Such carefree thoughts were instantly interrupted by the scent of blood carried by the wind.

Josel quickly scanned his surroundings. There was a narrow path ahead with poor visibility. The smell seemed to be coming from there.

He slowly exhaled the air warmed in his lungs, drawing the "Night Killer" from his waist.

Guiding his horse forward, Josel moved cautiously at a walking pace, not knowing what might happen.

A figure suddenly jumped out from the forest path. It was a small, elderly man covered in mud.

Seeing Josel, the old man shuddered and, with a frightened expression, looked back. He judged that Josel might be better than the thugs chasing him and desperately cried out,

"Please help! I'm being attacked by bandits!"

Two killing intents transmitted from behind the old man. Josel dismounted and stood in front of the old man.

Although he wanted to hear the details, there was no time for that. Perhaps this old man was a big villain, and the pursuers had a reasonable cause. All Josel could do was judge by instinct.

Rough footsteps were heard, and two men with drawn swords appeared. Overall dirty and greasy, it wasn't just dirt from yesterday or today.

But more than anything, Josel didn't like their faces. Holding weapons, they grinned maliciously—a face of someone who enjoys tormenting others unilaterally.

Images of the useless knights who did nothing but hinder him came to Josel's mind, and he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

The bandits stopped a few meters away when they recognized Josel.

"What the hell are you?"

"I'm Josel, a high-ranking knight of count Zander’s family."

"Hehe, this guy's a knight!"

The bandits pointed at Josel and laughed mockingly. The incompetence of the knight order had become a source of ridicule even for bandits.

Blood rushed to Josel's head. Moving in a sliding motion rather than running, he closed the distance between him and the bandits.

"You insolent fools!"

The Night Killer flashed, tearing through the bandit's leather armor. Ribs were broken, and the heart was pierced. The bandit fell with an inaudible scream, spitting blood towards the sky. The blood splattered on his own face.

Despite various resistances of the human body, a sword forged by a master's hands didn't lose its momentum. Josel targeted the next one before the fallen bandit.

The other bandit, still unable to comprehend what had happened, had the tip of the Night Killer thrust into his throat. He collapsed on his knees, gasping like a fish seeking oxygen on the water's surface.

A high-ranking knight had encountered them while they were chasing an unarmed old man. How they would explain this to demons in hell was surely a considerable struggle.

"Mocking others by pointing and laughing while not introducing yourself. It's unforgivable."

Josel wiped the blood from the Night Killer with a disdainful look, sheathed it, and turned to the trembling old man.

"Elderly sir, could you tell me what happened?"

Although he intended to ask in the gentlest voice possible, coming from a well-armored knight still in the excitement of killing, it was intimidating for the old man.

The old man just shook his head and couldn't answer.

"...Is there something ahead?"

It couldn't continue like this. When Josel approached the horse to go see for himself, the old man sprang up as if bounced and clung to Josel's legs.

"Please wait! I'll talk, I'll talk, so please..."

He was restraining the person whose actions could be considered disrespectful. Josel's eye was twitching with irritation at that moment, and he was on the verge of kicking the old man away. But using all his self-control, he managed to suppress the urge.

...This is why the knights of the count’s territory are disliked. I'm different from them, different, yes.

Quietly chanting what seemed like a spell in his mind, Josel feigned calmness and asked,

"Tell me, what happened?"

"...I am a merchant residing in the fortress city. I was attacked by bandits on my way to the neighboring Baron Esterreich's territory, carrying the trendy swords of today."

"I see, that was unfortunate. However, it's fortunate that only you, the elderly sir, survived."

"What's good about it!"

The old man suddenly shouted. Ignoring the surprised Josel, the old man covered his face with dirty hands and sobbed.

"My son and his wife were killed. My adorable grandchild was also killed. I abandoned them and fled alone..."

Perhaps he detained Josel because he didn't want his traces of guilt to be seen.

At times like these, what should one say? Josel bent down to meet the old man's eyes, troubled, and carefully chose his words.

"You would have been killed if you stayed with them. There's no need to feel responsible for escaping."

"Then, I should have died with them..."

"There is a duty that cannot be fulfilled unless you survive. No, precisely because you survived, there are things you must do. Sir, if you hadn't survived and told me about this, I wouldn't have known the details. Don't think of being alive as a sin."

The old man lifted his face absentmindedly. His face lacked vitality to the point it sent shivers down one's spine. A sense of duty to somehow help him welled up in Josel's chest.

"I'll go check the scene of the attack. Please wait here, elderly sir."

The worn-out old man nodded without saying anything.

Josel was about to utter the words, "If there are survivors, I'll help them," but he swallowed them back. It seemed hopeless judging from the old man's condition. Words of comfort would ultimately be self-satisfying and only hurt the old man's heart.

He mounted his horse and rode away. A bitter feeling spread in Josel's heart.

...What's this about an increase in tax revenue or the Second Knight Order? They are meaningless if the safety of the people is not assured.

Josel continued to ride through the forest path, where the smell of death became stronger. Ahead were the sins of the bandits, the sins of the old man, and Josel's own sins.

He had to face these scenes without averting his gaze.

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