Kays Translations

Chapter 226: Before the Soup Cools

The next day, Josel visited the Naval General Shop.

Finding the shop closed, he knocked forcefully on the door. No answer. He knocked again.

Worst-case scenarios raced through his mind. Should he kick the door down? As he seriously contemplated it, he heard a noise from behind the door and a voice.

"Who is it?"

A woman's voice, tinged with fatigue and caution. Josel straightened his back before replying.

"I am Josel, a high-ranking knight of Count Zander’s family. I wish to speak with the shop owner, Naval."

After a hesitant silence, the woman responded.

"I'm sorry, but the master is ill and bedridden. He is not in a condition to meet a knight... "

"I know the situation. I have come to report that I have avenged your family by defeating the bandits."

The woman hesitated. It might be the chance for Naval to regain his strength. If a high-ranking knight demanded to see him, she had no right to refuse, lest the door be broken down.

Opening the door slowly as if peering outside, she revealed a tall man holding a sword and a large basket in his left hand. Her immediate thought was, "Who's this guy?" He certainly looked like a knight, given his imposing figure.

Josel sensed the wariness. He pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Um, I was introduced by Claudia..."

"Oh, is that so?"

The middle-aged woman's cautiousness faded from her face as if shedding a thin layer of skin. How much had Claudia supported her? Knights were met with caution, but mentioning the name of a female merchant brought trust. It was unfair and lonely. A vague feeling of discomfort brewed within him.

...This is, well, something.

In the end, it was a reminder of the citizens' perception of knights.

He was led upstairs and into the farthest room, where Naval lay on the bed, gazing absentmindedly out the window.

"Naval."

As he called out, Naval turned towards him as if just noticing him.

Josel involuntarily held his breath. Naval's face was gaunt and pale, resembling nothing more than a specter summoned by death itself.

"Oh, Josel-san, was it...?"

Naval's voice was dry. Just seeing him speak seemed to sap away his vitality, making Josel uneasy.

Josel pulled up a chair, sat down, and drew a sword from his waist, holding it out horizontally.

"Naval-san, do you recognize this sword?"

"That's..."

It was a sword purchased from a blacksmith in this town, intended to be sold in another territory. It was supposed to be a new business opportunity, a symbol of hope.

"I reclaimed it after exterminating the bandits. You've avenged your family. There's no need for you to blame yourself any longer."

"I see..."

Those detestable bandits were dead. There was no reason not to feel relieved. But at this moment, Naval's heart was filled with the knowledge that his son and daughter-in-law would never return and that his guilt would never fade. The sword offered to him now looked nothing more than a cursed object that had attracted the bandits.

An awkward silence fell again. Josel forced a smile and opened the basket he had brought.

"I heard you haven't been eating. That won't do. Here, I've brought freshly baked bread and soup made by my wife. Please, eat."

The basket contained food. It was Josel's first time trying to carry soup in a bowl without spilling it, and it was quite a challenge.

Naval glanced at the food arrayed on the side table but shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but..."

He didn't seem like he could eat. He wished he could quietly wither away like a dry leaf. While Josel appreciated Naval's concern, he couldn't help feeling a little annoyed.

Naval turned his face back to the window. Josel looked between Naval and the food for a moment before starting to speak almost as if murmuring.

"...Once the finances of the territory stabilize, there's talk of establishing a second knight order."

Josel couldn't tell if Naval was listening, but he continued speaking.

"Embarrassingly, the current knight order is beyond repair. I tried to provide strict guidance, but they're all sons of minor nobles. Whenever something happens, complaints come through their fathers. Reforming with tied hands is impossible; it's a rotten barrel of apples."

The former knight, Samurai Mask, had fought admirably in the recent bandit extermination. Although his actions and words were suspicious, he sincerely regretted his past sins and risked his life to protect the people. He was even recognized by Gerhardt. Yet even such a man was once a worthless scoundrel when he belonged to the knight order. The influence of a corrupt environment was truly frightening.

Josel had completely given up on trying to change the current knight order. If they needed a knight order proud of its mission to protect the people, they would have to build it from scratch.

"I will change this territory. I won't allow any more banditry. I will create a land where the people can live in peace and safety! So...!"

Josel's words gradually grew warmer. These weren't prepared lines; as he spoke, Josel found what he needed to do.

"So, please, I want you to live and see it through..."

As Naval turned to the sound of movement, he saw Josel bow deeply. A high-ranking knight bowing to an elderly merchant, pleading for him to live. It was something that wouldn't normally happen. There was such a gap between nobility and commoners.

In a strange way, Naval regained his composure amidst the confusion.

"Are you asking me to live in disgrace?"

"There are things that cannot be accomplished if you don't survive. It may be selfish of me to wish for your survival."

How should one respond to such a sincere wish? Naval closed his eyes tightly and pondered before reaching out for the plate on the side table and sipping the soup.

One mouthful, then another, and a third. He managed to eat without vomiting. Naval seemed surprised by his own actions. Josel's face brightened at the sight, but he quickly corrected himself.

"Um, sorry. I suppose it might have cooled by now...?"

He had prepared the soup piping hot, lining the basket with cloth for insulation and tightly sealing the lid. Still, too much time had passed since leaving home, and it was still chilly outside. It was only natural that it had cooled.

"No, it's very..."

His voice trembled. Warm tears overflowed from the deep wrinkles around his eyes.

"It's very... warm."

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