The Sage that the Sword Saint is Obsessed With

14 – 4. Reunion (2)

1.

Leaving the Tower of the Sage is truly a rare occasion.

When was the last time?

I don’t even remember.

There was no need to go outside.

All I did was research magic in the study.

If something was needed, Corona would get it for me.

That’s why these scenes are unfamiliar.

Evan, riding a carriage heading to the Southern Front.

I thought about using teleportation magic, but I wanted to see the world after a long time. To see how much it has changed and how much remains the same.

Honestly, I’m not sure.

Each landscape feels fascinating as if seeing it for the first time, but it doesn’t quite register in my eyes.

“Hmm….”

Stopping the sightseeing, Evan leaned against the carriage.

“The Southern Front….”

Something long-forgotten begins to slowly resurface.

…Certainly, that woman mentioned her hometown was in the south, right?

Evan tightly closed his eyes.

He erased the vivid face that was becoming clearer.

“….Crazy.”

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Evan chuckled to himself.

It’s truly insane to still cling to lingering emotions after several years. It might be a good idea to use some memory removal magic forcibly on these thoughts.

Anyway, let’s focus on the mission now.

Evan’s task is to assist in the battles on the Southern Front for three months. He will be living at a place called the Star Knight Corps.

Naturally, I thought I would be joining the Imperial Army, but I heard that the Star Knight Corps holds more influence than the Imperial Army on the Southern Front.

Whatever, no big deal.

In any case, for the next three months, all I have to do is go to the front line and engage in battles.

“….It’s been a while since I’ve been in a real fight.”

He never entered the Tower of the Sage or hunted a Maas.

He dedicated himself to magical research.

He can use the acquired magic, but he has never used it against a Maas.

But there’s no need to worry.

It’s not baseless confidence; it’s well-founded confidence.

Actually, what worries him more is having to live among the knights for three months. He wonders if he can form good relationships with them.

…Until he met the sage, he lost every encounter.

Evan closed his eyes.

The winter-chilled wind felt refreshing, and he was in a good mood.

Among the scent of the cold wind, it seemed like the fresh scent of spring could be sensed.

Evan headed towards the Southern Front.

“I have arrived.”

I opened my eyes at the voice of the driver.

“Groan…”

I stretched out.

There was a creaking sound from my back.

“Thank you.”

Evan got down from the carriage.

After a week of riding in the carriage, we finally arrived.

“It was quite far.”

Rubbing his stiff neck, Evan looked ahead. In the distance, he could see a village surrounded by a wooden wall.

There’s the headquarters of the Star Knights.

Originally starting as a small guard unit protecting the village, it grew into a knight order, or so they say.

The name may change depending on how they refer to themselves.

The Star Knights are said to have a military force comparable to that of the Imperial Knights. Of course, the scale is incomparable, but each member is highly skilled. Especially, the leader is called the ‘Blade Master’ in this region.

These were the stories Evan casually heard from the driver during the journey.

Evan tidied his robe and roughly combed his disheveled hair with his hands, making it look presentable.

“Halt!”

As we approached the entrance, the guards at the gate blocked the way with spears.

“What brings you here?”

Evan took out a mission order from the pocket of his robe and presented it.

“We came from the Tower of the Sage.”

Upon hearing those words, the guards were momentarily surprised, and when they saw the mission order, they were even more astonished.

The mission order bore the seal of both the Imperial Knights and the Star Knights, as well as the mark of the Sage. Upon seeing it, they recalled the recent news that a disciple of the Sage would be coming to provide reinforcements to the Star Knights.

“Could it be… the disciple of the Sage…?”

It felt strange to be called that.

“Yes.”

In response to Evan’s answer, the guard immediately straightened his posture and saluted.

“Welcome to the Star Knights!”

Evan’s hand trembled with excitement.

“Please make yourself at home.”

Living a reckless life, accustomed to the sounds of tyranny, receiving such courteous treatment, Evan couldn’t help but feel oddly unsettled.

“No, I will immediately summon someone!”

A guard rushed into the village and, shortly after, returned with a man who seemed to be in charge.

“You’ve had a long journey.”

The man extended his hand to Evan, seeking a handshake.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Raven.”

“…”

Evan looked at Raven with surprised eyes.

Black hair.

Golden eyes.

It wasn’t a common appearance.

Moreover, there was a strangely familiar aura about the woman.

So similar, uncomfortably so.

“What brings you here?”

Raven blinked at Evan, who was scrutinizing her, and once again extended her hand for a handshake. After a moment of staring, Evan shook hands with her.

“…Nice to meet you, I’m Evan.”

He shook her hand lightly and let go immediately.

“I’m sorry. Originally, the commander or vice-commander should have come out, but they are currently on the battlefield. They will return later today.”

“…It’s okay.”

Still unable to take his eyes off Raven’s face, Evan slowly nodded.

“Rather, I apologize for coming at a busy time.”

“No problem.”

Raven gestured with both hands.

“We have reason to be grateful. Lately, the enemy has started using dragons, putting us at a disadvantage. It seems we needed the help of a magician, especially since catching a creature flying in the sky is challenging.”

“Don’t the Knights have magicians?”

“The Imperial Army does. Still, we don’t have a magician capable of dealing with a dragon.”

A dragon…

It doesn’t feel real.

The day has come when he sees the creature he only read about in books in person.

“Then, is there no one who can capture the dragon right now?”

“That’s not true.”

Raven raised one finger.

“There is one person.”

“…Who is it?”

“Our commander. The commander has only beheaded three dragons. Not only that, if we were to talk about the achievements of our commander so far, it would be impossible to even mention all of them in one night.”

Raven started enthusiastically talking about the commander as if a button had been pressed.

I understand how great the commander is, and I also understand how much the members like the commander.

“He was called Geomsung in the South…?”

At this question, Raven furrowed her brow.

“I don’t understand that.”

Evan looked at Raven as if he was puzzled.

“Why don’t you understand?”

“Our commander should be called Geomsung not only in the South but also by everyone. In the North, there is no inspector with the ability of our commander. Our commander is Geomsung itself, not just in the South.”

Fanatical, indeed.

Speaking to this extent, I want to see him once.

Who on earth is he?

What kind of ability must one possess to hear such things?

At that moment,

-Boom! Boom!

The sound of drums reverberated throughout the village.

The villagers, who were spending a peaceful day, started rushing out in a frenzy.

“What’s happening?”

Under Raven’s guidance, Evan looked around the village and spoke while observing the people heading somewhere.

“It’s a signal that the soldiers who went to the battlefield are returning.”

Raven said, urging Evan to go quickly, and they returned to the entrance of the village.

People were gathered at the entrance of the village.

Most of them seemed to be the families of the knights.

The large gate guarding the entrance of the village began to open wide.

Evan watched from a distance.

The door swung open, and knights started pouring in.

They all had exhausted faces, worn out as much as one could be.

Even just by looking at the bloodstains on their armor, you could tell how fierce the battle had been.

Nevertheless, as cheers erupted from the townspeople, smiles bloomed on the faces of the knights.

Of course, not everyone could smile.

Some checked the faces of the fallen warriors on the carts, their expressions hardening.

“Don’t you cry?”

Raven responded to Evan’s question.

“After winning and returning in good spirits, I think it’s a nuisance to shed tears. And we’ve set aside a specific time for sorrow. When it’s time to be happy, be happy, and when it’s time to be sad, be sad. That way, you can let it all out at once.”

“Can you release sorrow all at once?”

“It varies from person to person, but it’s usually difficult. However, everyone is trying. Once you fall into sadness, it’s hard to get out of it.”

Evan nodded his head slightly.

It was a relatable statement.

Difficult, indeed.

Really difficult.

“But who is the leader?”

Usually, the person standing at the forefront would be the leader, but among the incoming knights, there was no one who seemed like the leader.

“The leader comes in last.”

“Why?”

“To show the faces of the knights to the families who are worried about them first. There’s that, and our leader isn’t someone who likes to be at the forefront in the lineup. But in the battlefield, he’s braver than anyone, always at the forefront.”

“I see.”

“He’ll be coming in soon. Follow me.”

Evan followed Raven.

“That’s our leader.”

A woman declared from the side.

Black hair fluttered in the wind, flowing down to her hips.

Her pale face was splattered with blood. But more captivating than that was the intense color of her golden eyes shining beneath long eyelashes.

Her face, immersed in decadence, was expressionless, and that expressionlessness matched the face of the woman Evan remembered… Leven.

Though many years had passed, he recognized her immediately, a person he had loved passionately.

Evan stopped in his tracks and stood tall.

And then.

Leuen, approaching while tidying her hair blowing in the wind, stopped abruptly upon seeing Evan.

“……”

“……”

In the lively space filled with the joy of victory, the two, unable to blend into the atmosphere, silently gazed at each other.