Death Can’t Sleep - Chapter 98
The next day, Amarion mounted her horse in great exhaustion. Although her sleep time had decreased since they departed, this was the first time she could not sleep at all. Whether or not she should swing her sword, she couldn’t forget the dilemma she faced.
Before, she had never hesitated.
She dozed off on her horse and was carried to a cart by Victor.
“Get some sleep, Wildcat.”
“I’m fine.”
“Why do you always say you’re fine?”
Mirage grumbled. Sir Jane smiled.
“You two, are you bored? Can I tell you a story from when I was traveling?”
Mirage immediately looked back at Jane, wary.
“What kind of story is it?”
“Stories of famous knights, swordsmen, and wizards. Or the story of my duels…”
“Ugh… I guess so. Tell me something fun.”
“Yes, sir!”
Jane laughed.
Mirage looked a bit tired, but he was tempted. Stories about strong swordsmen were always fun.
‘Is there anyone stronger than Victor?’
Jane started talking earnestly.
“I’ve been wandering around for years, and I’ve had a lot of duels. I dueled with Morte Knights, who are now my colleagues, several times.”
Tsk.
Victor clicked his tongue quietly. Amarion could see more and more why he hated Jane.
“The first person I visited was Amher of Amheiser, who was famous for being the best swordsman in the West.”
“What? I’ve never heard of him.”
“For good reason. That’s because-”
“He is an impostor.”
Victor sighed.
Jane chuckled.
“That’s right. He is the son of a writer, and ever since he was a child, he has claimed he’s a genius swordsman. But when I met him, he wasn’t good at all. He couldn’t even hold the right posture.”
“So you didn’t duel?”
“No. I didn’t want to do it, but I did.”
“Why?”
Jane smiled dangerously.
“He said he would send someone to my house. He liked my face and wanted to make my sister his mistress.”
Mirage made an expression of contempt.
“Aristocrats…”
“His ego was bruised from losing the duel, so I was kicked out of the West and have wandered ever since.”
Only then did Amarion understand why Jane had been wandering for years.
In fact, it was not common for a knight to leave their territory and wander. Each knight was an important support to their Lord, so even their family members lived in their Lord’s manor. There were almost no knights who wandered around with the permission of their master like ‘Dordofin the Wandering Knight’. Even if he liked dueling like Jane.
But if he was kicked out of his hometown, it all made sense. Mirage, who had been nodding his head, suddenly asked Victor.
“But how did Dog know that he was an impostor?”
“I once hunted with him. He was ridiculously weak.”
“You must have worked for a very high nobleman. Hunting with a marquis’ son.”
“Well, yes.”
Victor readily admitted.
After it became clear that the mercenaries did not recognize him, he became more and more open with them. He seemed to enjoy the situation where no one knew him.
To these mercenaries, Victor was just a picky boy who managed to wield a sword. He was immature enough to run away with his Lady. Maybe that was why even Mirage, who hated aristocrats, accepted him without hesitation.
It was a strange thing. The two, who would never have been close under normal circumstances, were getting closer.
The conversation continued for a while longer.
Jane told them about the people he met on his way to the Southern Kingdom. The South he described sounded very beautiful.
‘Come to think of it, did Catalina return safely?’
‘She asked me to visit her manor someday…’
‘Will Leonard and Julianna’s wedding preparations go well?’
As she thought, her mind calmed a little.
Amarion spent the rest of the day staring at Victor’s profile.
＊ ＊ ＊
Fortunately, nothing happened until they reached the next oasis.
There was still a little time before the sun went down, so the mercenaries decided to take an early break. Everyone was tired from yesterday’s battle.
After the meal, attendants distributed drinks made with dried fruit, salt, and ground sugar in cool oasis water. It felt like the sand that was stuck in her throat was being washed away.
Without even noticing her fatigue, Amarion leaned on Victor’s shoulder. He stroked her hair with satisfaction.
The mercenaries were still preoccupied with Jane’s story.
“The strongest person in the Southern Kingdom is Snow White, the Divine Knight. Gargantia, the Sorceress Queen of the East Kingdom, was also famous. Just thinking about them makes me feel intimidated. It was amazing”
“You’re as strange as I’ve heard. If I saw those guys, I’d just run away.”
The mercenaries chuckled.
‘Really?’
Amarion was a bit envious of Jane. Wasn’t a knight supposed to be a person who polished their sword skills for his master and the weak?
Wasn’t it natural to want to fight?
Could any of them be as strong as Victor?
Another mercenary asked in curiosity.
“Didn’t both of them lose to the Walking Death?”
“Hey, if Sir Yazi were there, it would’ve been a disaster!”
“Is there anyone who hasn’t heard of him yet? Sir Yazi, our king, the mercenary king…”
“Arthur. Sir Yazi cannot even compare to Walking Death. I heard that the Grand Duke of Death looks terribly terrifying. Sir Yazi would pass out.”
Amarion suppressed her laughter with all her might. Victor pouted and laid her head on his lap. His firm hand covered her eyes.
Amarion asked with a quiet smile.
“Why do you want me to sleep?”
“What’s the point of listening to this nonsense?”
“But it’s fun.”
Victor pinched the tip of her nose weakly.
‘Awww…’
When she looked up at him resentfully, he smiled.
“Sleep well.”
It was a smile that made her weak.
‘Not fair!’
Amarion glared at him, then closed her eyes.
She felt like she could fall asleep…
Let go of her worries and thoughts about Amari…
Amarion closed her eyes and drifted off.
＊ ＊ ＊
Even after Amarion fell asleep, the mercenaries’ conversation continued.
Victor did not enter their tent and remained with the watchmen. It was because Amarion was sleeping on his lap.
Someone asked Jane.
“Speaking of strong people, have you met the famous Grand Duchess? The ‘White Knight’.”
The knight was silent for a moment. He glanced at his Lord and nodded his head.
“Of course I have seen her before. She is the Lady I serve.”
“Really? Is she really that strong?”
“Sorry, I don’t want to talk about my Lady out here.”
Jane narrowed his eyes and avoided the question. Although the mercenaries grumbled, they didn’t press further. Victor gently stroked Amarion’s hair, which was shining silvery in the firelight.
Another mercenary continued the conversation.
“Wait, aren’t there rumors that she is from the kingdom? If she is a kingdom knight, I can understand why she is so strong.”
“That’s true. Especially since the North is full of monsters, right? She has been catching and killing Dark Wolves since she was five years old.”
“Isn’t the mercenary king also from there?”
“Yes, and…”
Mirage added quietly.
“Amarion of Amari…”
At the wizard’s words, the mercenaries fell silent.
The Grand Duke narrowed his eyes.
Why did his wife’s maiden name come up here?
The expressions of the mercenaries were difficult to read. They were faces that seemed stunned, sad, and strangely pensive.
“…Yes, he was from there too.”
“Isn’t it a bit out of place to talk about him?”
“What? Let’s talk about Sir Yazi.”
The mercenaries giggled.
Victor couldn’t stand it.
“Who is that?”
The mercenaries turned to him.
They sighed collectively.
“The Sword of the North, the bastion of women, the hero of mercenaries.”
“If you explain it like that, how would Dog know? Come on, look.”
Mirage piped up. The young wizard drew a line in the sand with a stick.
“You know that monster ‘archetypes’ descend in groups from the Black Mountains every winter, right? We call it the Monster Wave.”
“Hmm.”
“If left alone, the whole continent, as well as the Northern and Eastern Kingdom, would be ruined. So the Emperor made an agreement with the mercenary king Yazi. When winter comes, he sends mercenaries to the North unconditionally. The money is, of course, paid by the local Lord.”
Mirage let out a short sigh.
“But the monsters in the North are really on a different level. Even if you send fairly talented men, about 80% die. So really, only those with no money and no future go.”
“…”
“But everything changed with the arrival of the heir to Amari.”
Victor blinked quietly.
In the desert, where there were no insects, the mercenary’s words could be heard clearly.
“Amarion of Amari is a knight. An unparalleled, strong, and righteous knight. She doesn’t let a single person die. If it seemed a little dangerous, she jumped in on her own, and always came back alive.”
“Have you ever seen her yourself?”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t. She didn’t have enough money to hire our mercenaries.”
Mirage smiled bitterly.
“Anyway, all the mercenaries who went to Amari since she turned 17 came back alive. Even counting roughly, she saved hundreds to thousands of mercenaries while virtually blocking that many monsters alone.”
“…”
“What else can you call a person who lives with such a burden all her life? She is a hero.”
Mirage gulped down his remaining drink.
Victor looked around quietly. Each of the mercenaries nodded as they watched the crackling sparks of the bonfire.
After a moment of silence, someone spoke.
“…Who would win in a fight to the death against her?”
***
