The Biography of Albrecht - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Translator: Nezu

Editor: Daed

Albrecht woke up two days later. He had bandages all over his body and scars all over his face. The slanted wound from his right cheek to his chin, past his eyebrows and under his eye was likely to stay as a scar. But it wasn’t a big deal. He was fortunate enough that he didn’t hurt his eyes.

Elena was speaking quietly beside the bed where Albrecht was. When she saw Albrecht wake up, she walked over to him happily.

“Where’s Diego?” Albrecht asked.

“I’ll bring him over,” Martina replied.

A moment later, Martina came in while supporting Diego.

Diego limped as he walked towards Albrecht. The two made eye contact.

Albrecht lay down as he looked up at him. No more words were needed between them. An exchanged smile was enough.

Elena thought that it would be better to leave the two for a while so she took Martina and Anna out with some kind of excuse.

“They don’t have enough people here in the mansion because we’re in the middle of a civil war. So we’re giving them a hand.”

Diego sat in a chair next to Albrecht’s bed.

Albrecht replied, “Dumbass. Then why’d you even come here? Haha.”

“I’ve been in the mansion for a while, so I’m trying to take a breather. Haha.”

The two exchanged some lame jokes for a while until their conversation shifted to the civil war.

“The side of Rutger and Gachelin is almost destroyed. You took out almost all of Rutger’s men that day so Georg and the rest of the Great Families’ troops just acted without any more bloodshed. I think the other side’s just trying to mobilize as many troops as they can for a final struggle.”

“Yeah…”

Diego glanced briefly at Albrecht and said, “And, uh, there was also a tombstone made for that woman named Elisa. We can go visit that later.”

Elisa… Albrecht remembered her last words.

‘Albrecht, I love you.’

She found love for the first time and then died. Her last words deeply imprinted her voice in Albrecht’s mind. Sadness, misery, regret and joy…All the emotions in her voice permeated Albrecht’s heart.

He lifted the blanket and tried to get up.

“What—what are you doing? You have to rest.”

Albrecht replied flatly, “I want to see Rutger.”

Once Albrecht was determined to act, Diego knew that there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“Don’t be stupid. Just stay here.”

“If you rest, then I’ll rest. That’s just how it is.”

Albrecht laughed helplessly as he looked at Diego. The other man laughed as well. Albrecht suddenly remembered the deal he had made with Diego when they first met.

“Then let’s go. Though I don’t know where to look for him.”

He took his sword and his axe with him and went outside. Martina hit Diego’s back and became unable to follow. The girls also tried to stop Albrecht from leaving, but when he told them that he was leaving because of Elisa, they had no choice but to let him go.

He rode his horse to leave the mansion and headed to the Wolf’s Den. After turning a corner and passing through an alley, he reached the market. Stalls were lined up on both sides of the street where various sorts of items were being sold. It was now almost winter so there wasn’t actually much variety of goods.

When Albrecht appeared on his horse, the citizens responded differently from before. Though a trace of fear remained on their faces, there was also a trace of awe.

The people took off their coifs and caps and bowed as Albrecht passed. People inside the building rushed out to also take off their caps and bend down. It was like a king’s parade.

Because of what happened in Warehouse 17, people started to call him the ‘King of Knights’. It meant that he was the ‘strongest among all knights’. It also meant that he was the strongest man in the world.

People whispered among themselves that he was of divine descent or that he was the descendant of a mythical hero.

Albrecht suddenly remembered that his father used to say that their family was descendants of the great hero, Siegfried. Either his father’s words were real, or he had made it real.

He soon reached the slums. The poor people’s reaction was different from the citizens’ reaction earlier. As the sun began to set and darkness fell, they looked like rats who ran into a man when they saw Albrecht. They quickly hid and moved out of sight.

Most of them were minions of the Thief Guild. Albrecht had heard that the people who stabbed him with daggers in the market before were from here. He thought to himself that it must’ve been hard to turn the whole market into a theatrical stage.

They had charged at him persistently back then, probably because they wanted to escape the tragedy they had been born into.

Perhaps Rutger had promised them some rewards for stabbing daggers into his body.

Albrecht soon arrived at Wolf’s Den. It was surrounded by some mercenaries and soldiers, probably employed by one of the Great Families. In spite of their anger, they took off their helmets and still gave their salutes to Albrecht.

Albrecht alighted from his horse, handed the reins to one soldier, and entered the Wolf’s Den.

Dozens of guild members were inside, their faces filled with despair because of their impending defeat. There wasn’t much of a reaction from them even when they saw Albrecht. Rather, they wanted Albrecht to kill Rutger and end the war.

Albrecht walked through the middle of them with his head held high. They made way for him. No one stopped him.

He trotted up the stairs to the second floor, then to the third floor, and headed straight for the main room. He opened the door and saw Rutger sitting in a chair.

The man looked at him. He seemed to be drinking.

“If it isn’t the noble knight.”

Albrecht remained silent.

“Let me just ask you this. Were your friends and that whore really that important to you? No. I mean, no way, right? Though it did cross my mind, I didn’t think you’d actually come unarmed.”

Albrecht answered calmly, “It’s not a matter of importance. I’m just being faithful to my principles.”

“What principles?”

“Honor.”

Rutger’s eyes widened and he started laughing like crazy. He laughed as if he’d heard something really hilarious. It had been years—even decades—since he was able to laugh like this. He couldn’t help but clutch his stomach and stomp his feet. He pointed his finger at Albrecht and continued to laugh.

After laughing for a while, he said, “Here I was, wondering what you were talking about, and it turns out you’re actually talking like an elf! Right, that’s a luxury that only a monster like you can afford. Neither I nor the Great Families can have that.”

Albrecht stared at him without a word. Rutger uttered his last words.

“A knight’s honor to protect a whore. I see.”

Albrecht drew his sword and strode closer to Rutger. The latter closed his eyes. His head fell.

Albrecht stowed his sword back in its sheath. He grabbed Rutger’s head by the hair then proceeded to go downstairs.

Everyone got up from their seats as they looked at Albrecht. Then they stared blankly at Rutger’s head.

Albrecht walked out of Wolf’s Den and threw the head at the mercenaries and soldiers. He silently mounted his horse and rode towards the mansion.

The war was over.

Part 3: Thief Guild – End