Future Knight [EN]: Chapter 64

Future Knight Episode 64

“To think about my youth spent hammering away to make that thing… it makes me furious! Furious!”

Unaware of the dwarves’ feelings in the workshop, Kang Chan walked diligently, step by step.

However, the dwarf elder, not secured in the cockpit, swayed violently.

“Whoa! Be careful!”

Exiting the massive War Factory entrance, built to accommodate even Gigantes [giant robots or mechs], Kang Chan headed towards the vast open space used as a Gigantes mobility test field.

“How are you so skilled at handling the Gigantes? Have you ever ridden one before?”

『I have never ridden a Gigantes. However, the operating method seems somewhat similar to the Zaid.』

“Is that so? Does the Gigantes in your world also operate through mental communion?”

『Yes, it does.』

*When you think about it, it’s just a difference between mana and electrical signals.*

*Connecting his synchronization to the Zaid’s computer, it could be considered communion.*

『What should I do now?』

“Well, first, try running slowly around the open space.”

Following the dwarf elder’s instructions, Kang Chan began to run slowly around the vast open space.

As Kang Chan gradually increased his speed, the area around the open space began to shake as if there was an earthquake, and the dwarf elder inside also began to be tossed around violently.

“Ugh! Wait a minute! Run slowly!”

『…….』

Kang Chan, regretting that he hadn’t been able to run to his heart’s content, slowly reduced his speed. The dwarf elder, finally catching his breath, said with a shudder.

“T-that’s enough! Done! This is a pass!”

『A pass?』

“Phew, yes, it’s a pass. So, can you please let me down now?”

Kang Chan reached out to the shoulder armor and gently placed the dwarf elder on the ground.

The dwarf elder shuddered.

“If I ever ride another Gigantes while someone else is piloting it, I’m not a dwarf….”

The running Gigantes shook so violently that it was impossible to maintain one’s balance without being firmly secured in the cockpit.

“Alright! Now that Gigantes is yours! I hope you use it well and return it later.”

『Thank you.』

“Now, get out.”

Kang Chan got out of the Gigantes and moved it into the subspace.

Only a contractor who had made a covenant [a binding agreement or pact] with the golem could put the Gigantes into and take it out of the subspace.

“Keep in mind. You can only summon the Gigantes from the subspace once a day.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Having received the Gigantes as promised with Kracksion, Kang Chan returned to his lodgings, had a late lunch, and lay down on the bed for a moment, lost in thought.

He still had a long way to go for his revenge.

“Hoo…….”

Kang Chan tried to calm his complicated mind by practicing mana cultivation [a meditative practice to enhance inner energy].

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Who is it?”

“It’s Zizen.”

Zizen, who was scheduled to leave for Bellareen today, had come to find him.

When Kang Chan opened the door, Zizen was standing there, ready for a long journey.

“What’s the matter?”

“I came to say goodbye on behalf of the princess before leaving. And this…”

Zizen took something out of his pocket and handed it to Kang Chan.

“This is?”

“The princess told me to give this to Kang Chan.”

What Zizen handed over was a comb.

It was a very delicate and beautiful comb.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“She just told me to say it’s a token of gratitude.”

“I appreciate the thought, but I don’t need a comb.”

Kang Chan’s hair was too short to need a comb.

It was a typical soldier’s haircut.

“This comb is not given in that sense.”

“Then what?”

“This comb is a royal item with the royal family’s seal engraved on it. When you come to our Bellareen, if you come to the Imperial Palace and show this comb, you will be able to meet the princess.”

*That meant that if he came to Bellareen, she wanted him to visit her.*

“Is this an invitation to invite me to the Imperial Palace?”

“Yes, it is.”

He couldn’t promise that he could go. But Kang Chan promised that if he ever went to Bellareen, he would definitely stop by, considering the sincerity of the proud princess.

“Okay, I’ll be sure to visit if I ever go to Bellareen.”

“I will tell the princess that. And…”

“?”

Zizen stared at Kang Chan as if he had something more to say.

It was the same hostile look he had when they first met in the Elf Forest.

“The princess may be a bit… difficult and immature, but she is still more innocent and tender-hearted than any other woman.”

“Why are you telling me that?”

“If you have no intention of getting along with the princess, I hope you will not approach her in the future. Well… I’ll be on my way.”

Zizen put his right hand on his chest, bowed slightly, said goodbye, and hurried back to where the princess was.

“……”

Hearing the words of the young knight who said only what he wanted to say and disappeared, Kang Chan smiled bitterly.

“Oh dear… I’m sorry to hear that.”

He only had Jeina, but Edeline had come to like him… He just felt sorry for her.

Because there was no space left in his heart for anyone to enter.

Kang Chan looked at Edeline’s comb and thought of Jeina.

How happy Jeina would have been if he had given her such a beautiful comb.

But just thinking about it brought a deep sadness, and Kang Chan felt like he was about to collapse again from the sadness.

‘No! Don’t weaken… The revenge hasn’t even started yet.’

Forcibly calming his mind, Kang Chan sat back on the bed and began mana cultivation.

When he felt depressed, mana cultivation, which refreshed his body and mind, was the best.

Kang Chan slowly drew up mana and began to rotate it through the mana lines.

Then, the surrounding mana was drawn into the flow, swirling and being drawn into Kang Chan’s mana hole.

That mana then traveled along Kang Chan’s mana lines and soared above his head.

Repeating this several times, as the mana accelerated to its peak, colorful buds bloomed above Kang Chan’s head, creating a mysterious sight.

At that time, Zikyon, who had returned from a walk, was startled to see Kang Chan.

“Hmm? What is that?”

Zikyon, who had lived for thousands of years, was seeing a Sword Master [a highly skilled warrior who has mastered the art of manipulating mana] performing mana cultivation for the first time.

That was because there were only a handful of warriors who had reached the level of Sword Master in the vast continent, across all races.

Moreover, one became very vulnerable when immersed in mana cultivation, so one would not do mana cultivation just anywhere.

That was even more true in front of a dragon.

No matter how brave one was…….

‘His mana has been increasing strangely lately, so I wondered if that was the state of a Sword Master?’

Zikyon’s face was filled with ecstasy as she quietly watched Kang Chan performing mana cultivation.

To the dragon, who was more sensitive to mana than any other race, the sight of a knight handling mana was very unique and beautiful.

The sight of the colorful mana powerfully extending throughout the body was dynamic in itself, and the sight of it swirling and forming a flower-like shape was truly art itself.

Wizards would never be able to do that even if they were resurrected.

Because the way knights handle mana and the way wizards handle mana were fundamentally different.

Magic involves moving mana outside the body and expressing it by combining or maximizing its unique properties.

But knights take mana into their bodies, focusing on the power that comes from each cell reacting to mana.

Zikyon leaned back in her chair and quietly watched Kang Chan.

She was very curious about the method of using mana in a way that was completely different from what she knew.

As one who had reached the pinnacle of magic, she was able to gain many insights while watching Kang Chan’s mana cultivation for a short time.

“Hoo…….”

When Kang Chan opened his eyes with a deep breath, his eyes flashed with a sharp light.

And as that light slowly faded, Kang Chan discovered Zikyon sitting in front of him.

“When did you come?”

“A little while ago.”

“Sorry, I didn’t even know you were coming because I was doing mana cultivation.”

“It’s okay, I had a good time watching. By the way, when did you become a Sword Master?”

“I don’t know, but it’s been like this since that night.”

Zikyon was a little surprised at Kang Chan’s nonchalant attitude about entering the path of a superhuman, of which there were fewer than ten in the continent.

She knew very well the enormous power that Sword Masters enjoyed because she had experienced the human world countless times.

No matter how she looked at it, the human in front of her had no desire for power or wealth.

That’s what Zikyon liked about him.

“Anyway, congratulations. Now you won’t starve anywhere?”

At Zikyon’s joking words, Kang Chan smiled bitterly and began to pack his bags.

“Why are you packing already?”

“I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Why, aren’t you staying longer?”

“I can’t waste any more time here.”

“Still…….”

Zikyon couldn’t hide her disappointment.

She wanted to spend more time here with Kang Chan, drinking and shopping.

There were countless rare crafts made by dwarves here.

Accessories that were so rare that they were priceless in the human world.

Of course. Zikyon never paid the dwarves for receiving them.

Thanks to that, Zikyon, who was already beautiful, adorning her body with dazzling accessories, was truly indescribable.

However, Kang Chan’s eyes, looking at Zikyon’s appearance, looked very sad.

“You don’t have to force yourself to follow me. This is purely my personal matter.”

At Kang Chan’s words that she didn’t have to follow, Zikyon became angry.

“What do you mean by force? Of course, I’m going for a friend! All right! Let’s leave tomorrow!”

Zikyon also hurriedly began to pack her bags.

Numerous jewels that she had scraped together while staying in the Mine Kingdom for two days poured out from everywhere.

The sight of Zikyon frantically sweeping them away was like a robber.

To scrape together that much jewelry in two days… Zikyon was inevitably a dragon who couldn’t break her habits.

Kang Chan smiled faintly as he watched her energetic appearance.

In fact, he might be the one who wanted Zikyon to be by his side.

Because Eladion, his master, and Zikyon were the only people in this world where Jeina was dead who Kang Chan could trust.

“Thank you, my friend.”

“You’re being so formal! What are you thanking me for? We’re friends.”

Zikyon stood on tiptoe and put Kang Chan, who was a head taller than her, in a headlock.

Then Kang Chan’s face touched Zikyon’s voluptuous chest, and Kang Chan struggled to get out of her arms with a flushed face.

“Hey, let go! Won’t you let go?”

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Zikyon’s strength was beyond the human realm, so Kang Chan couldn’t easily escape. Of course, it wasn’t like he couldn’t escape at all.

However, Kang Chan unintentionally did not try to escape from Zikyon’s headlock.

Men are inevitably such beings…….

The next day. Kang Chan left early in the morning as soon as the sun rose, with Arteon, Eladion, and Kracksion sending him off, and headed to the battlefield.

“Come back safely.”

“I will, Master.”

Eladion grabbed Kang Chan’s shoulder tightly and said.

“Don’t die. Please…….”

“Yes, Master.”

Kang Chan and Eladion shared a warm farewell hug.

“Arteon, thank you for taking care of me.”

“Kang Chan, we elves will soon follow with the dwarves. Don’t talk like we won’t see each other again.”

“I understand.”

“See you on the battlefield soon, human friend.”

When Kracksion held out his rough and firm hand, Kang Chan grabbed his hand and patted each other on the shoulder.

With that, Kracksion said goodbye to Kang Chan and then politely said goodbye to Zikyon, who was standing behind Kang Chan.

“Please visit us again, great one.”

When Kracksion bowed his head, uttering words he didn’t even think about, Zikyon smiled bitterly and said.

“Okay. I’ll be sure to visit again!”

When Zikyon put a lot of weight on the word ‘sure’, Kracksion’s face hardened like a stone.

“Ah, I understand. Great one…….”

Right now, he was calculating the jewels that Zikyon had plundered this time, doing calculations in his head.

It was such a huge amount that he was shedding tears of blood.

And yet, she said she would definitely come again… Kracksion’s legs were shaking at the dragon’s tireless greed.

Having had a sad farewell time with everyone, Kang Chan left those who were sending him off behind and set out on a journey of revenge with Zikyon.