Future Knight [EN]: Chapter 60

“Where is the Master right now?”

“He’s in his room.”

“Understood, Ellica.”

“Yes, then please finish your meal. I’ll be going now.”

As Ellica left the room with a flushed face, Jikyon, who had been watching her, spoke with a nonchalant expression.

“Tsk, an elder is here, how dare she tell anyone to come and go?”

“Don’t be like that. She is my Master.”

“Alright, eat your food and go. Don’t go up on an empty stomach.”

“Okay, I understand. You eat a lot too.”

Kang Chan smiled brightly at Jikyon, who was worried about him, picked up his fork, and began to eat again.

While Kang Chan was having a cozy meal with Jikyon, enjoying the Dwarf special hangover cure dish meticulously prepared by the Dwarf chef, the Allied Forces soldiers at the front lines, facing off against the Green Elves, were also having a late lunch.

“Ah! Damn it, again? Are they telling us to eat this as food?”

All that was distributed to the poorly dressed infantryman was a meager cabbage soup that was embarrassing to even call food, and a lump of rye bread as hard as a rock.

“Hey, Fibro. Shouldn’t we be grateful that we’re even getting this much to eat? Let’s just bear with it…….”

“Hey! Brunen! Still! We’re risking our lives every day, and isn’t there a world of difference between what the regular soldiers eat and what we eat? We’re not just expendable, this is really too much!”

“Are we the same as those conscripted serfs? We’re just consumables to them. If you worry about every little thing, you’ll just give yourself a headache, so just eat what they give you.”

“Ah, I’m really going crazy! It’s already been a year of living like mayflies, eating this garbage that even dogs wouldn’t eat… I’m sick of it! I’m so sick of it!”

“Hmph! Shouldn’t you be grateful you haven’t died yet? Even rolling in a pile of dog poop is better than being dead, man.”

It was a miracle that they had endured this hellish front line for a year.

Since soldiers from serf backgrounds like them were always the first to be deployed to the most dangerous places, most of them died within half a year.

Yet, the two of them had endured a full year here, receiving treatment as the most veteran serf soldiers.

“By the way, I heard a rumor that the Elven Forest was destroyed by a surprise attack from the Green Elves, have you heard about it?”

“Yeah, I heard it yesterday. Damn it! I thought that if they joined the war, this tiresome war would end in an instant, and we could go back home…….”

“Still, it’s fortunate that the Green Elves seem to have suffered considerable damage back then. That’s why those guys who used to attack almost every day have been as quiet as mice lately.”

Another serf soldier, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, joined in.

“There’s also the fact that there are a lot of reinforcements sent by the Eastern Kingdoms right now, have you guys heard about that?”

“Ah! That story? Are you talking about those Eastern bastards who were desperate not to send reinforcements and are only now sending them? Let them come and suffer a bloody nose. Kahk, ?!”

“Hehehe, by the way, this rye bread is especially hard today, isn’t it?”

“I can’t even bite into it, damn… It’s a real pain whether it’s bread or a rock. At this rate, I could break the Green Elf bastards’ heads with it as a slingshot, right?”

“Of course! It’s a great weapon, hehehe.”

“Hehehe…….”

Today, they complained about the food again, diligently dissolving the rock-hard rye bread in the meager cabbage soup.

* * *

“Master, did you call for me?”

“Yes, come and sit down.”

“Yes, Master.”

Elradion, having Kang Chan sit in front of him, poured a cup of tea for Kang Chan, took a sip of his own tea, and opened his mouth.

“Are you going to leave?”

Kang Chan nodded to Elradion, who had already discerned his thoughts, and said.

“Yes, I want to avenge Jeina.”

Master Elradion nodded as if understanding Kang Chan’s feelings.

“Yes… I suppose you have no choice.”

“I will do anything to avenge Jeina.”

“Yes, I understand that feeling. I am no different from you. For the sake of avenging my dead family, compatriots, and disciples, I too would do anything. However, I now have the weighty mission of rebuilding the clan. That is why I cannot leave this place with you.”

“Master…….”

Kang Chan calmed his anger at Elradion’s solemn voice.

Elradion took out something wrapped in cloth and handed it to Kang Chan.

Kang Chan knew well that Elradion was suffering more than anyone else.

Elradion took out something wrapped in cloth and handed it to Kang Chan.

“So I prepared this. Take it.”

“What is this?”

“Unfold it.”

Kang Chan carefully received it from Elradion and unfolded the cloth.

Inside were two dazzlingly beautiful daggers.

“T, this is?”

“It is the graduation token that I, as your master, give to you.”

“Yes? A graduation token?”

“Since ancient times, our Elven martial families have given this graduation token to disciples recognized by their masters.”

“Then…….”

“Yes, I am giving this to you because I, as your master, have recognized you.”

“Ah…….”

Feeling overwhelmed with emotion, Kang Chan drew the daggers and exclaimed again.

The blades of the daggers were the same as Master’s Shining Flare, with a snow-white and beautiful radiance and a very sharp shape.

“They are made of mithril [a rare and strong metal]. The mithril obtained from nature is refined in our Elven clan’s unique way, so the purity is very high. That’s why the radiance is even more beautiful. The swords themselves were made by the best Dwarf craftsman, Craxion. How is it? Do you like them?”

Kang Chan, captivated by the daggers, barely managed to open his mouth.

“They are too beautiful, Master. I don’t know if I deserve to receive something like this…….”

“You are more than qualified to receive them. Come here.”

As Elradion opened his arms, Kang Chan hesitated for a moment because of his mysophobia [fear of germs], but then embraced his master.

“Thank you. For saving the villagers, Arteon, and my life.”

At Elradion’s heartfelt gratitude, Kang Chan was strangely able to smile in Elradion’s arms without any revulsion.

“Don’t mention it. I am the one who is indebted. Master saved my life, didn’t you?”

“You…….”

After sharing the affection between master and disciple for a while, Elradion said to Kang Chan.

“The reason I called you here today is to give you this sword, now that you have reached the level of Sword Master.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“And, there is one thing I want to ask of you.”

“Please tell me, Master.”

Kang Chan listened to Elradion’s words.

“You may do anything for revenge, but there is one thing you must never forget.”

“What is it?”

“You must not forget that you are human.”

Kang Chan engraved the master’s words, which contained many meanings, in his heart.

“I will keep that in mind, Master.”

“And there’s a story I’ve been hiding from you…….”

“What…….”

“Do you remember those black Gigantes [large, powerful beings] who fought me?”

“Yes, Master.”

That black Gigantes who used the terrifying Aura Blade. Even if he tried to forget, he could never forget.

“The owner of that Gigantes, his name is Nemitz. He was my old friend.”

A Dark Elf was his friend. Kang Chan asked Elradion as if he couldn’t believe it.

“As far as I know, Elves and Dark Elves don’t get along very well, how did you two…….”

“That guy was originally an Elf like me. When we used to hang out together, he was really brave, righteous, and full of affection…….”

“But how did such a person become a Dark Elf?”

“That affection was the problem.”

Elradion quickly poured the tea into his mouth and smacked his lips.

“I tried to quit, but tea is not enough for this kind of mood. Disciple.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s have a drink.”

“Yes, yes?”

Kang Chan’s face immediately darkened at Elradion’s suggestion to have a drink, as his head was still throbbing from the hangover.

“Today is also your graduation, so I’ll buy you a drink. There’s a beer house I know well here, but I don’t know if it’s still there, since it’s been a while since I’ve been there.”

“…….”

It was a word that felt like déjà vu [the feeling that one has experienced the present situation before].

Kang Chan asked for confirmation with a very uneasy feeling.

“Master, is that pub’s name ‘Chelsea’s Beer House’?”

“Ho? How do you know that place? That’s right! That’s my favorite pub. Have you been there?”

How could he forget?

He couldn’t forget that place, which was so simple that he couldn’t forget it even if he tried.

‘Ugh… I feel another hangover coming on.’

Just thinking about it made the beer he drank yesterday want to come up.

No matter how delicious something is, it gets tiring if you overdo it.

But what could he do?

It was the first time his master had offered him a drink.

He couldn’t refuse.

“Ah, it’s such a famous place that I’ve heard it so much while living here.”

“Really? Then that means it’s still there. How about it? Will you have a drink with me?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Then let’s go.”

Thus, Kang Chan unintentionally committed the mistake of curing alcohol with alcohol.

It was a very cruel act, like killing the liver and stomach twice.

19. Determination

Chelsea’s eyes widened.

He had drunk 30,000cc of beer the day before and was carried out drunk by a woman, and now he was back in the early evening to drink again.

Even among the Dwarves known for their drinking, there was no Dwarf who drank as much beer as he did.

Thanks to him, she had received an excessive tip yesterday, but she still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.

Elradion, who was watching her, carefully spoke.

“By any chance, are you that little Chelsea?”

“Wh, who are you?”

Chelsea tilted her head, looking at the Elf who suddenly called her little.

Then she opened her mouth and screamed.

“Kyaaak! Could it be? Elradion, is that you?”

All the Dwarves in the pub turned their attention to her loud voice.

“How long has it been? About 50 years?”

Chelsea jumped out from behind the counter and hugged Elradion, and Elradion opened his arms and lifted Chelsea up.

“Wow! That little kid has grown up so much? I can’t give you a piggyback ride anymore.”

“Ugh, really! Oppa [older brother – term of endearment], what do you mean by little kid? Why are you talking about something from 50 years ago?”

“Yes… Time has really passed. How is your mother?”

Chelsea’s face rapidly darkened when Elradion mentioned her mother.

“My mother passed away five years ago. So I took over the store after her.”

“Carla died, I’m sorry…….”

“It’s okay now, it’s the way of the world. Well, the taste is still the same, so eat as much as you want today.”

Behind Chelsea, who was trying to smile confidently, Bruno, who was still soothing his throat with beer after a hard day’s work, added a word.

“Is it just the same? It’s much more delicious! Isn’t that right, everyone?”

“Of course! Chelsea’s beer is the best beer of our Dwarf race.”

“I can’t live without this beer!”

“Ahahaha!”

All the Dwarves in the pub praised Chelsea’s beer, and Chelsea’s face turned red.

“Ugh! You guys are like sly old foxes, you’re really showing your true colors. Oh well, I don’t care! I’m in a good mood! Today, the beer is free for you to drink as much as you want!”

“Re, really?!”

“Yippee!”

“Alright! I’m going to be unconscious today! Hahaha!”

The pub was in an uproar with the cheers of the drunks, and even the Dwarves passing by were drawn to the cheers and came into the pub to take a seat and drink beer.

“Oppa! Come and sit over here. I’ll pay today, so eat as much as you want.”

“Are you sure it’s okay? It looks like everyone is going to drink all the beer in the store?”

The Dwarves were pouring beer into themselves at the word free.

Elradion, surprised by their incredible speed, asked Chelsea in a worried tone.

“Well, when else would I treat those idiots like this if not on a day like today?”

“Thank you for the treat, Chelsea. Hehehe!”

“I’ll drink well, hehehe!”

“Drink moderately! If you like free stuff too much, you’ll lose more hair!”

“Oh my! That’s right!”

“Kyahahahaha!”

“By the way, what is your relationship with the young man next to you?