Future Knight [EN]: Chapter 70

“Um, sorry.”

“Grrr, it’s okay.”

A brief silence settled between Kang Chan and Loki.

Kang Chan, wanting to make amends for the destroyed garden, spoke first. “I’m really sorry about ruining your garden. I hope this can make up for it.”

Kang Chan offered the gold he had received from Kracsion as travel expenses, but Loki waved it away with his massive hand.

“Krrk, I know what that is. But it’s no use to me here.”

What use would gold be to an ogre living alone in the forest?

“Is that so?”

Kang Chan wanted to compensate the ogre somehow, but the only thing he had was the gold on hand.

Since Loki wouldn’t accept that, the only thing Kang Chan could do was leave quickly.

“Kang Chan, let’s just get going….”

Even though Loki was a talking ogre, Ellika, being an elf, seemed instinctively afraid of him, so Kang Chan decided to move on.

“Then we’ll be on our way.”

“Hey! You’re just leaving? Can’t you stay a while?”

“Krrrk….”

Zekeon, who had been showing interest in Loki, looked at Kang Chan in surprise.

Loki also hesitated, wanting to keep the humans around for a bit. After his father passed away, he had finally met someone to talk to, and he felt a pang of sadness at their departure.

Even though they had tried to kill him a little while ago, they had cleared up the misunderstanding and offered a sincere apology, so Loki didn’t dislike them.

“Krrk, well, it’s almost dinner time. At least have a meal before you go.”

Kang Chan asked with a surprised expression at Loki’s unexpected offer. “We tried to kill you, and you still want to treat us to a meal?”

“Koo, it was just a misunderstanding, so I don’t hold it against you. I just want to talk with people after so long.”

Kang Chan figured Loki must have been very lonely living alone in this desolate forest.

“What do you all think?” Kang Chan asked his companions.

“I don’t mind, as long as you’re okay with it, Kang Chan.”

“I’m in!”

Ellika readily agreed with Kang Chan’s decision, and Zekeon enthusiastically approved. It was clear he was reluctant to turn back, especially with such a fascinating discovery before his eyes.

“Is that so? Then we’ll take you up on your offer.”

“Krrk, then let’s go to my cabin.”

The ogre Loki’s expression was quite different from a human’s, but it was clear he was excited. This was the first time Loki had ever had guests.

“Krrong! Krrong! Krrong!”

The massive bear Teddy, tied to a leash, barked fiercely at the unfamiliar Kang Chan and his group. Loki stroked Teddy’s head to calm him down.

“Kyark! Be quiet, Teddy!”

Ellika, seeing the ferocious bear that was nearly 10 feet (3 meters) tall, seemed a little frightened and clung to Kang Chan’s arm.

To treat a bear, one of the most ferocious predators at the top of the forest’s food chain, like a puppy…

Zekeon nodded, thinking that Loki was indeed an ogre. “Indeed… as befitting a pet raised by an ogre, even the breed is extraordinary.”

Kang Chan and his group were surprised by the bear Loki was raising, but they were even more surprised by the cabin Loki lived in.

“Goodness, that’s a huge cabin….”

It was a cabin so huge that it felt like they had stumbled into the land of giants, almost like a castle.

“Krrrk, since we have such precious guests, I’ll have to catch some more today, right?”

As Loki headed to the pen, the nineteen boars that were already there trembled in fear once again. With more mouths to feed, one boar wouldn’t be enough. Loki caught two boars and headed to the kitchen.

“Krrk, wait a moment.”

With those words, Loki put strength into both hands holding the boars, and with a gruesome sound, the necks of the massive boars snapped.

“I’ll help too.”

Kang Chan, who had experience butchering boars several times, rolled up his sleeves, and Loki was very pleased.

“Krr, thank you.”

As evening approached, a lively barbecue party with boar meat was held at Loki’s cabin.

Kang Chan and his group, who had filled their bellies with greasy food for the first time in a while, decided to stay the night at Loki’s.

“I’m sorry for imposing on you like this.”

“Krrk, don’t worry about it.”

Loki prepared a place for Kang Chan and his group to sleep next to the warm fireplace.

The fireplace was very warm.

As Zekeon and Ellika fell into a deep sleep, Kang Chan called out to Loki.

“Are you asleep?”

“Krrrk, I’m not asleep.”

“I’m really sorry about what happened during the day.”

“Krrip, it’s okay. I’m just glad I could talk to someone after a long time.”

“I’m grateful that you say that.”

The conversation atmosphere was somewhat awkward because both of them had deep voices, but the conversation continued nonetheless, as if they felt some kind of connection.

“You said you learned your swordsmanship from your late father?”

“Krrrk, that’s right.”

Kang Chan recalled the swordsmanship Loki had shown him earlier.

“Your father must have been a great swordsman.”

“Krrrk, of course. My father said that there were no rivals among humans. But….”

Loki trailed off, and Kang Chan, who had been lying down, looked at Loki. Loki, who had been lying on the huge bed, also turned his head to look at Kang Chan.

“My father’s words were a lie.”

“Why is that?”

“Krrrk… After fighting you today, I realized that you were much stronger than my father.”

Kang Chan chuckled embarrassedly at Loki’s words, and Loki asked him a question he had been really curious about.

“Krrrk, what kind of training did you do to become so strong?”

“That’s….”

Kang Chan hesitated for a moment at Loki’s question. He didn’t know where to begin explaining.

Afterward, Kang Chan told him about how he came from another world, met Elladion, one of the Five Great Martial Gods of the continent [powerful, legendary warriors], in the Elf Forest and became his disciple, and then about his past. He told him about the eventful journey.

Then Loki showed an unexpected reaction.

“Krrk? The Five Great Martial Gods representing the Elves was your master? I heard that my father was also one of the Five Great Martial Gods representing the human race.”

“Your father was one of the Five Great Martial Gods representing the human race?”

“Krrk, that’s right.”

“What was your father’s name?”

“Krrrk, Kalitz Garman….”

Of course, Kang Chan had never heard the name before. He didn’t know much about this world in the first place.

However, if Elladion or Zizen had heard that name, they would have been very surprised. That name was the name of an absolute being representing humans.

“Seeing you, I can guess how strong he was.”

“Krrrk, hmph….”

Loki sighed with longing when his father’s story came up.

“Do you miss your father a lot?”

“Krrrk… yes.”

Kang Chan understood Loki’s feelings. He missed the dead Jeina so much too.

“It’s really heartbreaking to miss someone who has left this world….”

“Krrk? Did you also lose someone precious?”

“Yes… I did too.”

“That must be sad.”

Kang Chan felt like he was connecting with Loki.

“Are you going to stay here forever?”

“Krrrk….”

Loki couldn’t continue speaking. He didn’t want to spend his whole life alone here. He was also a young ogre with boiling blood, and he desperately wanted to go out into the wide world, make friends, and make his name known to the world like his father.

But Loki knew his situation well. He was not a human, but an ogre.

After his father passed away, Loki, who was left alone, had disobeyed his father’s will and gone down to the village where humans lived. He was so lonely.

But the result was disastrous. The village quickly turned into chaos at Loki’s appearance, and arrows and spears flew at Loki from all directions.

His father’s words were right. Meeting them would only hurt his heart….

Loki despaired and ran back to the mountains, and after that, he couldn’t bring himself to go down to the village again.

Loki’s face, recalling that time, was filled with deep anguish and sadness, and Kang Chan, looking at him, asked again.

“Don’t you want to go out into the world?”

“Krrrk….”

Loki nodded silently.

“Let’s go with us.”

“Krrk!?”

Loki was startled and flustered by Kang Chan’s unexpected invitation, and Kang Chan invited him once again.

“I like you. Let’s go together.”

“Krrrk… but I’m not human. I’m an ogre….”

Kang Chan recalled when he first saw Loki. He was startled by Loki’s massive appearance. Even he, a Sword Master, was surprised by his huge size and appearance. It was obvious that he would be a target of fear and terror for ordinary people.

However, Kang Chan thought that if an ogre with such tremendous power as Loki stood on the side of humans and made great achievements, he would surely have a place in the human world.

“The continent is currently experiencing a great war due to an evil group. I think this is an opportunity for you.”

“Krrk, an opportunity?”

“Yes, an opportunity for you to become their hero.”

“Krrk, a hero?”

“If you stand on the side of humans and fight against the evil green elves, humans will surely think of you as a hero.”

“Krrrk… me, a hero?”

Loki’s heart was burning at the word hero. Becoming a hero was something Loki had always dreamed of since he was young. That he, an ogre, could become the hero he had only dreamed of….

Loki wanted to go out into the world with Kang Chan right away. However, Loki couldn’t easily say that he would go with them. He was afraid of going down the mountain and encountering humans.

“Krrk, but… if I go down the mountain, the humans who see me will surely be afraid of me. And they will attack me.”

“……”

Kang Chan couldn’t answer Loki’s worried words, because that was something he couldn’t do anything about.

Then, Zekeon, who they thought was asleep, stepped forward.

“I’ll help you.”

“Huh? Zekeon, you weren’t asleep?”

Zekeon smacked Kang Chan on the back of the head.

“How can I sleep when you’re making so much noise next to me! Huh?”

“S, sorry.”

Zekeon looked at Loki and said again, “I’ll help you.”

“Krrk, how are you going to help me?”

Loki’s eyes were full of disbelief, but he still listened to Zekeon’s words with some expectation.

“I’ll make you a human.”

Loki was startled and shouted as he jumped up from the bed at Zekeon’s words that he would make him a human.

“Krrrk! M, me, a human?”

“Yes, a human.”

“Krrk! Is that possible?”

“There’s nothing impossible for me, an Ancient Dragon.”

Zekeon drew a circle with his finger, and a small door in space appeared in the air.

Zekeon took out a dark leather from there and processed it into the shape of a band. Then he began to engrave bizarre patterns on the surface.

Kang Chan and Loki watched the scene with curious eyes.

After a while, Zekeon, who had finished the work, shouted, “It’s done.”

A belt was floating in front of Zekeon.

“What belt?”

At Kang Chan’s question, Zekeon silently sent the belt to Loki.

“Put it on your finger.”

“Krrk? This on my finger?”

At Zekeon’s words to suddenly put a strange belt on his finger, Loki put his finger into the belt floating in the air.

“Krrk, I put it in.”

“Then now, pour mana into that belt.”

“Krrrk?”

Loki hesitated for a moment and slowly concentrated his mind to pour his mana into the belt on his finger. Then, the bizarre patterns engraved on the belt slowly began to shine brightly in order, and soon Loki’s body also began to shine brightly.

“Krrrk! W, what is this?”

As Loki, surprised, tried to stop pouring mana, Zekeon warned in a low tone.