The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 38

The Knights of Rain

Ra-El wandered around District 2, where the Celestial Festival was taking place, looking around.

He held three rice balls in his hand.

“The giant race’s rice balls are not bad.”

Ra-El nodded, bringing the rice ball to his mouth.

After trampling on the hopes of the giant race’s little ones, he managed to get free food.

He felt a little guilty for taking the kids’ food… but he washed away his guilt by eating the free food.

“But where did Reina go? Did she go to eat because she was hungry?”

He tried to rejoin Reina by following where she went, but he couldn’t see her anywhere.

‘Reina isn’t a child… she’ll be fine on her own.’

He couldn’t search this whole wide place, so Ra-El decided to find something else to do.

In fact, the goal of the Celestial Festival was the Blue Magic Tower.

He thought there would be nothing more to do… but as he walked a little, he remembered someone he had forgotten.

‘Carlson. Carlson should be in the west.’

If he listened to Ra-El, he would be in the western knight order.

Checking whether he was in the west or not was also quite important.

‘If he’s not in the west, I’ll beat him to death.’

He always calls him ‘hyungnim, hyungnim’ [Korean honorific term for older brother or respected male figure], but if he doesn’t listen to Ra-El properly, he needs some mental education.

Ra-El walked towards the Silver Cross Knights patrolling the streets.

“Hello. Knights.”

Ra-El made the sign of the cross and spoke to a member of the Silver Cross Knights.

“May Gaia’s peace be with you. What’s the matter, believer?”

“I’m looking for someone I know. Do you know where a person named Carlson of the knight order is?”

“Carlson…? If it’s Carlson, he’s on the outskirts of the west.”

“Thank you.”

Ra-El bowed his head and headed to the outskirts of the west.

‘Carlson. He’s really like my brother.’

Fortunately, he seemed to have listened to Ra-El well.

Ra-El decided to let Carlson get away with being cocky once.

“Ra-El hyungnim!”

As he got closer to the outskirts of District 2, he saw a welcome face.

Carlson was patrolling the area and ran towards him as soon as he made eye contact with Ra-El.

“Seeing you really in the west, it looks like you listened to me?”

“Of course. It’s hyungnim’s words… Don’t tell me you came to check if I was in the west or not?”

“How could that be? I’ve never doubted you. I just came to see my brother’s face.”

“As expected of Ra-El hyungnim…!”

Carlson was moved and approached Ra-El.

It was a boring time during patrol anyway.

“Carlson. Where are the kids? Didn’t they come to the Celestial Festival?”

Ra-El looked around and said.

The children of the orphanage visit the Celestial Festival with Teacher Sara every Celestial Festival.

He was thinking of playing with the kids since he had time, but the kids were nowhere to be seen.

“Ah, that’s what I was going to tell hyungnim…”

Carlson hesitated and trailed off.

It was different from his usual personality.

“What is it? Tell me quickly.”

“About two hours ago, knights I’ve never seen before came to the orphanage.”

“… What the hell are you talking about?”

Ra-El frowned and looked at Carlson.

Feeling his gaze, Carlson quickly continued.

“Knights I’ve never seen before came to protect the orphanage… and told them not to go to the Celestial Festival, saying they shouldn’t leave their sight for the time being.”

“… Carlson. I don’t understand?”

Knights are the strong of humanity who can use sword energy [a type of magical power].

There was no reason for such people to come to the orphanage in District 4.

“I also thought it was nonsense… but they said Ra-El hyungnim hired them.”

“I hired knights? What nonsense…”

Ra-El slowly recalled his memories.

Surprisingly, there was something that came to mind.

‘Could it be Uncle Eric?’

Ra-El recalled the conversation he had when he last met Eric.

[… There’s someone digging into you?]

[Yes. I’ve got one crazy bastard on my tail. So I’m not going to the orphanage for a while either. I’m thinking of hiring some bodyguards around the orphanage instead, so please help me, Uncle Eric.]

[Okay. I’ll put a good guy on it.]

Right after learning that Perma was digging into Ra-El.

Ra-El entrusted gold to Eric and requested the hiring of bodyguards to protect the orphanage.

He needed someone to protect it because he couldn’t go to the orphanage himself.

If he hired knights in Ra-El’s name, Eric was the only one he could think of.

‘But I told Carlson to go get the money?’

Ra-El looked at Carlson and opened his mouth.

“Carlson. Didn’t I tell you to go to Uncle Eric and get the money?”

“I was so busy preparing for the Celestial Festival, when would I have time to go get the money? I was going to go after the Celestial Festival.”

“Ah…”

To be honest, Ra-El didn’t pay much attention either.

He had so much to do, and the money he gave to Eric was enough to hire a pretty good mercenary.

Even if the mercenaries came late because Carlson was late in telling Eric, he thought he could send them back by paying a small fee.

‘But a knight order is a bit much.’

Bringing in a knight order with a few imperial gold coins, he had no idea what Eric had done.

Could it be the price of negotiation?

“What knight order is it? Did you hear the name?”

Ra-El asked the name of the knight order.

If it was a knight order he had never heard of, he thought it could be possible.

“Yes. I heard it. They said it’s the Knights of Rain.”

“… What?”

Ra-El frowned at the familiar name.

The Knights of Rain.

The largest knight order in the empire, and the one Ra-El had clashed swords with at the Celestial Festival a few hours ago.

‘Why is the Knights of Rain here?’

The Knights of Rain are one of the strongest knight orders in the empire.

That means a mere bartender in District 4 can’t call them.

‘Is Perma trying to take some action? No. If it were Perma, he would have moved the magic tower. He wouldn’t have bothered to move the knight order.’

Is it the church’s reward for Ra-El, who hunted the lieutenant demon?

No. If it were the church, they would have moved the Silver Cross Knights, and in the first place, a reward being orphanage security doesn’t make sense.

He wondered if meeting Rain at the Celestial Festival was the cause, but that was unlikely.

He was wearing a Gaksital [a traditional Korean mask] when he met Rain. There’s no way he could have seen through the dragon’s magic.

… I really don’t know.

Recently, these strange things have been happening a lot in District 4.

The Silver Cross Knights and the Knights of Rain.

They weren’t people who would be wandering around in a place like District 4.

‘… Ah, something’s bothering me.’

Ra-El’s senses reacted.

Like the Silver Cross Knights, he had a feeling that this incident was also related to Ra-El.

Ttak- Ttaktak-

At that time, he heard a familiar gourd sound.

It was Bagegseu’s signal.

Turning his head in the direction of the sound, he saw a beggar looking at Ra-El.

*

“… Gaksital? Why is that person’s name like that?”

“I don’t know either. He’s said to be a famous bounty hunter in District 4.”

Rain nodded, listening to the adjutant’s report.

It was information tracking down the man who had smashed the Knights of Rain’s event hall a little while ago.

The strange appearance of a white mask with a red dot on it quickly gathered testimonies.

‘For such a strong person to only be a bounty hunter… I can’t believe it.’

Of course, the information could be wrong.

More than 30 people in the knight order saw the masked man, but no one remembered the mask properly.

It was clear that it was a magic tool with high-level magic on it.

‘It seems to be a very high-level magic… This is really a headache.’

He was expecting a new wind in the empire… but he didn’t even have a proper conversation with that man.

Rain got up from his seat with a disappointed expression.

This Celestial Festival had many disappointing points for him.

“The stage was also destroyed… This year, the Blue Magic Tower attracted more attention than us.”

Getting attention at the Celestial Festival was essential to fill Rain’s self-esteem… but this year, he didn’t attract attention properly.

This is because the Blue Magic Tower held a large-scale event that even commoners could participate in.

Thanks to that, the attention that had been pouring into the Knights of Rain every year noticeably decreased.

‘Perma is a guy who’s only interested in bets and gambling… It’s a strange thing.’

The reason why the Knights of Rain can get attention at the Celestial Festival is because one of the strongest people on the continent plays with people directly… But with Perma appearing, the light on Rain’s name faded.

Rain is also a strong person at the beginning of the Sword Master level, but compared to Perma, the strongest magician in the empire, he is still lacking.

‘Wait a minute, could Gaksital also be Perma’s scheme…? ‘

Suddenly, he thought of the guy who ruined the Knights of Rain’s event this year.

The high-level magic contained in Gaksital.

There are not many people in the empire who can use such magic.

‘Damn it. Perma. Were you so jealous of my fame!’

Rain clenched his fist and trembled.

Perma. It was clear that the magician was keeping him in check.

“Commander. Are you okay?”

The adjutant cautiously spoke at his strange behavior.

“Damn it. I can’t help it. Let’s just end this year’s Celestial Festival here and go back to District 1.”

Rain said with a disappointed look.

He was disappointed in the magician Perma, but he couldn’t fight him.

“I understand. I’ll tell the members in District 4.”

“Hmm? There are members in District 4? Is it about the Gaksital investigation?”

“No. There was an order from the Grand Duke.”

“… Ah. So that was District 4.”

He remembered.

There was an order from the Grand Duke, the owner of the Knights of Rain.

He remembered being told to send a few knights with strong loyalty to an orphanage.

That must have been District 4.

“Then I’ll have everyone return except for the members in District 4.”

“How many are out there?”

“There are 5 in total.”

“Then have 1 person return.”

“Yes?”

The adjutant blinked at the sudden order.

“If it’s a knight with strong loyalty, I can’t be left out. I’ll also go down to District 4.”

Rain grabbed his sword.

He couldn’t be left out if it was an order from the Grand Duke.

It was also the perfect time to find out about the bounty hunter in District 4.

“Yes? You can’t go, Commander. If you were needed, the Grand Duke would have directly appointed you.”

“I don’t have anything to do here anyway.”

“Even if we withdraw from the Celestial Festival, we have to protect the area we’re in charge of…”

“Does it make sense for the commander to participate in the security himself? We’re the only knight order in the capital that’s that stupid.”

“You said you wanted to do it, but why are you taking it out on me…”

Rain, who likes to be the center of attention, ordered it himself, saying he would face people directly.

The adjutant of the Knights of Rain had a wronged expression, but he made eye contact with Rain and bowed his head.

In the end, it was the adjutant who would lose out even if he said more.

‘He probably just wants to go play.’

If there is no knight order commander, his work must be handled by the adjutant.

The adjutant licked his lips and raised his head.

“It’s close to the day of the regular report to the Grand Duke. I’m thinking of going there as well. I’m not going to play.”

“If that’s the case… I understand.”

The adjutant nodded.

Rain was the only one who knew the location of the Grand Duke, who was in seclusion.

He would stop him if he was going to play, but he couldn’t stop him if he was going for a regular report.

“By the way, I haven’t heard that the Grand Duke is sponsoring an orphanage… Is there a separate client?”

“Yes. It’s a person named Ra-El.”

*

“Perma stopped investigating me?”

Ra-El followed the beggar into the alley.

“Yes. He suddenly told me to stop the investigation altogether. He said he didn’t need the information he had investigated so far either, but I don’t know why.”

“… Well, it’s all good. Don’t worry about the reason.”

Ra-El said with a disappointed face.

‘I knew he wouldn’t be fooled by such a lie.’

He still remembered Perma’s face when he was impressed by Tia’s magic.

It’s obvious that he stopped the investigation because of the dragon or something.

“I understand. And knights I’ve never seen before have appeared at the orphanage.”

“I’ve already heard that. Hey, they appeared two hours ago, aren’t you delivering it too late?”

Ra-El glared, and the beggar started to make excuses with a flinch.

“I’m sorry. I was in charge, but I lost Ra-El at the Blue Magic Tower’s event hall…”

“From now on, tell all the beggars around you to deliver it as soon as possible. Got it?”

“I understand. I’ll make sure to do that.”

“If you’re this late next time, you’re dead.”

“Yes. I’ll make sure to tell the boss!”

In fact, 2 hours is fast considering the distance between District 4 and District 2, but you have to scold them at times like this to make them do well later.

Ra-El had already become a master at handling medieval people.

“They said it’s the Knights of Rain. What’s the exact size?”

“There are 5 knight order members. As soon as they arrived at the orphanage, they gave Ra-El’s name and started guarding the area.”

“They’re not doing anything strange, are they?”

“Yes. They’re getting along well with the kids.”

“… Ha, it doesn’t seem like anything’s wrong. But I’m still worried.”

The Knights of Rain are different from neighborhood bullies.

They are the knight order of the Grand Duke, the only duke of the Kamen Empire and the next most powerful person after the emperor.

There is a high possibility that they will not do anything strange…

‘But I have to see what kind of guy came.’

He can trust Uncle Eric, but he can’t trust the knight order.

The positive image that comes from the word knight has all disappeared after seeing the knights of medieval fantasy.

It’s more comfortable to check it yourself if there’s even a slight possibility.

“I’m going to go to the orphanage, so take good care of the area. Got it?”

“Yes! I understand.”

Ra-El said goodbye to Carlson and headed straight to the orphanage.

Today was the first day of the Celestial Festival, and the terror would start on the 4th day, so there was still plenty of time.

“… Huh?”

After running for more than an hour and arriving at the orphanage.

Ra-El doubted his eyes and checked the faces of the knight order.

“Haha, yeah. Uncle is a knight. Would you like to see my sword?”

Rain, the commander of the Knights of Rain.

A knight at the beginning of the Sword Master level, one of the strongest on the continent, and the person Ra-El had slashed with his sword and ran away from earlier.

‘… Why is that human here?’