TUK 17

Chapter 17

‘Did I just hear that correctly?’

Lian watched Lea muttering as she dragged the corpse along while approaching.

In the past, she might not have been able to make out what was said, but her improved eyesight allowed her to catch even that.

Anyway, the disciples of Sion, who had leisurely walked a hundred steps, stopped in front of Monclay and Lian.

‘But why do all their eyes look like that?’

Every one of them had a gaze that seemed to demand something. No, it was the kind of sharp look that suggested they might attack at any moment.

Dominic, with his dull golden hair, was obvious, but even Lea, Taren, Berkir, and Pinee—who had seemed indifferent to fighting—shared the same piercing glare.

But for now, a report to Monclay was necessary.

Clack-

“Lord Monclay, we have returned after completing our mission.”

Leading the group, Lea bowed her head in a military salute along with Sion’s disciples.

“Hmm. Good work, everyone.”

Monclay spoke and surveyed their condition.

‘They look cleaner than I expected.’

He had instructed the pursuit, hoping they might annihilate the enemy completely. Yet, they returned without being drenched in blood. The corpses they brought, hanging from their horses, numbered at most twenty-one. Add the large silver-haired disciple who had brought four alone, and the total was twenty-five.

Judging from the armor on the corpses, they were all shadows raised by the marquis, so it was understandable.

‘Lian handled ten by himself? Did they only bring back these because they couldn’t manage all of them?’

Monclay directed a questioning glance toward Lea, seeking clarification. Lea noticed his intention.

“During the pursuit, we were held back by roughly a hundred Shadow Claw troops. Through arduous combat, we killed twenty-five, but the rest crossed the border and fled, forcing us to halt the pursuit.”

“I see.”

Monclay wasn’t particularly impressed by the results Sion’s disciples had achieved. Lea, however, continued her report matter-of-factly.

“We brought back the corpses, as we judged they could be advantageous in future negotiations with the Imperial Army. That is all.”

She didn’t mention that they hadn’t chased the defeated enemy to the end.

“Then, are these all the corpses you brought?”

“We didn’t have the capacity to collect the regular soldiers’ bodies.”

“Hmm… I see.”

“Yes.”

Monclay’s question was a subtle attempt to compare Lian with Sion’s disciples, but it didn’t provide a clear answer on who was superior. He muttered to himself, saying what didn’t need to be said:

“Under the ambush signs from last night, my subordinates handled those shadows—about ten of them. Adding the ones you’ve dealt with, we could conduct meaningful negotiations with the Empire.”

He pointed toward Lian while speaking.

Why would he say that? Lea felt as though he was inflating his own importance, belittling their achievements, and demanding something as if they hadn’t done anything significant.

Since they hadn’t performed the mission expecting rewards, Lea just stared at Monclay, leaving it to him to handle as he pleased. She merely wanted to gauge Lian’s abilities once again.

“Then, do you have any further orders for us?”

Lea attempted to end the conversation with a question that could block further discussion. The enemies had already fled, so she judged Monclay wouldn’t face difficulties here.

‘Further orders…’

But Lea didn’t expect that her question would open a floodgate of thoughts for Monclay.

“Should we return immediately?”

“Sion only instructed us to resolve the difficulties you faced and return.”

Not immediately—Lian wanted to test whether he was hiding his abilities or if he had the talent of a knight before departing.

Of course, Monclay didn’t perceive this intention.

‘There’s still work to be done.’

Even if the Imperial Army had left, they might return with schemes. Perhaps they were stationed in ambush across the frigid mountains serving as the border.

‘Well, it’s unlikely unless they’re crazy.’

Regardless of what the Empire tried, Sion’s disciples could likely detect threats while crossing the border.

“Then, I’d like one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“Even though they’ve retreated, this place is still unstable. They brought mages and elite troops, and even launched ambushes…”

Lea realized what Monclay implied.

‘He wants us to deal with the remaining enemies since we didn’t finish them off.’

She already anticipated the kind of order he would give—and she wasn’t wrong.

“I want you to patrol the border. I suspect the frigid mountains might be hiding something.”

“……”

“I’m saying this because currently, we have no one with abilities comparable to yours in the unit.”

This mission would require tracking enemies on foot across plains and mountains. The frigid mountains were infamously dangerous, making this no easy task.

Although it wasn’t suitable to assign such a scouting task to knight candidates, there was no one else capable. Even if they refused, Lian could recruit fast-moving soldiers separately to complete it.

“Very well.”

“I knew you’d refuse… hmm?”

Monclay expected refusal, but Lea accepted the proposal without much thought.

“Your concern is valid; we will assist with the border patrol.”

“If you do, I would be grateful…”

“However, I’d like to receive support from one person.”

Lea cut him off and directed her gaze toward Lian—a blatant look. Monclay couldn’t miss it. From the moment they met, all of Sion’s disciples had been looking at Lian with interest.

‘Do they think their achievements are being overshadowed by Lian?’

Monclay had no idea of their intentions. He simply assumed Lea wanted to use the patrol as an excuse to keep Lian under control.

‘That works. It will help Lian recognize his place.’

There was no reason to refuse. It was slightly irritating that Lian seemed overconfident, forgetting his rank, but that wasn’t a reason to deny the task.

“Lian Cade, it seems you’ll need to step forward.”

“……”

Why is he making that face? And why did she accept Monclay’s proposal without consulting the others?

Yet, the others didn’t object either. They even smiled competitively, which was somewhat intimidating.

‘Can he handle this mission? It looks like daily sparring might happen.’

Of course, that didn’t matter. Lian wanted to gauge their strength anyway.

“Understood.”

So he had no choice but to accept. But before that:

“We will carry out the mission after handling the subordinates’ corpses.”

Handling the corpses was the priority.

Sion’s disciples washed off the blood from the previous battle and took a short rest on a low hill in the plains.

While soldiers organized the corpses into piles on one side of the plains, Lea, Pinee, Dominic, and Berkir chewed dried meat to relieve their hunger while watching the process.

Later, Taren got up.

‘Ugh… they’re really chomping down.’

The sound, not the smell, woke him first.

Taren rubbed his tear ducts and the freckles under his eyes, then followed the gaze of the others.

The corpses were being moved across the wide land. Imperial Army carts were lined up, and the bodies were stacked neatly.

Taren wondered why they were watching, but realized it wasn’t without reason. Their eyes were on Lian Cade.

“That guy… isn’t he supposed to be a squad leader?”

If he were a platoon leader, perhaps. But a squad leader should be able to command his men without moving among them.

Why was he among the soldiers moving corpses?

His ‘handling’ truly meant taking care of his subordinates.

‘He’s a fresh one.’

The scene was far from fresh, of course. Bloodied corpses days old, coupled with rain, had attracted scavenging beasts, so soldiers had to drive them off while moving the corpses.

Yet, even in such a scene, the figure caught the eye. He moved silently despite being covered in blood and filth. His dark hair and black eyes, soaked in sweat, seemed to radiate light amidst the darkness.

Taren whispered to Dominic nearby:

“At least he doesn’t seem like the type for curses or demons.”

Dominic didn’t respond.

‘I know that, freckles… but I can’t help feeling a strange urge to compete with that black-haired guy.’

Dominic was simply unsettled by unresolved matters from the previous encounter. If given the chance, he wanted to face Lian properly.

Though not defeated, the lingering feeling of defeat would hinder his path to becoming a knight if he returned without resolving it.

So he was glad Lea had designated Lian Cade as necessary for the border patrol.

But he needed to know her intention. Fights and potential recruitment were separate matters.

“What are you thinking, Lea?”

Lea, staring at Lian, softly opened her mouth.

“I thought verification was necessary.”

“Verification? You mean… you want to recruit him into our group?”

“Well, that’s not for me to decide, as you know.”

Not wrong. Many had displayed talent before, but none had been newly recruited, whether for duels or monster hunts.

“Perfect timing. This is optimal.”

Lea’s quiet words confirmed that Lian Cade had a certain uniqueness compared to other swordsmen.

Taren’s gaze shifted to Lian, and Lea muttered softly:

“It seems it’s finally over.”

As Lea said, Lian finished handling the corpses and began walking toward where Sion’s disciples were staying.

‘Whatever happens, it’s better to be certain.’

Dominic’s expression hardened, as if making a firm decision.

“Whether verification or recruitment, my priority is to settle this with him. I won’t back down.”

Berkir, with silver hair, grinned.

“Well then, shall I be next in line?”

“Hmm, this time I feel I should step forward. Then I’ll be third.”

“Count me out. Too bothersome.”

Sion’s disciples continued as if deciding the order of duels: Dominic, Berkir, Taren. Pinee opted to just observe, keeping her gaze on Lea.

Everyone’s gaze followed. Lea responded:

“I’ll conduct the final verification.”