Chapter 71: The Sword Demon Ferzen

It had been about two months since Varca Aneu Porcana arrived in the Imperial capital of Hamel.

"Varca Aneu Porcana. Son of the Sun, may the blessing of the sun god Lou be upon you."

Pahell had completed his coming-of-age ceremony in a simplified form. He had finally become an adult and had fully obtained the legitimacy for the throne succession. Pahell rose, removing his white cloak marked with the sun.

"I will dedicate my life to fulfilling the mission of Lou," Pahell murmured. The priest officiating the ceremony was puzzled but said nothing.

Clap, clap, clap.

It was a coming-of-age ceremony attended by only a few. Phillion clapped vigorously.

"It should have been a coronation as well. Such a modest coming-of-age ceremony..."

Phillion spoke with a choked emotion. The current king of Porcana was in a coma. It was only natural for Pahell, now of age, to succeed the throne.

"Formality isn't important. What's important is that I am now an adult," Pahell said calmly. As soon as the ceremony ended, people dispersed.

'Tomorrow, we march.'

Emperor Yanchinus had summoned the imperial army to aid in Pahell’s succession to the throne.

Fifty Steel Knights and over a thousand Imperial soldiers. It was a formidable force. No other place in the empire could gather a better fighting force. When combined with various non-combat personnel, the size reached about a thousand and five hundred men. Pahell could not have assembled such a force on his own, no matter how hard he tried.

'But even this might not be enough to topple my uncle.'

Before anything else, Pahell first had to secure the support of the nobles of Porcana. Rushing straight to the castle was a suicidal act. The Porcana Kingdom was strong in defense and fortifications. Its borders were encircled by canyons and rivers, and most territories and castles were backed against the sea.

'Even with the emperor's support, if he deems that I lack Lou’s blessing, he may change his word at any time.'

Pahell’s thoughts were tangled. He had now entered a situation from which he could not back down.

‘To kill my uncle and become the king or to be killed by him. It’s one of those two.'

Pahell took off his ceremonial clothes and changed into his regular ones. His eyes were weary as he had not slept well ever since his arrival in the capital.

The morning of departure dawned. Pahell, who had been lying awake in bed, got up. He washed his face with cold water and stood by the window to pray. Pahell captured the sunlight from the east in his eyes. His pupils ached, and his vision became blurry.

'The east.'

A word laden with both love and hate. Pahell closed his eyes and stood up. He and Phillion stepped beyond the city walls of the capital.

"This is the prince’s army."

Phillion announced as they stepped outside of the city. Pahell pulled on the reins of Kylios, facing the wind.

"For Emperor Yanchinus!"

The knights and soldiers exclaimed.

"That isn’t my army. They’re borrowed from the emperor. Those who are loyal to me aren’t there."

Pahell muttered, gazing at the army.

"Ohoho, shall we then, Prince Varca?"

That familiar laughter. Phillion and Pahell's eyes widened.

"Fe-Ferzen!"

Ferzen, clad only in a breastplate, rode toward them on horseback.

'Why is the Sword Demon Ferzen here?'

The joining of Ferzen was unexpected.

"This departure might be my last departure. I always thought each of my departures to be my last, but somehow, I've come this far. Life does not go as humans wish. We just live according to the whim of Lou."

Ferzen said, pressing down his wide-brimmed hat. It was a doctor's prescription to avoid the sunlight.

"It is a great honor, General Ferzen."

Pahell bowed deeply. The renowned Sword Demon Ferzen had joined the army. No other knight could be possibly more reassuring than him. His reputation alone was enough to send the morale soaring.

"The Sword Demon joins us!"

"General Ferzen!"

As Ferzen passed by, the soldiers cheered, and the knights saluted solemnly. They were in the presence of a legend that had been with the empire since its foundation.

"Did the emperor send him?"

Pahell whispered to Phillion.

"I’m not so sure. With General Ferzen's stature, he listens to no one's command. Not even the emperor can meddle with such a figure. It seems he wanted to join us of his own accord. In any case, this is a good thing for us."

Phillion looked at Ferzen. Ferzen’s mere presence boosted the allies' morale. To the enemies, he would become a source of fear.

"Ferzen's presence is proof that I have secured the emperor's solid support."

Pahell said, kicking Kylios' flanks. He joined the camp of Urich's brothers. At this moment, the mercenaries were Pahell’s private army and even more reliable than the Imperial army.

"Wow. This really feels like a war."

Urich commented next to Pahell, looking at the army.

"Enjoying it?"

Pahell asked, looking at Urich, who only smiled.

"It's a war for you so that you can become king as you wished."

"Urich, what will you do if I become king?"

Pahell dismounted. Standing side by side, Urich was about a head taller.

"I'll take my reward. In money."

"And then?"

"I’ll leave. There’s still so much I haven’t seen. Maybe I’ll head south this time. Look at this thing, this is the real stuff. Imperial steel weapons."

Urich drew his axe, spinning it around. The steel axe blade shone smoothly, without a single scratch. Urich had taken advantage of the emperor's permit to plunder the Sun Warrior’s armory.

'Two axes, a new sword. All made of Imperial steel.'

They were weapons any warrior would envy.

"Urich, don't you want to see the eastern continent?"

"You said it’s going to take at least a decade to prepare, so talk to me about it in ten years."

Urich snorted with a chuckle. Even for the coastal kingdom of Porcana, an expedition to the eastern continent was no easy endeavor. The distance that had to be traveled was unknown.

Pahell watched Urich's back as he walked ahead. If he became king, he might never make another friend like this.

"If I put together an expedition fleet, I’ll keep a spot for you."

"I'll gladly join when the time comes."

Urich answered without even turning around.

* * *

The army that departed from the Imperial capital of Hamel made stops at various territories and cities for supplies. Supplying an army of over a thousand was not easy. The travel schedule turned out to be longer than expected.

"Grandpa Sword Demon."

Urich said, sitting atop a supply wagon. The wagon was piled high with supplies. A line of such supply wagons had followed the marching army.

"Ohoho. Look who it is. The champion of the jousting tournament, Urich."

"Everyone I talked to told me that you, old man, are the empire's best knight," Urich said as he leaped down from the wagon. He drew his sword.

"Are you trying to pick a fight? This is not the time for that."

Ferzen, with his hands behind his back, tilted his head quizzically.

"No, teach me swordsmanship. The swordsmanship of knights. If I'm going to learn, I might as well learn from the best."

"Why do you want to learn swordsmanship?"

Ferzen asked, somewhat perplexed.

"Are you belittling me because I'm a barbarian? Just teach me some swordsmanship."

"That's not it. You don't need to learn the knight's swordsmanship. You're strong enough. You have your own way of fighting. Pick any of the knights over there and call them over; none of them would beat you."

"It's an honor for you to think so highly of me."

Urich placed his hand on his stomach like a knight and bowed his head in a salute.

"I’m sure you know," Ferzen said sharply, his pale eyes piercing, "that learning knightly swordsmanship is of no practical use to you. There is only one reason you would want to learn it."

‘What a terrifying little barbarian. Perhaps it’s due to his young age? He has flexibility in his thoughts and isn’t afraid to integrate the skills of others into his own.’

Urich was an odd barbarian. In him, barbarism and civilization coexisted.

"Hmm. Why do you think I want to learn knightly swordsmanship?"

"’Know thy enemy.’ You think that if you learn knightly swordsmanship, it would be easier to face knights, am I wrong?"

Urich scratched his head at Ferzen’s comment.

"So, will you teach me or not?"

"It will be an amusing pastime on the way to the Porcana Kingdom. Take up your sword."

Ferzen looked at Urich with his hands clasped behind his back. He had trained many knights. Many who had passed under Ferzen's tutelage had become renowned knights. Ferzen was also an expert teacher.

Schring.

Urich drew his imperial steel sword. The sound of it was beautiful. Seeing the pristine blade, he felt a sense of clarity.

"The basics of knightly swordsmanship start with the two-handed sword. Do you know why?"

"If I knew that, I'd be a knight, old man."

"Speak politely. A knight must have manners. Call me Sir Ferzen. If you dislike it, sheathe your sword and leave."

Ferzen said as he chuckled.

"Ehem. S-Sir Ferzen, I don't understand why they use the two-handed sword."

"That’s fine. And enough with the ‘Sir’ stuff already. Knights are no different from butchers, except they butcher humans with their weapons, and that’s why they treat manners so important. If they don't maintain courtesy among themselves, they’re quick to draw their swords in the name of honor. Even though I'm a knight, I find them a rather crazy lot. Ohoho."

Ferzen laughed thinly, waving his hand dismissively.

"Keke, I like your style, old man."

Urich laughed, holding his stomach. Ferzen was a warrior who had been wielding a sword even before Urich was born.

'He understands the essence of a warrior better than anyone. No matter what fancy name you give it, a knight or a warrior is still a killer in the end.'

That essence was violent and cruel.

"The origin of knightly swordsmanship is deeply connected to heavy armor. Over time, armor became denser and stronger. Knights could achieve sufficient defense even without shields. Just wearing a quality chainmail could protect against almost all half-decent attacks. Not to mention plate armor."

"Ah! Plate armor! Magnificent armor!"

Urich chimed in, laughing heartily.

"The better the knight's equipment, the less they rely on shields. Soon enough, the two-handed grip became the main stance, and the one-handed grip with a shield became secondary. In truth, one-handed grip and shield aren't bad, but because they're seen as the stance of poor knights who can't afford good armor, pride prevents them from using shields. Thus, the two-handed sword stance became the standard."

"Oh, really? What was that stance called? The bird stance?"

Urich awkwardly gripped the sword in both hands and lifted it above his head. It was the high guard stance most commonly used by knights.

"Not just a bird, but the Owl Stance. It’s an aggressive stance with the sword raised in both hands. It looks grand and magnificent."

Ferzen circled around Urich, tapping his waist and legs to correct his posture.

"Stances are not isolated; they flow organically. A knight becomes an owl, then a wolf, and at times, fights cunningly like a snake, or swiftly like a badger."

Ferzen explained the principles of swordsmanship, demonstrating each stance in turn.

Urich earnestly learned swordsmanship from Ferzen. Urich, too, was a warrior who had reached the limits of his craft. He quickly grasped and accepted Ferzen's teachings. It took him less than a fortnight to become proficient in knightly swordsmanship.

"Look! Isn't it cool? This is the Owl Stance,"

Urich boasted among the mercenaries. As he took the stance, the mercenaries laughed.

"What kind of owl is that fat? Might as well call it the Chicken Stance,"

Bachman teased, inciting laughter from the other mercenaries. Urich's face turned red with embarrassment.

"Urich," Sven called, who was sitting by the campfire, polishing his weapon.

"What’s wrong?" Urich asked as Sven, with a roll of his eyes, shooed away the surrounding mercenaries. The mercenaries cleared the space, sensing the mood.

"You've been quite chummy with Sword Demon Ferzen lately."

"Uh? And that bothers you? Whether I hang out with the Sun Warriors or the Sword Demon, it's my freedom," Urich preempted. He wasn't one to cater to Sven's moods.

"That's not it. The Sword Demon Ferzen has spent half his life battling barbarians."

"So what?" Urich frowned. Although he himself was a barbarian, he was not from the invaded north or south. He bore no animosity toward the empire.

"Be cautious. There's no one who knows barbarians better than the Sword Demon Ferzen. For those who have lived through wars, lifelong adversaries are more familiar than a wife that they left behind. If you want to keep your origins hidden, then..."

Urich flinched. His expression turned fierce, then calmed down.

"Thanks for the advice, Sven. You're right. I'm still naive. I should keep my distance from Ferzen."

"You've seen firsthand what has become of us northerners. Only a fool fails to learn from precedent."

It was a heartfelt warning from Sven. Urich nodded in acknowledgment.

That night at camp, Urich did not seek out Ferzen. Instead, he spent his time gambling with dice among the mercenaries. Three days passed, and then Ferzen came looking for Urich.

"You've been busy, I see. There's still much I need to teach you."

"You’ve taught me enough. Thanks for all you've done, Grandpa Sword Demon." Urich smiled.

"The teachings of the Sword Demon Ferzen are something people would pay a fortune for. But anyway, I've been curious about something..."

Ferzen looked at Urich with his cloudy eyes.

"Your accent is quite unique. Where are you from?"

Urich slowly lifted his head.

"Can't you tell? Obviously, from the north."

"I know several northern accents, but yours is new to me. Where's your home? Kariha? Sveurcheg?"

Ferzen stepped closer, but his opaque eyes provided no insight into his intentions.

"Urich! 'Come here. There's an urgent matter.'"

Sven called out from afar, using the northern language. It was a conversation they had prepared for an occasion like this.

"Okay. I'll be right there, brother.'"

Urich had been learning the northern language in bits over the past three days. His pronunciation was surprisingly good for such a short period of learning.

"'If it's northern, I can speak a bit too,'" said Ferzen casually in the same language.

'Damn old man!'

Urich felt goosebumps all over him as he heard Ferzen speak northern.

"It seems I've been keeping the busy mercenary captain. Go on then. Ohoho."

Ferzen laughed and closed his eyes. Urich turned around and walked to Sven.

As Urich walked away, he thought quietly to himself, listening to the receding footsteps of Ferzen.

Thump, thump, thump.

The heartbeat was steady. Urich's eyes grew cold, and a yellow murderous intent blossomed in his pupils. His fingers felt for the hilt of his sword.

'Don't pry any further, Grandpa Sword Demon. I like you.'

Urich's lips twitched. He whispered to himself.

"...So, I don't want to kill you. Stay quiet."

Urich swept his fingers down his eyes, closing them. Slowly, he opened his eyes again, and the murderous intent was gone.