The "Master swordsman” who was reincarnated, wants to live freely - Chapter 102

Translator: Paul | Editor: Nebosuke

As we returned to our lodge I explained what was going on.

The Swordsman Gang was originally a gang of 10 members, however, already six of them are dead.

Four were done in by me, and two by Ruino.

Of those four, one decided to directly assault the Kingdom’s Black Wolf Knight Order, which is the reason Ruino became a cooperating force to the Knights Order.

That Swordsman Gang member, Zenas Raadi escaped but is bound to come to this town — Just like Ruino did, to come and hunt me down.

“So as long as the Swordsman Gang are around, Ruino won’t come for me. Just like before with you Iris, she just disappeared, right?”

“Yes, I noticed that too”

“Well, it seems like she’ll actually fulfill her promise. You wouldn’t expect her to though, judging from what we’ve heard so far”

“Right. It wouldn’t hurt to stay alert”

I agreed with Alia’s words and nodded.

Aside from the Swordsman Gang, this Ruino person is quite a peculiar being. 

She managed to easily slay two of the Swordsman Gang, and also repel one with the help of Remyl.

From what I inferred from Iris, she’s very strong.

If only Ruino was our ally, there would be no issue at all… But I’ve heard more than enough from Remyl as well.

She had promised Ruino a chance to meet with me if she helped the Black Wolves with dealing with the Swordsman Gang.

Remyl looked rather sorry when she told me this. Quite unfitting for her.

She probably never intended for her subordinate to meet such a loose cannon such as Ruino.

Though she is the Knights Captain, she’s still a woman… And as a woman in such a position, she must make the best choices she can.

And allowing Ruino to meet with me in exchange for dealing with this strange ordeal we’re in seemed like the sole option she had.

I too can agree with this decision.

Remyl had imagined that Ruino was indeed able to meet with Iris. However, Ruino’s after me, so it was a matter for another time. — I will make sure to gain double my salary this month.

“I talked with you about what was going on… However, both the Swordsman Gang and Ruino’s target is I. I do not wish for any form of cooperation from this point on out”

“! But you were talking as if you did want us to help you with this, right?”

Alia frowned her eyebrows, as she was dissatisfied with what I had just said.

Just at the coast, I had promised Alia that we would work together — And that was true.

However, the situation keeps on changing and changing.

“Well, at that point our enemy was still unknown to us. However, now with the Swordsman Gang and Ruino… We are rather clear on who the enemy is.

However, it seems like Ruino will deal with the Swordsman Gang first, so we should only be wary of them at this point”

“Well, then we should also be able to bring our swords to this fight”

This time Iris answered my remark.

These two seemed like it was obvious that they too would fight for my sake. … And I am actually rather grateful for that.

This was beyond my expectations, but they actually saw me as someone they should protect.

And I felt the same as well.

“Of course, I think that you two are capable of fighting these foes. However,… Above all else, you are students”

“We know. Still, you’re a child as well, Mr. Schweiss”

“I might be a child, however, I am also a teacher of the academy – And above that a knight. This town is already filled with knights and the captain herself as well. 

If I may be so frank, your cooperation is not needed here”

“….”

Iris became somewhat distant when I said this. — To say that she’s not needed hurts her pride it seems.

But it wasn’t just Iris. Alia might not have much of an expression on her face at all, yet she might still feel hurt by these words. Still, this doesn’t change much as of now.

“– So if the enemy comes to attack, you can leave it to me. Do not worry about this. Alright?”

“…Understood”

“Alia, do you also comply?”

“I won’t. But if you say so, I will obey”

“Thank you, that helps. Even though this is how it is — I am not telling you to do nothing”

“! So you mean….”

“We are without a doubt in a state of high alert. So, it is inevitable that I will have to be separated from the students. And if that happens, I need your help”

“Are you asking Iris and me to protect the other students?”

“I think you two are more than capable of doing so. Of course, your safety is guaranteed by me and the other knights. Still, I want to put this task onto you two. Will you take it?”

Iris seemed to lighten up as she heard my request.

Brimming with determination, and without hesitation, she answered.

“Of course we will. We will protect everyone, with our lives”

“Ahaha, with your lives. You do value your own life too, don’t you?”

“Well, then I will risk my life for Iris'”

“And I will also protect you with all my might Alia”

“Well, so shall I”

Somehow this was the start of some rivalry between them.

Though this task I just handed to them might cost them their lives — They both took it happily.

I too was relying on their power to get through with this job.

At first, I figured it would’ve been fine to finish the job on my own.

However, the enemy is in rather large numbers — I’d lie if I would say that I know exactly what is about to occur.

(…With this, it should be ok for me to go away from the students — That’s quite a relief)

The Swordsman Gang member Lastille held Iris captive in the hope she could get in contact with me.

Yet still, Iris managed to get out of there unscathed.

If I think about it like that, then it might be the best choice to actually leave this to Iris and Alia after all.

And with this, we’ve all once again become allies in a fight against the Swordsman Gang.

***

In his last years – Raul Izalf lived his life alone in the middle of nowhere. 

After countless fights, he had gained the title of Swordmaster. In some countries, he was revered as a hero, and in others, he was an object of fear.

If a swordmaster was your ally, then you were sure to win as a country — But for every winner, there must be a loser as well.

That is something that will never change.

“Huuu”

Far in the forest – near a small hut, he was done with gathering his firewood and left out a small sigh.

Not that he would ever meet anyone here, yet he still groomed his hair, that had turned white, backwards. The beard he had grown had become white too.

This was what the Swordmaster looked like in his last days on earth. Raul himself too knew all too well that his body was deteriorating.

Fight after fight – Though his body had grown old he still fought on.

And all that he would leave behind was his title of “the strongest”.

For anyone that wielded a sword, that was the ultimate goal.

But even though Raul managed to gain this by traveling to the end of the world, it was all that he had.

He had no family to protect, and there was no one to visit him on his deathbed.

“Is this.. what my life was then…”

“Yo, aren’t you a little bit too leisure?”

“…Who are you?”

An old man, about the same age as, Raul, appeared before him.

The robust old man looked at Raul and laughed.

“Hey hey, is this how you treat an old friend you haven’t met for a long time? What an attitude…”

“I do not think of you as a friend though… And it hasn’t been that long either. It’s been a month since you last came”

“Well, in the normal world we call that a long time, friend! I even brought some booze. Come, let’s drink”

The old man – Souki Tomura held a flask of sake in his hand as he said this.

Souki is a swordsman and has worked as a mercenary ever since he was young.

It was someone Raul had met plenty of times on the battlefield.

You might call Souki lucky for always being on the same side as Raul on the battlefield –  Still they had fought together plenty of times, and it made them become good friends.

Raul never really managed to have any friends during his life… But still, this Souki character came to visit him every so often.

Raul would never admit it, but… He actually had a good connection with him. Just him.

Souki’s stories and talks were always full of nonsense.

“Why don’t you live in the city? It’s quite the opposite of handy to live in a place like this, no?”

“Not really. It’s relaxed like this on my own”

“So you say. Do you actually prefer the countryside over the city life?”

“I’ve told you, again and again, I like it alone. But I’m fine either way. Did you really come to talk about this?”

“Aren’t you interested in the state of affairs of the city?”

“Nope”

“Riiiight…. well, truth is, a war is coming again”

“Ooh, is that so? And?”

“… I was thinking of taking my family far away from here”

Even though this was what Souki came to say, Raul didn’t really change much because of it.

Souki noticed Raul’s plain reaction and frowned his eyebrows.

“Oioi, is that it?”

“Without the intent to fight, that’s all there is to do, no?”

“…Well… I guess. I might not be able to come here again though. So, if the war reaches here, and there will be losses, then…”

“You think I’d lose?”

“… Well, that might be a bit too much, huh… Well, that’s not all…”

“What else then?”

“I came to say goodbye. If you ever meet someone from my family, tell them I said hi”

“As long as you’re here, you can do it yourself. Is there anything you need from me?”

“Ha… That’s true. Still, we’re friends, right? Well, see ya!”

Souki laughed as he said this. This was the last time Raul met someone he could call a friend.