Right,didwanttomeetoneofyou.fnotasingleoneofyouhadbeenleftandyou’dallgonetothebattlefield,would’vebeendisappointed.”
Pustiswassincere.ewantedtoproperlycrossbladeswiththem.adn’theheard,untilhisearsrang,ofwhattheyhaddone?
‘Aflowerbloominginthemud.’
Adiamondhiddenamongrocks.
twasastorytheentireMudrderofKnightsloved.
henarrativestructurewasthesameasthetaleofabeggarinragssucceedingthrougheffortandluck—itfeltasifitweretalkingaboutthem.
heytoohadstartedfromthebottomandrisentothehighestpositions.
Pustissawthem—theMadrderofKnights—assimilartotheMudrder.
‘Fromcommonsoldierstoknights.’
Fromthedayswhenthey’dbeencalledtroublemakerstowheretheystoodnow,countlessthingsmusthavehappened.
alfofitwasasenseofkinship,theotherhalfwascompetitivespirit.ntopofthat,ifyouaddedthattheoneswhoshouldownthatnarrativeshouldbetheMudrderalone,therewasevenadesiretoerasetheexistenceoftheseothers.Whateverthemix,hisfeelingsweregenuine.
“Canyouhearabitnow?”
Justashesaid,Jaxon’shearingwasbeginningtoreturn.
“Doyouneedsometimetorest,byanychance?”
BehindPustis,asoldiersankintotheswampandscreamed,butitwasasifithadnothingtodowithhim.
iseasewasreal.edidn’tcareintheslightestthatsomeofhissoldiersweredying.Jaxonretrievedthetwodaggershehadthrownanddroppedtothegroundearlier.nthemiddleofthat,hedeliberatelyshowedanopening,buttheopponentdidn’tmove.
Pustiswaited,onlyrollinghiswristsafewtimes.Beforefighting,heloosenedhimselfsohisbodywouldn’tstiffen.hewayhetwistedhisjointsfromtheanklesuplookedlikeamovementsohabitualithadbeencarvedintohim.
ewasadeptatfightingknights.Moderatelytense,moderatelyexcited.ewasabornfighter,andhisexperiencewasthick.
“fyou’regoingtowaitanyway,let’sfighttomorrowmorning.et’scallitadayandgobackfornow.”
Jaxonsaiditnonchalantly.AsifitwereonlynaturalthatPustisshouldagree.
“......uh?Wow,you’resomething.”
Pustiswasatalossforwordsforamoment,thenspoke.ohisears,itwasabrilliantanswer.
owcouldJaxonnothavebeeninfluencedbynkrid.
Borrowingabitofnkrid’swayofspeaking,heputahairlinecrackintheopponent’scomposure.fcourse,thatcrackdisappearedquickly.PustisimmediatelyacknowledgedJaxon.
Judginghecouldn’twinwithwords,henodded.hickexperiencegavehimthetolerancetoacceptallkindsofsituations.Justlikethemanstandinginfrontofhimnow.
“can’tgothatfar.”
hemanansweredwithalaugh.
Judgment,attitude,action—everythingabouthimwasoutstanding.ewasaproperknight.
Jaxoncasthisgazepasthim.hepresenceofthemanstandingbeforehiseyeswasnotsmall.
Butsomethingevenmoredizzyingintermsofdangerprickedathim.twasasensethatbelongedtotherealmofinstinctandintuition.
hroughmanyyearsofexperience,he’dgainedtheknackoftellingaparttheformlesssenseofcrisisthatintuitionpickedup.
Pustishadjusthelpedkillamage.isattitudehadbeenlikeswattingabothersomeinsect.Why?Becausehehadroomtospare.Becausethevariablesmagicbroughtdidn’tmattertohim.
‘Becausehethinkshecandowithoutmagicandthatitonlygetsintheway.’
rbecausehedidn’tgetalongwiththemtobeginwith.
hereasonscouldbemany.ecouldn’tknowallofthem,butonethingwascertain.heenemywassureofvictory.
“owmanycame?”
Jaxonasked.venwithoutasubject,themeaninggotacross.
Spelledout,thequestionbecame:“owmanyknightsarethere?”
“Five.”
heMudrder’stotalwasseven.woofthemhadbeentransferredundertheighPontiff,soitmeanttheyhadallcome.
“WeonlyhavetohittheBorderuard.hat’sallourroleisinthiswar.”
istonesaidthismuchwasn’tevenclassified.AtPustis’swords,Jaxonaskedback:
“What«.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t»aboutthefrontlineSirCypressisholding?”
“Mm,there’sonethingyoulotaremostmistakenabout.”
aturally,Jaxonwaitedforhisnextwords.Uptonow,PustishadbeentalkingsofreelybecausehewasaimingforJaxon’slapseinvigilance.
Forknights,fivestepswasthesameasrightinfrontofthenose.speciallyforPustis,whosespecialtieswerechargesandrushes.
Boom—
heaircompressedandthenburst.Dirtonthegroundfountainedup,andbeforethesound,theflail—amacewiththreelumpsofironattachedtoabar—smashedJaxon’shead.
herewasnobrainmatter,shatteredbone,poppedeyeballs,orblood.
Pustis’sflailonlysplitJaxon’safterimage.AmongtheMadrderofKnights,Jaxonwasthemostsensitive.
hemomentPustismadeuphismind,Jaxonpredicteditandleapttotheside.falltheMadrder,Jaxonwastheoneleastlikelytobecaughtbyasurpriseattack.
“hat’smyafterimage.”
Jaxonsaidcalmly,botharmsholdingdaggershangingdown.
Wastheopponenttheonlyoneusedtofightingknights?ewasn’t.Jaxonspenthistimewithcrazybastardswhoconstantlyaimedforhimandforcedhead-onfights.Forhim,dodgingattackslikethiswaseverydaylife.
Clatter.
heflailchainsstruckeachother,leavingnoise.Returningtotheexactsamestanceasbeforeswingingtheweapon,Pustisspoke.
“Youdodgedthat.”
itwhilespeaking.twasatechniquefoundinalen-stylemercenaryswordsmanship.
nthesouth,phantom-sword-linetechniqueshadbeenfamousforgenerations.aturally,thereweremanywhohadmasteredalen-stylemercenaryswordsmanship.
“Whatmistake?”
Jaxon’stonewascalm.Pustisliftedthecornersofhismouth.hisbastardhadroomtospare,didn’the?venafterhearingtherewerefive,hewasn’ttheleastbitafraid?Washetrustingthemagebehindhim?
Mentalaccelerationwassomethinganyknightdid.Pustissettledhisthoughtsatonceandspoke.
“hatouroneknightorderisenoughtofaceyourwholekingdom.”
fthenumberofknightswaswhatsymbolizedmilitarymight,thenPustis’swordswereright.
Atthat,Jaxoncountedinhishead.tdidn’ttakelong.venleavingoutthetalentedonewhohadjoinedrecently,includinghimself,theywereten.
“DoyouknowthenumberofknightsintheMadrder?”
“What?”
“We’reten.”
Andyou’refive.
edidn’tevenneedtofinishthesentenceforthemeaningtocomeacross.
“Butrightnow,you’realone,aren’tyou?”
Pustis’swordswerealsotrue.Stillsmiling,heoncemorescrapedthedirtupwithhistoe.
Fwoosh—thescattereddirtobscuredJaxon’svision.heendoftheflailflewinfromJaxon’sleft.WhenJaxondodgedthat,Pustiswouldbringhistoesupfrombelowinakick.
verymovementwouldpileoninsuccession,notgivinghimevenabreath.
JaxonmovedexactlyasPustisexpected.hatwasfine.twaseffectivetodeviatefrompredictionsonlyasmuchasneeded,atthenecessarymoment.
Also,whenitcametokillingsomeone,asingleinstant’sopeningwasenough.
hattruthdidn’tchangeevenfacinganopponenthead-on.twasjustthatwhatJaxonhadoverlookedwastheveryexistenceoftheMudrder.
Rightafterheslippedoutsidethearcoftheflailandthefollow-upkick,Jaxonfeltastinginhisleftflank.
ntuitionsmackedhisheadlikealightningstrike.Jaxondrovehisleftelbowdown.
Crack!
iselbowhitsomethinghard.heopponenthadtwistedanarmandblockedwithsomethinglikeavambrace,thenwithdrawn.
“......hho.”
Ablackshadowthathadstabbedtowardhiswaistslidinandretreated.Jaxon’seyescaughtthefigureasitpulledback.Soshortthattheheaddidn’tevenreachhischest.ongearslikeafairy’s,flushedcheekslikeadwarf’s.
ongwhitebrowsdroopedtotheleftandright,theoutercornersoftheeyesslanteddown,andtogetherwiththebeardthefacewasfullofwrinkles.heexclamationcamefromthatlittlemonster’smouth.
“Youblockedthat.Butyoudidn’tblockallofit,didyou?”
Jaxondidn’tletoutsomuchasagroan.esimplyidentifiedwhathadgrazedhisflankasitpassedby.
‘Aneedle.o,anawl.’
Adwarfwithafairy’sears.hefigurenaturallyhiditshandsbehinditsback.Jaxondidn’tseetheweaponheldthere,butguessingitwasn’thard.
otforJaxon.hesleeveswerewide,andinsidethemtherewouldbeavambrace-typetoolthathadblockedhiselbow,andontopofthatallkindsofotherweaponslinedup.edidn’thavetoseethemtoknow.ewasthesame,afterall.
notherwords,hewasfacingoneofhisownkind.
Atthesametimeasbloodbeadedanddrippedfromthespotwheretheawlhadpierced,Jaxonfeltnumbnessatthewound.
“Ah,don’toweyouanapology,right?said’dwait,didn’tsay’dfightalone.heMudrderneversparesmeansandmethodstowin,whereverweare.hat’sourvow.”
twasPustis’svoice.hesneeringtonewasenoughtomakeyouwanttotearhismouthoff.venso,Jaxondidn’tgetagitated.
Whyismyflankgoingnumb?hequestionbroughtitsownanswer.
‘Poison.’
Akindhewasexperiencingforthefirsttime.Acompositetoxinmadebymixingpoisonsfromplants,minerals,andanimals.
‘Andit’ssomethingbrewedinhisownway.’
twasn’tinanynormalcategory.Jaxonhadtrainedtoresistpoisonfromchildhood.Sohehadresistancetomostpoisons,but—
“Mine’salittlespecial.Youngfriend.”
hedwarfsaid.Anditwastrue.
Dizzinesscamealongwitharinginginhisears.Symptomsofpoisoning.
“Phew.”
Jaxonletoutasmallbreath.
“owaboutit?Shouldjoinintoo?”
Yetanotherknightsteppedin.hisoneworetwoswordscrossedontheback.hebladeswereshorterthanlongswords,butthearmswerelonglikeamonkey’s.hetwoswordsonthebackhadhiltsthatstuckuppasttheoutsideoftheshouldersforeasydrawing.
“Yeah,joinin.f’dbeenalone,mighthavegonedown.isskillisn’tordinary.”
Pustissaid.ewasamanwhoacknowledgedtheenemy’sabilitymorethananyone,andwhowaswillingtoswallowdegradationifthat’swhatittooktolive.
Seenasawhole,theRihinstettenknightorderssplitintotwobranches.nethatcarriedontradition,andonethatraisedknightsthroughanewmethod.heMudrderbelongedtotheformer,andPustis’sattitudewasatraitthatcamefromthat.heyfoughttosurvive,andhadpasseddownthatkindofskill,technique,andmindsetfromgenerationtogeneration.
hatwaswhythetraitsofeachsouthernknightorderweresodistinct.AsidefromtheMudrder,theotherordersallclungtotheirownways.
“fenomhadn’tstabbedhim,thatonewould’vethrownsomethingatmeorpulledoutsomeweaponoutsidemyexpectations.rmaybenot.itherway,hewould’vedonesomething.”
Pustiscontinued.Jaxondidn’tbotherinsertinghimselfintotheirconversation.nstead,hetookonelookatallthree.
fhewerefreetofallbackfromwherehestoodnow,hewasfullofconfidencehecouldkillthosethree.fhetookhistime,kepthisdistance,andfoughttheminthewayheliked,meetingthematthemomentofhischoosing,itwouldn’tbehard.
Soifheretreatedfornowandpromisedhimselfalaterencounter,itwasdoable.hingswouldbeseveraltimeseasierthannow.
“ncesomeonegetspastyou,there’samage,right?urobjectiveisthemage.Stepaside.”
Pustisthebserver—thatwashisnickname.twasthiskindofobservationalpowerandinsightthatgavehimanexceptionaleyeforgauginganopponent’sskill.
esawthroughJaxon’swayoffighting,hishabits.
‘e’smasteredassassinationtechniques.’
nhisownknightorder,enomfoughtlikethis.hedwarffairywhohadjuststabbedwithanawlwasnamedenom,andthinkingofenom’swayoffightingmadeiteasytoimaginetheopponent’s.
Fromthat,itwaseasytoinferwhythismanwasacceptingadisadvantagetoholdhisgroundhere.
“fyoumoveaside,it’seasierforeveryone.We’llbegladtogetridofthemage,andyou’llbegladtolive.”
Jaxonlaughedagain.
hetrulyfunnythingwasthatatamomentlikethis,hecouldunderstandnkrid’sheart.
Fightingbecausetherewassomeoneathisback.hatwashownkridfought.
Afightnotforearningcronathroughkilling,butafighttoprotectsomeone.
Fiveyearsago,itwouldhavebeenhardtoimagine.
“Cutthechatterandcomeatme.”
Ashespoke,Jaxontwirledthetwodaggersinhisgripandshiftedthemintoreverseholds.nehandlookedempty,buttheshapeofthefingersholdinginvisiblesomethingmeantthathandwasgrippingaweapon.Whiletheyweretalking,hehadalreadywipeddownthenvisibleBlade,soitcouldn’tbeseen.
Jaxonwascalm.hatattitudedidn’tchange.Facingthreeknightshead-onwasnotthekindoffightheenjoyed,anditmeantfightingwithadisadvantage,butwhatcouldhedo.
‘fyouhavetodoit.’
Youdoit.
Justasnkridhaddone,hewouldsimplydoithimself.
‘’lltakeallthreewithme.’
fthingswentbad,hewouldmakethosethreehistravelingcompanionstothegrave.Jaxon’seyesrarelyshowedemotion,buttodaywasdifferent.oday,therewasfervorinthem.iseyeswerenotastheyusuallywere.
“Untildie,you’renotevengettingalookatourmage.Andifthatwomanseesyourbody,she’llgougeyoureyeballsout.”
“hisbastard’smouthisstillalive,huh?”
Whilethewordspassedbackandforth,thedwarfcalledenomblurredandvanishedfromsight,andthenewlyarrivedknightdrewbothswords.Facingthemhead-on,Pustisspuntheflailoverhishead.
Kwoooom,kwoooom.hesoundofthemacerippingtheairwasdeafening.
