The Warrior’s Ballad

Chapter 7

Translator: Willia

A tunic made of linen, a belt, leather shoes, a wool coat, a travel cloak, a dagger, and a side bag were all that Ricardt had.

Now, there was no home to return to, and there was no hope of ever seeing his family again.

Looking at it positively, a new future and world were unfolding before him, and negatively, it was the beginning of hardships he had never experienced before.

At times like these, having a past life was good. Because nothing scared him, no matter what he did.

Ricardt crossed the boundary of Stormhertz, a place he had never left since he was born, and walked all day, only taking a couple of short breaks.

As the day quickly turned into evening on the mountain path, and the cool wind started to feel chilly, the courier headed for a camping spot.

It seemed like a place frequented by travelers, suitable for sheltering from the wind, with a makeshift fireplace surrounded by large stones, and blackened ashes within it.

The courier expertly struck flint over dry twigs and straw he had prepared in advance, lighting a fire. He blew on it to grow the flames, then added nearby scattered logs.

Soon, the flames gained strength and the sound of crackling could be heard.

Ricardt settled in an appropriate spot, sitting down and pulling out his travel rations wrapped in cloth from his bag.

It was made by his sister-in-law, a mix of various grains, honey, and salt, steamed and dried.

It was hard, so he had to gnaw at it with his front teeth or crunch it into pieces. Then he softened it with saliva in his mouth. It tasted nutty, salty, and sweet all at once.

The proportions were so perfect that it wasn’t just edible, it was a delicacy. He could feel his sister-in-law’s heart in it.

“Have you traveled before?”

The courier suddenly asked.

“No.”

“Feel free to speak comfortably. It’s making me uncomfortable.”

“Oh? Alright.”

“How strange. These days, there are so many people who act all high and mighty just because they have money, pretending to be nobles. Yet, the real nobles are so polite.”

“I’m just doing what my mother taught me. She said to speak respectfully to adults.”

“By the way, is this really your first time traveling?”

“It is. Why?”

“It’s just… you don’t seem worried or anxious at all.”

In this era, if one encountered bandits and was killed, there was no way to track down the culprit. Human trafficking was rampant in the shadows, and nobles were often kidnapped because of their ransom value.

Yet, it was odd that a ten-year-old, traveling far from home for the first time, showed no signs of worry or anxiety, as the courier had mentioned. Was he simply ignorant of the ways of the world?

Ricardt just smiled lightly. Then, while continuing to eat, he asked a question first this time.

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“Is the delivery job decent?”

“Whether it’s good or bad, having a job is a blessing. It solves the problem of daily survival. Thanks to this job, I know many people here and there, and even if I quit, I have a few places I could get into through connections. Believe it or not, I’m affiliated with the Empire. Hahaha.”

“That’s good.”

“By the way, are you trying to become an adventurer?”

“For now.”

“I don’t quite understand. Nowadays, even nobles become adventurers. Did you know? The letter delivery job I do now used to be done by adventurers in the past. So, if you think about it, I’m an adventurer too.”

“Adventurer or not, I don’t care about titles. What I’m interested in is whether the war was worth fighting. The Eastern Expedition Territory, I mean. It’s called Fernland now, right? Anyway.”

“…What? You’re interested in that?”

“It’s personal. I don’t expect you to understand.”

The courier seemed confused. But what could he do if Ricardt said it was personal?

“By the way, the Academy doesn’t have a great reputation. I’m not sure if I should be saying this.”

“Why? Is there something wrong with it?”

“Well, it depends. I don’t know exactly what goes on inside, but I’ve heard that it’s common for students to end up dead or half-crippled. I’ve seen it happen too. Because for some reason, the academies seem to have no hesitation in shedding each other’s blood. They fight brutally among themselves, reconcile, and then fight again. You’re still young, so you might not be immediately dragged into such fights, but who knows once you get older. In my opinion, I think it might be the guilds pulling the strings behind the scenes.”

“Are you saying Academy students are being used in Guild conflicts?”

“That’s what I think. In the end, adventurers have always been a bit sketchy, both then and now. The difference now is that they’re somewhat feared instead of being looked down upon.”

Despite not being very old, the courier kept talking about the ‘back then’ and ‘in the old days’. He was probably boasting in front of the young Ricardt, trying to act like an elder.

So Ricardt didn’t pay much attention to his words. Neither did he completely ignore them. He just took them as some tales of how the world worked.

“There must be a reason for it, whether it’s something absurd or significant.”

“Aren’t you afraid, young master?”

“Why? Do you want me to be scared?”

“No, but if it were me, I’d go back and beg the lord to send me to a monastery. Living as a monk isn’t so bad. On weekends, you can go to the village, have fun with innocent country girls, you don’t have to take responsibility even if they get pregnant, you drink, you don’t pay taxes, you don’t have to worry about the lord’s mood…”

“The monks I’ve seen weren’t like that.”

“Sorry to say, but Stormhertz is honestly a bit rural, right? People from the central region are stubborn and narrow-minded. Folks from the western regions are more passionate and open-minded. So you should go to a monastery in the western region.”

“Really? Is Stormhertz considered central?”

“More like south-central.”

“Do I seem stubborn and narrow-minded to you?”

“Hahaha, no, you’re still young, young master. Anyway, once I save enough money, I’m going to go west and open a winery.”

The courier had never actually been to the western regions. His work involved delivering letters around the central region.

He seemed to have developed a dream from the stories he heard—about open-minded beauties, delicious alcohol, good weather, and fertile lands.

It wasn’t bad, Ricardt thought. Whether a big dream, a modest dream, or a worldly dream, as long as it became his driving force to live.

“What’s your name? I can’t keep calling you ‘courier.’”

“Arno. They called me ‘Rabbit Foot’ when I was a kid because I’m good at running away. That’s why this job suits me. Did you know? Even couriers take oaths like knights.”

“What kind of oath?”

When Ricardt asked, Arno straightened his posture and solemnly recited,

“In the name of the Gods and the Emperor, I swear not to drink while on duty, I will not to harass people, I will deliver the mail no matter what happens, I will not to open the contents, and I will work honestly and faithfully. If I break this oath, I will become a criminal of the Empire and be condemned to hell after death.”

It might seem excessive to make a mere courier take such an oath, but it was true that this job couldn’t be done without trust.

That’s why nobles preferred to entrust letters to their retainers or trustworthy individuals rather than someone from the Imperial Guild Bureau.

However, it was clear that, unlike knights, there were no promises about combat. No vows of not retreating in the face of battle or pledging one’s life to uphold honor.

Still, it seemed there was some sense of professionalism.

Although they were just temporary companions, having walked together all day and now sharing the campfire at night, the two naturally grew closer.

Arno, having traveled around as a courier, had heard many stories and had much to share.

He also seemed to enjoy having someone to talk to. It had been a while since he had company on a lonely night.

The next morning, they extinguished the remnants of the campfire by stamping it out and set off on the road again, heading northeast over the mountain path.

Despite his young age, Ricardt followed without complaint, even though constant walking might have been tiring. This was because he had been running through forests and fields since childhood, even without separate physical training.

In the countryside where there weren’t many forms of entertainment, they often had running competitions, and since Ricardt’s opponents were always older boys, he had no choice but to constantly challenge his physical limits.

Even though he would be thoroughly exhausted by the end of the day, a night’s sleep would leave him completely refreshed and ready to run around again the next day.

However, regardless of his physical stamina, travel often brought unexpected challenges.

Arno, who often used shortcuts known only to a few during his delivery work, encountered a group of people where another mountain path began.

There were carriages and wagons stopped by the roadside, with people setting up tents and making a temporary camp around them.

There were people who looked like newlyweds, a large extended family with grandparents and grandchildren, merchants, and two armed guards. In total, there were about twenty people.

Seeing such a mix of people gathered in one place puzzled even Arno, who delivered letters for a living and found it strange. It wasn’t a place suitable for setting up a settlement.

They stared blankly at Arno and Ricardt passing by on the remote road.

“Hello, I’m a courier from the Imperial Guild Bureau. Are you holding a spring festival here?”

Arno approached the people and greeted them cheerfully, asking what they were doing here.

Despite his question, no one answered. An awkward silence followed, making Arno’s cheerful smile falter. Finally, a merchant sitting a bit away by a fire spoke.

“We’re waiting for someone.”

“Really? Must be someone important. Mind telling me who you’re waiting for?”

“We’re not waiting for anyone specific. Just trying to gather more people. We’ve waited for three whole days, and only a young man and a boy show up, it seems pointless.”

Arno exchanged glances with Ricardt standing beside him, then looked back at the merchant.

“Gathering people? Why?”

“The more people, the less likely bandits will dare to approach.”

“Bandits? Are there bandits around here?”

“Why else would I be stuck here? Every day is a loss.”

The merchant gestured with his chin to a spot nearby. There were several mounds of earth with crude wooden crosses sticking out. They were fresh graves.

While Arno hadn’t passed through this road for a while, thieves had become a problem.

Bandits and robbers were not rare. In times of hardship and harsh punishments, many chose the life of an outlaw.

“Should we go back?”

Ricardt asked.

“As you saw on the way here, young master, it’s a one-way road. If we turn back, we might not make it on time.”

The deadline to reach the Academy was the 14th. It was already a bit tight when they set out, but if they took a long detour, as Arno said, they might not be able to meet the deadline.

Moreover, Arno wasn’t taking him all the way to his destination. Ricardt would need to find another guide from Reinfurt onwards.

“If they’ve killed people, it means they’re desperate…”

Arno mumbled with a troubled expression. Just over this mountain pass was Reinfurt, practically within reach.

“It seems there are few caravans heading north, as it’s just the beginning of spring. Otherwise, merchants could have banded together to pass through. I don’t think there’s any point in waiting anymore.”

Ricardt spoke up. It was surprising how a child could know such things, but he was right.

The merchant seemed to share Ricardt’s thoughts. He had been waiting just in case, but with only Arno and Ricardt arriving, he couldn’t afford to delay any longer.

Waiting idly would only deplete their food supplies, and in trade, time and distance were money. Transporting goods over long distances in a short time was profitable, whereas taking too long even for short distances was a loss.

However, the merchant wasn’t too keen on risking his life alone, so he addressed the gathered people.

“You folks, you’ll be caught and killed by your lord if you go back anyway, so wouldn’t it be better to risk your lives where there’s a chance of survival?”

Though their exact stories were unknown, the people seemed to be fugitives rather than ordinary civilians.

“There are quite a few of us here already. Waiting any longer will just deplete your food supplies. Let’s make a decision now. I’ll take the lead.”

It was clear that the merchant intended to spread the risk and find a way to escape alone. However, everyone seemed to think the same way, so there was no need to consider the merchant cowardly.

In typical merchant fashion, he proposed a sort of negotiation, and the mention of ‘food supplies’ got people moving. They began dismantling their tents and preparing to leave.

However, there were only two armed men and about five or six adult males, including Arno.

“I’m not sure if it’s good luck or bad luck, but it seems we have no choice, Young Master Ricky.”

“Luck isn’t something you can only know by the results. It’s something you create.”

“Is that so? It would be nice if you could really create luck. I’d make a lot of it and become filthy rich from dice gambling. Stay close to me. I’ll try to create some luck.”

“Alright, thanks.”

Ricardt laughed at the absurdity of Arno’s comment about dice gambling, and the two of them mixed in with the group, heading up the mountain path.