Side Story 23. Mihail’s Past (2)

“It’s not inedible.”

Mihail briefly evaluated the taste after putting the scorpion dish in his mouth. Carlisle was sitting across from him at the table.

After spending time in the desert doing what could have been either undead extermination or training, the two returned inside the city walls.

The walls were crumbling in places, but they were better than having none at all.

Perhaps that was why.

Many people still lived together inside Sahar’s walls. Despite being a city reduced to ruins after several undead attacks, the large population gave it vitality. Though accompanied by a strange gloominess.

“This is quite a delicacy.”

Carlisle commented on his disciple’s cold taste assessment.

In times like these, eating proper food was an enormous luxury. One should be grateful just to fill their stomach and survive day by day. It was only in a place like Sahar that restaurants like this even existed.

“Sahar, the desert city protected by the Holy Knight Order. Quite a splendid reputation. That’s why businesses like this can operate.”

“What’s your point?”

Mihail asked indifferently as the introduction dragged on.

Although it had been attacked several times, everyone knew that Sahar was among the safer cities. The vice commander of the Holy Knight Order protecting this city certainly wouldn’t be unaware of this fact.

There must be a reason for stating the obvious like a sermon.

“Hmph. Your perceptiveness.”

Carlisle clicked his tongue, glancing at Mihail, then grabbed an entire scorpion and took a bite with brute force.

Mihail’s teal eyes lowered as he quietly observed.

Though his master might appear thoughtless at first glance, there was always a reason behind his actions.

Whether it was pushing his disciple among the durahans on the day he should have been celebrating his promotion to vice commander, or his desperation to draw in even more undead when there were already plenty, or bringing him to a restaurant at night to feed him something.

What could it be?

As Mihail prepared himself to hear anything, Carlisle swallowed the food he’d been chewing and gulped down water.

Thud.

The rough way he put down his cup seemed somewhat solemn.

“Mihail.”

“Yes, Master. Please speak.”

Carlisle looked at his excessively calm disciple with complicated eyes before letting out a quiet sigh. Then he parted his heavy lips.

“There seems to be no end to the undead.”

“Nothing new about that.”

“It’s not just Sahar.”

“Naturally, other places are struggling too.”

Mihail replied nonchalantly.

He had already made up his mind. Even if he were to die fighting the undead, he would simply accept this fate.

He had faith. Faith that God would someday grant peace to the human world again. Even if that gift-like event didn’t unfold in his lifetime, it would be enough if future generations could live properly as humans again.

As for himself……

It was enough to occasionally feel happiness while looking at the vast desert, the sunset over it, the sparkling river, and traces of people who had lived closely together throughout long history.

That was Mihail’s way of life. Like a treasure hunt where God had hidden treasures throughout the world.

“Word came from Elmon.”

At Carlisle’s continuing words, Mihail raised his downcast eyes. His master’s voice sounded unusual.

“They say high-ranking undead have appeared.”

“That doesn’t seem like surprising news.”

It was common these days. High-ranking undead appeared everywhere. Mihail himself had just killed over a thousand durahans.

“The imperial palace has fallen.”

“……!”

But the latter words couldn’t be ignored.

Mihail’s eyes wavered once.

“Death knights and durahans appeared in large numbers. There seems to have been liches too, but that’s just speculation.”

“……Wasn’t the imperial palace protected by a barrier?”

The Emperor and Empress were the center of the Empire.

No matter how chaotic the world became, governance remained necessary. The fact that they could fight against the undead to this extent was because there was a central axis.

Instead of answering, Carlisle shook his head as if expressing regret.

Barriers weren’t invincible. They break when encountering stronger forces. This meant the power of the undead attacking Elmon was tremendous.

Mihail could easily read from Carlisle’s expression that the Emperor and Empress had died. With a gloomy face, Carlisle continued.

“Elmon hasn’t completely fallen. They say the attack was concentrated on the imperial palace.”

“That’s strategic. Like an army receiving commands.”

Targeting the head.

It seemed like applying the human rule of defeating commanders to win wars.

Feeling uneasy, Mihail let out a complicated sigh.

“So what happens now? Will the Crown Prince ascend to the throne?”

“I suppose so. Though there won’t be a proper coronation ceremony.”

The Crown Prince was only seventeen. However, the young Enchanter who traveled across the continent calling for the extermination of the undead already seemed to be wearing a heavy crown.

Carlisle frowned one eye with a bitter expression. It was time to get to the point.

“The Empire has a new Emperor, and my young disciple, though only fifteen, has become vice commander.”

“What are you trying to say……”

“I think it’s time I also ride this new wind.”

“……”

Mihail quietly looked at his master. Somehow, a corner of his heart ached. He seemed to know what would come from Carlisle’s mouth without hearing it.

“The world is becoming increasingly harsh.”

“And so?”

“I’m going to divide the Holy Knight Order in two. One led by me, the other by you.”

“Was that written in the message from Elmon?”

“I’ll admit you’re sharp about one thing.”

For some reason, Carlisle cackled with laughter.

Though Mihail had always wanted to imitate his master, this time he couldn’t laugh along.

It was a farewell to the precious person who had reached out a saving hand to him in his youth, whom he called master but deep in his heart considered a father.

With the feeling of his heart being torn apart, Mihail put the rest of the scorpion dish in his mouth with a calm expression. It tasted terribly bad.

* * *

“Vice Commander, durahan forces have been detected.”

A holy knight who had used holy magic to scan underground reported in a serious tone. Mihail nodded as if accustomed and issued orders to the entire knight order in an unwavering voice.

“Everyone stand by.”

It meant to prepare to switch to attack mode at any moment.

It had already been half a year since Carlisle left Sahar. Mihail was filling that vacancy remarkably well.

As he always had.

The Holy Knight Order protects Sahar.

Saaaah……

A black wave began to surge over the spectacle of golden sand. How long ago had these corpses died—the durahan forces now filling his vision, numbering in the thousands?

The entire Holy Knight Order moved in perfect unison. As one knight bound dozens of creatures together in a single mass with chains of light, another knight swung a sword wrapped in mana fiercely.

Killing and k*lling again……

Mihail also jumped into the intense battlefield. It was always his role to cut down the most undead.

Carlisle’s final greeting seemed to linger among the sounds of cold blades cutting through the air.

<Keep guarding well. I’ll contact you.>

There had been no news since that casually delivered farewell.

Half a year had passed, but when would he make contact? He said he would travel throughout the continent, rushing to places where the knight order was needed, but where was he now?

Slash!

The bodies of three durahans were cleanly cut horizontally, like slicing through pudding.

Mihail moved continuously without rest, struggling to erase his thoughts. The surrounding area was quickly devastated.

“As expected of the vice commander.”

“To subjugate them so quickly……”

“And he didn’t even use enchant.”

Sounds of admiration could be heard around him.

In fact, Mihail knew.

That there would be no news like this.

It was natural. Carlisle would also be fiercely swinging his sword somewhere on the continent. Just as Mihail was doing now.

All he could do was believe that he was still alive and well today, just like any other day.

“That was simple.”

A cold energy lingered in his teal eyes.

Mihail briefly looked at the durahan forces that had turned to ashes before sheathing his sword. It was a clean movement without any excess.

Everything had been learned from Carlisle.

* * *

Having lived with those words drilled into his ears, he should put aside worrying about his master. Above all, since he himself was alive, Carlisle couldn’t possibly be dead.

Surely that was true, and yet……

Why did this cold wind blow through his heart?

Mihail tried to comfort himself that it was just anxiety from not being able to see him.

“We have successfully carried out the Commander’s orders again today. Good work.”

His voice praising the Holy Knight Order scattered in the dry wind.

Mihail quietly looked at the desert beginning to turn red before withdrawing the knight order.

And……

It was a year later when he finally heard news of Carlisle. Damnably, he had died fighting after encountering an unexpected large-scale undead force shortly after leaving Sahar.

Carlisle’s death.

Mihail’s refusal to accept the commander position for years because he couldn’t accept this was a matter for later.