Paladin of a Fallen Order (Novel) - Chapter 86 - Rombel

Chapter 86 – Rombel

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Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Seeing Elbridge and Rombel’s reactions, Sonya regained her confidence.

“How about it? Now you feel like you should help me, don’t you?”

However, Elbridge did not give the answer Sonya wanted to hear.

“No.”

“Why on earth?”

“Sonya. I asked you for your purpose. But your answer is still missing a purpose. Both yours and your father’s, Viscount Dickens’s.”

Elbridge tapped his finger on the floor.

“The first thing I want to ask you is the reason why Viscount Dickens collected the demon nuclei.”

Heinz and Walter were flustered. Only now did the two of them realize that the orbs Sonya spoke of were actually demon nuclei.

Sonya laughed a bit awkwardly.

“I’ve heard that when men get older, they develop a girlish side in their hearts… Maybe my dad just wanted to collect pretty things?”

“Haha!”

Even though it was a trivial joke, Rombel laughed. He seemed slightly more excited than usual.

However, the others did not react to Sonya’s joke. In particular, Vice Archbishop Heinz’s reaction felt chilling.

“Miss Sonya. This is not a matter to be passed off as a joke.”

“I know that. But how am I supposed to know what’s in my dad’s head? I only found out what those orbs were after going to the Mage Tower… No, even after entering the Mage Tower, a long time had passed before I knew.”

Sonya Dickens looked quite wronged.

In fact, it would have been even stranger if Sonya had known Viscount Dickens’s thoughts.

For in this world, there were secrets that could not be shared even with one’s own flesh and blood.

However, there was a guess to be made.

Most of those who broke the seal of a demon harbored similar goals. For instance, the vain belief that the demon would bestow power or wealth and glory.

It was unlikely that Viscount Dickens was much different.

‘The Viscount must have wanted the demon’s power. Since it is hard to find a trustworthy mage who can handle the seal, he probably sent his daughter to study at the Central Mage Tower.’

Sonya’s situation also roughly fit this. The only discrepancy was that the accident had occurred before Sonya could return.

Elbridge threw out the next question.

“Alright. Let’s move on to the next question. Sonya. What are you trying to do here?”

“What else would I do? My dad caused the worst accident in the history of the continent. If I can’t clean up the mess here, I’ll die. Isn’t that right, Priest?”

The story that began in response to Elbridge’s question ended with a question directed at Heinz. Sonya’s gaze was also fixed on Heinz.

Heinz was wearing the priestly robes of the Golden Platter Order. And anyone with a bit of keen observation could tell that Heinz was a high-ranking priest.

The reason Sonya paid attention to Heinz was probably because she had roughly guessed his status.

For Heinz was someone who could return to the order and, with his mere words, send Sonya to the stake.

‘The power of a giant religious order, and the power of collective guilt.’

Many conflicting opinions existed regarding whether collective guilt was right.

However, there was little disagreement on one premise: there were few deterrents as effective as collective guilt.

Heinz replied to Sonya’s question.

“Yes. It’s better than doing nothing.”

If Sonya stood idly by, she would die. And the time given to Sonya was not long.

What Sonya had to prove in the meantime was not her innocence. She had to prove her value and usefulness.

“You guys are planning to go into the lord’s castle, right?”

“Correct.”

Sonya had no choices. Therefore, she demanded desperately, yet confidently:

“I don’t want to die on the burning pyre. And I can be of help to you. Isn’t that reason enough for you and me to cooperate?”

The answer came from Rombel.

“Of course, it is more than enough.”

*

After the conversation ended, Elbridge walked outside. Marcus and Rombel also moved together with him.

The three of them briefly warmed up in a spot slightly further away.

And then, Marcus pointed his sword at Elbridge.

“Here I come.”

Elbridge nodded. Marcus rushed at Elbridge and swung his sword.

Marcus’s sword gleamed as it caught the faint moonlight.

‘It was a mess at first, but now it looks quite decent.’

Half of it was thanks to his physical abilities improving as divine power accumulated. But the other half was purely due to Marcus’s skills improving.

Clack, tap-tap.

Elbridge stepped forward, swinging his scabbard to deflect Marcus’s sword. The sword and the scabbard tangled a few times.

In the past, it would have been difficult to clash swords even twice. But now, Marcus responded well to basic moves. Sometimes, he launched his own attacks, aiming for Elbridge’s openings.

Marcus came to Elbridge almost every day to learn the sword. This was true during the journey, and it was the same when they stayed in Solenion.

And this sparring was also of great help to Elbridge.

Elbridge’s swordsmanship was excessively practical. And Marcus was even more so. For Marcus had never learned swordsmanship from anyone else, surviving by relying on a haphazard style he had figured out on his own.

To teach swordsmanship to Marcus, who had absolutely no foundation, Elbridge was able to look back on the basics of the sword he had learned a long time ago.

‘The basics always leave new realizations. There is definitely a reason why it came to be called the basics.’

Marcus seemed to retreat, but then twisted his balance and aimed for Elbridge’s armpit. Elbridge easily caught the attack using his shield.

“Why don’t you try learning shieldwork as well? I think you would learn it well.”

“Handling a single sword is already overwhelming, so what shield…”

Elbridge approached Marcus and swung his scabbard.

Clack.

Marcus’s sword stably caught Elbridge’s scabbard. But in the next instant, Marcus lost his balance and tumbled over. Thud.

Marcus looked down. Before he knew it, Elbridge’s foot was touching his leg. His shin stung.

“That happens because you are only focusing on what’s in front of you. Didn’t I tell you to always pay attention to what’s happening outside your field of vision?”

“I know that, but it’s just not working well yet. Damn it.”

His voice was filled with genuine frustration.

Marcus was always like that. He knew very well that he could not win against Elbridge, and he accepted defeat as a matter of course.

However, if he failed to achieve what he was capable of, he got angry at himself.

That was also the reason why Elbridge still taught Marcus.

If the student’s skills do not improve well or if they lack sincerity, the teacher is bound to lose interest as well.

But Marcus accepted the teachings well and was serious at every moment.

“You have improved a lot to reach this level.”

“It feels strange to hear that when I’m getting beaten up and knocked down every day.”

Elbridge laughed. Elbridge knew better than anyone else that in such a situation, no words could offer consolation.

“Still, it’s good to see you working hard.”

“Since the opportunity came, I have to work hard.”

Marcus said as he got up from his spot.

“Once you grasp an opportunity, you have to hold onto it somehow and stuff it into your pocket. Then, someday, the chance to pull it out and use it will come.”

It was a story that could only be told by someone who had missed opportunities many times.

It was fortunate, if one could call it that. Thanks to that, Marcus did not miss the opportunity that had finally arrived late in his life.

“Is it my turn now?”

Rombel approached.

Rombel held the giant axe in one arm, bounced lightly on the spot a couple of times, and then suddenly lowered his posture and kicked off the ground.

Dash—

It was the explosive elasticity unique to dwarves.

Elbridge’s expression also grew serious. While his sparring with Marcus was a guided match to provide instruction, his sparring with Rombel was close to an actual battle.

Wooosh—

An axe heavier than the weight of an average person was swung, clashing against Elbridge’s shield.

Clang—

Elbridge lowered his stance, but his feet were pushed back slightly.

Rombel was not someone to be taken lightly. Rombel was a fellow who had survived and won countless battles against demons without even relying on a god’s divine authority. His physical strength and talent were superior to most paladins.

Screeeeech—

Elbridge spoke as he pushed Rombel back with his shield.

“You probably shouldn’t show too much goodwill toward Sonya.”

Sparring was a time to compose oneself and maintain one’s senses. However, it was also a time for the two, or three, of them to converse.

Rombel used centrifugal force to swing his axe again and asked back.

“Why?”

Elbridge lowered his posture to avoid Rombel’s axe. He had clearly dodged it, but a chill ran down the back of his neck for no reason.

“You don’t even have an order you belong to. If you invite misunderstanding from the Golden Platter Order, you will find yourself in a difficult position.”

“Just not hugging her is keeping enough distance. How many kids in the world are that admirable?”

The shield and the axe clashed once more. Boom!

“Admirable? Was her attempt to atone for her father’s sins really that admirable?”

“That is also true. But you know what? Actually, I even adore Viscount Dickens to pieces. Even though I have never even seen his face.”

When Elbridge thrust his sword, Rombel leaped back lightly and dodged the attack.

Displaying movement that was surprisingly agile despite looking sluggish was a characteristic of dwarves.

“Viscount Dickens?”

“Yeah. If he were close by, I would have even given him a kiss.”

Elbridge lowered his sword. Rombel also lowered his axe to the ground.

“Elbridge. In the past, I fought for the exact same reason as you. I fought because we had to fight demons, and because I believed it was the right thing to do. But it’s different now. As you know, my goal is to become a god.”

Rombel plopped down next to his axe.

“Do you know what I feared most during the two hundred years you were sealed?”

“Old age?”

Rombel laughed.

“Similar. What I feared most was that time was passing, yet I couldn’t see any opportunity to ascend to heaven. Since I am around three hundred years old now, my remaining lifespan is barely a hundred years. Out of that, the period I can actively move with vigor is only thirty or forty years at best.”

Elbridge recalled the Rombel of the past. A young dwarf barely a hundred years old.

But now, half of that dwarf’s hair was white.

“Every single day, my head felt like it was going to burst. But then you appeared. Saying that the Great Demon’s seal was broken! At first, I was flustered. But when I lay down in bed that night… I felt excited.”

Rombel smiled, looking genuinely happy. Both Elbridge and Marcus listened to Rombel’s story.

“I may be the number one blacksmith in the East Mage Tower, but there are many blacksmiths in Barkuntol who are better than me. Several of them have left behind masterpieces that will go down in history. The only thing I am better at than other dwarves is wielding an axe.”

“Hmm. At least your self-reflection is in order.”

“Of course. Since that was all I had to do for two hundred years, there’s no way I wouldn’t know.”

Rombel lightly ran his finger along the blade of the axe.

The blade of the giant axe was sharpened as keen as a razor. A tiny drop of blood welled up on Rombel’s hand.

“The only way for me to ascend to heaven is this axe. But ironically, there was no opportunity to wield it. My life, and my dream of becoming a god, were melting away along with the waiting. But if Viscount Dickens broke your seal… then the one who created the opportunity for me to play an active role, the opportunity to ascend to heaven, is Viscount Dickens, isn’t it? There is no way I could bring myself to hate Dickens and Sonya.”

Elbridge realized the reason why Rombel had been exceptionally excited in front of Sonya.

To Rombel, Viscount Dickens was a benefactor, and Sonya was the benefactor’s daughter.

“You have changed a lot too, Rombel.”

“It was that long of a time, after all. You probably know better than anyone else just how long of a time it was.”

Rombel stood up and dusted off his pants.

“The reason for fighting and the goal have both changed from two hundred years ago. The only saving grace is that the direction we are moving in is the same as back then. No, maybe it isn’t. Even if it isn’t completely the same, it should be roughly similar…”

Being similar meant that it was not the same.

When people with different destinations become travel companions, even if they seem to walk in the same direction at first, the moment when they must part ways is bound to come eventually.

“What will happen when our paths diverge?”

“We’ll have to think about that when the time comes.”

Rombel lightly tapped Elbridge’s back and then disappeared along with Marcus.

A quiet night. Elbridge was quietly lost in thought.

– …

And Elbridge’s senses, fully heightened by the sparring, noticed that the Goddess of the Rusty Shield was watching him in silence.

Under the night sky, Elbridge offered a solemn prayer alone.

“Goddess. Changing day into night is no easy task, so you must get some sleep now, even if only a little.”

The Goddess of the Rusty Shield did not answer.

Instead, she very quietly withdrew her gaze from Elbridge, as if she had gone to bed a long time ago.