The Warrior’s Ballad

Translator: Willia

The task of collecting money from the Merchants’ Guild on behalf of the Stonemasons’ Guild had established Ricardt's presence throughout Ernburg. Furthermore, it had created a promotional effect for the Beringen Guild Branch.

People naturally began to recognize that entrusting requests to the Beringen Guild Branch meant they would be fulfilled reliably. As a result, the guild branch was able to secure its position in the city almost immediately.

Although unintentional, Ricardt's actions also mediated between the two major factions of the city, the Stonemasons’ Guild and the Merchants’ Guild. The guild branch effectively played the role of balancing the scales between them.

Moreover, thanks to Volka and his friends' efforts, they were able to quickly become friendly with the surrounding merchants.

They were now able to receive a steady supply of food, various travel goods, and combat equipment. For the merchants, having a stable business partner was also a good thing, creating mutual benefits for both sides.

Now, there was only one thing left to truly settle in this place: time.

Over the years, as children grow, lovers become married couples, give birth to children, and raise them while aging together, the Viola Clan would naturally blend into this place.

When Volka and Delphi married and had children, it was possible that one day, their child would hear stories like this.

A long time ago, there was a terrible band of five villains here, but my friend defeated them.

Ernburg was structured with a paved uphill road running straight through the center, with side roads branching off like twigs here and there.

The Ern Mountain had been artificially cut and layered into terraces, creating spaces where buildings were constructed. The entire mountain resembled one large complex.

At the very top of Ern Mountain stood a very small castle that had been built long ago. It was almost too modest to even be called a castle, but a few buildings surrounded it, forming the core of the area.

From the summit, one could look down at the entire Main River area. The Stonemasons’ Guild members and their families had returned to their livelihoods, and the Merchants’ Guild’s ships finally sailed along the Main River.

At first, the merchant ships rowed with oars, but as soon as the wind became favorable and the sails were unfurled, they sped away in no time.

At one corner of the Ern Mountain summit, Ricardt, without a cloak and carrying only a single dagger, gazed at the slowly but swiftly moving ships.

In one spot on the river, sunlight shimmered as it fragmented into tiny sparkles. The cool breeze blowing from the river tousled Ricardt's hair.

“Hey? Ricky oppa is slacking off.”

A youthful voice rang out behind Ricardt as he admired the tranquil view of the river. When he turned around, he saw Benibeni, the daughter of Beni from the grocery store. (TL Note: I previously translated Beni as Benny.)

The repetition of names often happened when parents passed on their own names directly to their children. When the parents passed away, one part of the name would be dropped, leaving just the name.

Benibeni, a six- or seven-year-old girl, often wandered around the Adventurer’s building, pretending to help but mostly annoying the adults. Still, everyone found her adorable. Of course, anyone could tell she came there just to see Ice.

“I’m not slacking off. I’m just taking a break.”

“My mom says that daytime hours are golden hours. So if you slack off, you’re throwing away gold.”

“I told you, I’m not slacking.”

“But other people are working, though. Uncle Volka was looking for you!”

“Agh, seriously.”

Ricardt, as usual, tried to avoid the bothersome Benibeni and took the back path down the mountain.

The back path wasn’t really a proper road, it was more like a trail that had formed from people casually walking that way.

The slope was steep and somewhat dangerous, but it was certainly faster to go down that way.

“Don’t follow me, you’ll get hurt.”

“Ricky oppa is running away! Marie unnieeee!”

Benibeni shouted from the top of the mountain. Ignoring her, Ricardt quickly disappeared into the wooded area. He then walked along the riverbank.

Near the blacksmith's forge, the sound of the waterwheel creaking as it turned and the rhythmic hammering of metal reached his ears.

After passing the forge and turning around the mountain's edge, Ricardt arrived at the Stonemasons’ Guild’s worksite. It was a semi-indoor space, with just a roof and no walls.

The area was filled with stones of various sizes, along with several unfinished or partially completed sculptures scattered around. Most of them seemed to still be works in progress or abandoned mid-creation.

Mason stood on a platform, chiseling away at a marble sculpture as tall as a person. With careful precision, he tapped the chisel lightly with his hammer, shaping the stone bit by bit.

Though still far from completion, the emerging form hinted at life being breathed into what was once a meaningless stone. Ricardt watched the process absentmindedly.

It was only after some time that Mason noticed Ricardt’s presence. Though he hadn’t been sweating much, Mason wiped his forehead and spoke.

"What is it? If you're here, say something."

“I was just watching. What are you making?”

When Ricardt asked, Mason just laughed, 'Heh.'

"Who knows."

Not wanting to interrupt his work, Ricardt left him alone. Since the workshop was quite spacious, he wandered around at a leisurely pace, observing the unfinished works scattered about as though on display.

Eventually, in one corner, a worn-out book caught his eye. Thinking it might be a blueprint or something similar, he picked it up without much thought. To his surprise, the title was written in ancient script:

<The Sword Master’s Threshold>

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t exactly a 'book'. Rather, it was a collection of long parchment sheets folded into uniform sizes and tied together with a string.

The contents were meant to be read by untying the string and unfolding the pages one by one. Without much hesitation, Ricardt untied it.

<While the mana of mages and warriors shares the same origin, just as a baby in its mother's womb divides into male or female, the nature of mana becomes completely different depending on how one first approaches it when they first sense it. This cannot be changed.

Thus, only those who walk the path of the warrior can become Sword Masters, and the radiant sword of a Sword Master is fundamentally different in nature and quality from the enchantment magic used by magicians.

A Sword Master is defined as one who infuses their weapon with mana, drawing out the weapon’s innate properties to their extreme.

The weapon's cutting power and strength increase dramatically, enabling it to cut through even the strongest armor in a single stroke. Therefore, those who have reached the level of Sword Master find it difficult to find worthy opponents.

However, while the definition of a Sword Master is clear, the path to becoming one is abstruse, complex, and unpredictable, making it difficult to define.

Many esteemed swordsmanship families guard their secret techniques closely, making it difficult to gather information. Additionally, Sword Masters occasionally emerge from obscure backgrounds, complicating efforts to establish a unified understanding.

Many warriors falter at the threshold of becoming a Sword Master. Some say the potential to become one is determined at birth, while others believe it is a result of extreme talent and effort reaching their peak. But neither claim is definitive.

Here, I propose a different perspective. Speculating about the unknown is meaningless; instead, we should clarify what is certain.

First, there is undoubtedly a threshold that must be crossed to become a Sword Master.

Whether this requires innate potential, talent, or sheer effort is unclear. But what if we focused solely on crossing that threshold?

From this premise, I discovered one clue: a training method practiced by the Order of Void.

......

Therefore, to cross the boundary, one must pay a price. A sacrifice must be made. That price, that sacrifice, is a part of one's humanity.

Although much research remains to be done, I am certain of this.

……>

Ricardt skimmed through the middle sections of the text. For some reason, the book felt unsettling and eerie, sending a shiver down his spine. It exuded a sense of madness and obsession.

However, it didn’t provide a clear explanation of how one could actually cross the threshold to become a Sword Master.

The author seemed convinced that some sort of religious ritual was necessary, something that required carving out a part of the human psyche.

But was it truly necessary to go that far to become a Sword Master? Ricardt couldn’t understand it.

Still, Ricardt managed to take away one key realization from the book. The path to becoming a Sword Master had two approaches. One was the proper way, adhering to a moral path. The other was the method the book's author seemed to embrace, a path where as long as one achieves the goal, the means don’t matter.

“Ricky, can you read that?”

Mason’s voice came from behind as he passed by.

“Yes, I’ve studied ancient script before.”

“Really? Then take it. It’s yours now.”

“Huh? Are you sure that’s okay?”

“To be honest, I’ve been swindled more times than I can count. This time, the amount just happened to be bigger. That book? I picked it up last time after building a chapel for some baron’s family. They were short on payment, so I just took the book. But you can’t exactly sell something no one can read, right?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Ricardt looked down at the folded book again. The title, <The Sword Master’s Threshold>, now appeared in a different light.

In truth, it could also be considered a Codex. Any book written in ancient times was generally referred to as a codex.

While this particular text didn’t contain groundbreaking knowledge, it undeniably conveyed something dangerous yet intriguing.

Though it probably wouldn’t be of much use, Ricardt decided to take it since Mason was giving it away.

“Thanks.”

Afterward, he left the workshop and took a leisurely walk along the outskirts of Ernburg. By late afternoon, he began climbing the central uphill road.

When he arrived at the guild building, it was already bustling. Adventurers were coming and going, and merchants could be seen delivering groceries and other necessities.

Some people came by to make requests, while others, locals, sat outside the building chatting casually with each other.

As Ricardt appeared, several people greeted him from all around.

“Hey.”

“Volka was looking for you, Ricky.”

Though people respected him during battles, Ricardt’s casual attitude made others feel comfortable approaching him during normal times.

Ricardt replied with just a wave or a nod as he made his way into the building. Inside, adventurers were resting by the tables or near the fireplace.

“Ricky.”

As soon as he entered, someone called out to him. It was Delphi, who was carrying food.

“I told you, why not hire a server.”

"Hey, employing people costs the most money."

“Why not just hire Benibeni?”

"She's too young. We sometimes get severed heads coming in. And injured people too."

“Anything I can help with?”

"You've gotten better at empty words lately?"

Delphi laughed as she turned back to her work. To be honest, Ricardt did have a reputation for slacking off. Even back at the academy, he’d skipped classes more often than not.

Ricardt smiled back and then headed toward Volka’s private room, which also served as his office. Apparently, Volka was looking for him.

“Volka, you were looking for me?”

Volka was seated at his desk, sorting through paperwork and calculating money. Stacks of silver and copper coins lay on the desk, with a few gold coins scattered here and there.

Boribori and Marie were assisting him, organizing documents and helping out here and there.

“Aish, can’t you help me out a little? At this rate, I'll die doing just this my whole life."

Counting money wasn’t hard, but ensuring that payments were sent and received accurately required constant attention and review.

“The more you count money, the faster you get at it. You’re just slow at math.”

Ricardt’s sharp eye for numbers and near-superhuman calculation skills made him incredibly helpful when he chose to assist, but he rarely did. It was simply too much of a hassle for him.

"Never mind that, Dunkel just sent word. The negotiations are about to start.”

“What negotiations?”

“End-of-war negotiations.”

Ricardt had initially assumed there would be frequent fighting, given that this area was considered the frontlines. However, that hadn’t been the case. It wasn’t clear whether the enemy avoided attacking out of fear of Ricardt, or if they simply lacked the resources to mount an offensive.

Moreover, it wasn’t easy for a single adventurers’ guild to pour manpower across the entire Siegfringer region.

Rather than wasting money and lives on endless conflict, negotiating peace wasn’t a bad option. Still, negotiations weren’t something that could be resolved in a day or two, they were essentially another form of warfare.

However, in this particular type of war, there was little for Ricardt to do.

There was a bit of an anticlimactic feeling, but it was ultimately a good thing. After all, the best reward you could give to weary soldiers was the end of the war.

"So, speaking of which, shouldn't you, Bori, and Marie go back to the academy?"

"Do we really need to?"

“You have to graduate. That’s the only way to officially walk the path of an adventurer. It’s the minimum requirement, even if the system is run rather haphazardly.”

“Is that so?”

“It is. At the earliest, someone might come to pick you up by early fall. You should head back ahead of time. You’ve done well, and thank you.”

At Volka’s words of gratitude, Ricardt responded with a smile. Then, sitting on the bed, he turned to the busy Boribori and Marie and asked,

“What about you two?”

“Us? What about us? We’ve already packed everything.”

Marie replied.

Busy with their work, it seemed she didn’t even have the time to feel sentimental. After all, they were just starting to settle into this place and build things up.

But with graduation just around the corner, they could return here soon enough. Perhaps Ricardt was the only one indulging in unnecessary sentimentality.

"But what's that?"

Boribori asked, looking at the codex in Ricardt’s hands.

“Oh, this? Uncle Mason gave it to me. Said I could just take it."

“Really? Can I take a look?”

"...I mean, there's no reason you can't, but it's kind of an unsettling book."

"What's it about?"

"It rambles on about how you have to abandon your humanity to become a Sword Master, stuff like that."

“Then I won't read it.”

Boribori replied instantly without a second glance.

None of them, except Ice, were aiming to become Sword Masters, so Boribori didn’t seem particularly interested.

For now, Ricardt headed to his room to pack his belongings. He placed the codex in his bag, pausing briefly to stare at the old, faded book.

He thought back to his goal when he first entered the Academy. It was to find out whether the war from over a hundred years ago had been worth fighting, whether the war’s supposed reason, the codexes, were truly worth it, and what the codexes actually were.

That was why he had learned ancient script in the first place. However, although he hadn’t read every codex, if they all contained content like this one, it was a bit disappointing.

Still, it was hard to say whether that war had truly been worth it. If not for the war, or the codexes, the Adventurer Academy wouldn’t have been founded.

The children who had suffered for years in that henhouse-like place were pitiable, but on the other hand, if not for that henhouse, he wouldn’t have met the friends he had now.

So, the question of whether the war was worth fighting wasn’t one he could answer lightly.

Either way, Ricardt finished packing his things. He spent a few more days at the guild branch, helping Volka with his work and giving him some breathing room.

By the time Volka’s excessive workload had eased a little, Ricardt left for the east with Boribori and Marie, to return to the Academy.

Just as the cool river breeze pushed the sails forward, their steps on the way back felt light and unburdened.