Future Knight

Chapter 65

* * *

The two people who left Mine Kingdom.

Kang Chan, who was looking at the vast Montana Mountain Range that stretched endlessly before them, sighed softly.

“Phew, we need to hurry.”

Having attained the rank of Sword Master, Kang Chan began descending the steep slope at a speed that was difficult for an ordinary person to follow.

Zikyon, who caught up to him with magic, quickly called out to Kang Chan.

“Hey! Can’t you slow down a bit?”

“We have a long way to go.”

Seeing Kang Chan, who was driven by revenge, Zikyon sighed.

“Phew… So, do you have a plan for where we’re going?”

“Plan?”

“Yes, I mean, where and how we’re going.”

“We’re heading to the front lines of the Helion Kingdom, where the battle is fiercest.”

“How are we going to get there?”

“By walking.”

“By walking all the way? Did you even check where the Helion Kingdom is?”

Of course, Kang Chan had checked.

“I did.”

“And you still want to walk there?”

Kang Chan was silent for a moment before speaking again.

“Isn’t there a way to use your magic to get there in one go?”

“No, it’s too far. Even magic can’t cover that distance.”

It was a lie, of course.

Zikyon could easily travel anywhere on the continent using teleportation magic.

But she deliberately lied to Kang Chan.

In her judgment, Kang Chan needed time to relax his mind right now.

She also wanted to enjoy a cozy journey alone with him.

Of course, Kang Chan knew that using her magic could get them there a bit faster.

They could have teleported in multiple steps or flown there.

However, Kang Chan did not force Zikyon to do such things.

He was simply grateful to have her by his side.

“Then let’s walk for a while and find a means of transportation when we reach a village.”

“Sure.”

The two descended the mountain in silence for some time.

How many meals and breaks had they taken?

By now, it was getting dark.

Despite having come so far down, they could not see the end of the mountain range.

When they had arrived at Mine Kingdom with the Elves a while ago, the portal was built in the middle of the mountain range, so they managed to reach Mine Kingdom in a day.

But the Montana Mountain Range that now stretched before them was so vast that it was frustrating.

Kang Chan took out the map and compass he got from the Dwarves, aligned the map to the north, and roughly estimated the direction they needed to go.

After checking the distance, Kang Chan sighed softly.

“Phew, at this rate, I don’t know when we’ll get there.”

As Kang Chan, feeling impatient, sighed in frustration, Zikyon spoke.

“Don’t be too hasty. Once we get down the mountain, we can find horses to travel much faster.”

“Horses?”

“You don’t know what horses are?”

Never having encountered a horse before, Kang Chan slowly nodded and said.

“I’ve never seen one, but can we travel faster with them?”

“Yes, they’re one of the most widely used means of transportation among humans here.”

“Then our first goal is to get out of this mountain range and find horses for transportation. According to the map, the closest village is here, so we’ll take the shortest route…”

“Pfft!”

When Kang Chan picked up a wooden stick that had fallen nearby and started explaining their future plan as if briefing a military operation, Zikyon couldn’t help but chuckle at his stiff demeanor.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Where did you learn that? It’s kind of a turn-off.”

“Turn-off?”

“Ah! Anyway, enough of the boring briefing, Captain. Let’s have our meal, shall we?”

Kang Chan suddenly put Zikyon in a headlock as she waved her hand dismissively.

“Gah!”

“Meals come after the briefing, soldier!”

“You’re too much, Captain!”

“Pfft! Ahahaha!”

As Kang Chan watched Zikyon smile brightly, he couldn’t help but smile as well.

“So, what should we eat on our first night?”

Suddenly, Kang Chan had a craving for a proper meal. During the day, they had moved quickly, subsisting on jerky.

“You decide, Captain.”

“If you keep calling me Captain, we’ll be having pills for dinner.”

At the mention of pills, Zikyon’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s, and she recoiled in horror.

“Gasp! You brought those? You’re a scary guy.”

Zikyon had an intense dislike for pills.

“There’s nothing better in an emergency.”

“I’d rather starve to death than eat those!”

“Alright, just wait a moment.”

Kang Chan opened the heavy food bag that Cracksion had packed for them to decide on the menu.

“We should eat the perishables first, right? Let’s see what’s inside. Cheese, ham, bread, smoked sausage, flour, jerky, salt…”

While Kang Chan checked the contents of the heavy food bag, Zikyon pulled a bottle of wine and glasses from a small space and took a sip.

Kang Chan’s expression hardened as dry and stiff as jerky as he watched her.

“……”

“What? Do you want some?”

“What is that?”

“Can’t you tell? It’s wine.”

“No, I mean, where did you get that wine from?”

“I teleported it from my lair.”

“……”

Kang Chan silently looked down at his large backpack. It was filled with all sorts of supplies and food necessary for the journey, making it heavy for an ordinary person to carry.

However, for Kang Chan, who had reached the rank of Sword Master, the weight wasn’t too much. Still, it was cumbersome while traveling.

He had even carried all of Zikyon’s luggage, thinking of her.

And yet, she had such an innovative storage method and had kept it to herself…

Anger flashed in Kang Chan’s eyes.

“You had such a method and just watched? I’m going to kill you!”

Kang Chan pounced on Zikyon, pinning her down.

“Kyaa! When did you ever ask me for help? Don’t blame an innocent person!”

“How was I supposed to know you had such a method! You pretended not to know on purpose, didn’t you?”

With a mocking smile, Zikyon spoke.

“Depending on others doesn’t look good on you.”

“Say you’re dead…”

Kang Chan knew very well that Zikyon was extremely ticklish, so he started tickling her without mercy.

“Ahaha! Stop! Ahaha! Okay! Okay! I’ll put it away! I’ll put it away!”

“Too late!”

“Ahaha! Spare me! Ahaha! Stop! Stop!”

The sight of a man and woman rolling together in the quiet forest could easily be misunderstood, but they were just friends transcending their races.

* * *

By tying a rope between two trees and hanging a blanket over it, then securing both ends with stones, a makeshift tent was completed.

Though it looked shabby, it was sturdy enough to keep out the morning dew.

Once the tent was finished, Kang Chan began preparing to light a campfire and called out to Zikyon, who was doing nothing.

“Hey! Gather some firewood.”

“I’m too lazy.”

“Stop lazing around and help out.”

“Why bother with firewood? Campfire!”

With a wave of Zikyon’s hand, a small magical flame flared up in the stone circle that Kang Chan had made for the fire.

It was a travel spell Zikyon had created.

“Oh! That’s pretty handy.”

Kang Chan looked at the magical campfire with curiosity and set up a field cooking device over it.

Thanks to his experience living a carnivorous life with Jaina in the Elven forest, he had developed impressive cooking skills.

In no time, he finished preparing the meal and handed a portion to Zikyon.

“Enjoy.”

“Thanks.”

Kang Chan split a piece of bread, stuffed it with smoked sausage and cheese, and was about to take a big bite.

Just then, Zikyon stopped him.

“Wait!”

“Why?”

“How filthy. Wash up first.”

“Where is there a place to wash around here?”

“I’ll wash you.”

“What did you say?”

“Clean.”

When Zikyon cast the Clean spell on Kang Chan, who had a baffled expression, radiant mana swept over his body.

Once the spell ended, Kang Chan looked as fresh as if he had just stepped out of the shower.

The sweat and dust that had covered his body all day vanished in an instant.

“……”

As Kang Chan slowly inspected his body, he realized that not only his body but also his clothes had become as clean as if they had been boiled and scrubbed.

“This is amazing. How can it be this clean?”

“It’s all thanks to the great magic of this body. Clean.”

When Zikyon cast the Clean spell on herself, she too transformed into a neat appearance, as if she had just finished a shower.

“Now, let’s eat.”

“Sure, enjoy your meal.”

“You too.”

The meal they had outdoors was truly delicious.

After finishing their meal as quickly as it takes a crab to blink, they took out some wine, chatted about various things, and then went to bed.

However, inside the tent, Zikyon suddenly hugged Kang Chan’s arm, startling him.

“Hey, don’t lean on me!”

“I’m cold. Just stay still.”

“……”

Zikyon clung to Kang Chan’s arm, resting her head on his shoulder, and soon fell asleep, breathing softly. Kang Chan sighed and tried hard to fall asleep.

But sleep wouldn’t come, and only physical turmoil continuously arose, tormenting Kang Chan.

‘This guy is a man. This guy is not human. This guy is a man……’

No matter how much he tried to convince himself, he couldn’t do anything about the soft sensation of Zikyon’s skin against his arm.

Carefully, Kang Chan pulled his arm away from Zikyon, got out of the tent, and sat by the campfire. He then let out a deep sigh.

‘Sorry, Jaina. I’m such a pathetic guy, right?’

With a bitter smile, Kang Chan decided to give up on sleep and practice mana training instead.

Even though it was spring, the early morning air was quite chilly. But as he slowly began to draw and circulate his mana, a warm heat spread throughout his body, driving away the cold.

As he carefully circulated his mana, he noticed a small movement in the corner of his vision.

“……?”

Kang Chan quickly halted his mana training.

‘Who is it? Could it be a Dark Elf?’

The only beings capable of approaching him this closely without being detected by a Sword Master were the Dark Elves.

Kang Chan silently drew the mithril dagger he had received as a graduation token from his master, ready to confront the uninvited guest.

In the dark forest, under the fire lit by magic, an intense tension filled the air.

Fixing his gaze on a spot in the forest, Kang Chan spoke menacingly.

“Why don’t you come out now?”

“……”

When Kang Chan shouted while staring precisely at the place where the intruder was hiding, the intruder had no choice but to reveal themselves in front of him. As the intruder emerged, Kang Chan’s expression shifted from cold to puzzled.

“No, you are?”

“……”

The intruder was a woman Kang Chan knew well.

“I’m sorry, Kang Chan… for showing up so suddenly.”

“How did you get here?”

The intruder was Erika.

Kang Chan looked over her appearance.

Wearing the rail gun and ammo belt he had given her, along with a small backpack and a cloak, she looked every bit the traveler.

“That outfit, could it be?”

Erika suddenly knelt in front of Kang Chan and pleaded.

“Kang Chan, please take me with you.”

Kang Chan lifted her up and tried to dissuade her.