Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 63: Reunion

The two began to ride their horses through the canyon.

“What about Shong?”

“He’s returning to the Grand Duke’s estate.”

Hinshan responded with a smile to Karon’s question. This prompted Karon to look at him with genuine interest for the first time.

“Returning?”

“Yes. Like you, he’s been away on training.”

“What kind of training?”

Karon asked, furrowing his brows slightly. He found it hard to believe that Shong, given his personality, would let anyone teach him anything. But he quickly dismissed the thought.

“Then again, I learned too.”

“He’s been learning the rapier. Since he often wears a cloak, it seems he chose a weapon that’s easier to handle and suited for surprise attacks like thrusting.”

“Sounds like him.”

Karon chuckled lightly, showing an expression rarely seen on his usually reserved face.

Noticing this, Hinshan looked at him with a hint of anticipation.

“Is that so? Then, what do you think of me?”

But Karon urged his horse forward, as if he’d said all he had to say.

“Still the same,” Hinshan thought, chasing after him without any hint of disappointment.

A short while later, they reached a fork in the canyon. Without hesitation, Karon took the left path, prompting a quick response from Hinshan.

“Oh! Sir Karon, that’s not the right way.”

“This way’s faster.”

“If you say so, then it must be. Let’s go!”

Hinshan followed Karon’s decision without further protest.

Though they’d only passed through this way once before, there was no doubt in his mind. He knew better than anyone about Karon’s exceptional memory.

As they went deeper into the canyon, it grew narrower and more rugged, making it hard to pick up speed.

Growing bored, Hinshan naturally rode his horse closer to Karon’s side.

“So, what did you think of my father?”

After a long pause, Karon finally spoke.

“I learned a lot from him.”

“Ha! Of course. From the letters I received, he praised you immensely.”

“It’s nothing compared to Rhodes.”

“Yes, my father truly is remarkable.”

Hinshan’s shoulders lifted with pride at Karon’s compliment. He preferred hearing good things about his father rather than about himself.

Karon wasn’t just flattering him; he wasn’t the type to offer empty praise. Over the year he spent learning swordsmanship from Rhodes, Karon had made remarkable progress—much to his own surprise. Without that training, he might not have even kept pace with the Blue Crow gang.

“But why does he live in such a remote place?”

Karon asked a question he had been curious about for a while. Though it often crossed his mind, he’d been hesitant to ask Rhodes directly.

Hinshan’s face stiffened slightly, his smile fading.

“It’s a long story. To put it simply, he fell out of favor with the emperor. Fortunately, the crown prince and the Grand Duke saved his life.”

“I see.”

Karon didn’t ask further. He figured there was a reason and didn’t feel the need to know the details.

Then, as he looked into the distance, he asked Hinshan,

“Is someone else coming?”

“Pardon? No, I came alone to escort you.”

Hinshan gave a puzzled look but soon scanned their surroundings carefully, understanding Karon’s intent.

All he could see was a quiet canyon, and even when he extended his senses, he felt nothing unusual.

Yet trusting Karon’s instincts, he quickly readied his bow, adopting a vigilant stance.

A moment later,

“Hm?”

Hinshan felt an increasing presence from up ahead. Though it wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful, it was orderly and well-trained, likely knights.

Then came the clanging of weapons and shouts, growing closer until people became visible.

Two men were frantically running, dodging arrows as they fled. One of them was limping severely.

“Get them!”

“Stop right there!”

Behind them, a group of knights was giving chase.

One knight in a red cloak closed in on them, leaped forward, and struck down with his sword.

Clang!

The lagging man barely managed to parry the blow but lost his balance and fell.

“Ugh!”

The knight aimed his sword again, and at the same time, the other man desperately thrust his own sword to protect his fallen companion.

“No!”

Clang!

They narrowly deflected the attack, but by then, the knights had surrounded them.

“Sir Karon, should we… huh?”

As Hinshan turned to ask, he realized Karon, who had been beside him moments ago, had disappeared.

Quickly scanning the knights, Hinshan spotted Karon rapidly closing in on them.

“This ends here!”

The knight in the red cloak raised his sword again, but he couldn’t bring it down.

A dark figure appeared from nowhere, a streak of light reflecting off the blade, momentarily blinding the knight in the sunlight.

“Ugh!”

The knight swiftly retreated, rolling back and getting his red cloak dusty.

Pointing his sword in anger, he shouted,

“Who are you?”

But the stranger only glanced around at the knights.

The two men on the ground could only stare in shock at Karon’s sudden appearance.

“Are you ignoring me?”

Thinking himself ignored, the knight’s face flushed with rage, and he lunged forward.

Whoosh—

Clang! Clang!

Amazingly, the knight’s attacks were completely deflected by his opponent’s sword, not even managing to make an impact.

Instead, the knight’s own sword was knocked back.

“What is this? It’s so solid, it doesn’t budge at all.”

With simple movements, the opponent rendered the knight’s attacks ineffective. The knight in the red cloak grew increasingly distracted and unfocused in his frustration. To the surrounding knights, it almost looked as though he were following a choreographed training sequence.

“He’s no ordinary foe! Surround him, everyone!”

The knight cautiously retreated—a wise move on his part. He was one of the best in his order, so finding himself struggling against this opponent meant his skills were truly exceptional.

At that moment, he took in his opponent’s appearance: a sturdy, muscular build, haircut clean, and a scar on his cheek. His hollow eyes, with a faint red gleam, were unreadable, sending chills down the knight’s spine.

“Everyone, stop!”

It was then that Hinshan boldly intervened, stepping between them.

“I am Baron Hinshan Altord, a direct member of Prince Merka de Agrofon’s personal guard. State your affiliations!”

He presented a golden eagle badge from his coat with pride.

“The emblem! For the glory of the Rob Empire!”

Recognizing the badge, the knight in the red cloak quickly knelt, placing his right hand over his heart. The rest of the knights followed suit, kneeling in unison. The golden eagle badge was a symbol held only by those who guarded the emperor or his family, commanding respect from all.

“We’re the 14th Order of Knights from Count Fillmore’s northern garrison. I’m Baron Johan, commander of the 14th Order.”

The commander introduced himself swiftly, prompting Hinshan to put away his badge and ask,

“What crime did these two commit to warrant such a chase?”

“These two scoundrels stole from Count Fillmore’s estate. We tracked them here as they tried to escape the count’s lands.”

A man with a black mustache quickly protested, stepping forward.

“That’s ridiculous! We didn’t do anything like that! Do you really think we don’t know this is a setup to cover up the crime?”

Just then, Karon silently stepped forward, positioning himself before the man.

He looked down at the man for a long time, studying him. The two men stared back in confusion, surprised by Karon’s sudden behavior.

Finally, Karon spoke, breaking the silence.

“It’s been a while, Utallo. Gletch.”

“Wh-who are you?”

Their eyes went wide with shock. Since escaping the gladiator arena, no one had recognized them.

It was hardly surprising. They had always fought in strange masks, forgotten as nameless gladiators who could have died at any moment.

Now, years later, someone recognized them in the northern territories rather than the south of the empire.

“You don’t remember me, huh? Well, Batiah didn’t recognize me either.”

The mention of Batiah made something click in Utallo’s mind. He studied Karon closely, his pupils shaking slightly before he cautiously spoke.

“Could it be… Karon?”

“What? Karon?”

Gletch gasped, his surprise evident.

“Yes,” Karon replied calmly, confirming their suspicions. Utallo clapped his hands in realization.

“That expressionless face, it’s definitely him, though I barely recognize him.”

“You’ve grown a lot.”

“So, you joined the Imperial Guard? What in the world happened?”

Momentarily forgetting their predicament, the two stared at Karon, marveling. They could hardly believe that the once frail Karon had grown into this formidable figure.

It was Karon who brought them back to reality.

“Is it true that you’ve been falsely accused?”

Utallo regained his composure.

“Of course! Our mercenary group was simply hired to transport goods.”

“Mercenary group?”

“Yes, something like that. We gathered the companions who escaped with us and formed a wandering mercenary band.”

Utallo responded with a rueful smile, his face reflecting memories of his comrades who had been lost in their escape from Palemon, and the rough journey he had taken since.

“There were only two of you?”

“The rest were caught. They’re probably in the count’s dungeon awaiting execution.”

Hinshan, who had been listening, spoke up.

“Sir Karon, are these acquaintances of yours?”

Karon nodded silently.

“Then why not go directly to Count Fillmore’s territory and investigate? Since it’s on the way to the capital, it won’t delay us much.”

Hinshan asked politely, smiling lightly.

The knights who remained kneeling had one thought in common as they watched the scene.

“Who exactly is this man, so respectfully treated by an Imperial Guard member?”

Utallo and Gletch shared the same thought.

“How does Karon travel with the Imperial Guard and even receive their respect?”

But Karon accepted Hinshan’s deference without hesitation.

“Let’s do that.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hinshan bowed lightly, then addressed the knights.

“We’ll investigate the charges against these two ourselves. To get to the bottom of the incident, we’re headed to Count Fillmore’s estate. Lead the way, 14th Order.”

Commander Johan hesitated briefly but soon nodded in resolution. Although the golden eagle badge was a powerful symbol, he still wasn’t fully convinced. However, he had nothing to lose by escorting the suspects along.

“Understood, Baron. For the glory of the Rob Empire!”

Commander Johan saluted and stood, rallying his subordinates.

“All units, return to Count Fillmore’s estate!”

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