"Wirt, step back. You're not his opponent."
"Father?"
"You are already an excellent warrior. But this man, at least for now, he's not someone you can handle," Orden gently shook his head, stopping his son's reckless move. Then he turned to look at Ash, his voice tight as a drawn bowstring as he questioned him, "Why aren't you staying in the Kingdom of Oisast? What are you doing in my territory?"
"I'm just traveling. By the way, are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"
"So you really don't remember? Then let me help you recall. Thirteen years ago, near the magical city at the Kagel Pass on the border of the Kingdom of Oisast. When Oisast was using monsters in battle, I was about to kill a Rockwall Dragon when you suddenly appeared and took my eye with a single strike."
In a low voice, Orden spoke of that unbearable border conflict. He stared at Ash and gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist so tightly he nearly gave in to the urge to avenge that slash.
But no matter how unwilling he felt, he still held back.
Because he knew too well that Ash was not like a normal adventurer. He even seemed to be a high-ranking figure in an enemy nation. He would not care that Orden was a noble.
If they really fought, there would be no mercy. And none of his people here would likely survive.
———
[Flashback]
In recent years, for some unknown reason, the demon clan had become more restrained. The number of conflicts between humans and demons had dropped to the lowest point in decades.
That should have been good news for the world. Yet it also led the kings of various nations to start eyeing each other.
Even during chaotic battles with the demon clan, they never stopped fighting among themselves. Now that demons were no longer interfering, that impulse naturally grew much stronger.
Border nobles at times like this had to take on the role of vanguard, or rather, no matter when or who the enemy was, if there was conflict, they were always the first line.
Wars between human nations were far too common. Orden had no moral struggle about it.
Thirteen years ago, once he received orders, he led his troops straight toward Kagel Pass at the border of the Kingdom of Oisast.
Several nations had already reached an agreement. To prevent Oisast from annexing them, they would strike first. Once war broke out, they would attack Oisast together.
His task was only to stir up a small conflict and pin down part of the enemy's main force. However, the development of events went far beyond his expectations. The Kingdom of Oisast directly declared a ten-kilometer radius outside Kagel Pass a buffer zone and forbade any armed forces from approaching.
"This is simply too much!"
Looking at the official document delivered to his table, which was basically ordering them to leave, Orden, who had originally intended to strike first himself, still slammed the table in anger at such arrogance.
So he decisively ordered the entire army to enter the buffer zone that Oisast had unilaterally drawn.
Of course, preparations for a siege were not complete. Because he had no intention of bearing the losses of storming a city. If his family's elite troops were lost here, other nobles back home would take advantage of it, maybe even swallow his territory whole.
Pressing an army to the border could show strength and also display a strong response. But, what happened next went far beyond what he expected.
In the dead of night, the gates of the enemy pass suddenly opened from the inside. Immediately after, a large group of knights and soldiers, along with a pack of monsters and several dragons, poured out like a swarm.
The soldiers of Vorig Territory were still in chaos, unprepared for battle. The leading cavalry combined with those monsters had already torn through their defensive line.
As one of the Three Great Knights, Orden rushed to the front the moment he woke from sleep and blocked a Rockwall Dragon that was slaughtering his men.
With his unmatched combat strength, he endured the charge of that powerful dragon. With cover from his trusted subordinates, he was about to forcibly kill it amid the chaos when—
"?"
A warning from instinct made him suddenly pull back and leap away at the very instant he was about to take the dragon's life.
The next moment, a white flash tore through the air. A reverse diagonal slash carrying a chilling killing intent swept past his cheek like the scythe of death, spraying thick blood and leaving a shocking wound.
His right eye unfortunately became the victim of that lightning-fast strike, flesh torn and gruesome to see.
But in that narrow line between life and death, if he had not reacted so quickly, his head would have been separated from his body.
Amid pain and shock, he then discovered in astonishment that the one who nearly dealt him a fatal blow was actually a seemingly green young boy.
"I even launched a sneak attack, and you still dodged. You're unexpectedly impressive."
Ash, who did not particularly want to act and only did not wish to lose that dragon, casually remarked as he watched the young man jump back while clutching his face. He had no intention of doing anything further, at most feeling a faint regret over losing his prey.
But that attitude made Orden clearly feel the indifference toward life that completely contradicted the boy's youthful appearance.
"Bastard!"
"Kill him!"
Before Orden could stop them, more than a dozen knights under his command had already charged forward.
Yet these brave knights who feared nothing on the battlefield were unexpectedly as fragile as ants before Ash.
Ash did not even spare them a direct glance. But his movements were smooth and precise. It was as if he was mocking their futile courage. Each swing of his blade looked casual, yet carried endless death.
The blade traced silver arcs through the air, piercing, tearing, turning the knights one by one into lifeless remains.
It should have been a battlefield where lives were staked in desperate struggle. But before him, it became a one-sided slaughter, cruel and efficient, chilling to the bone.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze. Only the sound of steel cutting flesh and the occasional scream formed a hellish scene in Orden's eyes.
Dragged away by his attendants by force, Orden's eyes were full of humiliation. He could only watch that bloody feast helplessly, his heart filled with powerlessness and undisguised shock.
It was this attack, turning passivity into initiative and meant to display strength, that left the battle-hardened Vorig Territory completely unable to resist. They were beaten into panic, armor discarded, weapons thrown away. The other nations were intimidated and temporarily suppressed their impulse to strike first.
After that, although the nations and the Kingdom of Oisast still had occasional friction, no large-scale war broke out. Thus another thirteen years passed in a delicate peace.
———
[Present]
Even more than ten years later, Orden, who had once ordered someone to draw Ash's portrait, still could not forget the humiliation of that crushing defeat.
That heart-shaking feast of slaughter and the strength Ash displayed were truly breathtaking. Though such a tragic scene was hardly suitable for that word. Even now, he would occasionally think of the boy who took one of his eyes and ended his career as a warrior.
And whether fortunate or unfortunate, when he went out with his eldest son, he once again saw that same boy who had not changed at all even after more than ten years.
Though such lack of change was unbelievable, the sense of crisis from a warrior's instinct told him clearly that this was the boy he had faced on his final battlefield.
"To you, I might just be someone you could knock aside casually," Orden stared at him and slowly said, "But when I dodged that fatal blow back then, you looked somewhat surprised, didn't you? Yet you casually treated me like a nobody and let me go."
"Ah! When you put it that way, I do remember now. But don't say it so harshly. I just felt there was no need to create more killing," Only after Orden clearly stated the time, place, and event did Ash truly recall what had happened thirteen years ago.
Back then, he had indeed personally gone to observe the battlefield. It was the first field test of using controlled dragons in a border conflict.
When he sneak-attacked to protect the dragon and failed to kill the enemy in one blow, he had indeed been a bit surprised.
But he had been focused on his dragon and did not want to waste time on others. It was those knights who rushed at him one after another, which instead made him feel somewhat annoyed.
Ash's seemingly kind explanation made Orden grit his teeth and angrily say, "No need to create more killing? Back then you!"
"I was only brushing off a few sparks that accidentally splashed onto me," Knowing he meant the knights, Ash quickly cut him off in front of his companions, "After all, I didn't attack first. They attacked me. I was forced to defend myself. In the end, that was a battlefield. Do you expect your enemy to do nothing?"
"True."
Perhaps it was only a test. After hearing that, Orden let out a long breath. He temporarily gave up on revenge, pulled his son along, and walked toward the carriage without looking back.
"Settling battlefield grudges outside the battlefield lacks a knight's honor. Before I change my mind, leave Vorig quickly."
"At a time like this, shouldn't we just let bygones be bygones and shake hands? After all, this isn't a battlefield."
Compared to Orden and his son, who had been tense the whole time, Ash appeared completely unconcerned. He only replied lightly and then watched as Orden, who snorted and ignored him, hurried back to the city in a carriage.
But after Orden disappeared, Ash's trouble did not disappear.
At least, the three people behind him were looking at him in very strange ways.
As medieval nobles, most cared deeply about their status and dignity. Even in the relatively peaceful central nations, a commoner being disrespectful to a noble could be punished by death.
Border nobles, who relied more on force to prove themselves, valued honor even more. To preserve family honor, many militant border nobles might even choose to sacrifice their lives.
Unfortunately, with his son beside him, although Orden had prepared for revenge, in the end, he still withdrew.
There was no helping it. At first, Ash looked like he had retired to become an adventurer.
But his behavior afterward was nothing like an adventurer's. He showed no respect toward nobles. There was no chance he would meekly surrender like an ordinary adventurer.
In that situation, even if the three of them attacked together, Orden could not be sure they could defeat him. Instead, they might accidentally bring invasion or even occupation upon their territory. Because Ash's behavior was not that of an adventurer at all. He seemed to hold a high position in an enemy nation.
Orden endured humiliation and retreated. Ash, however, felt confused. After saying so much, they still did not fight.
Not fighting was probably better. There was a child present. He did not really want to kill in front of a child.
But even after he had proactively left, avoiding any trouble that might stain his name, Ash still stood there with his back to everyone, worrying on his own.
Because the three people behind him were looking at him very differently.
Especially Fern. Only after the carriage disappeared did she pat her chest and let out a long breath. Then she pressed her lips together and stared at him.
"Lord Ash, what else are you hiding from us?"
"Hm~ I feel like I've heard that line many times already?", Ash tilted his head up at a forty-five-degree angle toward the sky, "And I feel like I've answered it many times too?"
"Because every time you suddenly reveal something I've never heard about! And it's always something incredibly serious!", Fern was truly worried that if this kept going, her heart would not be able to handle all his secrets.
Spreading his hands helplessly, Ash looked innocent, "I wasn't deliberately hiding anything. You just never asked, did you?"
"So you joined the army?"
"Yeah. And I went to war. Accidentally left someone with a scar."
He looked completely open, calmly stating a past that, judging by the situation, could not be concealed anyway. Fern was momentarily speechless, unsure whether he was avoiding the important parts.
Sein still looked stunned, "You actually joined the army. And you even attacked someone that important? And it sounds like there are other grudges too? Aren't you afraid of being ambushed? And you still dared to run into their territory?"
"We should leave here quickly. I don't want to be chased by an army," Frieren did not seem to know what to say either. She only shook her head and sighed, already walking ahead to avoid possible trouble.
As for figuring out what Ash had done all these years, they could do that bit by bit after leaving this area. If they did not leave soon, there might be many deaths.
Of course, what she worried about was the other side refusing to give up and sending a large force to besiege them. If they truly angered Ash, the fortress city nearby might be dismantled.
She did not think that fortress could stop someone who, even in magic alone, she might not be able to defeat now.
As for killing on the battlefield, even she was not rigid enough to condemn a soldier's actions in war. Right now she only wanted to protect the lives in front of her.
———
The group hurried away from the fortress city of Vorig and only stopped to rest after they were well clear.
When they reached a small riverside to take a break, Frieren could not hold back anymore.
"Ash, be honest. What have you been doing all these years?"
"You said you were going to start an apple orchard! And now you've turned into... Have you become a general too?", Fern felt certain he was still hiding something.
Sein recalled the way that noble young master had looked at him and could not help grabbing Ash's shoulders.
"What exactly have you done? I thought I was about to be executed!"
"You all wait a second. If you throw so many questions at me at once, which one am I supposed to answer? And Sein, that one isn't really my problem, is it? Honestly, even I was a bit shocked by what you did."
Thinking of how this wine-and-meat priest had casually placed his glove on Frieren's foot earlier, Ash could not help but say,
"You're definitely the most fearless person I've ever seen."
"You're the most reckless person I've ever seen," Frieren cut in.
"The Vorig family is generally overbearing. You clearly have a grudge with them. Why did you still come this way?"
"That's not my problem either, right? I didn't even know I had a grudge with them."
"Well, that's true."
His matter-of-fact reply made Frieren press her forehead.
He had only just remembered that bit of history earlier. But in a way, that only made her want to complain even more. She held it back and asked, "In short, exactly who have you offended? Can you just explain it clearly in one go?"
"I'd like to explain clearly. But in reality, how do you expect me to do that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it. Do you remember how many pieces of bread you've eaten?"
His straightforward answer left Frieren speechless for a moment.
Sein wiped cold sweat from his forehead and could not help interrupting.
"Wait a second. I can't understand this at all! Are you two even talking about the same thing?"
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