Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 55

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 55.
Breaking Through the Trap, Into the Storm (25)
Boris had never knelt before anyone save Father and one other, yet he knelt in silence and spoke a prayer for safe travels.
There were countless moments when frustration surged and I wanted to abandon everything, yet I took pride in my restraint. The passage through the Mountain Pass Gate took only a few hours, but never had time felt so agonizingly slow.
“Well, it’s over. Harder than you expected, wasn’t it?”
I thought hearing those words would bring relief, but it did not.
A sudden, overwhelming urge to repay every injustice washed over me, and I startled myself with its intensity.
“It takes courage to burn with righteous anger and act decisively in an unjust situation. But it is no simple feat to restrain yourself completely when you must endure. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Whether mockery or counsel, I could not tell. The man laughed pleasantly at the look in Boris’s eyes.
“I have a proposal for you.”
“What is it?”
My voice came out clipped without my meaning it to. No matter how I tried, I could not soften it.
“I don’t know where you’re headed, but there’s only one road leading east from here. Shall we travel together?”
“….”
His audacity knew no bounds. Surely this was enough—what more could he possibly—
But I soon realized my mistake. He had merely suggested traveling together, not continuing the game from before. The contract was already finished.
Yet I felt no inclination to accept.
“I refuse.”
“How can you distinguish gain from loss when swept away by emotion? Travel with me and you’ll learn much. Besides, it would be far safer. Don’t you think you’re too young to journey alone?”
The invitation was remarkably kind, yet Boris shook his head.
“Your words are all sound, but I cannot help my distaste. I will take my leave now. And I would prefer never to meet you again.”
“Do as you wish then. Don’t come crying to me later with regrets.”
They parted ways. Eager to escape as quickly as possible, I mounted the horse I’d been leading and kicked its belly.
At first, I thought it little different from Anomarad. But as darkness fell, my thoughts changed.
The wind swept across the barren meadow and began to howl fiercely. The sound was utterly unlike the wind that blew across the Longord Plains. It was a different beast entirely from the warm breeze of Anomarad.
And rough men came to meet Boris just as the wind did.
“Little brat, hand over everything you’ve got and disappear quietly.”
I didn’t know what they were. Bandits? Merchants turned to robbery? Local thugs?
Regardless, a dozen men approached with casual ease and surrounded Boris. Their expressions and bearing radiated such confidence.
“You hear that, kid? Get down from that horse. Hand over the horse, hand over your things, and get out of here with just your life. Understand?”
“This bastard’s slow. Hurry up.”
I looked around. Eleven men. Mounted adults with weapons drawn—swords and more—their presence formidable.
Even if they were not exceptional warriors, facing a dozen of them alone was impossible. Considering the age difference, even a one-on-one duel would be uncertain.
Anxiety mingled with despair.
There was a time when I did not kneel even before Knights wielding whips. Yet I knew well that had been nothing but recklessness.
“Just smack the horse’s rump once. Then it’ll come to us, see? And you can walk away nice and quiet.”
It would be a lie to say I didn’t consider resisting.
Then the words of the Rude Pilgrim came back to me. I hadn’t felt them as counsel then, but suddenly they seized my heart. They fit my life perfectly.
I cannot die because I failed to endure when I should have.
“If I give you the horse and my things, you’ll truly let me go, won’t you?”
“No more talk. Hurry up.”
Boris dismounted from his horse. He had grown fond of the beast after riding it for so long, but there was no choice.
As for baggage, there was only a short sword from the lunch pouch, a few gold coins, travel supplies, and provisions. It didn’t feel particularly painful to leave behind.
I slapped the horse’s rump. It hesitated for a moment before taking a few steps forward. One of the men grabbed its reins.
Boris retreated backward, putting some distance between himself and the circle of men. They were already pulling open the pouches attached to the saddle, and their disappointment was evident as they found little of value.
Just as I was about to leave, one of the men suddenly spoke.
“That kid’s sword looks decent, doesn’t it?”
Another man chimed in.
“That shabby thing? What’s good about it…”
“No, look carefully. The scabbard is worn, but the handle looks well-crafted. It seems like a properly made blade.”
As I listened to them murmur among themselves, my heart began to pound violently. I quickened my pace, but one of them raised his voice and shouted.
“Hey, kid! Leave that sword behind. If it’s worth anything after we examine it, this gentleman here will need to use it.”
I couldn’t easily decide what to do. I didn’t turn around, and I didn’t unbuckle my sword.
My Elder Brother had certainly told me to value my life more than the Winterer. But should I endure such humiliation and survive in such a pathetic manner? Should I simply hand over something precious without even testing my own skill?
No. If there was anything I could do, I had to try until the end.
Boris turned around. My hands trembled, but I knelt on the spot and bowed my head until my forehead touched the ground.
“Please forgive me. This sword alone… It is the last keepsake I received from my departed Father, and I cherish it like my own life. It is nothing particularly valuable, so please allow me to keep it. I will never forget the kindness you have shown me.”
One of the men looked back at his companions.
“Should we just let him go? He says it’s nothing special anyway.”
Another man spoke up.
“Taking a father’s keepsake feels wrong somehow. Let’s just let him go. He’s still just a kid, and look how he’s begging.”
“Hmm…”
There seemed to be a glimmer of hope. If lowering myself could resolve this, I would do it anytime. Only those who endure humiliation can protect greater things. I was weak. I had to learn the survival methods of the weak.
But opinion was split. The first man raised his voice again.
“What are you saying! Don’t you know that what a man claims is worthless is always the most valuable? The way he’s acting makes it even more suspicious. I absolutely must take it and see for myself.”
“I agree. Hey, we’ve only stolen one horse and a few coins—we can’t miss the real prize. Kid, stop playing games and hand over that sword, then get out of here quietly.”
“Did you hear? Do as you’re told, now!”
“…”
Boris couldn’t easily get to his feet. I lowered my voice and appealed once more.
“Please, just let me go… If I lose this sword, I will have no face to show my Father and family in the next world. I am the only one left in my entire household… This sword is like my family. I have survived until now because of it. I will do anything else you ask. Please show mercy, honored sirs…”
As I spoke, I found myself not only pleading but also elevating them while crushing my own pride. It was something I could never have imagined doing not long ago.
“This little brat talks too much nonsense. Ugh, enough about the sword or whatever—get going while I’m still letting you. Understand?”
“No way! Where do you think you’re going! If you don’t hand over that sword, I’ll cut your throat!”
“Don’t be like that. When did we start tormenting children…”
“Tormenting? Like hell! How many seasons have we been doing this? Those kinds of men always have something valuable. Let me see it. Let me appraise it!”
One of the men jumped down from his horse. He drew his sword and approached Boris. As things escalated, the men who had been trying to stop him fell silent.
“Get up! Now!”
Boris slowly got to his feet. I placed my right hand on the hilt of my sword and glared at him. As my attitude shifted from pleading to defiant, the man’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Has this bastard gone mad? What are you staring at? With those pale eyes, what do you think you can do against me?”
“…”
Boris stepped back without a word. While the men pleaded for mercy and scrambled about, he had already slipped free from their encirclement. The man who drew near thrust his blade directly before Boris’s face.
“You little bastard! You think you can actually do something?!”
“Kid, you’re going to regret this.”
Boris’s hand gripped the hilt of Winterer with fierce strength. His other hand seized the scabbard. There was nowhere left to retreat—only resistance remained.
“We’ll see who regrets it.”
With a sharp metallic whisper—
A blade of pure white emerged from the worn scabbard. The pristine steel gleamed so brilliantly it seemed to rival the stars themselves, exhaling an icy blue coldness.
The men’s eyes widened so far they lost their voices entirely. One of them cried out in fury.
“Look at that! And you wanted us to just let him go with something like that?!”
“Damn it!”
Boris yanked the scabbard from his belt and hurled it aside. He leaped backward and raised his blade, positioning himself against the men rushing toward him.
The man who had shouted first charged forward with a roar. Another kicked the belly of his horse, intending to trample Boris beneath its hooves.
With a sharp clash—
The man’s sword met Winterer’s blade and skidded along it. Before the contact could slide down to the hilt, Boris shoved with all his strength, retreated, and immediately thrust forward. Wielding the blade with both hands, he merged offense and defense into one—using it as a true bastard sword should be used.
Crack! Clang!
Boris’s arm strength had grown considerably. Though it did not yet match Yefnen’s at the brink of death, he could easily parry the blade of an ordinary man.
In the moment the first man faltered backward, Winterer’s edge surged toward his throat. It did not pierce the neck, but it tore open his jaw. Blood sprayed across the air.
“Good! You’ve found the perfect place to die!”
Two blades thrust in simultaneously from both sides. He sidestepped the first with a single beat, then kicked it aside with a trained leg, spun his body, and met the other with his blade.
He pushed back fiercely against the incoming force, then let it slide past him before driving forward with crushing power. In the next half-beat, he slashed diagonally.
“Ugh!”
This time it was a proper wound. The man wore studded leather armor, but Winterer’s edge sheared through the studs and left a deep gash across his belly.
The man on horseback who had tried to charge was unable to move freely because his companions were entangled with Boris.
Boris deliberately moved toward where the men clustered. Eventually, all those who had been mounted were forced to dismount. Their swordplay was far less formidable than he had anticipated.
“Kill him!”
“You dare deceive us? This place will be your grave!”
He needed to seize the moment and mount a horse. Any horse would do.
The well-trained horses did not stray far, circling at a distance. A prolonged fight offered no hope of victory.
“Hah!”
In Boris’s hand, Winterer extended with surprising lightness. Though not yet perfect, he had learned to wield this blade as his Elder Brother had—to protect himself.
Now it was no longer a burden but a weapon. It was a companion that fought for him like an extension of his own body.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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