Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 35: Ash River

“Um… Thank you for saving the lives of our mercenary group.”
Erect spoke with a tone of humility, carefully wrapping a bandage around Karon’s wounded shoulder. Standing beside him, Linwood kept his head low, his previous arrogance now completely gone.

“It’s fine,” Karon muttered indifferently, his face expressionless.

He hadn’t intended to save the mercenaries. He had only killed the monster because it had sought after his sword. Whether they misunderstood his intentions or not didn’t matter to him, so he chose not to clarify.

Glancing around, Karon saw that the mercenaries were busy tending to their wounded, while others were eating or resting. Meanwhile, Shong had integrated himself with the group, sitting by the fire and happily eating soup and bread.

The mercenaries addressed Shong with respect, recognizing his strength. The world of mercenaries was simple: age or gender didn’t matter, only strength. Trust was built naturally among those who fought together, and the strongest earned respect.

After finishing the bandage, Erect hesitated but eventually asked, “Now that I think about it, we haven’t properly introduced ourselves. I’m Erect, and this here is Linwood, our vice-captain. If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask your name?”

Karon tested the movement of his shoulder before replying. “Karon.”

“Ah, Karon. It’s an honor to meet you, Karon.” Erect and Linwood both bowed in gratitude.

“And… May I ask which group you belong to?” Erect continued.

“Ask Shong,” Karon said dismissively as he stood up, leaving the matter to Shong.

Karon had already overheard Shong lying to the mercenaries, telling them exaggerated tales about how they were a legendary team of adventurers, heroes from a faraway land who had hunted giant desert serpents, vanquished bandits, and exorcised cursed souls. While most of the stories were exaggerated, they were loosely based on real events.

The mercenaries were hanging on Shong’s every word, awed by his fantastical stories.

*He’s more of a con artist than a thief at this point,* Karon thought, shaking his head at Shong’s ability to spin a yarn.

Hours later, in the dead of night, Karon sat by the fire, deep in thought. His enhanced senses often kept him from sleeping, leaving him to rest his body but not his mind. Shong was fast asleep, and half of the mercenaries were taking turns keeping watch while the rest slept.

Karon pulled the black orb from his pocket. Even though the energy within it was faint, he could still feel it.

He grasped it in his hand, feeling it draw on his own energy.

Karon opened his hand and stared at the orb. *A cursed object that absorbs the user’s energy… It doesn’t give power—it takes it.*

Perhaps the monster had been able to absorb the doppelgängers’ energy because of this orb. It seemed to act as a conduit for gathering energy from its host.

He tucked the orb back into his pocket and began chewing on a dried piece of herb, which helped him control his heightened senses. Leaning against his pack, he closed his eyes, attempting to rest.

* * *

The next morning, as they prepared to leave, Erect approached Karon and Shong. “We’re moving out now.”

Karon glared at Shong, who whistled innocently, pretending not to notice. They were now traveling with the mercenary group, heading out of Yasper Forest toward the Ash River. To get to the capital, they had to cross the river.

During Shong’s chats with the mercenaries the previous night, he had unintentionally mentioned that they were planning to cross the Ash River. Coincidentally, the mercenary group was also headed in the same direction, and Shong had agreed they would travel together.

The mercenaries were happy to have the extra protection, and Shong and Karon benefitted from the convenience of food and shelter.

Shong had argued that it would be easier to cross the river with the Miguel Mercenaries, and while Karon found it inconvenient, he decided to follow along since Shong had already committed them.

The only real problem was that Shong had inadvertently added another burden to their group—a young boy named Justin. Erect had assigned Justin, a war orphan they had taken in, to assist Karon.

“So, Karon, how did you get that scar on your cheek?” Justin asked, following closely beside Karon.

“…”

“Karon, are you thirsty? Do you need anything?” Justin persisted, eager to please his new hero.

The boy, barely twelve or thirteen, had freckles and messy brown hair. He followed Karon everywhere, constantly asking if he needed anything. As usual, Shong did the talking for Karon.

“He doesn’t need anything. He’s not the type to drink or eat much. But I’ll take some water. I’m thirsty,” Shong said, reaching out for the water flask. Justin frowned but handed it over.

Justin had watched Karon’s battle against the monster the previous night, and to him, Karon was a hero. He found Shong to be more talk than substance, however.

“You’re my hero, Karon! One day, I’ll be as strong as you!” Justin declared, still trailing behind. “Is Shong as strong as you are?”

“Me? Ha! You’re misunderstanding, kid. I’m even stronger than Karon,” Shong boasted, grinning broadly.

“Uh… okay…” Justin said, looking doubtful as he avoided Shong’s gaze. He had a feeling Shong was about to launch into another long-winded story.

“Want to hear a tale?” Shong began.

“No, thanks. But, Karon, you’re still so young—how did you get so strong?” Justin redirected the conversation back to Karon, his eyes full of admiration.

When Justin flatly refused and changed the topic, Shong, feeling slightly offended, furrowed his brows and replied in a gruff manner.

“Why is he strong? It’s because Karon is possessed by a demon. That’s why he seems so powerful.”

It sounded like a joke, but there was some truth to it.

“A demon? No way,” Justin responded with a disbelieving expression.

Shong suddenly asked in a serious tone, “You’ve never seen a demon, have you?”

“Uh, no, I haven’t….”

“Then don’t talk like you know,” Shong said, ruffling Justin’s hair playfully. Feeling like he had been tricked, Justin demanded, “So, have you seen one, Shong?”

“I see them all the time.”

Shong answered confidently and glanced at Karon.

“One’s right beside you.”

Even though he could feel Shong’s gaze, Karon simply continued guiding his horse in silence.

Late afternoon arrived soon after.

“Oh, Ash River! Wow!” Justin shouted excitedly as he rushed ahead.

Just as he said, they had finally reached the end of the Jasper Forest, and the vast expanse of the Ash River unfolded before them.

The river was so wide that the opposite side wasn’t visible, making it look almost like the sea.

Everyone admired the scenery and took a moment to enjoy the view, except for Karon, of course.

Relieved to have exited the forest, the Miguel Mercenaries relaxed after being tense for the entire journey, not knowing when another beast might appear.

At that moment, Linwood approached and spoke politely.

“To cross the Ash River, we’ll need to take a boat. If we follow the river upstream, we’ll reach a small village called ‘Millers.’ They operate two crossings a day from there. Let’s head there first.”

“Yes, that sounds good,” Shong answered cheerfully, following him. He already knew how they would cross the Ash River.

Millers Village was a small settlement that had developed around the ferry service that crossed the river. It was small but had all the basic necessities.

The river in front of the village was deep, making it ideal for large boats to dock.

The current was so strong that smaller boats struggled to cross, so only massive ships capable of carrying hundreds of passengers were used.

Even so, whirlpools sometimes formed, causing problems for the crossings.

The goods that needed to be transported across the river were all gathered here, which often attracted bandits. However, with the Empire’s army stationed nearby, there was no fear of raids.

The only issue was the heightened security in the area.

“Captain Erect.”

“Oh, yes, Shong.”

As they were nearing the village, Shong approached Erect and said in a low voice.

“We don’t really like attracting attention. Would it be possible for us to pass through the checkpoint as part of your mercenary group?”

“Ah! Of course. Just follow us. We’re well acquainted with the guards here since we’ve made frequent trips. Our mercenary group is fairly well-known. Haha!”

Erect laughed modestly, and Shong responded with a smile.

“That’s great. Thank you in advance.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Erect accepted the request without any suspicion. After all, if it weren’t for these two, they would’ve crossed the river Styx rather than the Ash River by now.

For benefactors like them, this was the least he could do.

Shong nodded appreciatively and returned to Karon.

“See? Traveling with them was a good idea, right?”

“Well, kind of,” Karon responded nonchalantly.

Although he was quite far from Erect and Shong, Shong assumed that Karon had overheard their conversation.

Indeed, Karon had been listening the whole time.

When they reached the village checkpoint, they saw a long line of caravans waiting to cross.

There were all sorts of goods being transported—regional specialties, rare minerals, and even wagons filled with slaves.

It seemed they were also heading to the capital after crossing the river.

Finally, it was the Miguel Mercenaries’ turn.

Unlike in Bela, the checkpoint here was manned by the Empire’s soldiers, and they didn’t charge any tolls. All they did was verify the travelers’ identities before allowing them to pass.

“Sergeant Galcen!”

“Well, well, if it isn’t Captain Erect of the Miguel Mercenaries.”

“It’s been a while. How have things been?” Erect greeted the highest-ranking guard at the checkpoint.

Sergeant Galcen, looking bored, waved his hand dismissively.

“Don’t even ask. There’s been absolutely nothing going on. It’s been dull as dirt, sitting here at the checkpoint all day. Are you already heading back?”

“That’s right. We had a great victory in the recent war. Our share of the spoils was pretty substantial.”

Erect pointed to the loot loaded in the wagons and the pouch on his belt.

Sergeant Galcen looked envious and nodded.

“As expected of the Miguel Mercenaries.”

“After your shift, come by the tavern with your men. Drinks are on me!”

Erect clapped him on the shoulder as he spoke, and Galcen’s weary eyes lit up with excitement.

“Oh! That sounds great! I’ll come by right after my shift. Thank you, Captain Erect!”

“Then, I take it, can we pass?”

“Of course! Go right ahead! Open the gates!”

Sergeant Galcen, now in high spirits, cheerfully waved them through as he called out to open the gate.

Erect gave a casual wave and instructed his men to proceed.

Thus, the Miguel Mercenaries passed through the checkpoint without any issues.

Karon and Shong also rode through the gate without any trouble, blending in with the group.

Although the village was small, it was bustling with activity.

Since the ferry only operated twice a day, most people arrived late and stayed in the village overnight to catch the ferry the following day.

The Miguel Mercenaries planned to spend the night in the village and take the morning ferry across the river. Karon and Shong had no choice but to spend the night here as well.

As they explored the village, Karon suddenly halted his horse and looked up.

Beyond the village, at the riverside dock, a massive ship stood towering, casting a vast shadow over the area as it displayed its immense grandeur.

“Impressive, isn’t it?”

Noticing Karon staring at the ship, Shong approached and asked.

Karon gave a slight nod and continued following the group.

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