Chapter 4: Holy Knight Roland’s Legend

Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Holy Knight Roland’s Legend

Thun slowly lowered its paw, its eyes shifting back and forth between Hesia and its mother, Mola. Its massive head wobbled in confusion.

Then, an unprecedented excitement lit up its eyes. It clumsily attempted its newly mastered pronunciation, forcing strange, heavily echoing syllables from its throat. "M... Mua! I... can... talk... with... the... buzzing one!"

Though still getting used to its newfound ability to speak, Thun was clearly even happier now that it had finished its dessert.

"Buzz... buzz... tasty! Hu... man! You..." Thun struggled to form words. "...Are... are you... a Mage? Like... a human... who can cast magic?"

Hesia wasn’t sure how to answer whether he was a Mage or not. Just as he was about to speak, a sonorous voice, like a great bell, rang directly in his mind: *Human... your Touch of General Knowledge... has indeed... made the whispers of mortals somewhat clearer...*

Hesia subconsciously moved to cup one fist in the other in a traditional salute.

But a second thought stopped him. He instead placed his Right Hand gently over his heart and bowed slightly, performing a gesture of respect more suited to the noble etiquette of the Lola Continent.

"Thank you for your wisdom and tolerance," Hesia said, striving to keep his voice steady despite his nervousness. "You see all. That was indeed the Touch of General Knowledge spell.

I meant no offense. I merely wished to express a small gesture of goodwill to friends who have traveled far."

Mola’s massive head turned slightly, its amber eyes scrutinizing him.

In its perception, the human before it was as fragile as a stalk of wheat, posing no threat whatsoever.

Meanwhile, her son, Thun, was excitedly jumping up and down around the dog that could do backflips.

We followed the ancient paths to this place. We will stay for a time, and then we shall leave.

Until then, your visits are welcome.

As the voice faded, Mola’s body blended into the depths of the Woodland and disappeared from sight.

The pressure vanished in an instant, and Hesia let out a sigh of relief.

’Now I just need to confirm if it can learn the skills of a Professional, and whether I’ll get Decryption Points after it does.’

Not far away, Bruce and Thun were having the time of their lives.

"See that, buddy? It’s called a backflip. Let me tell you, if you want to make it in human society, this move is extremely useful."

Thun squatted on the ground, trying its best to imitate Bruce’s pronunciation, but its tongue felt as if it were tied in knots.

"Mmm... Why-a?"

"My brother-in-arms, the Master of the Shadow Courtyard, taught it to me himself." Bruce puffed out his chest with pride. "They say he used this very move to help his master trick... no, I mean, *invite* a lady to his home for the first time."

He cleared his throat and continued lecturing like a seasoned elder, "But you really need to work on your pronunciation. Why, the first time I ever spoke, I was perfectly fluent. My master even called me a genius."

Thun didn’t quite understand what "inviting a lady home" meant, but it was awestruck by the magnificent title "Master of the Shadow Courtyard."

It felt that this little dog before it was truly profound.

One can’t judge a dog by its cover, it seemed.

Hesia, who had been listening from the side, couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

’Master of the Shadow Courtyard? He’s just a little schnauzer-looking mutt from town. Whenever he plays hide-and-seek with the other dogs, he just likes to hide in the darkest corner of his own yard where no one can find him.’

’That Bruce... The nerve of him, bragging like that!’

He walked over, interrupting the conversation between the two "brothers from another mother."

"Thun, you’re still in your juvenile stage, right? I was wondering, about how long will it be until you reach your next stage of development?"

"Mmm-hmm... yes." Thun scratched its furry chin. "A... ’bout... another eighty years."

’Just as I thought. I definitely can’t wait eighty years.’

Hesia asked another question, "You asked before if I was a Mage. Do you want to learn magic?"

Thun froze on the spot.

Hesia thought it hadn’t understood and was just about to explain.

BOOM—!

A thick, ochre-colored surge of Magic Power instantly enveloped Thun.

Its right forepaw swiped fiercely at the ground. A wall of rock and soil instantly erupted from the earth like the Sharp Claw of a colossal beast, uprooting dozens of large trees and sweeping them away with devastating force!

Dust filled the air, leaving the woods in a state of utter ruin.

Thun turned its head to the dumbfounded Hesia and said, a little sheepishly, "Uh... yeah, well... I heard... Mages know lots of magic, and I’ve always wanted to... um... have con...tempt... no, a contest with one."

’I do *not* want to be held in contempt by this thing,’ Hesia thought.

"I’m not a Mage!"

"Really! I just happen to know that one little... uh... Small Spell, Touch of General Knowledge! That’s it!" he quickly stressed, terrified Thun might offer him another "contest" on the level of the Earth Splitting Skill.

Thun scratched its head, not looking too disappointed.

It asked curiously, "Then... are you... a Knight?"

Hesia’s heart skipped a beat, and he frantically waved his hands. "No! Absolutely not!"

Hearing this, Thun’s body seemed to deflate like a popped balloon. It slumped to the ground with a dull THUD, its furry face a mask of undisguised disappointment.

"You... wanted to have a contest with a Knight more?" Hesia asked tentatively.

Thun’s head shot up. "Ye... ah! A Knight! I used to hear Mua tell stories about Roland,

Justice! Courage! Protecting the weak! I admire Knights most of all!"

’Roland? *Holy Knight Roland’s Legend*?’

The name immediately brought to Hesia’s mind the knightly novel, a household name throughout the Jade Federation and even the entire Lola Continent.

The heroic deeds of its protagonist, Roland, were the stuff of bedtime stories for countless children.

He never would have imagined that the greatest idol of a prodigiously talented Earth Bear cub would be a human Knight!

’Teach it Knight Skills?’

The thought flashed through Hesia’s mind.

’That seems... much more plausible than teaching it magic!’

’The only awkward thing is... I just told Isha this morning that I wouldn’t be going to knight training...’

A look of embarrassment flickered across Hesia’s face.

’Still, what’s a little loss of face when survival is on the line?’

He quickly made up his mind. He would find a chance to get some "advanced training" from that warm-hearted young Female Knight!

...

After bidding farewell to a reluctant Thun, Hesia and Bruce started on the path back to town.

The afterglow of the setting sun painted the forest path in warm shades of orange and red. Hesia sorted through his thoughts as he walked.

The unexpected discovery that Thun idolized Knights seemed to have opened a new door for him.

However, how one might "bestow" Knight Skills upon a bear—and whether he could gain a handsome amount of Decryption Points from it—remained to be seen.

Before they knew it, the man and his dog had left the Woodland and were walking on the dirt road to Print Town.

As the sky grew dim and twilight descended, Hesia suddenly felt that something was wrong.

It was too quiet.

Normally at this hour, small though the town was, the road would be dotted with farmers in twos and threes heading home after a day’s work, and the sound of children playing would fill the air.

But today, the streets were deserted. Every door and window was shut tight. Not a wisp of cooking smoke could be seen, nor a single human voice heard. The silence was eerie.

There was only the mournful sound of the evening wind sighing through the empty streets.

Bruce also grew wary, its ears perking up as a low growl rumbled in its throat.

As they rounded a familiar street corner, three figures leaning against a wall came into view in the dim light.

The one in the lead was the son of the town’s Baron Uer, Cyril Eagle Claw.

Upon seeing Hesia, Cyril immediately stood up straight. With a gloved hand, he made a show of dusting off some nonexistent lint from his sleeve.