The Song Of Sword And Magic

Chapter 40: Fern’s Salvation

[Translator — Asuka]

[Proofreader — Karane]

Fern closed his eyes as he couldn’t bear to see such a despairing sight, while Kaya and Niss sobbed. Crossing her fingers, Niss shut her eyes and started praying in a small voice. Even Rae lowered her head and muttered something. 

The sight sent a shockwave across the Black Crows as they finally conquered their inner fear and pulled out their swords. They had remained silent for far too long. Having been pushed over the edge by the Doylans and threatened by a high-level magician that most ordinary people wouldn’t come across, they were on the brink of a breakdown. After witnessing Stan’s brave act and Ril’s death, they were no longer afraid of the enemies before their eyes.

“Miles, please give the order to fight with them till our death!” Quentin unsheathed his sword and shouted. 

“Show them our true power!”

“Yes, we’ll avenge Ril’s death!”

With a solemn expression, Miles slowly pulled out his sword and stepped forward. Facing Fern and Stan, he said, “It’s been a great honor to have you as our companions. We’re grateful for your help. Now, let the Black Crows fight for you!”

***

Miles raised his sword and yelled to encourage his mercenaries. “To the mercenaries of the Black Crows, you can choose to live pettily, or you can choose to die bravely. I shouldn’t force you to make a decision, but today, I plead with you to choose the latter. It’s for the Black Crows as well as Wallis!” Upon finishing his words, he launched himself at Diaz.

“For the Black Crows! For Wallis!” All the mercenaries bravely charged toward the Doylans.

With a dispassionate expression, Diaz lifted his sword, whereupon the knights stepped forward and the scouts readied their bows.

The mercenaries at the front took the risk of being shot by the arrows and lunged forward. Leveraging their agility, they moved past the knights and fought with the scouts. Only a small number of mercenaries managed to go so far as most of them were blocked by the knights or were killed by the arrows. However, it was this small number of mercenaries who managed to kill half of the scouts. The remaining scouts came to their senses and fought back. 

As the clanging of weapons and the shouting of people intertwined, a metallic tang permeated the air as the soil beneath them was dyed crimson. 

Meanwhile, Miles kept encouraging his mercenaries. “Hang in there, Black Crows. You can win the fight against the Doylans!”

Mr. Hunter’s falcon was hovering in the sky when it suddenly rasped and left for the other world. The shouting gradually died down. When the last mercenary collapsed, it signaled the end of the battle. 

There was no winner in this fight as both sides suffered immense losses. Other than Kaya, all the mercenaries of the Black Crows were killed. On the other hand, only Diaz and two scouts were still alive, but they were severely injured. Countless corpses with weapons stuck in their bodies were lying on the ground. Some of the corpses were stuck together, still gripping the swords in their hands. 

Miles’s corpse was lying on the ground with two other scouts, and behind them was Mr. Hunter. He was shot in the heart by an arrow when he was trying to protect Miles from behind, and after that he was hacked to death by another knight. At that moment, his corpse was facing down, and there seemed to be something beneath his body.

***

“You…” Diaz cursed. “If it weren’t because you diverted half of my people with your trick—” He caught himself as he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. 

Niss was flabbergasted by the sight before her eyes as she fell on her knees and crossed her fingers. While she was praying for the deceased, her tears streamed down her face. 

Meanwhile, Stan was still hugging Ril as he brushed away her tears. 

Kaya was so mournful that she couldn’t even utter a word. All of her companions were killed in just one battle. She felt guilty about the fact that she didn’t join the battle to fight with them. Fern held her hand tightly as both of them trembled. 

After struggling to get up, Fern took a seat in front of her and looked at her with his sorrowful eyes. “Kaya, I’m so sorry. I couldn’t save them. Maybe I shouldn’t have made a decision for them. They’re all dead now… If it weren’t for my decision, perhaps they could have fled…”

With teary eyes, Kaya shook her head. “No, Fern. You’ve done nothing wrong. At that time, no one could have made a better decision. You’ve already done your best.” Her wet hair stuck to her already pale face.

“No! There must be a better way to keep all of us safe!” Despite feeling a sharp pain in his hands, Fern still raised them and grabbed his hair. “I’m so useless. It’s all because of me. I—”

“Fern! Look at me! Fern!” Kaya’s voice suddenly turned stern. “No one will blame you. You have to believe in yourself. You made the best decision at the most critical moment. Just when no one had the courage to make a decision, you stepped forward and did that for us. We all trust you regardless of the outcome.”

Fern raised his head and looked into her eyes. “But this is the outcome. Is this really the right decision?”

In a steadfast manner, Kaya nodded. “Yes, Fern. No one could have done better, including yourself. It’s because it’s already the best decision. Even though the outcome is like this, it could have been worse if we had chosen other paths.”

“Do you really think so? Do… all of you think so?” Since the demise of the Black Crows a few years ago, Fern had always been deep in self-blame as he believed that he was the main reason for his companions’ death. After all of them passed away, no one could tell him what they really thought. At this moment, the Kaya in the Source of Magic was able to tell him what he had been wanting to hear.

“Yes, Fern. Please believe me.” Her tears still streaming down her face, Kaya gripped his hands gently. Her hands were warm, and by holding Fern’s hands she was trying to give him the encouragement he needed. Slowly, she leaned closer to the man and planted a kiss on his forehead. She kissed him for a long time as though she would do it until the end of the world.

“Thanks… Thanks…” Fern looked at her hands gratefully and started tearing up. These were the tears of relief and salvation. 

***

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