I Pulled Out the Excalibur

Chapter 136

Chapter 136──────

The Lost One (3)

Someone yanked on Najin’s arm from between the gaps in the massive boulders. Almost simultaneously as he was pulled into the cave…

Kuuung—!

A giant’s hand slammed onto the ground.

The earth shook. The giant repeatedly pounded its palm into the ground and only seemed satisfied after a while, departing soon after.

Dust rose into the air as Najin turned back.

There, a man sat atop a boulder, resting with one knee propped upward. “There’s no need to bother dealing with giants. Sure, the myths call them Giants [巨人], but honestly, I don’t know if they deserve the character for Human [人] at all, considering how dumb they are.”

Even sitting down, he wasn’t much shorter than Najin was standing up. The man was enormous, and his voice echoed sharply through the cave—though perhaps that was partly because he was wearing a helmet.

His deep voice bounced against the helmet once and reverberated again off the cave walls. “If you encounter a giant, just hide. There’s no point wasting your energy trying to match strength with those oversized oafs.”

The man was draped in broken armor and rags. The decorations on his helmet were shattered, and scars, as if from blades, covered it. No, not just the helmet… his armor, rags, and the exposed skin between the cracks of his damaged armor were all scarred.

Around his waist, a sword wrapped in chains hung at his side, and in one hand, he held an enormous lance.

He looked like a statue worn down by time, the kind of statue erected in a hall to honor heroes.

“Hey.” He pointed a finger at Najin’s chest. “Do something about that starlight first. I can’t keep my eyes open because it’s so damn bright.”

“What?” Najin asked.

“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you don’t even know how to control your starlight?” He sounded exasperated. “You’re practically screaming to the Crows, ‘Come get me! My star shines so bright!’ I thought you’d lost your mind, but maybe not.”

Najin glanced at Merlin.

– Take a deep breath. Your excitement is making the starlight brighter. Dim it down.

Najin took a deep breath, and the man finally lowered his finger.

“Follow me.” He didn’t say much else. Rising slowly, he pointed toward the other side of the cave. “Aren’t you being chased by Crows? I know places where you can hide.”

He didn’t wait for Najin’s answer. Turning his back, he began walking. His posture seemed unguarded.

Najin stood still for a moment, watching the man’s back.

There was no reason to trust the man. Even if he had helped, it could still be a trap. Though he hadn’t been in the Outland for long, he had already grasped what kind of land it was: trust was a luxury. Nothing there could be trusted.

‘What happens if I ignore his offer?’

He glanced back. The outside of the cave was chaotic with the sound of the giant’s stomps and the ruckus of raiders

Najin nodded reluctantly. The man had, indeed, helped him.

“Now, if I give, I also expect to receive. Nothing is free. I want fair payment for my kindness.”

“Do you want something from me?”

“You don’t look like you own anything worth much, but there’s one thing you have that holds value…”

He spoke. “Tell me about the outside world.”

Helmet Knight claimed he knew of a place where they could talk and suggested they head there.

While walking, Najin threw him a question. “Do you know someone named Graf?”

“Of course I do. Graf of the Kurutan Knights. He’s quite famous in these parts.”

“Is he really a knight?”

Helmet Knight turned his head toward Najin. “What are you really asking?”

“He called himself a knight, but he didn’t look like one. There’s a difference between the knights I know and the kind of knight he claims to be.”

“What do you think a knight is?”

“Someone who never loses their honor and pride, no matter the circumstances.”

Helmet Knight stopped walking. “It’s been a while since I’ve heard that. Do you, perhaps, admire the Knights of Atanga?”

“Yes.”

“Well, from their perspective, most people in this land wouldn’t be worthy of the title of ‘knight.’” He paused for a moment before continuing. “This land is where honor, pride, and ideals lose their value. To hold onto those things here, you must be strong. Only the strong can afford to keep them.”

“That’s…”

“Of course, even the weak can hold onto honor and pride, but you’ve already seen what happens to the weak, haven’t you?” Helmet Knight sneered and pointed.

In the distance, Najin saw the hollow figures wandering aimlessly across the land—people who had been broken.

“In this land, a normal death isn’t allowed. Here, death means becoming a Forgotten One who’s lost everything and been utterly lost to memory. It’s a fate more humiliating and disgraceful than death itself. You can shout about honor all you want while alive, but if you end up like that…”

Helmet Knight dragged his fingers roughly along the gap in his helmet.

“It’s meaningless. Isn’t that so? The moment you fall into such a pitiful state, no matter how honorable and proud you were in life, it all becomes worthless. You turn into something even worse than a beast. That’s why survival is valued above all else in this land.”

On the continent, death could be honorable. Knights were allowed to die with dignity and pride. In the Outland, such a death was never permitted. That was what Helmet Knight was telling him.

“Before coming to this land, Graf was a knight of great pride and honor. He slayed demons, he killed knights unworthy of the title, he stormed a warlock’s workshop alone to rescue children they’d kidnapped, and though he came out covered in wounds, he saved them all.”

He continued. “Graf has lived in the Outland for 170 years. One hundred and seventy years. Can you imagine what he’s seen in that time? He’s seen deaths that are neither honorable nor dignified. He’s watched his comrades turn into Forgotten Ones. After witnessing all that, do you think he could still speak of honor and pride?”

Helmet Knight ran his hand over his helmet. Its decorations were broken, its surface marred with dents and scratches. The helmet had lost much of its function, yet he still wore it.

“Honor and pride are like a strong drink in this land. They intoxicate you, but when you sober up, all that’s left is pain.”