Chapter 44: line with translation of chapter title

Lu Kan never imagined that his heroic path would begin by feeding a king.

But now, the problem is already before him!

After finishing tonight's meal, the kitchen troops and the cavalry corps are on the brink of running out of provisions.

Moreover, counting the time the cavalry corps spends eating and feeding Su Ya already exceeds three hours; two meals a day amount to six hours, and adding the time spent training Su Ya and handling chores will inevitably compress the eight hours of marching each day,

If they want to reach Sol City at the scheduled time, they must redraw the route.

But those are minor issues; the most critical problem is—

Where should they obtain enough food for the cavalry corps and that king!?

Realizing this, Lu Kan could only go to the front of the camp to find Dagonite, who was arranging personnel to set up camp, inform him of the matter, then, with a composed expression, pull a map from his pocket and spread it on the grass.

Two Round Table Knights began scrutinizing the route ahead.

#

At this moment,

Dagonite had just digested the shock the king left him with this morning, and Lu Kan brought him such a startling piece of news,

But after all, it concerns their livelihood and lives,

Dagonite twirled his upturned little beard, pondered for a moment, pointed at the map, and said with difficulty:

"There are two routes to Sol City. One is the highway we've always used, connecting castles to castles and castles to the various fortified cities."

"The other is a network of country dirt roads prepared by the local manor owners,"

"Affected by the magical tide at the continent's core, ancient giant beasts revived and wild beasts mutated in many places years ago; these issues have been dealt with by the knights and clergy of the manors themselves or by hired agents."

"However, as you know, Cornwall is on the brink of collapse; the manor knights either go to the front lines or retreat. No one is dealing with these beasts, and as facilities fall into ruin, the magical tide and the gathering of giant beasts are bound to awaken even more terrifying things."

Dagonite tried to appear impartial, cleared his throat, and, with a hunched neck, suggested:

"I don't recommend taking this road,"

"If we, as master-level, happen to encounter monsters like the Kale sect, water beasts, stone‑circle giants, bean‑stalk giants, North Sea ogres, or Caitras, we won't have enough food to fill their bellies."

Lu Kan stared at the map, his eyes reddening, and looked up to ask:

"Then where do we get the food?!"

"The castles along the highway have been battered countless times; don't even mention food—there's probably not a single wild vegetable left for us!"

"And if my judgment is correct, before we reach Sol City, if we can provide that little brat with enough food supply and professional guidance,"

"We might be able to turn falsehood into reality!"

Dagonite's heart gave a sudden thump, and he hurriedly cautioned:

"Wait, Lu Kan, you don't really intend to hunt the giant beasts, do you? No, that brat only gave you a few coins—why are you pushing so hard?"

"I've just inspected this road; the bridges and signposts along the way have been destroyed at some point, so traveling it would be difficult, though it would shorten our time to Sol City."

"Crossing this road to the bridgehead Pandeng Fortress would even take only one day."

"But who knows what dangers we might encounter!"

Lu Kan raised a hand to stop him from continuing, and asked:

"You're familiar with this place, so just tell me straight—what edible things are here? High‑calorie!"

Dagonite twitched the corner of his mouth, and reluctantly lifted a finger to list a few items:

"Shapeshifters, a kind of monster that flew over from Ireland; if they turn into birds, their wings are quite tasty."

"Black Hound, a gigantic black dog the size of a calf whose eyes blaze with fire."

"Morgane, a sea serpent known as the 'Cornwall Sea Monster.'"

Lu Kan nodded, took a deep breath, and hauled Dagonite to his feet:

"Lead the way!"

"What? Me? Wait, just the two of us? To go slay those monsters?"

"No, we also have to bring our king."

"He must become a competent swordsman within just seven days, so some training is indispensable."

"Now, let's first verify the route."

#

Night had deepened,

The full moon quietly illuminated the camp below.

Su Ya regained his consciousness once more from the fragmented state.

At this point, his body had fully returned to its pre‑transmigration condition, and it seemed this was not yet the limit; his body continued undergoing a subtle, gradual metamorphosis.

He glanced at the group of knights in front of him, already exhausted to the point of being unable to crawl, clutching pots and pans as they snored loudly in deep sleep,

During the hurried march, having overheard some knights' whispered, exaggerated remarks about him, Su Ya gradually realized that something about his own body seemed off.

Subjectively, Su Ya clearly felt that he had eaten fewer than two bowls of rice, and even right after finishing his meal, his stomach was still flat.

But in reality, looking at the Knight Order before him, which appeared as if it had just endured a fierce battle, Su Ya had to admit that a single him exaggeratedly required an entire Knight Order to serve him just to accomplish the act of 'eating.'

But why is that?

Whether it's the even more outrageous talent detection and counterfeit talent imitation than before the crossing, or the now‑revealed massive eating capability,

this body of his is, to some extent, off.

"Is it because of this thing called the 'Battle Mark'?"

Su Ya muttered, raised his palm, and looked at the strange white lines spreading from his wrist to his fingertips,

Compared to daylight, these lines had grown another segment, barely forming a rudimentary rhombus pattern at his wrist.

And just as Su Ya was questioning his existence,

a figure cloaked in moonlight slowly walked up from behind him.

It's the first time I've seen this kind of battle scar that grows silently hidden within the muscles, yet so exaggeratedly appears directly on the surface.

It was Mei Li's voice.

The magician girl sprang from the shade of a tree behind, perched on a white stone beside Su Ya, pointed at the pattern on Su Ya's wrist, and said:

"According to magician literature that dissected certain professionals during their advancement,"

"this thing is a byproduct that appears after training battle techniques."

"After completing battle technique cultivation, practitioners develop this pattern called 'battle scar' in their muscles and meridians, but even now we still cannot decipher what it actually is."

"It cannot bear power, nor can it strengthen the body."

"However, what ultimately matures together with this pattern is another wondrous thing,"

"Knight warriors call it 'Qi'."

"Assassins call it 'chakra'."

Su Ya tilted his head slightly, his gaze following the moonlight outlining the girl's face, and asked curiously:

"Qi? You seemed to say it's essential for becoming a high‑level swordsman. Could these patterns actually be channels that carry that wondrous power? Something like the extraordinary meridians?"

"Unfortunately, it's not like that," Mei Li shook her head, tapped her chin, and explained:

"Having battle scars doesn't necessarily mean one possesses Qi."

"And those who have Qi may not have more or denser battle scars than other practitioners."

"The two are not inherited; in fact, their relationship is more like an abstract thing between the chicken‑and‑egg dilemma."

"However,"

"as people from my hometown say—"

"what it carries is something greater and more brilliant."

At this point, Mei Li's eyes dimmed slightly, but she instantly narrowed them into crescents and chuckled,

"but it's all a lie."

"My original ambition wasn't to become a magician; I also used to train with a sword, but"

"until the end I still couldn't grasp what that brighter thing was."

Su Ya sat up a little straighter and asked softly:

"So, Mei Li, what are you trying to say?"

Mei Li rose, hands clasped behind her back, tiptoed off the stone, turned under the moonlight as if pointing or reminding, and said slowly:

"Legend says those who can forge battle scars into a crest are once‑in‑a‑millennium heroes: dragon‑slaying warriors, kings who rule millions, valiant fighters who purge evil, or wandering bards who live through countless legends."

"But they share one thing: they must bear a destiny incomprehensible to ordinary people."

"When this crest takes shape,"

"you will inevitably face a choice,"

At this point, Mei Li paused, then said in a low voice:

"And when that time comes, I hope— you can confront the choice within your heart."

"Then,"

"choose a path you will never regret."

Su Ya blinked, not fully grasping the magician girl's words,

but at this moment, he could see from the girl's eyes the most genuine, sincere emotion, a gaze almost like a prayer,

and a complex mixture of heavy resentment and remorse.

Being stared at so directly by Su Ya made Mei Li feel inexplicably embarrassed, thinking she was utterly foolish for saying such words, as if she were standing naked before Su Ya.

She pursed her lips, turned away, and hurried toward the sleeping tent,

"Guh~ um. What are you staring at me for? I warn you not to guess wildly on your own."

"Time to sleep."

"This is merely a small reminder as a card companion; you can ignore it, just treat it as a dream."

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(End of chapter)