Book 3: Chapter 255: The Legend of the "Pine Branch Knight"

A tall black stallion galloped across the grassland, its flowing mane tossing in the wind, causing Sylutia, seated atop it, to have her hair lifted as well, revealing her smooth forehead and gentle brows.

After riding for some time, the stallion gradually slowed its pace, and a white horse soon caught up alongside it. The two horses then trotted side by side across the meadow, their riders conversing as they went.

"I didn't expect Lady Hedra to know how to ride." Brie held the reins, her voice carrying a mix of admiration and curiosity.

"I learned a bit in the past." Sylutia bent forward slightly, running her fingers along the black horse's neck, then turned her gaze to the picturesque grassland stretching before her.

Her black dress almost blended seamlessly with the horse's coat, flowing in the wind as she sat upright with a straight posture. Though the stallion beneath her rose and fell with each stride, her upper body remained largely still, displaying considerable skill.

The two rode across the grassland, chatting occasionally, sometimes breaking into a brisk gallop. About a hundred meters behind them, more than a dozen attendants followed on horseback at a distance, ensuring no harm befell the pair.

Today was a clear, sunny day with pleasant temperatures. The two rode across the long open plains until they reached their destination.

"Once we crest that hill ahead, you can see a river winding from the poplar grove in the distance, and on the other side of that river lies the Wind Chime Grass Plains," Brie explained. "We've come a bit early. If we'd waited until April, they say you can see vast stretches of blue wind chime flowers in bloom."

Sylutia nodded slightly, and the two continued onward until they reached the top of the hill. From horseback, Sylutia gazed out at the verdant land stretching into the distance. A gentle breeze swept across, leaving long ripples in the grass.

Her hair swayed lightly at her temples as the crisp air rushed in through her collar and cuffs, whistling past her ears. Then, the two spurred their horses down the hillside.

By midday, Sylutia and Brie arrived at a riverside town on the edge of the Wind Chime Grass Plains, where they inquired about the local situation.

Dismounting, the two handed their horses over to the attending servants for care, then walked into the town.

The town featured streets paved with brightly colored gravel—rust red, light gray, cyan, and ochre stones fitted together in pleasing, natural patterns. Beneath tall elm trees lay the town's main street, where people who had traveled from distant villages to attend the market could be seen. They rode in on horses, their fixed bamboo baskets laden with goods—dairy products, wild fruits, small game, and dried herbs for sale.

Sylutia strolled along, taking in the sights, occasionally pausing to ask vendors about prices.

"How much for this rabbit?" Sylutia stopped at a game stall where various hunted prey was laid out on the ground.

"Rabbit is 20 copper coins each, jay is 15 copper coins each, and wild boar meat is 10 copper coins a jin," the vendor rattled off the prices of the stall's main offerings.

These catches were likely from the past few days. Thanks to the cold weather, no extra preservation methods were needed.

The prices weren't unreasonable. If a nearby restaurant bought them and prepared them properly, they could sell them for double. However, in a town this small, not many could afford to order such dishes at a restaurant.

Hearing Hedra ask about prices, Brie grew curious and walked over to examine the game on display.

"Wild boar meat isn't actually that tasty, you know. Since they're not castrated, it has an odd flavor," she warned Hedra.

"Mmm, then I'll take four rabbits, three jays, and a piece of venison." Sylutia thought for a moment, then pulled out a few silver coins and placed them on the table.

"Coming right up!" The vendor, pleased by the young lady's generosity, quickly gathered the items and even asked if she wanted them plucked.

After making their purchases, the two handed the goods to their attending servants, then headed to the town's restaurant, where they reserved several tables and waited for the chef to prepare and process their food.

During this time, Brie helped Sylutia find the local town chief and inquired about various matters.

"Lady Silutia, there was no need for you to come all this way in person." The town chief, roughly eighty years old, dressed in a brown cotton jacket over an inner layer, had been summoned to the restaurant by Collin City's people.

To the town chief, that young lady was an enormously important figure. After all, the entire Silutia District was equivalent to a large nation, and Collin City's father was one of the most powerful and influential figures in that nation. The seventh-tier mages under his command could easily annihilate cities and armies numbering in the tens of thousands. Lady Silutia's status was comparable to that of a princess.

"Alright, enough with the pleasantries. Just answer her questions properly. The one I came with is an extremely distinguished guest—even my father would treat her with great respect," Brie reminded the chief, leading the somewhat nervous old man up to the second floor.

Sylutia sat by the window, her white silk gown draping over the chair, her bearing refined and elegant. Hearing the footsteps approach, she turned her head. Her pale, clear eyes paired with her gentle brows left the old town chief momentarily speechless, and it took him a while to recover his composure.

He never imagined there could be such a beautiful person. Even without Brie's warning, he knew the young lady before him was anything but ordinary.

With caution and care, the chief lowered his head, approached slowly, bowed respectfully, and inquired carefully.

"Brie, don't frighten the elderly man." Sylutia reminded her softly, then began asking the chief various questions—about the area's history, significant events over the years, local customs, specialties, and so on.

As the conversation progressed, the chief gradually relaxed, realizing that this young lady was not the willful, unreasonable type.

"Have you heard of any renowned gardeners in the area?" Sylutia wanted to know Lady Franne's whereabouts.

"Gardeners... I'm not very familiar with that, I only know there are a few in Collin City."

Collin City was the only major city on the Wind Chime Grass Plains, the former royal capital, and now the fifth most populous city in the Perika District, far removed from the district's main urban area.

"I see. Understood." It seemed a trip to Collin City was necessary.

After finishing her inquiries, Sylutia had Brie escort the old man back. Not long after, the restaurant's head chef finished cooking their purchased ingredients and brought them to the table.

The rabbit meat was cut into small pieces and stewed with local specialty vegetables into a soup. The jays were roasted whole and served—crisp and delicious. The venison was pan-seared with spices and berries, equally mouthwatering.

After finishing lunch, Sylutia and Brie left the town and continued on their way to Collin City on the Wind Chime Grass Plains, stopping from time to time to explore local villages and towns along the route.

"Would the two noble young ladies care to hear me sing an ancient ballad?"

While passing through a town, the pair encountered a bard in the square. Impressed by his storytelling and musical skill, Brie tipped him two gold coins. Afterward, the bard followed them, saying he wished to accompany the two to Collin City and perform for them along the way.

Though he was a bit like sticky candy, his storytelling was genuinely good—some were local folk songs and ballads steeped in regional legend. So Sylutia didn't have him driven off.

For the latter half of the journey, Sylutia and Brie, tired from riding, switched to a carriage. The bard, clutching his seven-stringed lute, rode alongside on horseback, continuing to play and sing. Even the attending servants and knights listened with keen interest, passing the somewhat monotonous journey.

"This time, I shall tell the tale of the 'Pine Branch Knight.'" He plucked his strings, his voice rapturous, slowly drawing everyone's attention into that ancient and distant age.

"In the seventh year after the great snows fell, towns and villages were cut off by white mist..."

"People formed long lines, tied to one another by ropes, walking the roads through that perilous wilderness. Along the way, hunting bows were strung, spears held at the ready, never daring to let their guard down..."

"A colossal Winter Beast stepped forth from the mist, shaking the very earth. It plowed through rows of trees, and the breath it exhaled froze the people and beasts passing by into silent ice sculptures, which it then scooped up and devoured. The crunching of that ice and flesh sent shivers through all who heard it, striking terror into every living thing."

"Countless people across the kingdom feared its dreaded name. The king offered a great reward for any brave soul who could defeat this monstrous calamity that roamed the forests and roads, yet still no one dared to accept the task."

"The troubled king watched town after town fall into crisis as roads were severed. He had no choice but to issue a proclamation: if anyone could slay that fearsome Winter Beast, he would give his most beloved princess in marriage."

"Upon this decree, four mighty knights immediately stepped forward to accept the mission."

"The first knight came from Verdon City in the high mountains. He wore crimson armor and was peerlessly valiant. He had once charged a wild boar with his lance and defeated it. The people believed that with his courage and fearlessness, he would surely overcome the Winter Beast."

"The second knight came from Peyton Fort by the lakeside. He wore a helmet adorned with blue feathers and had once used cunning schemes to turn a powerful band of outlaws against one another, then easily defeated and subdued them. The people believed that with his wisdom, he would surely solve the Winter Beast problem."

"The third knight came from Collin City, the royal capital. He wore a magnificent purple cape and possessed a face of unparalleled handsomeness, earning the adoration of countless admirers. The people believed that with his charisma, he would surely unite everyone to surround and slay the Winter Beast."

"The fourth knight came from Woshan Town in the forest. He bore a shield made of green pine wood that could withstand the pounces of wild beasts. Even if bitten by venomous snakes, he could heal and detoxify himself, fearing no danger. The people believed that with his resilience, he would surely withstand the Winter Beast's attacks."

"The four knights set out one after another to track the Winter Beast. With their departure, the kingdom's residents regained confidence and began to restore trade routes and commerce. The crises in some remote towns finally began to ease."

"Thus it was until the thirty-seventh day, when the Winter Beast's form finally appeared. Upon receiving the news, all four knights declared that defeating this beast was their destiny. They led their armies toward the creature and met it in the mountains."

"Under the blazing sun, the crimson armor advanced like living fire. The first knight raised his battle blade and charged at the Winter Beast like lightning. The surging aura was like a thousand flames sweeping across the mountain, igniting the fallen leaves and trees along the way, and setting alight the hopes of all."

"Yet, the battle blade shattered beneath the beast's colossal claws, and the flame-like knight was frozen solid by the Winter Beast, becoming a rigid ice sculpture."

"Signal arrows flew, and azure fireworks bloomed in the sky. The people pulled the ropes, and a massive pit appeared, swallowing the Winter Beast within. Then countless arrows were unleashed, pouring down like a torrential storm, burying the beast. Such a sight made the people believe that wisdom could triumph over savagery."

"Alas, the Winter Beast climbed back out of the pit, shook off the arrows piled upon it, and shattered the blue-feathered knight and his schemes with nothing more than a roar."

"Songs thundered like lightning, deep purple swallow-tailed banners fluttered, and rank upon rank of powerful knights marched into formation. They came from all across the land, rallied by the call of the third knight. This knight of profound charm moved warriors one by one with his stirring speeches, and now they surrounded the Winter Beast. Raising their weapons, they charged in unison. The surging formation and thunder of hooves made the people believe in the power of unity."

"Yet even this charge collapsed before the white breath exhaled by the Winter Beast. Fear spread everywhere, and the entire formation finally broke apart. The knights who had carried such high hopes fled in all directions, and the trampling hooves knocked the third knight, commanding from the rear, off his horse, where he perished in disappointment."

"A bowstring vibrated, and a barely visible green arrow shot out from the forest. Coated with the sap of the poison arrow tree, it pierced the Winter Beast's eye socket, causing it to howl in agony. Seeing the beast stop and writhe in pain, the people raised great wooden walls to hold it back. They believed that if they could withstand the beast's counterattack, victory would be theirs."

"But the enraged Winter Beast smashed through the raised wooden walls and charged at the fourth knight standing on the hill. Even with his powerful shield, he was no match for the beast's brute force. He was slammed against the wooden wall, bones shattered, and fell dead."

"The defeat of the four knights crushed everyone's spirits. No one dared challenge this terrible calamity again. They could only huddle in their homes, praying desperately to survive the night."

"The kingdom withered. The king fell ill and died of sorrow during a winter night. The throne stood empty. The nobles, who had once craved power so fiercely, now had no desires left—only fear and dread, praying that the Winter Beast would not come to their territories and castles."

"On withered branches, crows lined up in rows. Moldering corpses could be seen everywhere on streets and against walls. The surviving residents hid in cellars, waiting for death to arrive."

"Such calamity, such terror, such despair." The bard sang in a mournful tone, building the listeners' anticipation for the latter half of the tale.

"On the fifty-sixth day, a down-and-out figure rode a scrawny horse along the road. No one knew his name."

"The jingling of bells on his horse pierced through the white mist and entered the silent town, startling those who waited for death."

"Who could this be? Would anyone dare to walk these roads still?"

"The down-and-out figure did not stop. He traveled the empty roads of the kingdom until that day arrived when he finally encountered the Winter Beast amidst the mountain mist."

"Its massive body towered above the pine trees, advancing slowly like a mountain. The scrawny horse pawed the ground anxiously and lowered its head."

"But the down-and-out figure did not stop. He pulled the reins, brandished his rusted longsword, and charged forward."

"Alas, the sword snapped when it struck a branch along the way. By the time he reached the Winter Beast, only the hilt remained in his hand."

"The beast's breath froze the scrawny horse stiff, and it toppled into the fallen leaves. The down-and-out figure fled with all his might, then collided with a tree and fell unconscious."

"Seeing such a weak creature, the Winter Beast paid him no mind and simply strode away. It was heading to the Royal City, where it was said there was an endless supply of food."

"A day later, that figure awoke in the woods. Bracing himself, he stood up, using a pine branch as a walking stick, and emerged from the forest, following the trail of footprints left by the Winter Beast."

"On the second day, he gradually felt his body no longer ache."

"On the third day, he found that his tattered old clothes could keep him warm, and he no longer felt cold."

"On the fourth day, he ran as fast as a warhorse."

"On the fifth day, his strength grew so great that he could crush stones in his bare hands."

"On the sixth day, his roar could frighten away the beasts of the mountains."

"On the seventh day, he could gnaw on tree bark to fill his hunger."

"On the eighth day, the pine branch in his hand regained its vitality and sprouted fresh buds."

"On the ninth day, he found the Winter Beast in the Royal City, and using the pine branch as a spear, he defeated it, slaying it within the royal palace."

"Later, he married the princess as promised. However, this knight had no desire to become king. Instead, he took the princess and left. To commemorate him, the people wove his tale into poetry and passed it down through the ages."

The story concluded, and the gathered listeners slowly emerged from the world of the ballad, feeling as if they had lived through another lifetime.

"The first half was wonderfully gripping, but why does the second half feel so strange? Shouldn't it have ended with some profound allegory or moral explaining how the knight achieved victory?" someone commented.

"Who knows? I feel like I've heard this story somewhere before, but there was another version. Apparently, that 'Pine Branch Knight' actually spent nine years going through trials and growth before finally defeating the Winter Beast."

"Now that makes much more sense."

Inside the carriage, Brie was brimming with thoughts after listening, chattering nonstop to Sylutia.

"The story wasn't told well. If it were me, I'd definitely add some twists. For instance, the Pine Branch Knight was actually the princess herself, or I'd use the nine years of hardship and growth—that would make it more reasonable and touching."

"Lady Hedra, what do you think?"

"Hmm, should it be changed that way?" Sylutia didn't say much. She had actually heard this story before, but from Lady Franne's own lips.

In that version, the "Pine Branch Knight" had merely passed through the mountains, casually snapped off a pine branch, and pierced the Winter Beast through with it before leaving. No one knew his name or origin.

Unfortunately, such a story was too simple and dull, unworthy of the powerful knights who had fallen before. If one acknowledged that the process was so effortless, it would negate the strength and achievements of the previous knights, turning them into laughingstocks.

People yearned for heroes and champions, and they preferred to believe that the hero had a moving story and steadfast conviction. This simple, beautiful wish inspired those who came after, drawing them step by step closer to that legend.

As for the truth—perhaps only those involved, and the rings of the mountain trees, would ever know.