Otaku Translation: The Amber Sword V3C104

Please support the translation by reading the translation and commenting on otakutl official site.

Thank you.

Everyone from Otaku Translation

Chapter 104: Tonygel and the Young Lord Part 4

The seemingly reckless strategy of deploying wizards to the front lines, after much debate, proved to be a stroke of genius in everyone's eyes. Wizards weren’t merely messengers; their abilities in concealment, sabotage, and evading pursuit far exceeded those of ordinary scouts.

Still, Chael only supported this approach during the war's early stages. The element of surprise might yield dividends initially, but once the enemy caught on, every wizard lost would become an unbearable blow. Brandon accepted this reasoning, knowing Chael was right—though his own vision wasn’t flawed either. It was simply ahead of its time. The greatest surge of Magic Tides had yet to arrive.

Brandon glanced at the courier, took the letter, opened it, and scanned its contents. His expression darkened instantly, overshadowing even the gloomy winter sky. Cinnabar and Princess Metissa exchanged worried glances behind him. They rarely saw Brandon so grave. Something serious had occurred.

“My lord?” Metissa ventured softly.

Brandon shook his head.

The message was simple: a clan of mountain folk had appeared within Palas territory. To most under Brandon’s command, such news wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. Mountain folk were common foes in Jandel’s lands, locked in perpetual conflict with Eruin’s “outsiders.” Palas had dealt with them for decades. Others might have rejoiced at the thought of that old knight facing another headache. But to Brandon, this report carried deeper implications.

“It seems our list of enemies has grown,” he remarked wryly, passing the letter to Metissa. The Silver Elf princess skimmed it, then frowned.

“Mountain folk? Aren’t they Earl Jandel’s enemies? You said Palas fight them constantly. Why would they join forces against us?”

“They’re divided into many clans,” Brandon explained. “This one hails from east of the Graharl Mountains, nominally under Jandel’s rule but autonomous. Mountain folk are fiercely territorial. They rarely migrate or leave their domains.”

“So?” Cinnabar interjected, sensing the tension despite her lack of military expertise.

“I doubt they’re here for the Dormant Celebration,” Brandon replied dryly. “I don’t know what promises Jandel made to these stubborn tribes, but they’re clearly targeting us.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Cinnabar scoffed. “Whoever comes, we’ll defeat them.”

Brandon chuckled faintly. He knew the fiery redhead was trying to boost morale.

Metissa, ever pragmatic, asked, “How serious is this?”

Brandon shrugged. “It adds pressure, though the extent remains unclear. I suspect old fox Jandel hasn’t mobilized just one mountain clan.” He gazed into the distance, where snow blanketed the streets in a hazy white veil. “Seems we’ve underestimated these ‘beasts’ who thrive on endless strife.”

Though Brandon spoke lightly, unease gnawed at him. How many mountain folk were entering Palas? Supplies might bottleneck them—but how long could Jandel sustain such movements within his domain?

Palas’s forces, the mountain folk, and Madara’s undead…

Brandon’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Should we inform Lady Antietta?” Metissa asked.

He shook his head. Antietta remained at the southern gate, overseeing mercenaries distributing wages to workers. Paid in copper coins, each worker received only a few coppers—a token gesture rather than substantial compensation. Though largely symbolic, Roma insisted on including it as part of her revival plan. Antietta, exasperated, dragged the girl back to the site personally. Recalling this, Brandon couldn’t help but smile ruefully.

His thoughts drifted to Roma feigning ignorance to dodge responsibility, only for Antietta to order Fleur to drag her back. The noblewoman was unyielding—even when faced with teary-eyed pleas. Yet, Antietta treated Roma differently, perhaps because she was one of Roma’s closest confidantes aside from Freya. In official matters, however, Antietta brooked no compromise.

The image of Roma, usually so troublesome yet helpless before Antietta, amused Brandon immensely. He’d dodged that bullet swiftly, leaving Antietta to handle the situation. Chuckling internally, he refocused on the matter at hand. Tapping the letter, he mused aloud, “I’m more curious about who sent this intelligence.”

“What do you mean?”

“Most wouldn’t notice these mountain folk—they’re too commonplace here. Whoever relayed this must’ve realized its significance.” Brandon found it peculiar. His insight stemmed from knowledge beyond this world. Had he not discussed similar topics with Chael casually, even the latter might’ve missed the subtleties.

As for others? Even less likely.

So who was this mysterious informant?

Pondering this, Brandon noticed the courier staring at him hesitantly. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “Is there something else?”

“Yes, my lord…” The elementalist hesitated, face contorted awkwardly. “Chael sent another message moments ago, addressed to you.”

“Another message? What’s going on?” Brandon frowned, suspecting Chael’s antics.

“Would you like to see it?”

“Of course.” Brandon sighed. If it was meant for him, ignoring it wasn’t an option. Still, he eyed the elementalist suspiciously—the timing felt off.

“Well?”

“Could you… turn around first?” The man’s expression grew even stranger.

“Turn around? What for?” Before Brandon could react, a flash of movement caught his eye. Cinnabar’s spear pressed firmly against the man’s neck.

“Hand it over,” she commanded coldly.

The elementalist froze, visibly terrified. Trembling, he reluctantly pulled out a strange creature from beneath his robes—his familiar.

One glance revealed it: a duck.

A duck as a familiar?

This stunned not just Brandon, but Cinnabar and Metissa as well. Experienced individuals all, they’d encountered countless wizards, elementalists, and witches—but never had they seen anyone use a duck as a familiar.

After a prolonged silence, Brandon nodded. “Unique. Very creative.” Elementalists typically favored fairies, while wizards often chose eccentric familiars.

“My lord, it’s not my fault!” the man protested miserably. “I didn’t have a familiar until Chael gave me this… claiming ducks bring luck.”

“Indeed, fortunate,” Brandon muttered dryly, shaking his head. “What’s your name?”

For the first time, he studied the young man closely. About his age, with pleasant features, but the absurdity of wielding a duck rendered him comically endearing. Glancing at Cinnabar and Metissa—both suppressing smiles—he coughed lightly.

“My lord, I used to be just an apprentice. Everyone called me Red Boar.”

“Red Boar?”

“That’s the name of a kind of magical beast from my homeland—”

Brandon understood at once. He, too, remembered that creature: a level-thirty-something monster, fierce-tempered, thick-skinned and tough. Hardly anyone was willing to deal with such a thing.

He glanced again at the duck in the other’s hands, coughed lightly, and said with a bit of amusement:

“How about this—why don’t you follow me from now on? As it happens, I could use an apprentice.”

“You need an apprentice?” The elementalist blinked. “Are you a wizard, my lord?”

“No,” Brandon replied. “An elementalist. Enough questions. Follow me.”

Elementalist?

The man faltered. Elementals could sense each other’s presence, especially higher-ranked ones exerting innate pressure on weaker counterparts. Yet, he felt none from Brandon—only possible if Brandon’s power matched or perhaps even fell short of his own.

But the idea of Brandon being weaker seemed inconceivable. Legends painted him as omnipotent, a gold-rank swordsman—not an elementalist.

Confusion swirled in the youth’s mind.

Brandon waved dismissively. He did need an apprentice—but for more than mere tutelage. Another plan required preparation, now urgent given the mountain folk’s emergence.

“Very well,” he declared, studying the young man. “You’ll accompany me henceforth. A new name is in order—Mordain.”

“Mordain?” The youth blinked, startled.

…

Please rate or leave a review for this novel at

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-amber-sword/

If you would like to support this translation, you may choose any one of the options below.