Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The Knights' Fascination
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"Good work, Your Highness."
"Phew, you too, Oscar."
Oscar Leonhardt, captain of the Steel Lion Knights, was heading back from the training grounds with First Prince Trowil.
He was a man of fine character and reputation, perfectly suited to serve as Trowil's instructor, given his position as head of the kingdom's finest knight order.
The king himself had ordered Oscar to teach Trowil, so he conducted private lessons for the prince once a week—and today had been that day.
"Not heading straight to the academy?"
"The food there's crap today, so I'm eating at the palace first."
Trowil stuck out his tongue in disgust.
Oscar shook his head.
"A true warrior doesn't pick and choose..."
"You skip the salad every time and toss it, too. Craig told me all about it. Anyway, that's why I'm stopping by the knight order."
"..."
Oscar resolved to give Craig a good knock on the head later.
In any case, they returned to knight order headquarters.
"Captain, you're back."
"The prince is with you? Don't tell me you're skipping out?"
"Shut it. What've you all been up to?"
The knights were gathered around a table.
On the table sat a Record Orb, an expensive artifact capable of recording real events as footage and projecting them as holograms when needed.
It was one of the masterpieces from the Black Tower.
"Take a look at this footage."
"Deputy Commander Edward left it with us—it's insane."
What kind of video has them this worked up?
Oscar and Trowil exchanged puzzled glances.
Seeing is believing.
The knights replayed the footage.
It showed two men fighting, and a familiar face caught their eyes.
"Esther Tristy?"
"Sir Esther!?"
The youngest recipient of the royal medal, for recovering the Necronomicon and solving the Millennium Problem.
*'Why's the magic world's saint duking it out like some common brawler?'*
Oscar and Trowil took their seats.
The footage was shocking.
Esther was toying with Kenneth, completely dominating the spar.
Oscar, who had crossed swords with Kenneth himself, was especially stunned.
Kenneth was a knight in skill, his martial prowess honed to a professional level.
With swordsmanship like that, his fist techniques had to be top-tier as well.
Even without using aura, how could he get beaten this badly?
"That's not the kingdom fist technique I'm learning. Oscar, what style is that?"
Trowil's eyes sparkled.
Unlike other royals, Trowil loved war and combat.
He was fiercely aggressive and competitive, dreaming of dying honorably on the battlefield against demons.
He was already deeply intrigued by Esther's fist technique.
"No idea. All I can say is it's not any common style..."
Oscar stroked his chin.
In Justina, there was only one fist technique: the kingdom style.
The kingdom fist technique was a practical martial art devised by the great founding king to give humans an edge in bare-handed fights not just against each other, but against sturdy demons and beastkin.
It started with basics like the three-point stance, horse stance, crouch stance, and so on, up through 22 forms total, from Form 1 to 22.
But Esther's technique was different in every stance, footwork, and motion.
It was the pinnacle of efficiency for subduing foes with human-like physiques.
Oscar had never seen this art in the kingdom—or even the empire.
"If even you don't know it, where the hell did Esther Tristy learn something like that...?"
"Bet he didn't learn it."
If Esther had been taught this art, Kenneth Tristy should've known it too.
Even if some special circumstance kept Kenneth from learning it, he'd at least have some grasp of his brother's style.
*-Honor and money aren't all that important to me.*
*-I have other values I hold dear.*
Oscar knew Esther was no ordinary man.
He cared nothing for money or fame.
He seemed to gaze at distant horizons others couldn't see.
Among all the geniuses Oscar had met, Esther felt the most enigmatic.
"You're saying Esther Tristy invented this fist technique himself?"
The prince asked, and the knight nodded.
Oscar was convinced: Esther Tristy had created this art.
"Hmm..."
Everyone there was a martial artist.
Which was why they couldn't help being captivated by Esther's performance in the footage.
The movements were so concise and clean that, to warriors, Esther's technique was more beautiful than any dancer's performance.
"That unknown combo to the groin paralyzed Young Master Kenneth's legs. Isn't it amazing?"
"What's that technique even called?"
Oscar crossed his arms and offered his take.
"Feels kinda like Phoenix Fall..."
"Leg technique, so probably Forms 10 through 15."
"I think Star Drop fits. It literally drops a freely moving opponent."
Trowil watched quietly for a bit, then shot to his feet.
"Can't leave it like this."
The knights eyed the prince.
*What's he about to pull now?*
"I have to learn that fist technique. No matter how I look at it, it's miles beyond the kingdom style!! If I master it, I might even beat my dad!!"
"Whoa, Your Highness!?"
"Screw the Justina Royal Academy!! Forget classes—learning this art is way more important!!"
If this went on, they might all get reamed as a group for filling the prince's head with crazy ideas.
The Steel Lion Knights began to tremble.
Oscar leapt to his feet.
*'As expected of the captain!!'*
The knights hoped *'He's here to save us'*, but...
"Your Highness, let's go together. It's more important than anything I have scheduled."
What came instead was the captain's own rebellion.
"..."
"What're you idiots standing around for?! Stop them!!"
The knights had their hands full calming down the two who were now ranting about storming the Tristy estate right that instant.
***
"You okay?"
I asked Dalpi, who had a bandage on her cheek.
Dalpi sighed.
"It's nothing. Just a bruise."
"What's that supposed to mean...?"
"You weren't asking if it's my safe day, were you?"
"What kinda nonsense is that...?"
"Then this makes the 17th time today you've asked if my face is okay."
Still.
Dalpi-chan went through hell yesterday—how could I not worry?
"I truly appreciate you saving me and checking on me, young master, but I'm fine. Daijobu...? Or whatever you always say."
"Wakatta..."
"I'm more worried about your condition, young master. Please stop fussing over me and worry about yourself first."
For the record, I was lying in bed.
My entire body was paralyzed with horrific muscle pain.
I'd unleashed modern MMA moves—stuff pros would do—on Kenneth without any training.
Even after sparring Ian, my body hadn't been right, and then I jumped straight into Kenneth. In a way, it was inevitable.
A full day had passed since Kenneth's beatdown.
I'd asked Dalpi why he'd slapped her.
Here's what happened.
Kenneth's crazy eyes had me worried.
I went to the hall out of concern, and sure enough, May was about to get assaulted.
Dalpi told him to stop and ended up eating the backlash.
"Here, have this."
"Sure."
I popped a snack into my mouth.
The room was stocked with treats May had made with Mother.
A thank-you gift for saving her—they were pretty good.
"Where's Kenneth?"
"Recovering in his room, apparently."
According to May, he hadn't stepped out once since it happened.
Yesterday, his eyes were so bloodshot I was ready to end him.
But now, I'd calmed down.
I'd beaten him that bad—he was adult enough to get the message.
No one in the family was making an issue of it.
Some folks who looked like Jephor's guests had eyed me curiously, but I wasn't in any state for chit-chat yesterday.
"Alright, then."
Anyway, that was that, and this was this.
I still had the heir exam ahead.
Better wrap it up quick and get out of this house.
I opened my mouth.
Dalpi started drafting the letter.
*The organization investigating Insein's Curse is the Blue Tower!!*
I'd gotten crucial info from Daebo Village this time.
Nob AI said the projected peak of Insein's Curse in the kingdom's east had been moved up.
It also warned that this outbreak would be far worse, flooding the area with monsters.
Due to something akin to magic.
I wrote it all into the letter.
Including the detailed reasons and theory, nice and thorough.
I enclosed a Recall Meter that Nob AI insisted I include, then handed it to Dalpi.
"Deliver this to the Blue Tower."
"Got it. Important stuff, so I'll take it myself."
"One thing: whatever you do, don't say it came from me."
"Understood."
I was done getting famous.
I'd deliberately left my name off the letter.
Made Dalpi swear not to reveal my identity.
"Will you be alright on your own?"
"Yeah. Once I'm feeling better, I'm heading to Tristy Academy."
"To meet the Red Tower Master?"
I nodded.
"Need an investor."
"For what?"
"Something I've got in mind. I'm going alone, so no need to tag along. Handle the letter first."
"Understood."
I waved as Dalpi left the estate.
Alright, then—after plenty of rest.
Once my body's somewhat recovered, time to move.