Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Value of the Heart
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While Duke and Hana dined alone in the private room,
her retainers and escort knights waited outside.
Among them, the more senior knights fidgeted restlessly, shaking their legs.
The junior knights initially thought it was just a display of loyalty.
But noticing that only the senior knights were anxious, the juniors began to sense something was off.
Eventually, one of the juniors who was on good terms with the seniors stepped forward as a representative to ask the reason.
"Senior, is there really cause for this much worry?"
"Doesn't it strike you as stranger that a guy claiming to be Lady Sneria's escort knight isn't anxious in this situation?"
The other seniors nodded in agreement.
But the juniors tilted their heads, not understanding.
"I've never met Lord Awik in person, but according to the bards, he seems like a good man."
He always protected the weak, subjugated evildoers, and showed no greed for wealth or fame.
Just as the knights here had sworn loyalty to Sneria due to her unparalleled character compared to other lords, they assumed Duke was a similar figure.
The seniors agreed with that assessment itself.
"True. Duke is indeed a noble knight. But that doesn't mean he's safe."
"Pardon?"
The senior knight glanced toward the private room where their liege was, then scanned the juniors before speaking.
"You're thinking that way because you still lack understanding of magic. What's your rank?"
"I've just reached 2nd tier."
The senior asked the others the same.
"You?"
"2nd tier."
"And you?"
"Level 19."
"Still 1st tier, then. You're all young, so it's no surprise you don't get it."
Of course, the young man who claimed 2nd tier was 90 years old this year, but that was nothing compared to this senior knight.
Though entering the superhuman realm had slowed his aging, it was still far short of those who had reached higher realms.
The senior spoke to his juniors in an aged tone that didn't match his youthful face.
"I'm 3rd tier. A fledgling compared to Lady Sneria, but I know how magic works."
1st and 2nd tiers involve memorizing incantations without grasping principles.
Only at 3rd tier or higher does one awaken to principles and mental imagery.
Thus, the senior declared confidently.
"Duke Awik. That man's magic is the very indicator of how dangerous he is."
*
It was widely known that the knight Duke Awik primarily used telekinesis alongside swordsmanship.
He didn't hide it, and the bards spread the tales far and wide.
Telekinesis was a magic even beginners could use.
Even ordinary citizens at 0th tier could lift objects if they trained solely in it.
The incantation was simple—basic of basics for magic novices.
So people didn't find it odd when it was said Duke used telekinesis.
"If he racks up all those feats with an easy magic anyone can learn, it's easy to imagine even from stories alone."
As easy to imagine, it was easy to empathize with and admire.
The senior lifted a glass with telekinesis and placed it before a junior.
"But telekinesis isn't that simple a magic."
But upon reaching 3rd tier and understanding its principles, it felt entirely different.
"Never thought it strange? Excluding Lord Awik, have you ever seen anyone use telekinesis in real combat?"
"Uh... the lord of the Trindol region..."
"That's gravity magic. Not telekinesis."
"...Come to think of it, no."
"Ever wondered why only Lord Awik uses it and no one else?"
"Maybe because the output is weak?"
The senior shook his head, dissatisfied with the junior's answer.
"Then Lord Awik wouldn't use it either."
"Then why..."
"Have you ever even imagined using telekinesis on a person?"
The junior shook his head at the senior's question.
"Since it came up, try it on this finger."
The senior extended his hand.
The junior immediately cast telekinesis on the senior's finger.
But it felt like something repelled it, and his telekinesis dispersed.
"Huh?"
"That's the normal reaction."
The senior began explaining the principles of telekinesis to his flustered junior.
"Telekinesis stays beginner-level only on inanimate objects without mana. On mana-infused objects, it becomes intermediate magic. On living beings with will, it's advanced magic."
Telekinesis forces the movement imagined by the caster onto reality by infusing mana.
"Let me put it simply. Which is easier: hurling a fireball to set something ablaze, or igniting someone's innards?"
"Hurling the fireball, obviously."
"Why?"
"Even if you try to ignite their insides, they'll resist."
A superhuman's body is its own microcosm.
No matter the tier difference, directly invading another's microcosm is difficult.
The senior emphasized this and continued.
"Exactly. Telekinesis is the same. Even a slight refusal, like I just did, dispels it. And it wastes a ton of mana to boot."
Yet Duke did it nonchalantly.
"Freely manipulating the body of someone with a will using telekinesis means his microcosm has swallowed theirs."
"I get it, senior. In short, Lord Awik's tier is that high?"
"No, no. You didn't get it at all. It's got nothing to do with tier. I just said telekinesis is a power that forces your imagination onto reality. No magic is more honest than that."
Fireball magic just requires imagining hurling the fire; what happens after doesn't need visualization.
But telekinesis demands vividly picturing every step from process to result in your mind.
"Telekinesis doesn't choke a throat just from wishing it. You need imagery strong enough to overwhelm their microcosm."
The senior cast telekinesis on the junior's finger.
Only after pouring mana until sweat beaded on his brow did the junior's finger twitch slightly.
"See? It's not about tier. Normally, you can barely move a finger, let alone choke a throat."
He hadn't even infused killing intent into moving the finger.
Yet it took this much effort without killing intent, the senior emphasized.
The junior finally seemed to grasp it.
"Then Lord Duke..."
"Lord Awik can harbor killing intent toward a stranger on first sight. If anyone blocks his path, he could snap their neck without hesitation."
"!!!"
"You lot never even imagined using telekinesis on people until I mentioned it."
Telekinesis is obviously for objects only.
This common sense stems from normal minds being unable to even conceive using it on people.
Can't imagine it, so the idea never arises, and people never try.
Plus, sensing something off about Duke's telekinesis requires reaching 3rd tier and awakening to magic principles.
Thus, the citizenry see him only as a noble knight.
"Remember that tale? Lord Awik burst a vile black mage's heart with telekinesis."
"No way..."
"Even black mages who do human sacrifice like meals need a month to cast a heart-bursting ritual."
Heart Break
A ritual gathering grudges and materials like hair, solidifying imagery over a month to activate.
Duke realized that ritual with telekinesis.
"Who knows. Maybe Lord Awik could make every knight here burst their hearts just by imagining it."
Now the junior understood why his seniors were worried.
Gazing pale-faced at the room their liege had entered, the senior spoke to him.
"Justice? Fine word. But remember: history's great evils were justice from their perspective."
In the end, justice is a form of madness.
With those final words from the senior, a heavy silence fell over the escorts.
Contrary to the knights' worries, Yu Hana emerged from the room unscathed.
"“Lady Sneria!”"
"?"
Hana was puzzled by the knights greeting her like a lord returning from the jaws of death.
'Why?'
She had spent such a wonderful time in that room, so she couldn't comprehend their concern.
Duke felt the same.
'Why are these guys wary of me?'
Their attitude seemed welcoming to Hana at a glance, but the knights had formed ranks ready to block between her and Duke at any moment.
'Hm. As expected of civil servants; they can't accept vigilantes.'
Duke might cry justice, but strictly speaking, he was an illegal vigilante group.
Whereas these knights were Sneria's domain civil servants.
From that viewpoint, their wariness made sense to Duke.
'Whatever. I had a great time with Hana, so that's enough.'
Duke and Hana's eyes met.
Unwilling to show the smiles from inside the room before her men,
she greeted Duke with a stern expression befitting her nickname, Shadow Queen.
"I have other business in the domain, so I'll take my leave. It was a pleasure talking, Lord Awik."
Duke, mindful of his image, replied.
"I look forward to meeting again someday."
The corners of their mouths twitched upward ever so slightly.
She then led her retainers and escorts toward the noble district in the inner castle.
Her coat fluttering like a cape as she headed inward was unmistakably the Shadow Queen.
Duke watched her back, then turned toward the outer castle's commercial district.
His cape billowing was unmistakably the image of a charismatic knight.
As he walked, Duke spotted the sunset vanishing behind a building and recalled something he'd forgotten.
'Oh, right. Rex.'
He'd lost track of time just chatting with his favorite.
Marveling at the wonder of relativity (wrong), Duke hurried to the slave shop.
For the record, he didn't run.
Duke never ran frivolously unless in combat, no matter the circumstance.
Thus, he arrived at the slave shop after a steady walk.
'Hm?'
Rex still hadn't emerged with A.
'Whoa, his chuuni syndrome is this bad?'
Impressed in a different way, Duke stepped inside.
Meeting A was Rex's job, but greeting the staff was fine.
Opening the door, the scene before him was somewhat bewildering.
"Customer!"
"Agh..."
"..."
A white tiger beastkin woman with fangs sunk into Rex's arm came into view.
A cute blue-eyed girl with white hair and black tiger stripes.
Ask any passerby, and every one would picture a white tiger.
Seeing this, Duke...
'Oh. That scene.'
Thrilled as an original fan.
This was a scene from the original work.
Rex buys her with the doctor's assets.
The issue: Rex used the doctor's identity in the process, and A mistook him for a subordinate trying to drag her back to the lab.
Thus, she waited for a chance to attack him.
Unaware, Rex—frustrated she was A—uncollared her right in the slave shop...
'And she bites his arm just like this.'
Whoa, look at those fangs. Must hurt. Looks like it pierced an artery.
Admiring from afar with such thoughts, Duke observed Rex.
'Well, giving up an artery to bond with a pretty heroine ain't bad.'
If some random thief wounded him, he'd level the mountain they hid in, but a heroine? Different story.
'Arm gets cut off? Just reattach it.'
The future empress could lop off her husband's arm to forge their bond. What's the problem?
'If that leads to true love, it's a bargain.'
Duke's standards for allowable wounds varied wildly by person.
Regardless of feelings, Duke had a duty.
A loyal knight couldn't ignore his lord taking damage.
Trusting Rex, Duke drew his brand-new sword, bought just recently.
'Here comes the technique.'
Duke deliberately exuded killing intent as he slowly approached her.
"Hah!!!!"
"Ugh..."
Exposed to Duke's killing intent, A bit down harder on Rex's arm.
Rex groaned in pain, but she had no attention for him.
Her gaze fixed entirely on the absolute death approaching with glowing red eyes.
'What? Suddenly? Why??'
She didn't know Duke.
But her beastkin instincts screamed wildly.
That's death. Give up even fleeing.
Just as Duke drew Durandal and reached out toward her...
"Stop!"
Rex halted the knight.
At his shout, the knight paused and withdrew his killing intent.
"Lord Rex?"
"Duke. Stand down."
"Lord Rex. That woman is..."
"D. That's an order. I won't allow attacks on A."
In the hair-trigger moment, Rex—overcoming even his chuuni syndrome—issued the command with steadfast eyes.
Duke bowed his head as if seeing something in those eyes. (He saw nothing.)
"My apologies. I overstepped."
Rex ignored Duke and checked on A, who was still biting him.
At the words D and A from Rex's mouth, she seemed to realize her mistake.
A withdrew her fangs deeply embedded in his arm.
Rex roughly staunched the bleeding from his arm and asked her.
"You okay?"
"Th-that..."
"Sorry. Should've said this first. I'm R. So calm down now."
"R? How... did you escape...?"
"The doctor's gone. D took him out."
Rex nodded toward Duke.
D bowed toward her in apology and affirmation.
A alternated wide-eyed glances between Rex and Duke.
Rex reassuringly pulled A into his arms and stroked her head.
"No one's binding you anymore. No one's hurting you."
Rex slipped his shoes onto her feet.
"Hic..."
Rex soothed the sniffling girl.
"I told you. I'd come get you."
"R... R...! Your arm... I'm sorry...!"
"It's fine. This much is nothing, so calm down."
A sobbed in Rex's embrace.
Tears of joy from reuniting with a friend whose face she didn't even know, beyond the wall.
Tears for the miracle that he'd slain the doctor.
Tears that she was no longer a slave.