503
Chapter 503
Jonathan Solma bowed his head to Zeke without hesitation.
Pride was pride, and practicality was practicality.
No matter how proud the Solma family was, they couldn't go against the Draker family in the Central Continent.
Especially when dealing with Zeke Draker, currently the most renowned figure on the continent.
Zeke watched Jonathan bow and apologize with surprised eyes.
'Impressive.'
It took remarkable ability for an acting head of a family to quickly apologize based on the situation.
Especially for the acting head of a great family like the Solmas.
Zeke could sense that while Jonathan had a stubborn, single-minded nature, he was also a practical man who knew when to yield.
He also remembered how Jonathan had died honorably in his past life after leading the Western Resistance as their standard-bearer for many years.
Recalling this, Zeke decided to take a step back.
He too bowed his head and said,
"I also apologize for my rude words and actions driven by emotion. Let me properly introduce myself. I am Zeke Draker."
Thanks to Zeke's concession, Jonathan found it much easier to accept.
"I am Jonathan Solma, acting head and young master of the Solma family. It is an honor to meet the noble Knight of Salvation in person."
Finally, Aslan, who had been watching carefully from the side, laughed heartily and said,
"HAHAHA! It's wonderful to see such honest interaction between promising young knights. Young master, please sit and dine with us."
Though Jonathan seemed bothered about sitting with Jeffrik and Arin, he had no choice with Zeke present.
Aslan called for wine to improve the mood.
When the wine arrived, he poured it for everyone and made a toast.
"To the young knights who will bring glory to our continent!"
Though everyone raised their wine glasses, the heavy atmosphere remained unchanged.
That's when it happened.
Jeffrik, who had been too tense to speak properly, gathered his courage and addressed Jonathan.
"Brother."
Jonathan glared at Jeffrik with a hardened expression at being called brother.
Jeffrik spoke with determined eyes.
"I want to challenge the family trial again."
Jonathan's hand holding the knife trembled at those words.
Jonathan glared at Jeffrik with murderous intent in his eyes.
Speaking in a controlled voice while suppressing his anger, he said.
"...Finish your meal and leave quietly. I don't want to cause more of a scene."
At Jonathan's words, Jeffrik put down his knife and fork and stood up.
Then he went before Jonathan and knelt.
"Brother!"
He spoke while keeping his head bowed to Jonathan.
"I know I disappointed you by running away from the family trial. I understand you never wanted to see me again after such a pathetic display! But I've changed. Sir Zeke has made me a completely new person! Please believe in me just once!"
In truth, Zeke hadn't done anything special.
He had simply handed Jeffrik over to Claire and Farrell and told them to train him hard.
He thought the man would figure things out on his own through training since he had potential, and Jeffrik showed excellent growth as expected.
But Jonathan, who had been greatly disappointed in his brother, seemed even more enraged by Jeffrik's words of repentance. His fists trembled until he couldn't hold back anymore and shouted.
"SHUT UP!"
Jonathan stood up and pointed at Jeffrik while yelling.
"Jeffrik! You threw the Solma family's honor to the ground and trampled it! I could understand you leaving the family to go to Valhalla. But your behavior of quitting even Valhalla on a whim and wasting time playing adventurer with children is absolutely unforgivable!"
Jonathan Solma was a genius who had advanced to Blue Knight before turning thirty.
Moreover, as Jonathan had handled family affairs responsibly, it was understandable that he couldn't comprehend Jeffrik's deviation.
He spoke to Jeffrik in an icy voice.
"You declared you would never return to the family. This is the family you abandoned. Don't expect the Solmas to take you back."
Jonathan turned to Zeke, bowed formally and said.
"...I apologize to Sir Zeke for this unseemly family matter. The Solma family wishes to welcome you as an honored guest, so please stay comfortably. Let us know if you need anything."
He maintained proper etiquette until the end and left the dining hall without even looking at Jeffrik who remained kneeling.
Zeke shook his head looking at Jeffrik kneeling on the floor.
'The situation is more serious than I thought.'
He looked at Aslan across from him and said.
"Lord Aslan, could I have a word with you?"
* * *
"WHEW! Coming to the training grounds feels much better! This leather scent permeated with knights' intense sweat! HMMMM! Indeed, knights are better suited to swinging swords outside while wearing armor."
Standing beside Aslan who was looking around the training grounds, Zeke said.
"It seems you've stayed only in the castle since returning to the Solma family."
At Zeke's words, Aslan nodded.
"HAHAHA! After thirty years, I found there was no place for me in the Royal Guard. Most of my old friends have put down their swords and now push pens as Knight Commanders. The family head, my brother, pities me and suggests I lead even a small knight order, but how could someone who's only swung swords all his life lead knights?"
Aslan was the epitome of a knight from old tales.
Charitably speaking, he was pure; less charitably, he lacked cunning.
Had he not been confined to the mansion and maintained the Cross Sword's reputation while advancing, he might have become the Commander of Thebea's Royal Guard.
After all, he was the most beloved subordinate of Flaubert Borges, the Chancellor of Valhalla and former Commander of Thebea's Royal Guard.
Yet Aslan showed no regret for such matters.
Aslan looked at Zeke and said,
"I'm grateful that you took in my nephew Jeffrik. Though I'm from the Solma family, there's little freedom here. After completing the brutal family trial, there are too many obligations to bear."
Zeke spoke to the reminiscent Aslan.
"Is that why you entered the Ghost mansion?"
Aslan grinned at Zeke's words.
"Sir Zeke, do you know what my dream was long ago? A wandering knight. One who travels without destination, saving the weak and slaying fearsome monsters that trouble villagers. Isn't that splendid?"
"That's the kind of romance you'd only find in storybooks these days."
"HAHAHA. Indeed. Though this is my first time meeting him, perhaps Jeffrik and I are alike. That child too must have dreamed of freedom that didn't match the Solma family's traditions."
Freedom.
Having searched for it himself for so long, Zeke could understand Aslan's words.
He slowly spoke.
"Is there no way to persuade Jonathan Solma?"
Zeke hadn't come to the Solma family just for an invitation to enter Thebea's royal palace.
If he only needed an invitation, going through the Solma family might have been more troublesome. There were plenty of other methods available to Zeke as the Draker family's guardian knight.
The reason he came here, even acting as Jeffrik and Arin's engagement guardian, was because the Solma family had a role to play in the upcoming war.
'Thebea is the center of the Central Kingdoms. The Solma family moves Thebea. Jeffrik, a member of the Black Sword Knights, needs to be acknowledged by the family for close cooperation to be possible.'
Proper cooperation was impossible in a strained relationship.
Zeke had seen countless such cases in his past life.
Even when joining forces wasn't enough, people insisted they could handle things alone, ultimately getting picked off one by one until the entire continent fell to the Imperial Army led by Abel.
Zeke wanted to thoroughly build a foundation to prevent such things from happening again.
At Zeke's words, Aslan contemplated before slowly speaking.
"There is one way."
He looked at Zeke and said.
"The Solma family is a knight family that has maintained traditions for a very long time. The family head and acting head, who value honor, can never step outside that framework."
Something flashed through Zeke's mind at Aslan's words.
'Cannot step outside honor and tradition...?'
He looked at Aslan with understanding and said.
"Lord Aslan, please help us."
* * *
The next day, the Solma family's training grounds became noisy.
From early morning, Jeffrik had gone to the training grounds where Solma family knights practiced and requested duels.
At first, they refused to face him due to Acting Head Jonathan's orders to ignore Jeffrik.
Then Aslan, who came with Jeffrik, spoke to the knights in a stern voice.
"A member of the Draker family's Black Sword Knights has requested duels with the Solma Knights. Backing down here would soil a knight's honor! Would you throw the Solma family's name to the ground?"
The Solma Knights flinched at Aslan's thundering voice.
While they might ignore Jeffrik as an individual, when a knight order's name was involved, it directly concerned a knight's honor.
They couldn't simply ignore this.
The Solma Knights had no choice but to accept Jeffrik's duel request.
One of the Solma Knights' senior knights said to a knight beside him.
"Roph, go show that prodigal son the terror of the Solma Knights."
The other knights all snickered at the senior knight's words.
To them, Jeffrik was just a coward who didn't know honor, who ran away without properly taking the family trial.
The knight called Roph grinned at the senior knight's words and stepped forward with his sword.
He spoke to Jeffrik, who appeared nervous.
"Nice to meet you, Sir Jeffrik. Or should I even call you Sir? Anyway. I've heard much about you before. Let's see your skills."
Looking at the knight with the arrogant tone, Jeffrik took a breath and said:
"It seems you left your shield behind. How about going to get it?"
The knight snickered and shook his head at those words.
"It's fine. Well, this will be over quickly anyway. Let's do this without worry."
The knight playfully swung his sword around.
Jeffrik gripped his sword with both hands and slowly approached.
Watching this, the knight called Roph clicked his tongue and said:
"Being so stiff like that... I see this is how they train in the Draker family."
After spitting out those dismissive words, he gripped his sword and charged forward.
"HAAH!"
As he charged, he swung his sword strongly at Jeffrik.
But at that moment, Jeffrik stepped forward to meet him and swung his sword.
SLASH!
Something unexpected happened.
Roph's sword was cut in half by Jeffrik's sword.
"Huh?"
Towards the confused Roph, Jeffrik immediately tripped him and knocked him down.
THUD!
"UGHK!"
Jeffrik strongly pinned down the chest of the unbalanced Roph with his knee.
"KACK!"
The tip of Jeffrik's sword touched Roph's neck.
It all happened in an instant.
The Solma Knights watching from behind momentarily stopped their sneering.
While keeping his chest pinned down, Jeffrik looked down at Roph with cold eyes and said:
"Do you admit defeat?"
"URGHK! Damn it, this is invalid! Suddenly the sword..."
That's when Aslan, who was behind them, spoke:
"A sword is everything to a knight. Having your sword cut is the greatest shame, and even if the sword's durability was low, isn't that the knight's fault for not properly maintaining it?"
Against Aslan who pointed out the faults with a cold voice, Roph couldn't make any counterarguments.
CREAK.
As the pressure on his chest gradually increased, Roph nodded in panic.
"I, I admit! I admit defeat!"
Only then did Jeffrik remove his knee from Roph's chest.
Roph returned to his group while coughing, and the senior knight looked at Roph with displeasure before turning to glare at Jeffrik.
He said to his subordinate knights:
"Go get my sword and shield."
The senior knight stood up and said:
"Young master, this time let's have a match with me."