Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: The Divine Sword's Daughter
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Chapter 12
* * *
The tale of Dale, passed from one gossip to the next, swelled like a balloon about to burst and raced across the entire empire.
The eldest son of House Sachsen, who stood before the enemy line to save a single knight from a horde of thousands of orcs.
For the person involved, it was an embarrassingly overblown tale of heroism, but it nonetheless brought a new wind to the entire northern duchy.
* * *
His training with the sword began at the crack of dawn, alongside the ducal knights.
“Welcome, Young Master Dale!”
“Good to see you, sir!”
“We are honored by your presence, Young Master!”
Leaving the chilly dawn air behind, the knights knelt in unison and paid their respects the moment they saw Dale.
*Shing!*
They planted their swords upright in unison.
Dale had always trained diligently with the sword, mingling freely with the vassal knights, led by Lord Helmut. In itself, this act of trust already transcended the barrier between the precious heir of the ducal house and its knights.
However, since the incident, the deference the knights showed Dale was unlike anything before.
It was not respect born simply from Dale's talent or his status as the duke's heir.
He was the eldest son of the ducal house who had willingly charged toward the enemy to save a single knight.
Of course, this was not to deny Duke Sachsen's cold pragmatism in having to silently watch a knight die. On the contrary, Lord Black was renowned for cherishing his subordinates, and the knights were not ignorant of the realities of their world.
In this world, the nobility of one's station held a significance far beyond what Dale, a man from another world, could imagine.
That was why Dale's actions were all the more extraordinary.
‘We of House Sachsen will never abandon a sword sworn to us.’
Even if the story was far less grand than the version inflated by gossips, it could not compare to the profound emotion felt by those who had witnessed it firsthand.
“Come on, everyone. Why are you all acting like this? It’s embarrassing.”
Despite the reverence, Dale simply scratched his head awkwardly.
“Hold your head high, Young Master!”
At last, Lord Helmut let out a hearty laugh at Dale’s inability to hide his sheepishness.
“Now, what are you all doing!”
After laughing, his expression turned as fierce as a beast’s, and he readjusted his grip on his sword.
“For the sake of the future Young Master, we must sharpen our swords to be ever keener!”
“As you command!”
At Lord Helmut's cry, the knights all struck their breastplates and raised their swords, as if to declare that Dale’s compassion would never dull their blades.
Fueled by a resolve to hone their swords to an even finer edge, a fiery energy began to heat the dawn morning.
‘They’re so intense, it’s almost too much.’
For Dale, who was watching all this, it was truly an awkward situation to handle.
* * *
He honed his practical skills against the sword of Lord Helmut, one of the Seven Swords of the Continent, and mastered the artifact ‘Shadow Cloak.’ He received instruction in water magic from Sephia. And finally, he was learning dark attribute magic from Lord Black.
Dale’s training, now on the verge of completing the 2nd Circle, was progressing with lightning speed.
His training in sword and magic was a given, but there was no end to the other things he had to learn as the heir to the ducal house.
Dale's day was a grueling schedule, rigorous enough to be called an education fit for a king.
Except, that is, for today.
“Young Master, it is time for the guests to arrive.”
After finishing his early morning training with the knights, the young maid ‘Eve’ came to fetch Dale.
“His Grace the Duke requests that you and Lord Helmut come to the Great Hall.”
“Ah, right. Thank you.”
“It seems the time has already come.”
At her words, Lord Helmut also stopped his training and sheathed his sword.
A very special guest was visiting the Sachsen ducal castle today.
A fallen noble from the Teutonia Knightly Kingdom. The young widow of the Divine Sword, Lord Badel, and her nine-year-old daughter.
* * *
There were countless names used to refer to ‘Badel Orharhart,’ who was felled by the hero in the past.
The Divine Sword.
One of the Seven Swords, and the one who held the title of the Greatest Sword on the Continent. The last loyal subject of the Teutonia Knightly Kingdom, who was defeated and killed by the ‘Hero from Another World.’
Afterward, when the Teutonia Knightly Kingdom was annexed into the Empire's territory—.
House Orharhart, once renowned as a martial family, was reduced to the status of fallen nobility.
In contrast, House Sachsen remained the greatest noble house on the continent, a family of mages who practiced dark magic.
The one who had connected these two families, who at first glance seemed to have nothing in common, was Lord Helmut, who shared the title of one of the Seven Swords with Lord Badel.
“Thank you again for granting such an unreasonable request.”
“You said he was the mentor who set you on the path of the knight.”
Duke Sachsen nodded quietly at Lord Helmut, who was bowing respectfully.
“You said that Lady Orharhart, now a widow, sent you a letter asking for help?”
His wife, Elena, asked in turn, seated on the throne prepared to the left of the Duke's. She held Dale's infant sister, ‘Lije,’ who was sleeping soundly, completely unaware of the world.
“That is correct.”
Lord Helmut bowed his head, looking apologetic.
“No matter how long ago it was, I cannot feign ignorance of the hardships of those who helped me.”
Elena smiled as if it were nothing of consequence. But for Dale, listening intently to the conversation between his parents and Lord Helmut, his feelings were incredibly complicated.
‘To think I’d get tangled up with them again like this.’
The Divine Sword, Lord Badel, was no longer of this world. It was none other than himself, in his past life as the Empire's hunting dog, who had personally ended the man's life.
After that, the fate of ‘House Orharhart,’ which had lost its country and its patriarch before being subjugated by the Empire, was a foregone conclusion.
It was surprising that they had only just now reached out for help after nine long years.
“The guests from House Orharhart have arrived.”
Just then, the ducal butler appeared from beyond the Great Hall.
“See them in with courtesy.”
“Understood, Your Grace.”
The butler bowed and retreated, reappearing shortly after with the two members of House Orharhart.
A woman in a jet-black veil and all-black attire. And following silently by her mother's side, a young daughter, the same age as Dale.
The slender swords hanging at an angle from both the mother's and daughter's waists momentarily caught Dale’s eye.
They were rapiers for noblewomen.
‘Even for fallen nobles, to come all the way to the Sachsen ducal castle without a single attendant…’
That must be why they, noblewomen, were armed with swords. The proof was the absence of anyone else attending to them, aside from the Sachsen servants.
“Vanessa Orharhart, I humbly present myself before Your Grace, Duke Sachsen.”
“Welcome.”
The woman in black bowed her head and offered a polite curtsy.
But the blonde girl standing by her mother’s side did not hide her blatant hostility as she raised her voice.
“Mother, why are you bowing your head to people like this!”
“Cha-Charlotte!”
Her attitude flustered the widow in black, Vanessa, who quickly chided her daughter. At the girl's shrill voice, ‘Lije,’ who had been sleeping in Elena’s arms, startled awake and burst into tears.
“The journey must have been arduous. You have endured much.”
Duke Sachsen, however, remained unperturbed and continued speaking calmly.
“Elena, it seems Lije was startled. Please take her to the bedchamber.”
“Of course, my dear.”
“And Dale.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Why don’t you give Lady Charlotte a tour of the castle.”
As if he hadn't expected the atmosphere to freeze over like this, he quickly dismissed his wife Elena and Dale.
This was no exception for the daughter of House Orharhart, Charlotte.
“It is a nobleman’s duty to escort a lady.”
“I understand.”
‘This is about to get complicated.’
But even at Duke Sachsen's words, the blonde girl just shook her head defiantly.
“Who do you think would listen to the words of an imperial noble!”
“Charlotte!”
Vanessa's face hardened once more. Only then did the girl called Charlotte begin to well up with tears.
Tears filled her jade-green eyes. No matter how hard she tried to hold them back, they burst forth uncontrollably.
‘No matter how tough she acts, she's just a terrified little girl.’
A girl who had lost her father before she was even born, forced to bear the burden of a fallen noble house.
He recalled the memory of that day, when sleet drifted down with the curtain of night. On that day, the wife of the Divine Sword, Lord Badel, must have already been carrying that girl in her womb. Just as Dale's own mother had been.
An unidentifiable guilt suddenly gripped Dale's heart.
“...Lady Charlotte.”
Thinking he couldn't let the atmosphere worsen any further, Dale quickly rose to his feet.
“This way, please.”
He then led the girl called Charlotte away.
* * *
As they left the castle hall, a desolate chill seeped into his lungs.
“...It hurts.”
Just then, Charlotte, who had been silent and teary-eyed, spoke.
Only then did Dale realize he was gripping her wrist tightly. A pale, dark winter night. He had been thinking of this girl’s father, whose life he had taken with his own hands.
Her wrist was so slender she didn't even think of resisting.
“...Dale of Sachsen.”
Dale hastily pulled back, and the blonde girl, ‘Charlotte,’ said his name.
“People say you’re a genius unparalleled in sword or magic in the Empire.”
She then brought up the overblown ‘heroic tale’ of Dale that had been passed from one gossip to another.
“They say you tried to protect your knight all by yourself against a horde of hundreds of orcs?”
“...That story has been greatly exaggerated.”
“But you’re still much stronger than an ordinary knight, right?”
Charlotte asked again, as if hoping Dale would affirm his own strength.
“There’s no way you could protect your knight against hundreds of orcs otherwise.”
“I’m telling you, it wasn’t hundreds…”
Just as Dale was about to correct the details of the tale,
*Shing.*
The blonde girl, Charlotte, placed her hand on the hilt of her rapier.
“Duel me.”
After placing her hand, Charlotte spoke.
“May I know why?”
Dale asked. At his words, Charlotte quietly bit her lip and fell silent.
“...I will prove that my sword is better than that of the ducal house’s genius.”
After a moment of silence, Charlotte continued.
“Because I am the proud daughter of the Divine Sword.”
Her voice trembled faintly.
“I will prove to my mother… that I can protect House Orharhart from that man.”
“That man?”
Charlotte nodded quietly.
“The Holy Sword Master, Count Brandenburg.”
“...!”
After nodding, she uttered a name.
The executioner who had cast him aside, who had thrust the blade of a holy sword into his back in his past life. A hateful name he could never forget.
* * *
“That man… tried to violate my daughter.”
Breaking the silence that had fallen over the great hall, the widow in black spoke.
“He only stopped his assault after hearing my pleas that my child had not yet had her first menses.”
At her words, Lord Helmut’s expression contorted. Duke Sachsen, however, maintained his composure and listened to her story in silence.
“He must have thought that since she carries the blood of the one called the Divine Sword, by planting his seed in my daughter—”
“...You need not say more.”
But at the words that followed, even Duke Sachsen couldn't help but frown.
The desire for superior offspring was a desire all humans could possess. Especially for nobles, who valued continuing their family line above all else.
Even so, the notion of raping a nine-year-old girl to implant his own seed into the ‘blood of the Divine Sword’ she carried… was that of a beast that had abandoned even the conscience a person ought to have.
And the significance of the Divine Sword’s blood was heavy enough that one would not hesitate to become such a beast.
“But in our now-ruined country, there is no one to rely on, and nowhere else to ask for help…”
“You must have suffered greatly.”
Duke Sachsen bowed his head, offering his sincere condolences.
“Please, forgive my daughter’s rudeness.”
“After experiencing something so horrific, it is understandable that she would act that way.”
Duke Sachsen replied as if it didn't bother him.
“I will not ask for much from Your Grace.”
The young widow of the Divine Sword, Vanessa Orharhart, continued in a trembling voice.
“So that that man, ‘Count Brandenburg,’ cannot extend his vile grasp to her…”
Unable to hide a mother’s concern for her daughter.
“Please, accept my daughter as a handmaiden of House Sachsen.”