Chapter 294: translated
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 294
As the new year drew near, there were no soft and warm feelings of expectation for the future or excitement for a new beginning.
Newspapers only spread gloomy news about territories occupied by bandits, articles about workers who killed their lords due to delayed wages, or rumors that the Bandits' King 'Sith' had joined hands with the devils of Niflheim.
Caesar handed the newspaper to Raven after looking at it. Raven, a newspaper addict, began carefully reading the paper as soon as something readable appeared.
"Hmm... Vex Province is practically in a state of war."
With Friedrich's border rebellion, the security in the surrounding area had collapsed. As security deteriorated, public life declined.
At a time when they should have been harvesting, people fled their fields to escape bandits, reducing tax revenues. With reduced tax revenues, they could not maintain the army, causing security to further deteriorate, making people flee again... The southeastern region had completed a vicious cycle of lamentation and decline.
"The governor has actually declared martial law, so it is indeed a wartime situation."
"The governor was recently changed to Count Vex."
"Yes. Now, Vex Province is Count Vex's world."
Caesar watched soldiers dragging a man away.
"No, please! I have a son and daughter!"
"These are Count Vex's orders. All males over 15 are subject to conscription."
"What about my children?! Without me, they'll have no one to protect them!"
A protesting citizen fell after being struck in the face with a soldier's rifle butt.
"Don't you know the order? Want to die?"
"No! Aaah...!"
A man being beaten. Men standing in a line, watching with fearful eyes. Wives and children crying endlessly while watching the man being beaten. The brutal reality of an ‘honorable’ war, previously only readable in newspapers, was unfolding everywhere.
"What are you?! Don't you know everyone is a conscription target?!"
It was only natural that someone would pick a fight with Caesar as he crossed this miserable reality.
Caesar showed the Vex family's dueling document from his pocket.
"This is Lady Olivia Vex's dueling document."
The soldiers flinched when they saw the letter stamped with Count Vex's seal.
"Could it be..."
"Yes. I am Caesar El Lindger, a Viscount. Who are you blocking a nobleman's carriage?"
The soldier returned the letter.
"Sorry for not recognizing you. Please pass."
After Caesar drove his carriage away, the soldiers spat.
"Isn't he the one whose disciple slapped Lady Olivia?"
"Slapped? I heard he kicked her shin."
"Either way, he's completely crazy. Like a walking corpse."
"I heard rumors that Caesar made a contract with a devil."
"Maybe. Did you see his eyes? They look like the eyes of someone who made a devil contract."
Raven whispered to Caesar.
"Your reputation isn't good here."
"There are always people jealous of successful individuals, especially because it involves Count Vex."
Raven looked at the soldiers' sharp gazes, seemingly contemplating how to deal with Caesar.
As expected, a few knights smoking cigarettes began walking towards Caesar's carriage.
"This might get troublesome."
Just as Raven said, a somewhat annoying situation arose.
"Are you Viscount Caesar Ellinger?"
The knight's attitude towards a Viscount was terrible, smoking a cigarette brazenly in Caesar's face.
"What of it?"
"For a Viscount, you're riding an incredibly shabby carriage. And driving it yourself without a coachman."
"Hmm, I see."
"What do you see?"
"Aren't you saying you want to have a big confrontation?"
Raven sighed deeply and shook her head. The knights, meanwhile, flicked their cigarettes interestedly.
"It'll be a good opportunity to see Viscount Caesar's reputation."
"You're not at my level."
"You only know length by measuring, right?"
"Right. A knight should have that much spirit. So who are you?"
The frontmost knight roughly greeted Caesar.
"I'm August, 1st Platoon Leader of the 3rd Squad, 5th Company of the Romeil Knights."
"Romeil Knights?"
"Yes. You seem to know..."
"I don't know."
August's eyebrows twisted.
"What? You don't know the Romeil Knights?"
"That's right. Can you explain? What are the Romeil Knights?"
August's anger rose to the point of veins popping on his forehead, but he suppressed his anger and spoke.
"The Romeil Knights are a knight order of the 50 great knights under the first Count Vex, named after Lord Romeil. It's a prestigious knight order with over 200 years of histo–"
"Does saying you're prestigious in your own words make it true? It only means something when others say it."
August finally couldn't hold back and drew his sword.
"How dare you insult Lord Romeil and me! Do you want to die?!"
"Itch?"
"What?!"
"I asked if you're itching. Losing your words when hit with facts?"
"Draw your weapon now. A duel!"
"Itch?"
"Uaaah! Come down right now!"
Caesar chuckled watching the man stomping with anger. Despite being furious, the fact he didn't rashly swing his sword showed his military discipline was still intact.
"Well, I can't show my axe to the likes of you. Gloria."
Gloria, who had been meditating with her hood pulled up behind the carriage, stood up.
"You're the famous..."
As Gloria removed her hood, the knights held their breath. They were momentarily spellbound by Gloria's beautiful appearance.
"...Lady Gloria, I see."
The man who had been wildly jumping around, claiming to have been insulted just moments ago, was now gawking at the pretty woman. How ridiculous. His mental discipline is clearly lacking.
Gloria jumped down from the carriage.
"How should I proceed, Master?"
"They're just warm-up opponents. Beat them moderately."
"Yes. Understood."
August arranged his hair while speaking.
"I heard there was a knight from Homigraph who was acting recklessly without knowing her place, and it turns out to be you. Still, well, your appearance is quite something."
"Then what makes you so great?"
"...What did you say?"
"I'm asking what you're famous for."
"Ha, I am August of the Romeil Knights! Anyone who knows of the Leaf's August!"
"Is that so? Since I don't remember you, you're probably not that famous."
"Both master and disciple..."
"Huh?"
"Aaaargh! Fight me right now!"
Gloria pulled out the Blood Moon from the carriage. Unlike Gloria's delicate face, the eerie large sword that emerged made the knights flinch.
"I was going to do this anyway. I wanted to smash the mouth that dared to spew nonsense in front of my master."
August also drew his sword.
"Your face is handsome, but your mouth is vulgar. I'll make you speak more pleasantly."
Raven was bewildered by the sudden duel in the middle of the city.
"Can they fight so suddenly? Couldn't they just ignore it?"
"You don't know the world of knights. These muscle-headed guys get more annoying when they think someone is weaker than them."
"What if they hold a grudge later?"
"That's why we need to crush them thoroughly."
"How?"
Caesar said to August, who was thoroughly irritated.
"A duel isn't interesting without a stake. Would you mind if I suggest a wager?"
"Go ahead!"
"If Gloria wins, I'll take your sword. What do you think?"
August's eyebrow twitched at Caesar's words.
"Are you trying to 'steal a sword' now?"
"Yes. Isn't it a time-honored tradition of Vex? Are you scared?"
"No way. But I have five swords. The numbers aren't quite right, but..."
August looked at Gloria's Blood Moon and then abruptly turned his neck.
"That sword looks quite tempting. I'll allow it even if it's a loss for me."
Caesar looked at Gloria and asked,
"How about it? Is it okay?"
Gloria snorted and said,
"Those low-quality items seem useless to take..."
Gloria glanced at the shabby carriage.
"But they might look quite good stuck in the carriage."
Gloria and August faced each other with swords drawn.
Caesar placed a coin on his thumb.
"Alright. Shall we begin?"
Caesar flipped the coin and... It fell to the ground.
***
Count Vex was drinking wine while listening to the report.
"So, Caesar is coming here while conducting a sword-stealing challenge?"
"To be precise, it's Lady Gloria who is doing so."
Count Vex looked at the photo handed by the agent. Swords were neatly stuck on the shabby carriage, and upon counting, there were already seven.
"Did Caesar know about the Vex tradition?"
"Isn't it an ancient tradition of Vex? Even if he's from Homigraph, he would have heard about it to some extent."
Sword stealing.
A dueling method that was popular in Vex during the early chaotic days of the imperial country.
A simple duel where the victor takes the loser's sword, but there's an unwritten rule. To challenge a knight who has won a sword-stealing duel, one must match the number of swords the victor possesses.
In other words, only a knight with seven or more swords could now challenge Gloria and Caesar.
"Having collected seven swords in less than three days, it seems Lady Gloria's skills are not just boasting."
"Her strength seems extraordinary. Rumors from Shalibi say she blew away a veteran holy knight with a single sweep of her large sword."
"There are also rumors that the Green Eye wizard cast a buff magic to make it possible."
"The exact details are unknown, but the fact that she can freely wield such a large sword is certainly remarkable."
Count Vex looked away from the photo and gazed at the garden. A single knight was training alone in the middle of the garden. It was Aurora, the great general of Olivia, the morning Star.
"So, do you think Aurora will be her opponent?"
The agent glanced at Aurora training and spoke.
"Even so, I don't think Lady Aurora will lose."
Count Vex held up Gloria's photo and casually placed it next to the training Aurora. A quick look suggested the duel composition was quite interesting.
"Still, we should prepare just in case. Are the preparations ready?"
"If you give the word, we can proceed immediately."
"Then proceed."
"Yes. Understood."
Count Vex crumpled the photo and burned it with a lighter.
"On New Year's Day, Caesar will fall."
The agent's eyes now held a burning photo of Caesar and Gloria. The crackling sound was mixed with Caesar's voice tickling the agent's ear.
-I'll make sure your sister completely leaves Vex.
-In return, you know about the inhumane things Count Vex has done? That he committed such acts.
Bring me all the evidence.
Pio clenched his fist, recalling Caesar's words.
***
When Caesar arrived in Kilheim, the capital of Vex, there were 11 swords stuck in his carriage. Gloria wiped the swords stuck in the carriage with a dry towel, humming.
"Do you like it that much?"
"Surprisingly, there's an enjoyment in collecting."
Gloria said this while looking at the knights staring at them with sharp eyes.
"Of course, it's a bit disappointing that they don't challenge me to a duel after collecting around 11 swords."
Caesar had planned this. Being stripped of one's sword is extremely humiliating in itself, but now is not the right time to have one's sword taken away.
In such a chaotic period, if news spreads that he lost his sword, it could lead to a significant punishment or even dismissal from his lord. If those guys had even a bit of intelligence, they would not dare to provoke him with their mediocre skills.
As Caesar's carriage passed through the main road of the capital Kilheim, people began to whisper.
"That must be the carriage of the famous sword collector."
"Sword collector? Who is that?"
"Lady Gloria. They say she collected 11 swords in less than a week?"
"Really?"
Gloria's shoulders rose involuntarily. The title of Caesar's disciple was good, but she was very satisfied that she finally had her own nickname.
"They call me a sword collector. It sounds quite impressive, don't you think?"
"The nickname 'sword collector' is surprisingly common."
"What? Really?"
"How many knights have hobbies like collecting swords like you? It's just a general term used to describe knights who collect swords like you."
"What. I thought it was a unique nickname for me..."
"To become truly famous, you'd need to collect 150. From what I know, the highest record is 150."
"What?! 150 swords? Who is that?"
"You must know? The current Vex Count collected 150. They say the sword he uses is made by refining all the swords he has collected so far."
"Wow... That does sound quite impressive."
Gloria muttered, looking at the swords surrounding him.
"What should I make with these?"
At that moment, knights approached Caesar. Gloria stood up, her eyes sparkling as she saw the knights.
"A new opponent?"
"Probably not."
The knights paid their respects to Caesar.
"Are you Caesar El Lindger, the junior Viscount?"
"That's correct."
"It's an honor. I am Dex, a knight serving the Count Vex. The Count asked me to come and escort you."
"I was planning to stay at a hotel tonight."
"The Count wishes to host you as a guest and wants you to forget about the matter of Lady Olivia for a moment. We hope you will not refuse."
To meet despite forgetting about Olivia's matter... Caesar also wanted to meet the Count Vex. The Count is one of the 'lords' who plays a key role in the warlord scenario. It might not be bad to read what he is currently thinking.
"Very well. Lead the way."