Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Famed Sword
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-Knock knock. "Did you call for me?"
Familiar voice of Charles. Luna responded.
"Come in."
-Creak.
The door opened, and Charles entered.
He bowed his head to Luna in greeting.
Charles wore an expression as if he had no idea why he'd been summoned so early in the morning.
Luna looked at him and spoke.
"I have something to say about this business with Jin."
Charles knew exactly what her words meant.
He opened his mouth cautiously, his face filled with unease.
"I won't cover for him as my disciple. Even as a squire, he's crossed the line. But I beg for a small measure of mercy."
The master-disciple bond was incredibly strong here as well.
Jin had even assisted Charles until just a few years ago.
Charles had known of Jin's womanizing ways for some time.
He'd advised him against it many times, but in the end, disaster had struck.
'If only I'd scolded him more harshly back then...'
Charles inwardly blamed himself, but the water was already spilled.
All he could do was plead for mercy from Luna, whose hands were strict by the bonds of their teacher-student relationship.
And perhaps understanding Charles's feelings...
Luna spoke sharply with a cold expression.
"The crime doesn't warrant execution under the laws, so I won't go that far."
By her own judgment.
Handing Aiden over to the orc tribe was an act deserving of death.
But his later revelation of Aiden's location allowed for some mitigation.
She had no intention of taking his life.
"I am deeply grateful for that alone."
Luna, who had always punished strictly by the letter of the law, had promised no execution.
Charles felt his duty was done.
'Blame your master who can't do more than this...'
As a knight, it was obvious one must obey their lord's commands and avoid actions that tarnished their honor.
Even if Jin was just a squire...
A squire was one who learned the values a knight should uphold and trained their martial skills before becoming a full knight.
Yet committing an act that cast doubt on a knight's most vital loyalty was no different from begging to be killed.
But setting that situation aside, Charles's heart ached.
Was it easy to sever the long-nurtured affection for a disciple with a single stroke?
Regardless of Charles's inner turmoil, Luna turned toward the office door and spoke.
"Bring the Justice Secretary and Jin to the inner courtyard."
With those words, Luna left the office alongside Charles.
A short while later.
Luna and Charles descended to the inner courtyard.
The two gazed at the snow falling heavily.
"Am I too harsh?"
At her question, Charles shook his head.
"No. Saving his life is more than enough."
Their brief exchange ended there.
Luna soon spoke to Charles.
"I'm grateful you see it that way."
It was then.
Jin and the elves appeared in the inner courtyard...
Surrounded by soldiers, Jin and the elves emerged.
Jin seemed composed, but the elves' expressions were far from pleased.
They felt uneasy knowing humans often lied, but regardless, Jin politely greeted Luna.
"Did you call for me?"
Luna gave a small nod at his words.
"Indeed. I summoned you here to personally judge your crime."
Jin flinched at the word "crime."
The elves stepped forward in his place.
"Your Grace. Crime? What..."
Elisha opened her mouth to speak.
Luna raised her hand with cold eyes, cutting her off.
"I said I would accept you elves. That promise remains valid. This concerns the punishment of a human... no, a squire who abandoned his duty."
Elisha bit her lip at Luna's reasonable words.
Ignoring her, Luna coldly stared at Jin and continued.
"I personally ordered you to protect and monitor Secretary Aiden. Do you admit to betraying that duty?"
At her icy words, Jin reluctantly nodded.
"I... admit it. However... I was trying to save the secretary..."
It was then.
"Silence!"
Charles, always kind and gentle to Jin, now rebuked him with a stern expression.
"Is it proper for an aspiring knight to make excuses and alibis before his lord? Didn't I tell you time and again to stay away from women and focus on self-improvement? Were you so afraid of falling into orc hands that you seduced two elves for favors and now make excuses?"
Jin rarely saw his master this furious...
His eyes widened in shock.
"Master?"
"It's Charles now. Here and now, I pronounce judgment on your crime. Your status as squire is revoked, and you are banished from the Grand Duchy."
At Luna's calm but unequivocal verdict, Jin stared at her with hollow eyes before collapsing to his knees and lowering his head.
"Do you raise any objection?"
Luna asked indifferently.
Her question sent chills down spines.
Objecting to the judgment of a rightful liege like her...
Meant nothing less than a trial by combat.
But challenging a Swordmaster like Luna to one was tantamount to suicide.
'How... after coming this far...'
Jin had been a chosen child since youth.
Handsome features, exceptional talent.
And a sharp mind to boot.
From childhood, his brilliance led Charles to take him as a personal squire.
'I can't lose everything so easily!'
Jin glared fiercely with his brown eyes.
"I raise an objection."
No one had expected Jin's declaration; all but Luna were stunned.
"You... you fool! What nonsense is this?!"
Charles was the first to berate him.
He was terrified.
He couldn't understand why Jin would risk his life when Luna was trying to spare it.
Regardless of his master's thoughts...
'Either way... losing my squire status leaves me with nothing. Better to die honorably than live on pathetically.'
Jin, in a state of despair—no, unwilling to cling to life abjectly.
Luna smiled coldly as she watched him.
"You truly won't regret it?"
In a way, it was her final mercy, but Jin shook his head.
"I won't regret it."
As Jin rose from the snow, brushing flakes from his knees, the two elves scolded him.
"Jin?! Hurry and say you're sorry! You'll die like this!"
"Trial by combat? Isn't that staking your life?"
A barbaric trial deciding guilt by duel.
But to knights, it was justice itself, the truth.
"Sorry... If I'm to lose my dream, better to die."
Jin smiled at the elves as he spoke.
"So... sorry."
Luna coldly gazed at him flashing that fresh smile.
"I'm impressed by your courage. But a duel between you and I would be unfair... I won't use mana."
Not using mana meant facing the duel with pure physical strength.
For knights, mana granted monstrous physical prowess and immense cutting power to their blades...
At a glance, it seemed Jin might have a chance.
"Thank you for the consideration."
With that, Jin drew his sword from its sheath.
"Elisha, Roa... step back."
Though Jin said so, the two gently grabbed his arms.
"No... please..."
"Oppa lost to that woman too... I can't lose you as well!"
Luna watched Elisha and Roa, on the verge of tears.
"How long must I watch this melodrama?"
The scene greatly irritated her.
Jin's actions were utterly dishonorable for a knight.
"Forgive us."
Jin roughly shook off the two beauties' desperate pleas and cries.
As he stepped forward, Luna spoke with derision.
"As a squire, I'll yield the first move."
No sooner had her words ended...
-Clang!
Jin lunged in and thrust, but Luna deftly deflected his sword's path with exquisite footwork.
Jin had expected his first strike to be blocked.
-Clang! Clang! Clang!
Enveloping his sword in aura, Jin followed with a flurry of swings.
Sometimes thrusting skillfully, sometimes slashing, displaying flashy swordsmanship to pressure Luna—but she didn't even shift her footing, subtly redirecting his trajectories.
'Damn... if not for that sword...'
The sword Luna wielded symbolized the Grand Duke.
Haimeiden.
The sword blessed by the Spirit King when the Valmore family were renowned knights of old, the blade that slew the Winter Queen of legend.
Made primarily of pure mithril...
-Clang!
It could even block aura.
'Still... I have a chance! If I boost my physical abilities with mana...'
A fight that would normally end with a flick of Luna's wrist—but she'd imposed restrictions on herself.
Thanks to that, Jin racked his brain for a way to win, never ceasing his offense.
-Clang! Clang!
Sometimes straightforward, other times with bizarre trajectories, he assaulted Luna, but she blocked every attack with unchanged composure and leisure.
-Thud!
Even relentlessly attacking without giving up till the end, the situation unchanged, Jin grew increasingly frantic.
'Damn... no way out?'