Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Heroine Landing
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The Empire's Swordmaster still had the strength left for one final desperate struggle.
Normally, giving him any distance would be dangerous.
But with safety measures in place.
I could put some distance before the shield spells were depleted and finish him off with ranged attack magic.
In the worst case, I could use the long-range Blink I'd prepared yesterday to escape 100 km away.
Mages always dug multiple layers—triple or quadruple—when facing melee opponents.
The Swordmaster lifted his wretched face and stared piercingly at my elf Object, then let out a hollow laugh.
"An exceptional elf mage with green hair and green eyes... There's only one person from Arcana who comes to mind."
"You're Professor Silvret, Princess Raisha's magic tutor, aren't you?"
I'd figured the Object would be recognized.
Would he recognize me?
His pathetic face now stared piercingly at me.
"A blond young noble traveling with Professor Silvret as an attendant. No one comes to mind except Prince Ragna."
The Swordmaster tilted his head and muttered as if talking to himself.
"But the cold calculation and caution you've shown make it impossible to believe you're that wastrel Prince Ragna. I've never heard of the prince having any siblings, either."
"Will you surrender?"
I asked as gently as possible.
I needed to extract the information he knew.
Like whether there were more golden goblin statues like the Object.
"Hahaha! Are you truly saying that knowing who I am?"
"I know you're the Empire's Swordmaster."
"Indeed! What insight! I dressed in this flashy gear to look like some country bumpkin knight on purpose."
He must have worn that ornate relic-grade armor to challenge the preconception that artifacts look ordinary.
Not that it mattered against Discernment Eye.
The knight staggered, using his sword like a cane to try to stand.
The Object conjured fireballs in both hands.
The knight's legs trembled, but he finally stood.
'He's deliberately acting weaker than he is.'
Empire NPCs were notorious for backstabs, so caution was key.
"Empire's Swordmaster! You know what that title means, don't you?"
"At least a duke. With vast, prosperous lands, countless vassals and subjects—someone with much to lose."
"And yet you think I'll surrender?"
"Will you die for the emperor who tried to kill you?"
I tried sowing discord once more.
"His Majesty said that if the Object is destroyed, a truly horrific calamity will befall us, so we must escape immediately. Even you don't know what that is."
No dice.
"The Empire's Swordmaster won't be swayed by such petty tongue-wagging!"
His inferior plan: attack me.
His median plan: flee.
What would he choose?
"For a mage to face a Swordmaster so defenselessly!"
He lunged forward with explosive momentum.
I nearly missed the movement.
The knight swung his sword through the air.
Kaang!
A translucent shield materialized, blocking the knight's attack.
A beat later, the Object hurled fireballs at the knight.
Whoosh! Boom boom!
Unable to dodge, the knight's body erupted in a blaze of flames.
'No Aura Blade?'
Not that he couldn't use it.
"Professor! He's fleeing!"
"Understood!"
Still wreathed in flames, he leaped high onto the unbroken first shield, vaulting over us.
So that's why he held back on Aura Blade.
"Pursue him. Capture if possible, kill if not. Prioritize safety..."
That was when it happened.
Rumble!
A massive boom shook the ground, and an enormous dust cloud rose in the direction of the knight's escape.
As if a meteor had crashed.
'Faking a retreat for a counterattack? Stirring up dust by slamming the ground to obscure vision?'
Idiotic. What a waste of stamina.
The dust soon blew away on the wind, revealing the knight standing stock-still from behind.
'Why isn't he moving?'
I soon realized why.
Someone stood in his path of escape.
Canelian, fully armored.
She had driven her sword vertically into the ground nearly halfway, landing on one knee.
High in the sky loomed the wyvern she'd ridden in on.
And someone approached from the side.
"Your Highness."
The gruff voice, like scraping metal—it had been a while, but it was very welcome now.
"Sir Xante, did you follow the lightning?"
"Yes. Glad I wasn't too late."
The Shadow Guardian knight, clad head to toe in heavy plate, wielded a 2.5-meter greatsword.
He too revealed himself before me.
Armored Canelian slowly rose, pulling free the sword she'd embedded for impact absorption.
Good to see her carrying the sword I'd given her.
'The heroine landing is a bit lackluster. She should've descended in bikini armor for the real effect.'
Maybe if I found some Mythic (S)-grade bikini armor later, she'd wear it?
She'd probably beat me black and blue for suggesting it.
"Long time no see, Baron Caron."
"...Canelian, you've grown."
I was surprised by the exchange between the two Swordmasters, so matter-of-fact.
That scheming Caron?
Caron was the con artist who toted around a relic (A)-grade wooden sword that looked like a bokken, bragging that 'a true Swordmaster can unleash Aura Blade without damaging it at all.'
"But your weapons and armor are different."
"...Why advertise my identity everywhere? Naturally, I left them back at my estate."
Too bad. If I'd known it was Caron, I would've ambushed him in his sleep.
Back then, he thought we were just rich merchant spawn and their concubine maid, totally off-guard.
Canelian's eyes briefly met mine before fixing on Caron.
Never taking her eyes off the enemy—a thorough stance, as expected of my companion NPC.
The heroine landing was a tad disappointing, though.
"Indeed. An honor to meet the Empire's pride, the emperor's foremost sword, Baron Caron."
Caron let his sword droop in resignation and turned to me.
"You're really Prince Ragna? How did that wastrel..."
"The prince asks the questions, sir. You answer."
"The Empire's Swordmaster infiltrated a foreign nation in disguise and summoned a monster that could doom a kingdom. If word spreads, your reputation will be in tatters."
Fully armed, peak-condition Swordmaster Canelian.
Xante, who could probably take a surprise attack for me and die.
And the elf Object.
A fatigued foe had only one choice.
"...I surrender, Prince Rag..."
"Hold on. Professor, prepare."
I cut him off and looked at the Object.
She blinked her large eyes at me as if to ask why.
"The image storage orb recording spell. We need to capture Duke Caron du Edelmarc's declaration of surrender clearly, right?"
"Ah, yes!"
The Object hurriedly pulled out a small orb.
As it began to glow, Caron's face twisted.
As if to say, 'You'd go this far?'
"I, Ragna Volter Arcana, rightful heir to the Arcana Kingdom,
ask you, Sir Caron du Edelmarc, the Empire of Barmion's pride, the emperor's most loyal sword, master of the Edelmarc dukedom, and great Swordmaster."
"Ask away, noble prince."
Caron sheathed his sword and knelt before me.
I spoke in as solemn a voice as I could muster.
"Do you renounce all the years lived as a noble and knight of the Empire,
absolutely and entirely deny and abjure all allegiance and fealty to any foreign state or sovereign beyond Arcana,
defend and preserve the Arcana royal house against all enemies, uphold faith and loyalty thereto,
and, when required by the crown, perform without hesitation or evasion national defense, non-combat duties, or vital state missions in earnest for kingdom and crown?"
A slight adaptation of the U.S. naturalization oath.
To this world's nobles, it was an utterly terrifying vow.
Would he agree so readily?
"I, Caron du Edelmarc, renounce all rights, privileges, loyalties, and duties as a noble of the Barmion Empire and swear eternal loyalty to the Arcana royal house..."
By the end, he was nearly sobbing.
Tears streamed down his battered face from repeated lightning strikes.
Only then did Canelian and Xante lower their guards.
The Object clapped her hands in delight.
"One of the Empire's famed swords joining Arcana—what joyous news."
"Joyous indeed. Arcana finally has its own Swordmaster. Baron Caron, forget the past and let's do well from here on."
"Yes, Your Highness."
His voice had gained a bit of spirit.
A dullard might mistake it for acceptance of his fate, but not me.
The belatedly arriving wyvern knights landed and lined up in formation.
"Give Baron Caron spare armor and weapons if you have them."
"Your Highness?"
Caron looked at me in surprise.
I smiled reassuringly.
"Your weapons and armor are too conspicuous, no? I plan to keep your defection as secret as possible."
"And for your family to stay safe, you need to remain 'dead on duty,' right?"
"Thank you for opening a path to survival."
Caron unhesitatingly shed his relic (B)-grade defenses and handed over his legendary (A)-grade weapon.
Instead, he donned the standard wyvern knight gear.
Conspicuousness was just an excuse—I was confiscating expensive artifacts.
Who knew when he'd bolt? Better to collect them now.
Canelian watched the solemn oath of loyalty with satisfaction.
The prince's dignified demeanor felt refreshingly new.
'Never heard oath wording like that before. How did he come up with something so impressive on the spot?'
Caron had renounced the emperor.
From the Empire's view, he was a clear traitor.
He could never return now.
The Arcana royals had gained a Swordmaster 'in addition.'
'I was so startled when I saw the thunderclouds and lightning.'
Lightning crashing down repeatedly.
Something dire was clearly afoot, so she'd spurred her wyvern that way and joined swiftly.
"Your Highness..."
After everything ended, as Canelian approached the prince, she froze.
Amid his red hair, crimson eyes gleamed with utter disbelief and anger.
'Wh-what are those two doing right now?'
She hadn't noticed, focused on Caron.
The prince and elf mage Professor Silvret were pressed right together.
The prince even had an arm around Silvret's waist, while his other hand gently caressed her palm like lovers.
'What the hell happened in one night?!'