Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: The Queen's Gift
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Whirlick, clack.
As Kallias shook off his sword and sheathed it, he gazed at Esther, whose face was strangely flushed and whose lips seemed curved upward.
‘She truly has insane talent.’
She had seen him properly unleash the Silver Flower Sword Wave for the first time today.
Flower Breaking Path.
White Mist.
And finally, Flower of the Other Shore.
He had shown her everything he could.
Yet Esther had dismantled his techniques on her first viewing, dodged them all, closed in right up to his side, and thrust her sword.
The result was a draw.
Of course, if Kallias had drawn one of his many powerful swords, the outcome would have been different.
But the same went for Esther.
‘If Sullivan dies, Esther gains the Phantom Sword in an instant.’
That was a foregone conclusion.
An undeniable truth.
And it had to happen that way moving forward.
Only then would Esther rage at Sullivan's death and grow.
Ascend to Master, become Lutz Paladin, solidify her position as a saintess, and become a powerhouse threatening the Empire.
Right now, he held the advantage.
But that was only a matter of time.
Esther was growing stronger too.
A strange mix of rivalry and jealousy welled up, but he calmly suppressed it.
To have achieved this much with Kallias's body was pure luck up to now.
‘Nothing's impossible.’
He was Kallias, who had climbed this far.
There was no reason he couldn't reach even higher realms.
Having chased down the genius called Esther this far was proof that his life so far hadn't been wasted.
But as much as he had grown...
He had momentarily forgotten that Esther was steadily perfecting herself too.
The gap in talent was vast and treacherous, and Esther's wall loomed tall.
‘She's not even a Master yet.’
So just how strong were the Masters?
The path of the sword he still had to walk was high and rugged, shrouded in fog.
But he couldn't wallow in gloom forever.
Having drawn with that Esther was something to be satisfied with for now.
It was a realm the original Kallias could never have reached.
"That was a truly splendid match."
Allen, moved, dropped to one knee and spoke.
Glancing around, the other nobles' expressions had changed markedly.
They were astonished, incredulous.
The way they looked at Kallias was entirely new.
[Quest Completed]
<Reward>: Goblin gold coin
He had gotten to properly feel Esther's swordsmanship, and the quest was done—nothing bad about that.
Ever since arriving at the sword dance assembly, his chest had felt tight, but now it was clear.
"The flow of your techniques was as natural as running water. You've worked hard."
"You've grown too."
"Not compared to you, Count."
Pleased, as he approached to say more...
"Her Majesty, Queen of Carpe, is entering. All show proper respect!"
The queen had arrived.
White hair braided to one side.
A woman with hair and eyes entirely snow-white.
The royal most marked by the gods' traces.
Clara von Agata Bright.
It was the entrance of Carpe's queen.
"Hmm."
Kallias knelt on one knee and paid full respects to the queen.
The other nobles, sprawled unsightly, scrambled to show their obeisance.
"It's been a while since I've seen something so entertaining. Is this your handiwork?"
From her small, frail frame came words laced with the dignity of a nation's sovereign, resounding through the hall.
Kallias slightly raised his head to look at the queen, then lowered his gaze again.
"I merely fulfilled my duty at the sword dance assembly."
Clara the Queen.
Gazing at the ill-fated queen, Kallias's mind filled with many thoughts.
Her death. The royal family's trials.
The pressure from noble factions and her precarious position.
And above all, the prince who should have been her strength, meeting a wretched end.
‘I considered deposition.’
But it wasn't a good option.
After much deliberation, he concluded that aiding her was best.
Thus, Kallias had no intention of letting her end remain as it was. Just as he had changed so much already.
She too would change by his hand.
"I see. Lately, word of Count Jervan's exploits has reached even my ears frequently."
Clack, clack.
As the queen slowly descended the stairs, her footsteps drawing nearer, Kallias's heart raced for no reason.
They were scum worth killing, but having slain them so unilaterally now pricked at him.
As he pondered an excuse...
The queen was already before him.
"I hear the north repelled the barbarians' invasion safely once more. And that you stood firm at its center. Well done."
"I merely did what was required."
"Soon to be lord of the north, a count with no interest in other territories' lands. And I hear you possess many fine swords already. Is that right?"
"Yes."
She seemed about to grant something.
He had killed on his own whim, but it had helped, so...
"I must bestow a reward, yet you already have so much—it's tricky. Is there anything you desire?"
To think she'd ask what he wanted.
An extraordinarily preferential treatment.
‘She means to draw me into the royalist faction.’
But it didn't matter.
It was exactly what he hoped for.
The queen's power needed to grow stronger.
Only then could he achieve his goals.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Jervan has long desired something."
Much could be gained from the royal family.
Among the relics and swords they held, there were many exceptional ones.
But Kallias first thought of one thing.
Something he needed right now, and would need ongoing.
"What is it? Speak freely."
Kallias's eyes fixed on the ring on the queen's finger, embedded with white jade.
"I desire Bright's White Jade."
"!!"
Bright's White Jade.
Not just the ministers—even the nobles gasped in shock.
Many sneered in disbelief.
"Why do you want that?"
"It is essential to me."
The queen asked no more.
She pondered deeply.
"This white jade has been handed down in the royal family since the reign of previous kings. You know that, yes?"
He knew.
Clara von Agata Bright.
Bright's White Jade was the royal family's treasure.
A treasure of the founding king, a sort of emblem.
Asking for such a thing, it was natural they'd be shocked and resistant.
However.
‘It’s necessary.’
On the thorny path ahead.
Bright's White Jade was an absolutely essential item.
It was a gamble, in a way.
A test of sorts.
‘If you want me, you must give something of that caliber.’
After all, he wasn't the one in a hurry.
The queen was the one in endless peril.
The choice was hers.
What did a powerless king need? Just a symbolic ring?
Or the allegiance of a noble knight with roots and might?
Kallias waited silently.
As the entire hall held its breath, awaiting the queen's reply...
Her lips parted.
"Very well."
He inwardly cheered.
"Your Majesty!!"
"It cannot be!"
"Bright's White Jade is the king's symbol! To hand it to a mere subject?!"
"Outrageous!"
"Absurd!!"
The ministers erupted in protest as if waiting for the cue, but the queen smiled calmly in response.
"Can't I do as I wish with my own possession? It's just one ring—don't worry so much."
"It's not just any ring!"
"I know that better than anyone. Count Jervan?"
"Yes."
"It was cherished by my forebears and by me. Quite excessive, I think. But since you say you need it, I shall grant it. However, it belongs to the royal family—a heirloom steeped in tradition. Not a gift, but a loan. When I step down, you will pass Bright's Ring to the next king."
So that's how it would be.
‘Not a bad method.’
A way to bind the future lord of the north without fully surrendering it.
"In exchange, you must fulfill one request of mine whenever I ask. Can you do that?"
"Of course."
As the deal concluded, unconvinced ministers moved to shout.
"But—!"
"I have decided. There are many other matters—if you're dissatisfied, submit a petition."
"Hrm...."
Before they could say more, the queen slipped the white jade from her finger and placed it in Kallias's palm.
"You carry a pleasant fragrance, Count. I nearly slipped it onto your finger myself."
Whispering with a pure smile, the queen's expression was utterly innocent.
Yet somehow sorrowful.
Then, words slipped from Kallias's mouth unbidden once more.
"I will protect Your Majesty's smile."
She flinched.
The queen was startled—and so was he.
Damn trait acting up again.
"I'll hold you to it, Count."
With the queen's smile as she returned to her seat, the commotion died down, and rewards for merits began.
Those who earned distinction received titles or lands.
Jenos was among them, along with several other nobles.
After the rewards, the queen departed busily, and many gathered to discuss swords.
Mostly those eager to approach Kallias, but now she was fully the queen's man.
They dared not draw near rashly.
All the better for him, so Kallias headed to his assigned quarters.
[Bright's White Jade]
Grade: Rare
-A ring handed down in the Bright royal family.
A pathetically plain description.
Why demand such a ring?
There was a good reason.
Kallias infused holy power into the white jade embedded in the ring.
He poured and poured and poured some more.
Short on holy power, he unsealed the bracelet, dumping in the vast accumulated divine power.
Like a bottomless jar, the white jade absorbed an enormous amount before its cracks finally blurred and shattered.
[Hetaiya's Red Jade]
Grade: Legendary
-A ring of House Hetaiya, rulers of this land before the Bright royal family took root. A ring of the family that birthed demons.
[Noble Spirit]
-Greatly fortifies the wearer's mental strength. Deflects most mental attacks.
The queen had cherished it without knowing its secret.
Kallias slipped on the red jade at once.
He couldn't tell exactly, but it felt protective.
He immediately drew that sword from his Subspace.
Nothing better to test the red jade on right now.
Shing.
As he gripped the Lament sword spewing white chill, wails echoed in his ears for an instant.
But only for an instant.
"It's quiet."
With his bolstered mental strength, Lament's illusions and auditory hallucinations were gone.
Now he could wield Lament freely.
Even without Lament, he absolutely needed Hetaiya's Red Jade.
Carcass swords had myriad unique abilities.
Many involved hypnosis or sleep—mental attacks.
No matter how strong one was...
A moment's carelessness could mean death by poison, sleep, or madness leading to slaughtering one's own allies.
In such a world, an item granting mental attack immunity was rare.
‘Even if demons appear later, I can hold out to some degree.’
Gaining this alone was a huge win. The queen's future request was a minor annoyance, but unavoidable.
Even accounting for that, the red jade was a must-have.
"What are you looking at so intently?"
"......!"
Startled.
An old man's voice rang out.
Kallias, jumping in shock, hid the ring and stepped back.
Looking to the window, an elderly man stood there, hands behind his back.
"No, how did you get here..."
"The window was open, so I came in."
"What..."
His assigned parlor was on the third floor, yet the old man acted like he was out for a neighborhood stroll.
Even a glance revealed no clues to his identity.
But one thing was clear.
‘Not someone to treat lightly.’
The pure divine power emanating subtly matched what he'd sensed from saints' sacred stones.
Snow-white robes, a sword used like a cane to tap the ground.
And the absurd, common-sense-defying behavior.
Putting it together, one person came to mind.
"You are the one who must help. A task only you can do."
He was the pinnacle of the Valterus Church.
Philiche di Eberder Valus.
The pope of the church.