Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Chapter 12: Welcome the Hero (2)
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I expected some kind of reward. But I never imagined it would be the sole magic artifact passed down through the generations of their house.
In the novel Empire of the Dead, magic artifacts are divided into various grades.
Among them, the 'Unique' grade holds value that's incomparable to even Superior or Rare grades.
As the glorious ancient era faded into oblivion, many techniques were lost—including the methods to craft Unique-grade magic artifacts.
Though some techniques have since been restored, making it possible to produce them today, the process is incredibly complex and demands an unimaginable amount of time and effort.
Even the Philius Empire's imperial vaults held only a handful of Unique-grade artifacts, which speaks to their immense worth.
"Is it really alright to give this to me?"
"Everyone agreed."
I briefly wondered about the scope of the 'everyone' Marquis Crayer mentioned, but Raymond shook his head to dispel the stray thought and calmly spoke up.
"I assume the marquis knows full well the significance of a Unique-grade magic artifact."
He meant that too much was at stake to let emotions cloud the decision, but Marquis Crayer showed no hesitation.
"I do. And that's precisely why I wish to present it to Your Highness the 5th Prince."
"Marquis Crayer..."
"They say a magic artifact chooses its own master. I don't believe any of this was mere coincidence. Please, accept it."
Continuing to refuse would be rude. He'd made the proper show of humility.
Raymond accepted the case containing the ring-form 'Guardian of the Ice Soul'.
"Have you heard of the Guardian of the Ice Soul?"
"An armor that protects its user in their final moments... I think that's the extent of it."
"You know your lore well. Are you familiar with the tales surrounding it?"
Of course he was. He'd seen the author's setting notes.
But since Marquis Crayer seemed eager to explain it himself, Raymond gave a light chuckle and shook his head, pretending ignorance.
"It's not some grand legend. Our house dates back to the ancient era, when we raised armies to protect the common folk from the monsters infesting the Black Mountains. In recognition of our service safeguarding the empire from those Black Mountain beasts, a previous emperor bestowed the Guardian of the Ice Soul upon us."
This much, he knew.
"Our ancestors placed great meaning in protection. Thus, they made a pact: if someone protected our house, we would repay them with the Guardian of the Ice Soul."
This part was new.
"Just as Your Highness the 5th Prince saved my life, now the Guardian of the Ice Soul shall protect Your Highness."
Marquis Crayer beamed.
"That's reassuring."
Raymond nodded with a faint smile. He thought the reward was over, but apparently not for the marquis. His expression had calmed as he slowly spoke again.
"Furthermore, should Your Highness the 5th Prince have need of us, our house will gladly raise our banners and assemble."
Now, House Crayer would stand behind the 5th Prince, Raymond.
And they weren't alone. With a prestigious northeastern knightly house making the declaration, the knightly houses under their command would follow suit.
By saving Marquis Crayer's life, he'd gained the allegiance of half the northeast's forces.
A satisfactory outcome.
"Marquis Crayer, I will remember your loyalty."
"Call upon us when the time comes. Our house and our knights await Your Highness the 5th Prince's command."
The day he'd need their strength wasn't far off. With the time of great calamity approaching, Raymond could only smile bitterly.
Cassias was the commander of the Imperial Army, sworn protectors of the Philius Empire's emperor and imperial family. He was also an exceptional knight who had reached the advanced knight rank.
When he first heard he'd been assigned to escort the 5th Prince, he'd been somewhat disappointed.
If he had to guard royalty, he'd rather stand by the 1st Prince—who enjoyed military support—than the 5th Prince, whose reputation as a wastrel still lingered.
Even as he prepared to serve the 5th Prince, most people believed his victory over the Shadow King had been pure luck.
But that wasn't the case. The moment Cassias met the 5th Prince and set out for the northeastern border, he had to completely revise his opinion.
"If I keep riding in the carriage, it'll slow the march. I'll travel by horse instead. Loyal soldiers of the Philius Empire are dying even now on the northeastern border—how can we afford to dawdle?"
The 5th Prince, Raymond, had dismounted from his comfortable carriage and taken to horseback.
His carriage was repurposed to carry supplies, and Raymond never slackened the pace until they reached the northeast.
It had to be his first long journey away from the imperial capital. Yet he showed no signs of fatigue, riding on in stoic silence.
Cassias had once served the 3rd Prince up close. Compared to Raymond, the 3rd Prince had been something of a complainer.
Of course, he'd been young then—but so was Raymond, still in his late teens.
'I was a bit surprised at first, but...'
He'd cheered when the prince made his decisive call at the central city, and felt elation at the first victory in the Black Mountains.
By the time they'd repelled the ghost unit and rescued Marquis Crayer, Cassias had fully come around. He acknowledged the 5th Prince, Raymond, and his loyalty had taken root.
'Was he forced to play the wastrel just to survive?'
Cassias now believed the wastrel behavior Raymond had shown for five years was a camouflage to endure the cutthroat intrigues of the imperial palace, where weakness meant death.
Lost in such thoughts amid his hurried steps, he soon arrived at the training grounds of the lord's castle—his destination.
After rescuing Marquis Crayer, Raymond's group had accepted the marquis's hospitality and rested in the castle for a few days.
The two territorial soldiers guarding the grounds stepped aside wordlessly upon seeing the Imperial Army cloak and commander's insignia.
"Is Sir Gestain inside?"
Cassias asked the soldiers. He'd come to the grounds today to keep an appointment with Gestain.
"Yes, he's sparring with His Highness the 5th Prince."
"Oh ho? Sparring, eh..."
He surely had prior arrangements with Gestain. It might have irked him, but the 5th Prince outranked even the Imperial Army's Cassias—like the heavens themselves.
Besides, curiosity burned about the 5th Prince's swordsmanship, especially after he'd suddenly unveiled a mana blade recently.
"Are you restricting access right now?"
The soldier shook his head at Cassias's question.
"His Highness the 5th Prince didn't order the grounds sealed off."
Some royalty and high nobles occasionally sealed off training areas to hide their practice sessions.
But based on what he'd seen so far, Cassias doubted the 5th Prince was the type—and he was right.
No sooner had he heard the answer than he hurried toward the grounds, where the 5th Prince and Gestain were sparring.
His eagerness to witness the prince—who showed talent in both magic and swordsmanship—made his steps quicken until he was practically running.
He arrived soon enough to see Raymond and Gestain exchanging blows. A fair number of knights had already gathered.
The spar was nearing its end, but it gave the advanced knight Cassias plenty of time to gauge the prince's level.
"Good work, Gestain."
"You've worked hard, my lord."
It was swordplay so brilliant it was hard to believe he'd lacked real combat experience before the Black Mountains.
Cassias and the other knights applauded in silence.
"I'll head back and rest now. You had an appointment, didn't you? Sorry for interrupting."
"Not at all, my lord. It was a fine opportunity to test my swordsmanship's progress."
Gestain bowed his head slightly in reply. It was pure sincerity, without a hint of falsehood.
How deep had his despair been when he lost his left arm and his swordsmanship along with it? Yet now he could spar and even instruct others—joy beyond words.
"I'll go on ahead."
Raymond wiped his sweat with a towel and left the grounds with Desia. The knights dispersed to their own training.
"Sir Cassias. Have you been waiting long?"
As the crowd thinned, Gestain spotted Cassias and approached with a welcoming tone.
"No, I just arrived myself."
"Let's head over there. I'll take ten minutes to rest, then review your form."
"Thank you."
Advanced knights weren't commonplace. Their guidance was a rare boon. The break flew by, and instruction began.
Gestain had duties as the 5th Prince's guard captain, and Cassias had to reorganize the Imperial Army, so the session didn't drag on.
"That'll do for today."
Gestain set down his wooden sword on the rack. Cassias nodded. They both had much to do.
"Sir Gestain, may I ask one thing?"
He shed his training clothes, wiped the sweat from his face, and donned his cloak again. Unable to contain his curiosity, Cassias approached and asked cautiously.
"If it's something I can answer."
"Is His Highness the 5th Prince truly a mage?"
Cassias's manner was polite yet tentative. It was a delicate question, but he couldn't hold it back.
Rumors from the banquet hall said the 5th Prince had repelled the Shadow King with magic. Yet in the Black Mountains, he'd wielded a mana blade.
Until then, Cassias had taken him for a pure mage, so the sight had stunned him.
"What do you think?"
Instead of a straight answer, he got another question. Cassias felt deflated but hid it.
"In a knight's eyes, the swordsmanship His Highness the 5th Prince displayed in the Black Mountains was no novice's work. It was like a veteran knight's—ill-suited to his youth."
Cassias answered honestly, without embellishment.
Skill alone couldn't compensate for inexperience in real combat; mistakes were inevitable.
Yet Raymond had stood unshaken against seasoned foes in the Black Mountains.
It was near-perfect, enough to suspect secret battle experience somewhere.
'Or perhaps innate genius...'
Cassias swallowed dryly. Gestain didn't reply at once. He adjusted his cloak calmly before speaking.
"His Highness the 5th Prince is indeed a mage."
"I saw the mana blade with my own eyes. I'm no mage, but I know magic and swordsmanship can't coexist."
When the radiant ancient era ended, the line of magic swordsmen died out.
Afterward, the Philius Empire, the Racial Alliance, the Three Kingdoms Pact, and even the Highfel Empire all tried to revive them—but failed.
Cassias held the 5th Prince, Raymond, in high regard, but he didn't think him capable of succeeding where all had failed.
"Didn't you see it clearly? Though it's taxing him now, His Highness the 5th Prince wields both sword and magic."
Cassias found himself at a loss for words.
"The revival of the magic swordsman? I don't think it's impossible. His Highness the 5th Prince has shown me the potential."
In truth, Raymond was still more mage than magic swordsman.
His mana blade, sword talent, and combat experience all stemmed from the thousand-year knight dwelling in the Soul Sword.
But the perennial clash between sword and magic prevented him from mastering both at his desired level.
Of course, reaching advanced mage rank and gaining blessings for both would resolve that.
"I've not served His Highness the 5th Prince for long, but he's different from the rest."
Gestain said. Cassias listened intently.
"I believe in His Highness the 5th Prince. If he sets his mind to it, good results are sure to follow."
The one-armed knight's praise rang especially strong today.