Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: The Swordsman's Path
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Kaipa, having completed his recovery, led his knight order to the training grounds of Strange Castle.
"From this moment forward, Kaipa de Strange swears before the heavens to dedicate his life in unwavering loyalty to Lord Berddin, the master of the house, without a shred of deceit."
The knights under him knelt on one knee in unison and echoed his oath.
"We swear loyalty to the Family Head!"
Boom. Rumble.
I received their oaths beneath the banner bearing the family's symbol, the cross-shaped sword.
This marked the formation of a new knight order loyal to me, while also erasing one trace of my father's legacy.
Guardian Knight Captain Bess brought forth a sword emblazoned with the "Black Hawk" and placed it upon his hands.
"From this moment forward, Kaipa shall lead the Black Hawk order and obey my commands."
Clatter clatter.
Three maids arrived carrying a jar and set it before him.
This was one of the Guardian Spirit jars that only those bearing the Strange name could claim.
'One who has not endured trials cannot possess a Guardian Spirit.'
I broke long-standing tradition to grant him new power.
"You shall join me in elevating the Strange name and ushering in a new era."
Kaipa bowed his head and gripped the sword resting on his hands.
"I shall obey your command."
Then, with the Black Hawk-emblazoned sword, he struck the jar.
Clang!
The Guardian Spirit hidden within revealed itself.
Shiiiiek—
A human cursed by the tower, his entire body covered in blue crystal.
A former anti-mage who had served as Siegfried's adjutant, climbing toward the tower's summit in the past.
'Gerry.'
I granted Kaipa a Guardian Spirit capable of opposing mages.
Not only that, but I equipped Kaipa's knights with the same arms as the Strange regular army. Adorned in mithril armor and shields etched with cross swords, and Damascus blades at their sides, they exuded the prestige of the Strange family. Overwhelmed with emotion, Kaipa shed tears and offered me a sword salute.
Clank.
"I shall prove my loyalty in the war against Glazer."
Thud thud thud thud!
The Black Hawk Knights, clad in silver armor emblazoned with the Strange crest, galloped on horseback.
Having become the regular army, their morale soared sky-high, their faces alight with the valor to face even mages without flinching.
"Hyah!"
Kaipa waved the banner at the forefront and raised his voice.
This was to intimidate the animals and monsters blocking their path.
I lightly gestured from the carriage window, and he slowed his horse to ride alongside, bowing his head.
"You called for me?"
"Lord Kaipa, the goal of this expedition is not battle, but to relocate the territory's people to safety while scouting the waves from the east. Understood?"
"Of course. I've already relayed it to the company commanders of each unit."
"We must evacuate this place as quickly as possible, so once the operation begins, move swiftly."
He lifted his visor, revealing a face full of resolve, and replied.
"I shall obey your command."
"Good. Oh, and—the cavalry captain from the eastern edge reported that among the waves so far, there were monsters of a different breed."
"Monsters, you say?"
"Yes. Have you ever faced such creatures yourself, Lord Kaipa?"
Kaipa nodded vigorously.
"I was actually planning to consult you on that very matter, my lord. To answer first: our unit has clashed with the eastern waves before, and as you mentioned, we've seen a few anomalous monsters."
"For example?"
"...It's hard to describe in words. If I had to put it, their species were mixed together?"
"Mixed species?"
"Yes. Ah! Let me explain it this way: a troll's upper body fused to a griffon's body."
The image of the monster he described flashed instantly in my mind.
Wasn't it just like a centaur with wings?
"And?"
"We also saw an ogre with a neck like a giraffe's. It had three faces—utterly grotesque!"
This one came to mind immediately as well.
I instantly realized who was behind the eastern waves.
'Philip.'
The man who would climb the tower with me in the future—what on earth was he up to in this life?
"How many were there?"
"The ones we spotted numbered about fifty. That means the hidden ones are several times that, right?"
"No idea where they came from?"
"They seem to have flowed in from the north. Glazer isn't blocking them, so they must be in close ties..."
The "waves" we were discussing referred to monsters flowing into the continent from beyond its borders.
Every year, around the change of seasons, monsters began invading from somewhere, but the reason and origin remained unknown.
Of course, they were still unknown even before my death in my previous life, so it would take even longer to uncover.
"Lord Kaipa, I'm sorry to say, but the monsters crossing from east to south right now aren't from the waves."
"What?! Then—"
"It seems some alchemist allied with Glazer has been tinkering around, and it's turning into a major threat for us."
"An alchemist? But they're not tamers—how could they command monsters?"
"A few capable ones exist."
Creating modified monsters would be child's play with their knowledge.
Whew—
'Things are more tangled than I thought.'
The moment I recognized Philip's involvement, the order of priorities became clear.
'But if the plan goes even slightly awry, the damage could spiral out of control.'
Having faced him in my previous life, I knew just how dangerous he was.
His unit command skills could topple nations.
'If he sets his mind to it, he can churn out high-grade monsters endlessly.'
I closed my eyes and organized my thoughts.
'What are they after, sending monsters south?'
And why was Philip moving with Glazer?
There was nothing for him to gain by attacking me now, so whose bidding was he doing?
Nothing was certain. I could only infer their movements by rolling minor events around in my head.
"Kaipa, how strong were the monsters you faced?"
"Well... The ones we took down in our territory were mostly small to medium-sized. Their size was about two heads larger than normal for their kind, or like two fused into one."
"Bigger than expected."
"Yes, think of them as champion or lord-grade monsters."
Champion or lord-grade.
I was eager to see what these reported monsters actually looked like.
Clop clop clop!
In the midst of our vigorous gallop, we reached a fork in the road.
Kaipa led the cavalry into the opposite forest path, while I continued forward with the carriage.
-Kieeeek!
A green-skinned goblin leaped from the trees onto the carriage.
Thud!
The coachman screamed in horror.
"Aaaahhh!"
The two knights guarding his side swung their swords to fend off the goblin.
"You damn pests!"
"Y-Young Master—no, Family Head! Don't worry about us—stay inside!"
Since parting with Kaipa at the fork, monsters hidden throughout the forest had begun ambushing us.
A lone carriage without escort soldiers—what better prey?
'Exactly.'
That's what I was counting on.
First, I needed to identify the types of modified monsters Philip had created and figure out their objectives.
Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will win a hundred battles.
This was advice Siegfried, my Guardian Spirit who earned the title Sword God, had drilled into me a hundred, a thousand times.
'Thanks to that, I overcame crises on countless battlefields.'
I'm truly glad to have him back.
Looking back now, there were still so many lessons left to learn then. This time, no matter what, I'll train until I reach the Sword God's realm.
"What? Hilt, you're not wearing panties today?!"
Siegfried stared intently at Brunhilt's cat rear.
"Yeah! I mean, why would a cat wear panties?"
"But when you turn human... no panties, right?"
"True."
"Ooh... Planning to turn human today by any chance?"
"Nope."
"Argh! What a shame."
Boom!
I unleashed Lightning inside the carriage.
-Hiiiing!
The horse halted in fright.
Struck by the Lightning, Siegfried jumped in alarm and punched at me.
"You mad bastard!"
"Sorry, I was aiming for a monster."
"Monster?"
"Yes. Look outside. They dug traps in advance and were waiting."
The coachman pulling the carriage and the two knights escorting us lay dead, arrows piercing their chests and necks.
With their heads slumped, from here on, I'd have to fight the enemies myself.
"Kieeeek!"
A horde of goblins surrounded us outside the window, clutching crudely fashioned farm tools—stolen from nearby villages, no doubt.
"...It's true."
"Would I lie? You think I'd blast Lightning inside just to shut up my perverted master?"
Terezia, who had collapsed from the shock onto the carriage floor, scrambled to her feet in a panic.
"L-L-Lord Berddin, what is happening? Are we under attack now?"
I flung open the carriage door without a word and leaped out.
Thud.
Drawing my sword, I scanned the surroundings.
Goblins moved in packs, but they lacked the intelligence to set traps and ambush humans in advance.
'Their leader must be hiding nearby.'
The acrid smell of gunpowder mixed in the wind—their mastermind was human.
I couldn't identify who, but I pinpointed the enemy's position exactly.
Atop a rock, far from here.
The question 'Who is it?' flashed in my mind just as the gunshot echoed through the forest.
Bang!