Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Jewel in the Palm
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Kaipa couldn't hide his bewilderment.
While he'd stepped away briefly to light the beacon at Bess's command, something utterly unexpected had happened.
The head of the Glazer Family, who stood in opposition to the Strange Family, had come to the castle. If he'd come to declare war and call out the family head, that would have made sense. However, until the war banners were raised and the beacon lit, protocol between nations—and among nobles—demanded that neither side attack until preparations were complete.
"Did you smash this guy's head in?"
Hagen, who'd come to Strange Castle, had blood drenching his head.
And not just him—the mages, vassals, and porters trailing behind were all bound and helpless.
"Yeah, these bastards are the ones who picked a fight with Berddin, right? So I taught 'em a lesson. Mages thinking they can take us on? The nerve!"
Kaipa clutched his forehead and shook his head.
He leaned down to check Hagen's condition, then asked Rox,
"What exactly did he say to make you do this?"
"Said he was here for Berddin."
"Reason?"
"To declare war."
Just as I thought.
Kaipa thought so as he moved to release the prisoners.
"What the hell are you doing? They came here to fight us!"
"Rox, this goes against chivalry."
"Chivalry?"
"Yes, if you're going to travel with Lord Berddin, you need to learn it. Nobles don't act purely on emotion. There are rules, and they dictate our conduct."
Rox shook his head, clearly displeased with the answer.
He'd heard about chivalry from Berddin before. But figuring out exactly where noble etiquette and rules began and ended was beyond him.
"While we're at it, let's just beat 'em down. I hear that in war, the winner makes the rules. Losers don't even make the history books."
"That's not chivalry either."
"Screw chivalry. So you're saying we fight those mage bastards fair and square? How long ago were we the ones getting wrecked in their castle?!"
Kaipa replied calmly.
"If the enemy breaks the law, and I respond in kind, then I'm just as lacking."
"Whatever, I'm gonna smash these guys. You stick to your precious chivalry. We don't see eye to eye, so let's just do our own thing."
"Are you refusing my orders?"
"Yeah! I don't have to listen to you."
"No, you do. I'm currently in command of Strange Castle."
"You're in charge of the castle, not my party."
Kaipa outranked him in position, authority, age, and standing within the castle. Yet Rox's bullheadedness left him at a loss.
You needed some dialogue to make someone understand.
"...Do as you like."
"Okay, then first I'll break this Hagen guy's legs so he never walks again—"
Shiiiik!
A shadow crept up from behind Rox, wrapping around his body.
"Huh?!"
He lost his balance in an instant and turned around to see Gangradra, who had appeared out of nowhere, holding a dagger to the unconscious Hagen's throat as she addressed Rox.
"This isn't Hagen."
"...For real?"
"Yes, Sir Kaipa knows as well. This is a fake Hagen."
Kaipa nodded.
"Correct. That's why I was going to let them go. But he's blocking me at every turn. If this were the real Hagen, would he go down to a single mace blow? He wouldn't even get hit by such clumsy attacks."
Rox glanced between them, tilting his head in confusion before asking Gangradra,
"So this guy's a fake Hagen?!"
"Yes. Logically, would an enemy family head come here personally in this situation?"
"......"
"He just sent a clone with his vassals to formally declare war."
"A clone?"
"Yes. Look closely—his face is very different from Hagen's. The beard covering most of it fooled you, Sir Rox."
Rox examined Hagen's face again, noting the eyebrows, and nodded.
"Yeah, it is."
"I'll handle these myself."
"Well... if you say so. No need to report to Berddin?"
"No, this ties into Master's orders. As you know, Sir Kaipa, we're tracking the Strang Family rebels we identified in the recent meeting—"
Gangradra gestured toward her shadow, and the ground split open, revealing two men.
Shiiik—
They were the fat man and the old one who'd spoken up for Berddin in that meeting.
"These two we caught first won't talk. We'll have to use them."
Fenrir began to rampage.
Ignoring all commands, it thrashed wildly in the narrow canyon.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
No one could approach due to its unimaginable strength.
The Glazers had thought of Fenrir as their shield wall, but now it blocked their own magic, restricting their movements.
Pew! Pew pew!
They could only focus their spells on deflecting the arrows raining from outside.
"Hoo—"
Edward von Glazer was stronger than I'd anticipated.
Even after hours of fighting, the mana emanating from him showed no signs of waning.
Not only did he unleash powerful spells in succession, but somehow he'd dodged or blocked sword strikes equal to my Sword King days.
Top combat prowess among all my opponents so far.
'Tempting.'
It was astonishing, and a chance to gauge just how strong he really was.
Why did facing an enemy I had to kill feel like discovering treasure?
If I could add a guy like this to my party and take him to the tower, he'd be a huge help against the 'Lord of Calamity' that once drove me to death—the Red Dragon.
'Why must we be sworn enemies, Edward?'
Berddin lamented as he witnessed his skill.
He had exactly the abilities Berddin needed most, without excess, yet they couldn't join forces.
"Edward, I praise your skill in holding your own against me like this today."
Edward let out a hollow laugh, looking incredulous.
"What nonsense is this?"
"Our fight ends here. I've achieved my goal, so I'll be going."
"Going? No, don't joke. One of us dies here today."
"Asabrag said the same."
"Asabrag?"
"Yes, he told me the same thing. Said we'd see the fight through that day."
I'd wanted to lop his head off too.
But one misstep, and I'd have been the one dying.
'No choice.'
I raised my hand overhead and fired Lightning skyward.
Piiiing—Boom!
"And I ended that fight, just like today. We both know who won. No need to waste stamina here before the real battle even starts."
Edward scanned his surroundings intently, then charged me with a furious roar.
"Raaargh!"
His right arm emitted blue chill, his left red heat; they mixed in the air.
Shiiiik! Steam hissed, fog blanketing the area and obscuring vision.
'What magic is this?'
A new spell I'd never seen.
Brunhilt on my shoulder gasped at it too.
"No way? Someone in this era still knows fusion magic!"
"Fusion magic?"
"Mixing two or more spells to create a new one, nyang."
"Combining two spells into one?"
"Yeah, it looks simple, but you have to chant multiple spells at once. Mess it up, and a whole country could vanish...."
No idea how Edward learned fusion magic.
But I now knew how dangerous his spell was.
'No helping it.'
His power tempted me, but now I had to kill him.
I infused my sword with Aura and swung toward where Edward stood.
Fog hid him, but Aura pinpointed his location.
"This ends now."
Slash!
The sword wind cleaved the fog and flew onward.
Moments later, a boom! echoed, revealing Edward at its end.
My strike had been sincere, meant to kill.
Crack.
"...Not bad, Berddin."
Only a crack marred his mana-clad steel right arm. I'd failed to end him.
I hadn't let my guard down. It was my best shot. Yet it didn't land.
'No.'
Not that it failed—it just wasn't enough to kill Edward.
"You're the impressive one, Edward."
With that, the fog began to clear.
By the time visibility returned, my signaled troops had already withdrawn.
-Awooooo!
Fenrir's howl echoed through the canyon.
Cliffside rocks tumbled from the shock.
It seemed a signal that today's battle was over.
Edward flexed his cracked steel arm repeatedly and said to me,
"You came to tie me down from the start?"
He glanced front and back, then smirked at the mercenaries' former position.
"Figured it out too late. While you kept me busy, we already took care of them."
He infused his eyes with mana and peered behind Fenrir's piled rocks.
"How'd you know we'd head south today?"
"Can't tell you that."
"Then that we'd pass through this canyon?"
"Can't say. But someone close to you, I'd wager."
"Someone close to me?"
"Yes. Figure out why I'm saying this on your own. Conversation ends here."
"You think I'll just let you go—"
"Stop me if you can."
"Ha? Cocky, huh? Try it!"
Having confirmed Lady Valentine’s Moonlight Knights and Bess’s Guardian Knights had fully withdrawn,
Swish.
I concentrated all my Aura into my sword, aiming for Edward’s chest.
'I've been saving this technique. Today, I'll show it to you specially.'
The secret move I created when I believed I'd surpassed Siegfried in my past life. A technique usable only at this body's current realm.
A sword art called light-speed, invisible to the enemy.
'Light Strike.'
I don't know what power let you block my attacks so far.
'Block this one too, if you can.'
My pride.
Slash!