Kasim nodded as he looked at Mitchell, who was about to begin a lecture on the theory of swordsmanship.
‘If his father was a royal guard knight of Penslutt, then his fundamentals must be solid, at least.’
Kasim did not doubt Mitchell’s swordsmanship in the slightest. He had become certain of it when Mitchell had fought a bloody battle with Winslutt for a full thirty minutes. Kasim had not been able to last even ten seconds under Winslutt’s battle axe. For that reason, even at the cost of his pride, Kasim was trying to learn the basics from Mitchell. Right now, he was engraving every word of Mitchell’s explanation into his mind.
“The swordsmanship I am about to explain is the swordsmanship practiced by the royal guard knights of Penslutt. It is inferior to that of the Crocen Empire, but it is still a sword art with power in its own right. I inherited this swordsmanship from my father, Hales. Since I cannot teach you every technique, I will briefly explain only the foundational attack and defense techniques that form its core. Sparring will come after that.”
Mitchell’s explanation continued, and the mercenaries listened with bright, shining eyes. Since she had no interest in swordsmanship, Juliana kept yawning in boredom, then went into her own tent. Perhaps curious about the swordsmanship of Pelzentin, Damon was eavesdropping on Mitchell’s explanation from a short distance away. Of course, it was nothing more than simple curiosity.
‘No matter how excellent the swordsmanship may be, it could never dare compare to the sword arts of the Central Plains. Isn’t that obvious just from the fact that Emperor Crocen reigned here as invincible under heaven? What a pity. If I had been a swordsman who trained in the sword, I might have made a name for myself with martial prowess in no way inferior to Emperor Crocen……’
After crossing over to this place, what Damon felt most keenly was the striking difference in the power of swordsmanship. To be frank, in both subtlety and might, the swordsmanship of the Central Plains was incomparably stronger. That was due precisely to the difference in how it had developed.
The swordsmanship of Truvenia and Arcadia had been created to be extremely suited to group battles rather than individual duels. Of course, sword arts centered around duels did exist, but they were thoroughly monopolized by the upper classes, above the knightly class.
But the Central Plains were different. To begin with, the history of martial arts there was incomparably deep, and with the countless sects under the martial world of the Central Plains, the foundation had naturally formed for swordsmanship and internal energy arts to develop to an extreme degree. Under the purpose of bringing glory to their sects and spreading their names, countless warriors honed their swordsmanship, and their insights were passed down intact to later generations. Those later generations would then ceaselessly refine the swordsmanship they had inherited and pass it on again to those who came after them.
As that process repeated, the power of the Central Plains’ swordsmanship grew by leaps and bounds. Even the varieties of sword arts that formed its main branches were beyond comparison with Arcadia.
Speed, illusion, tyranny, death, heresy, slaughter, desolation—countless sword forms arose, and no small number of unknown branches were derived from them as well. Having faced countless sword experts in duels, Damon could recognize the difference without difficulty. From that standpoint, Arcadian swordsmanship could be said to be rather monotonous. In a way, it resembled the Tyrant Sword, which pursued strength.
Furthermore, unlike in the Central Plains, there was almost no difference between the swordsmanship of different countries in Arcadia. Damon, who had watched the sparring match between Helbertron and Mitchell a short while ago, had been able to notice that fact without difficulty.
Despite the difference of five hundred years in time and another continent in space, the two men’s sword forms were almost identical. There might be differences in their techniques, but the main branches of their attack and defense skills were the same.
It was truly a great difference from the Central Plains, where even among the various sects there existed striking differences in techniques and sword forms. Because of that, Damon, who had been listening to Mitchell’s explanation, soon grew bored and rose to his feet.
“In short, it comes down to real combat experience and proficiency. Since there isn’t that much difference in technique, if they’re made to fight Winslutt frequently, it won’t be too difficult for them to become stronger. I’ve passed on the Sura Death Spirit Mind Method to them, so becoming paladins should only be a matter of time……”
Damon glanced at the mercenaries, who were absorbed in Mitchell’s explanation, and silently headed toward his tent. Since it would take quite some time for the explanation to end and for the sparring to finish as well, he intended to enjoy a nap in the meantime. Even after Damon entered the tent, Mitchell’s lecture continued for quite a long while.
A prison was originally a place where criminals who had committed crimes were confined. Therefore, it was customary to build one deep underground, where escape would be difficult. Stone walls and iron bars were used to completely isolate it from the outside world. Of course, there were prisons that were not like that. Those built into wagons for transport were such cases. But here, there was a case that had completely departed from the purpose of such a prison. And it was in the most splendid place in Pelzentin, the capital of the Crocen Empire, no less.
The relatively small prison, which appeared to be about ten square meters in size, was astonishingly installed in a place open on all sides. It was a location utterly at odds with the prison’s purpose of isolation from the outside world.
Moreover, the scenery nearby was so beautiful that one could not imagine it was a prison. Knights clad in splendid armor stood lined up along the wall, and the carved marble pillars and velvet curtains were the very height of luxury. Anyone could tell this was the space of no ordinary person of power. An emperor, or someone with power comparable to one.
Inside the prison, one person was confined. Ordinarily, the eyes of a prisoner locked in a prison ought to be filled with extreme despair or doubt regarding his own fate. Yet strangely, it was difficult to find any such expression on this prisoner’s face. On the contrary, his face was filled with satisfaction and pride, as though he had accomplished something.
The prisoner was Maurice. The bold man who had gone alone to a dragon’s lair, negotiated directly with the dragon, and returned. He had lost both arms in the process, but the sense of accomplishment from successfully completing his mission more than offset that. Around the prison, knights in heavy armor stood guard in close formation. They wore rather splendid armor, but judging by their insignia, they were not royal guard knights. They were knights of the Duke Knights, the private knight order of Duke Perstein.
The Duke Knights. It was a knight order that Duke Perstein had personally founded. Based on his enormous financial power, Duke Perstein had gathered skilled knights on a large scale from all across Arcadia and created the Duke Knights to oppose the Crocen Knights. Of course, in terms of individual ability, they could not catch up to the Crocen Knights, but because their total number approached three hundred, they were more than capable of dealing with the knight order of any ordinary kingdom. Of course, if they were to clash head-on with the Crocen Knights, defeat would be inevitable.
The superiority of that power was determined by the number of Sword Masters. Despite numbering only one hundred and twenty, the reason the Crocen Knights were called invincible was that every single one of their members was a Sword Master. On the other hand, there were only thirty master-class knights in the Duke Knights. That was why they did not dare consider facing the Crocen Knights head-on. Even so, the Duke Knights were by no means a knight order to be taken lightly.
They possessed enough strength to contend with the royal guard knight orders of Penslutt or the Kingdom of Terbia, which competed for the position of the second strongest power in Arcadia. And Duke Perstein, who was skilled in organizational management, had already earned the Duke Knights’ absolute loyalty. Every individual member of the knight order had sincerely sworn loyalty to Duke Perstein. Of course, Maurice was also a member of the Duke Knights.
But why was Maurice, who had performed such a great deed, locked behind iron bars? The one who would provide the answer soon appeared.
Step, step.
Along with the sound of footsteps, someone slowly walked in. Judging by the clanking of armor that followed behind him, he seemed to be under heavy escort by knights.
The one who revealed himself was an elderly nobleman with half-white hair hanging down. His sharp gaze was extremely impressive. He was Duke Perstein. He was the unparalleled ambitious man who, with his innate ability, had encroached upon imperial authority and now controlled most of the Crocen Empire.
The duke looked at Maurice, who was locked behind the iron bars, with a deep gaze. A moment later, a low voice slipped from his lips.
“Forgive me, Maurice. Forgive me for having to treat you like this.”
The moment Maurice saw Duke Perstein, he reflexively knelt on one knee.
“What are you saying, Your Grace? It is an infinite honor for me merely to have been entrusted with such an undeserved mission.”
“No. To confine you, who have accomplished such a great deed, behind iron bars…… It is truly something that should not happen.”
Still kneeling, Maurice trembled with emotion.
“Please take back those words. Though I may not realize it, I may already have fallen under the dragon’s mental magic. Therefore, Your Grace has made an entirely proper decision.”
Duke Perstein nodded silently.
“Is that so? You completed the mission?”
“Yes, Your Grace. The red dragon gladly accepted Your Grace’s proposal. Only……”
“Only?”
“He asked that the day of the great undertaking be postponed by one year. He said it was because he needed to prepare.”
“That much will not be difficult. More than ninety percent of the members of the House of Nobles have already pledged loyalty to me…… Once the matter passes through the noble council, we can easily delay the selection ceremony for the crown princess, so do not worry.”
A certain delight seeped into Duke Perstein’s eyes. He had dispatched Maurice half in doubt, but Maurice had unexpectedly caught a great prize. To be honest, Duke Perstein had not expected Maurice to succeed in his mission. He had sent him out believing in a threadlike possibility, and unexpectedly, things had gone well.
‘Once the crown prince dies by a dragon’s hand, matters can proceed in a single rush. The only descendant who has inherited Emperor Crocen’s bloodline is Crown Prince De Beers, so before long, the Crocen Knights will lose the object of their loyalty. If I properly use their desire for revenge against the dragon, I should be able to win their loyalty without much difficulty.’
That was precisely what Duke Perstein had worried about the most. The group known as the Crocen Knights.
The Crocen Knights, the strongest armed force in Arcadia, had until now obstructed him at every turn. His peerless tolerance and skill in organizational management had not worked on the members of the Crocen Knights alone. At the very least, they were diehards who had thoroughly dedicated their lives to the emperor.
As a last resort, he had formed the Duke Knights, but they were nowhere near enough to challenge the stronghold of the Crocen Knights. Even with his abilities, it had been impossible to create an armed force equal to the Crocen Knights. For that reason, the Crocen Knights had been the greatest obstacle to his grasping control of the empire.
Because of that, Duke Perstein had planned the absurd scheme of training with a dragon. If the last descendant of Emperor Crocen were killed by a dragon before the eyes of all, there was no doubt the plan would unfold smoothly. If that happened, it was as obvious as day that the imperial throne of the empire would pass to the House of Helfrain. Duke Perstein forcibly hid his joyful expression.
‘Even if the matter succeeds, I can never ascend the imperial throne myself. If I did, enormous chaos would be brought about. However, I will absolutely make my descendants emperors of the Crocen Empire. Emperors of the vast empire that will be created after conquering the neighboring countries and making all of Arcadia its territory. Of course, during the process of unification, I will have to thoroughly take on the role of the villain. Only then can the House of Helfrain rule the continent of Arcadia forever.’
As Duke Perstein continued thinking, Maurice’s voice reached his ears.
“However, Your Grace. No matter what happens, you must not lower your guard against the dragon. They are terrifying beings who destroyed Truvenia.”
Duke Perstein’s gaze turned to Maurice. Maurice’s face was filled with nothing but loyalty. It seemed he wished to offer one last piece of advice, considering that he would never again be able to meet Duke Perstein.
“Although they accepted the proposal, you must not trust them. Just as they destroyed Truvenia, the dragons may unite the orcs and cross over into Arcadia.”
A smile spread across the duke’s lips.
“I am well aware of the dragons’ intentions, Maurice. They likely accepted the proposal in order to weaken Arcadia’s strength. I have already prepared countermeasures for that.”
As soon as those words ended, Maurice’s face brightened.
“In that case, this humble servant has no further worries. Your Grace. Please, may you accomplish the great undertaking……”
“I will not forget you, Maurice. If the great undertaking succeeds, I will surely restore your honor. You are a meritorious retainer who made the greatest contribution to accomplishing the great undertaking.”
Once again, a light of emotion rippled across Maurice’s face.
“Your words alone are more than enough. Thank you.”
“Farewell. Though the place chosen for your exile is remote, it will lack nothing for you to live there with your family.”
“I sincerely thank Your Grace for your consideration.”
Duke Perstein gazed for a moment at Maurice, who bowed his head again and again, then silently turned around.
Now Maurice would have to leave far away with his family. That was an arrangement Duke Perstein had made out of concern for the dragon’s mental magic. He had already grasped in detail the full story of Truvenia’s destruction.
‘The terrifying thing about mental magic is that even when one is under its effect, the person involved does not notice at all. That was why the dragons were able to grasp Truvenia’s secrets and defensive state down to the last detail. But I will not make such a mistake. Because the dragons, too, are enemies I must one day face.’
Rumble, rumble.
The sound of the prison in which Maurice was confined being pushed away could be heard. He would now have to set off on a distant road from which he could not return. In other words, he would be completely isolated from the world. Thinking of that, Duke Perstein frowned.
‘Still, what a waste. His loyalty, at least, was first-rate. The problem was that his skill could not keep up.’
His thoughts of Maurice had already vanished from his mind as though washed away. No matter how loyal a subordinate might be, to him, they were nothing more than a mere means to an end.