A short while later, the faces of those who opened their eyes were suffused with joy. The monsters that had filled the ceremony hall only moments before had vanished as if washed away. There was nothing left. The lich, the Dark Shades, even the remains of the elite Doom Warrior Kasim had struck down—all had disappeared without a trace.
“They’re all gone.”
“We’re saved now.”
At the thought that their lives had been spared, the people broke into cheers. The lord and his wife, apparently freed from the Dark Shades’ poison, were also slowly sitting up. Matilda opened her eyes, then shouted and ran forward.
“Kasim!”
In the direction she ran, tears streaming down her face, Kasim lay sprawled out spread-eagled. There was no movement at all from his outstretched limbs. Matilda seized him and burst into sobs. Hot tears fell in rivulets, soaking Kasim’s chest.
“Why didn’t you tell me how you felt sooner? If you had, if only you had……”
Unable to continue, Matilda could only sob. Thinking Kasim was dead, she no longer had any desire to live in this world. To think that Kasim had cared for her so deeply…… His voice, declaring that he would not trade her for any treasure in the world, still rang vividly in her ears, and the gallant sight of him, covered in blood as he fought a bloody battle against the monsters of the Demon Realm, was still clear before her eyes.
To think she had treated such a man so coldly…… The regret of what had happened yesterday overwhelmed her beyond control. Since her mind was filled with the thought that she should follow Kasim to the next world, Matilda quietly reached out.
There lay the longsword Kasim had set down, its blade hideously chipped here and there. When her hand touched the hilt, Matilda looked at Kasim’s face. He was covered entirely in blood, his eyes tightly shut. At that sight, Matilda steeled her heart.
“Kasim. Let us meet in the next world and fulfill the bond we could not in this one.”
Having made that quiet vow, Matilda picked up the sword and tried to stab it into her neck. At that moment, a large hand seized her arm. Startled, Matilda turned her head, and the most dependable man in the world was looking at her with his eyes open.
“My lady.”
“Ka-Kasim……”
As if there was no need to think, the two embraced each other. Burying her face in Kasim’s chest, Matilda shed hot tears again and again. To her, this moment was the happiest in all the world.
“You’re alive. Thank the heavens. Truly……”
“Do not worry. Until the day my life comes to an end, I will protect you, my lady.”
Having confirmed each other’s hearts, the two did not release their embrace, as if they would not part until the end of the world. The people watched the sight without even turning their heads away. Then a single scream tore through the silence in the hall.
“Aaah! My sword, my sword!”
When the people turned their heads, Morser was there, staring at his hands with a look of utter despair. The shining Shire Blade was nowhere to be seen; only ashen-gray dust trickled weakly between his fingers.
It seemed the blade had been affected by the divine power emitted by Berhazel’s Hall, and judging by that, the Shire Blade appeared to have been an utterly wicked demonic sword from the very beginning.
“He truly is unforgivable.”
Lord Arne, who had been staring coldly at Morser as he wailed on and on, rose to his feet. Supporting his wife, he quietly made his way toward Kasim. He still seemed to have difficulty walking, perhaps because he had not fully recovered from the paralysis, but he moved his feet with effort. When the lord approached, Kasim, who had been slowly turning his head, started and raised his upper body.
“Ugh.”
As if intense pain had shot through his wounds, he grimaced despite himself. Even so, Kasim desperately tried to show proper courtesy to the lord and his wife. Lord Arne, looking at Kasim with gentle eyes, waved his hand.
“It is all right. Just lie still.”
“I-I am sorry. I promised I would not cause a disturbance, but I had no choice……”
A faint smile appeared on the lord’s face.
“It seems your wounds are grave. Therefore, by the lord’s command, I will not permit you to show formal courtesy.”
“I cannot accept that. How could I dare……”
Lord Arne did not so much as say the words, “Thank you for saving my daughter.”
“Kasim, I never dreamed you were the captain of such a remarkable mercenary corps. It is truly astonishing.”
Kasim’s face reddened slightly.
“It is nothing but a trifling name.”
“No. I had truly wondered what sort of mercenary corps the Kasim Mercenary Corps was. To think you are the captain of such a group—would you not be a son-in-law any parent with a daughter in this world would covet? Indeed you would.”
Embarrassed, Kasim kept silent. Lord Arne continued in a serious voice.
“But even if all such conditions were set aside, you are fully qualified to become Matilda’s spouse. The moment you risked death and leapt in to save Matilda, you had already earned that right.”
After speaking, the lord glared coldly at Morser, who did not know what to do with himself.
“You cannot even be compared to a fiancé who sold his betrothed for a single sword. My eyes were clouded. I am ashamed beyond bearing that I failed to recognize a true man.”
After hesitating for a moment, Lord Arne soon revealed his true feelings.
“Will you accept my daughter? If you protect her, then even if I lose the Arne territory now, I will have no regrets.”
At those words, Kasim’s heart filled with joy. At last, he had been given the chance to win the woman he loved. With a resolute expression, he spoke each word clearly.
“Until the moment my strength is exhausted, I will protect Lady Matilda. And for her happiness, I will not shrink from anything.”
“Thank you.”
Perhaps overcome with emotion, the lord could not continue for a moment. Before anyone knew it, a misty film of tears had gathered in the eyes of the lord’s wife and Matilda, who sat beside him.
“Then wait here a moment.”
After smiling at Kasim, Lord Arne turned and walked toward Count Tudret, who was standing blankly. Arriving before him, Lord Arne opened his mouth in a low voice.
“As you saw, your son sold my daughter for a single sword. I suspect you would have nothing to say even if you had ten mouths. Since the marriage vows have not yet been exchanged, I hereby officially declare the engagement broken.”
Count Tudret could only listen in silence, his lips pressed tightly together. After all, it was true that his son had committed an unforgivable act. A satisfied smile appeared on Lord Arne’s lips.
“As you can see, my daughter now has an incomparably dependable spouse. I intend to choose an auspicious day and hold the wedding as soon as possible. So you should return home now.”
Lord Arne turned away without waiting for an answer. At that moment, Count Tudret threw out a single sentence.
“Do you have proof?”
The bewildered lord turned his head. Count Tudret wore the expression of a man who had made up his mind.
“What are you talking about?”
“As you can see, my son gained nothing at all, did he? Since the sword turned to ash, the evidence of any transaction vanished along with it. Therefore, I hereby declare that the responsibility for breaking the engagement lies entirely with you.”
Count Tudret’s mind was working furiously. Though he had failed to obtain the Shire Blade, he could not lose the Arne territory as well. If left alone, the Arne territory would surely pass into the hands of another noble. That would be certain if Matilda married Kasim.
“That mercenary brat may be skilled, but he is clearly no noble.”
Reminding himself once more that titles were not inherited by commoners, Count Tudret resolved to use this matter as a pretext to swallow up the Arne territory. Like father, like son indeed.
“In front of all these people, you used the broken engagement as a pretext to publicly insult our House Tudret. For that reason, I request a champion duel from you.”
A champion duel. It was a custom that had begun in Truvenia and spread to the various kingdoms of Arcadia, one method of settling disputes between noble houses. When disputes arose between noble families, it was extremely difficult to apply the law.
The law, in a word, was nothing more than something used to bind commoners. Therefore, in such cases, each house would select a qualified champion and have them fight, using the result to determine right and wrong.
Count Tudret was proposing precisely such a champion duel.
“Since the honor of our house has been thoroughly tarnished, I intend to stake everything I possess. I will wager the entire Tudret territory. What say you? Do you have the will to agree to this champion duel?”
It was the height of shamelessness—the guilty party was the one getting angry—so it was impossible not to be enraged. His emotions running high, Lord Arne nodded without further thought. Since he had already given up on his territory, and since his expectations for his dependable future son-in-law played a large part in the decision, he accepted.
“Fine. Let us do it. Why should I not?”
Having achieved his aim, Count Tudret looked around at the gathered people with a triumphant smile.
“The contract has been established. Since so many of you have served as witnesses, I trust you will not deny it later.”
“I will never deny it. I have nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Then you must be well aware of the qualifications required of the knight who will serve as champion.”
At Count Tudret’s words, Lord Arne’s complexion suddenly stiffened. Only then did he realize that only a noble could become a champion. Recalling the qualifications for a champion—that the person had to be of pure Pencelot blood and a child of a noble house—Lord Arne was struck with regret.
“Damn it. I fell for this wicked man’s……”
He realized he had fallen into Count Tudret’s scheme, but he could not reverse it now. Since the Arne territory would soon pass to another noble anyway, the lord ultimately decided to empty his mind of it. Having gained a dependable son-in-law was now his greatest consolation.
“I will certainly keep my promise.”
Looking at Lord Arne’s grim face, Count Tudret let out a greasy laugh.
“Heh heh heh. You had best hurry and search for a champion. For your information, the champion we will put forward is a paladin, so choose carefully.”
After speaking, Count Tudret turned his head and called someone.
“Hugo.”
A knight quickly ran over and stood before the count. He was one of the paladins who had been struck down by the elite Doom Warrior, and his injuries were relatively light. Aside from the bandage wrapped around his right hand, there was no sign that he had suffered any particular wound. Count Tudret looked at him as if he found him reliable.
“You must serve as our house’s champion. You are confident, are you not?”
At those words, Hugo glanced toward Kasim. He had already grasped that Kasim could not appear as the champion. Therefore, he accepted the count’s proposal without hesitation.
“Leave it to me.”
“Good. I will rely on you.”
Watching that sight, Lord Arne silently turned away. Without any change in expression, he approached Kasim. Kasim and Matilda were merely holding each other’s hands without saying a word. It did not matter that they were not speaking. Just by their gazes alone, they could confirm their love for one another…… As the lord approached, Kasim wore a worried expression.
“M-my lord……”
The lord waved his hand as if to tell him not to mind.
“Do not worry. It was a territory that would have fallen into another noble’s hands anyway. I had only hoped that a good lord would come, but since matters have turned out this way, there is nothing to be done……”
Kasim did not know what to do. To think the lord would acknowledge him as a son-in-law even at the cost of giving up his territory…… At that moment, with a murmur of commotion, a group of people rushed in.
“What on earth happened here? Where is the lich?”
The person standing at the very front and looking around in every direction was none other than Damon. Behind him were Mitchell and the mercenary troops. At the sight, Kasim gave a bitter smile.
“To think they only came running after everything was already over……”
But since the matter had been resolved well, he felt no disappointment at all. More than anything, Kasim was worried about how he would face Damon. After all, he had completely blown away Berhazel’s Hall and the Dragon Heart that had been entrusted to him. Carefully rising to his feet, Kasim gently stroked Matilda’s back.
“Those are my companions. I’ll go over for a moment.”
“All right.”
Matilda nodded with a radiant face. After giving the lord a polite bow, Kasim quietly approached his companions.
“What happened? And what is with you looking so battered? Hm, this is…”
As if sensing that something was not right, Damon kept tilting his head. Then, all at once, his face turned grave, and an angry shout burst from him.
“No matter how I look at it, this is the mana of the Dragon Heart! Damn it… Kasim!”
As if there were nothing to think about, Kasim bowed his head deeply.
“I’m sorry, Damon. Something unavoidable happened, and the Dragon Heart…”
“Captain, how could you do this? You knew how much I cherished that thing… Ah, my stomach hurts.”
Damon thumped his chest in regret. Since he had no excuse even if he had ten mouths, Kasim could only flounder helplessly.
“I’m truly sorry. I’ll be sure to repay you, even if I have to empty out all of my wages.”
Damon let out a long sigh. Fortunately, he did not seem inclined to make too much of an issue of it.
“Forget it. Is a Dragon Heart something you can buy with money? So, what exactly did you use it for?”
“Yes, I’ll explain.”
Kasim soon laid out, in detail, everything that had just happened here. When they learned that an emissary from the Demon Realm had come with powerful warriors of hell to seize the maiden of the Red Scorpion constellation, who was to be taken as the bride of the Demon King Cherubim, every one of the mercenaries looked shocked.
“To think such a thing happened…”
With a serious expression, Damon patted Kasim on the shoulder.
“If that was the situation, then it was worth using. Yes, absolutely… In any case, Berhazel’s Hall was so old that I had some doubts about its effectiveness, but it seems it did its job.”
“Its effect was certainly reliable. It wiped out all the monsters, including the Dark Shades. Well, since a lich has a Life Force Vessel, it will come back to life someday, but…”
Perhaps thinking that Shurnak might return again, Kasim’s face was full of concern. Looking at him, Damon gave a grin.
“Don’t worry. A lich isn’t immortal, either. If its main body suffers damage it can’t endure, the Life Force Vessel is also greatly affected, so it may not be able to revive at all.”
“Is that true?”
Damon quickly nodded and changed the subject.
“Of course. In any case, this means you obtained the love you wanted so badly.”
Kasim’s face flushed slightly.
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“My heartfelt congratulations. This is truly wonderful.”
“Congratulations, Captain.”
“As expected, the heavens reward those who strive.”
The mercenaries congratulated Kasim in unison. As if that were not enough, Damon began joking around.
“In that case, I should meet your father-in-law. I’m dying to know just how beautiful your fiancée is.”
“I’ll introduce you.”
A short while later, Lord Arne and his wife warmly welcomed the mercenary members.
“To think you are members of the famous Kasim Mercenary Corps. It is an honor to meet you.”
“You flatter us. Well, we merely follow whatever our captain tells us to do. It is because our captain commands so well.”
Lord Arne shook hands with each of the mercenaries in turn. Beside him, Kasim and Matilda stood side by side, holding hands and wearing happy expressions. Their faces looked as though they had gained the entire world. With a proud expression, the lord gestured toward them.
“They plan to hold their wedding in a few days. You will, of course, attend, will you not?”
“How could we not? Naturally, we must attend.”
While they were exchanging various words, a soldier approached them. Judging by the crest, he was a soldier from the Tudret estate. In an extremely businesslike manner, he delivered his message.
“Count Tudret has asked when the duel of champions will be held.”
At those words, Lord Arne let out a long sigh.
“I will inform him shortly. Have him wait.”
“Understood.”
As the soldier turned away, Damon wore a puzzled expression.
“Hm? What do you mean, duel of champions?”
“I’ll explain.”
Kasim stepped forward and told Damon the whole story.