Krovitz had assumed that Albert had been defeated by the Sword Master of the Kasim Mercenary Corps.
“It can’t be helped. I suppose we’ll have to think that the Sword Master of the Kasim Mercenary Corps is more skilled than Albert, won’t we?”
At those words, the squad leader’s complexion darkened even further.
“I’m sorry, but Albert was not defeated by a Sword Master. He was defeated by an ordinary Paladin…”
“Is… is that true?”
Krovitz was so shocked his eyes nearly popped out. It was because he could not take the squad leader’s words at face value. After all, the difference between a Sword Master and a Paladin was, quite literally, the difference between heaven and earth. One could become a Paladin through bone-grinding effort, but to become a Sword Master, one needed talent and luck on top of that to barely reach such a realm.
Even now, countless Paladins forgot food and sleep as they immersed themselves in training to reach the level of Master. Yet only an extremely small number of knights among them could seize the honor of becoming a Master. Krovitz muttered with a blank, devastated expression.
“To think such a thing could happen in this world… Even if they used wooden practice swords, how could such a thing…”
The difference between a Sword Master and a Paladin was determined by whether one had completed the Aura Blade. The Aura Blade of a Paladin, who could merely condense aura into the sword, and that of a Sword Master, who could draw it out from the blade beyond a certain length, were impossible to compare in terms of power.
For that reason, when a friendly match was held between the two, it was an ironclad rule to use wooden swords that could not emit Aura Blades. It was to decide the match purely by swordsmanship, not by sword aura.
Even so, there had never been a case of a Sword Master losing, no matter how hard one searched. That was because becoming a Sword Master required several times harsher training than a Paladin, outstanding talent, and even luck besides. That was why Krovitz was so astonished.
‘The honor of the Duke Knights has fallen to the ground. If this gets out…’
He clenched his teeth hard. The members of the Krosen Knights already looked down on the Duke Knights as it was. But if they found out that a Sword Master of the Duke Knights had been defeated by a Paladin belonging to a mercenary corps…
‘Nine times out of ten, we’ll become a laughingstock.’
Krovitz trembled with humiliation. After taking a moment to collect himself, he looked around at the knights.
“Where is Albert?”
“H-he is here.”
One knight pushed through the others and stepped forward. He was a middle-aged knight with a strong impression and long sideburns. From his haggard expression, it seemed he had suffered greatly in his heart. Krovitz’s gaze upon him was exceedingly cold.
“As of this moment, I strip you of the authority granted to you as unit commander, and in addition, I order you confined from going out for six months. Through bone-grinding training, restore with your own hands the honor of the Duke Knights that has been tarnished.”
Albert bowed his head without a word of protest.
“I will keep it in mind.”
“I want to hear why you lost. How a knight of your caliber lost to a Paladin, that is.”
After hesitating for a moment, Albert carefully began to explain.
“I do not wish to reveal it, but I will tell you. At first, I did not intend to spar with him either. Though he was said to be a Paladin, my opponent was left-handed, and on top of that, he was lame. But he pleaded so earnestly…”
Albert had accepted the duel in the spirit of teaching him a lesson. Of course, in real combat, no matter how outstanding a Paladin might be, he could not be a match for Albert. That was because the completed Aura Blade of a Sword Master could shatter a Paladin’s sword without difficulty.
However, as it was a friendly martial exchange, they took up wooden swords that could not draw forth Aura Blades and began their spar. The watching Duke Knights thought Albert would overwhelmingly drive back the young, small-framed boy mercenary. But the situation proceeded in the exact opposite direction. With a heavy expression, Albert explained the circumstances step by step.
“At first, I intended to hold back to a certain extent. But that was only my own thought. My advantage did not last even a few minutes. In conclusion, even after displaying everything I had, I could not defeat him.”
Krovitz’s mouth fell open.
“H-how could such a thing…”
“The boy mercenary’s swordsmanship was truly astonishing. Since it was swordsmanship that used the left hand, it was extremely unfamiliar, and the path of the blade itself was truly bizarre and incisive. It was a style I had never faced before, so I could not help but be greatly flustered. It was an unconventional sword art that utterly shattered form. But the problem was that his swordsmanship was not merely unfamiliar; it also boasted an astonishing degree of completion. His chain attacks, which continued without pause like flowing water, were precise and more than powerful enough. I was forced to focus on defense the entire time, and in the end, I was driven onto the defensive and had no choice but to lose.”
Albert, who had been doing nothing but desperately blocking Gerald’s fierce assault, eventually declared defeat. Without him even realizing it, his opponent’s sword had struck his body several times. The attacks had been concentrated on the joints of his armor, his vital points. If it had been real combat, he would have died several times over. Of course, if he had drawn forth his Aura Blade, the situation would have changed long before that…
“That is how I lost. Please forgive me.”
Although he had lost to a mere mercenary, there was no hostility toward his opponent to be found on Albert’s face. He had readily acknowledged a defeat born of a difference in skill. Only deep shame at having lowered the prestige of the Duke Knights was steeped in his expression. It was a mindset quite different from that of the knights of Trubenia who had once fought Emperor Krosen. Having finished his explanation, Albert stared straight into Krovitz’s eyes.
“I will improve my skill and challenge him again without fail. And through that, I will surely reclaim the fallen prestige of the Duke Knights.”
“Of course you should. That is indeed worthy of the Duke Knights.”
Krovitz silently nodded. At the same time, a deep curiosity arose within him regarding the swordsmanship of the mercenary named Gerald, who had defeated Albert.
“Just what kind of swordsmanship could it be…”
Krovitz’s thoughts were suddenly erased by the murmuring of the Duke Knights.
“What is it?”
“O-over there…”
As one of the unit commanders stammered in embarrassment, someone pushed through the Duke Knights and revealed himself. It was a small-framed boy wearing training clothes. The way he limped severely looked so precarious that he seemed as if he might collapse at any moment.
“Who are you?”
“H-he is…”
Just as the squad leader began to speak with an excited expression, the boy introduced himself first.
“Greetings. I am a member of the Kasim Mercenary Corps, and my name is Gerald.”
A strange light flashed across Krovitz’s eyes.
“So you are Gerald.”
The more he looked, the younger and weaker the boy appeared. However, Krovitz did not take the other’s appearance at face value. In his mind, the sight of Gerald freely rampaging against the Bronze Golem was firmly engraved.
‘At the time, I had no chance to see what his swordsmanship was like. I only felt that his movements and reflexes were extraordinary…’
Having finished his thought, Krovitz looked at Gerald with a deep gaze.
“But what brings you to seek me out?”
Gerald looked at Krovitz with expressionless eyes.
“I have come to request a duel with you, Commander.”
“You came to request a duel?”
“Yes. I ask that you please grant it.”
As soon as Gerald finished speaking, anger appeared in the eyes of the lined-up Duke Knights. His request for a spar was extremely rude. Although it had been founded by Duke Ferstein for personal reasons, the Duke Knights were undeniably a regular knight order. Moreover, they were a powerful knight order comparable to the royal guard knight orders of the three great powers.
To abruptly request a duel with the leader of such a Duke Knights was a rude act that completely ignored rules and procedures. It was something unimaginable for a knight of a regular order. The knights’ pride had already been wounded as much as it could be by Albert’s defeat.
‘Does he think so lightly of our Duke Knights?’
‘If he had used Aura Blade, Unit Commander Albert would never have lost to you.’
Objectively speaking, the Duke Knights were an organization above the Kasim Mercenary Corps. No, even if one conceded and called them equal organizations, it was the same. Gerald, a mere member, could by no means represent the Kasim Mercenary Corps. Conversely, Krovitz was the leader in both name and reality, responsible for the Duke Knights.
Therefore, regardless of skill, it was plainly discourteous for Gerald to challenge Krovitz. Every single one of the knights was furious to the tips of their hair. They did not step forward only because discipline was strict; if permission were given, each of them wanted to take his place in the duel instead.
‘Is he being rude, or does he simply know nothing?’
Krovitz, too, could not help but feel anger welling up. However, he forced himself to calm down. As someone responsible for an entire knight order, Krovitz had sufficient self-control. After letting out a deep breath, Krovitz looked at Gerald with a cold gaze.
“After facing Albert, did you think the commander of the Duke Knights would be nothing special as well?”
“…”
“If you think I won’t step forward because of appearances, you are mistaken. Before I am the leader responsible for the Duke Knights, I am also a swordsman pursuing the way of the sword. The fact that you have ignored procedure and courtesy entirely and challenged me must mean you look down on the Duke Knights I command that much, does it not? Well, I suppose it cannot be helped. It is an undeniable fact that Albert lost to you.”
As Krovitz finished speaking, Gerald’s face flushed bright red. He had asked for a duel simply out of a desire to spar, without thinking, yet to think it was such a breach of etiquette… His eagerness to spar, which had made him act without considering what came before or after, had caused this trouble. Flustered, Gerald soon bowed his head.
“I apologize. I merely…”
But Krovitz’s tone remained cold.
“There is no need for petty excuses, is there? I dislike people who talk too much. So how about we converse with swords from now on?”
“…”
“I mean that I will accept your challenge. It would be best to begin immediately.”
Without even waiting for Gerald’s answer, Krovitz turned around. In his mind, there was only the thought of teaching this insolent young mercenary a lesson. Until now, he had devoted everything to raising the Duke Knights. Therefore, he could not simply overlook the honor of those Duke Knights being tarnished.
‘I’ll have to give him a thorough lesson, so that he never looks down on the Duke Knights again.’
He received two swords from a unit commander. They were wooden swords made exclusively for duels, with which it was fundamentally impossible to draw forth an Aura Blade. However, since they were made of hard wood and had an iron core engraved with a magic circle embedded down the center, they were not weapons to be taken lightly. If struck squarely, one had to be prepared to have something broken badly.
“Here, take it.”
Krovitz tossed one of the swords to Gerald. Gerald caught it in confusion. Due to his lack of experience, he had committed an unexpected discourtesy, but it seemed the other party had no intention of understanding that. Looking at Krovitz, Gerald bit his lip tightly.
‘Now that it has come to this, I have no choice but to prove myself with my skill.’
As soon as he gripped the sword, his fighting spirit surged fiercely. Though his opponent was the leader of the Duke Knights, Gerald thought of nothing else. His momentum was such that even if his opponent were the legendary Emperor Krosen, he would not be cowed. Krovitz’s voice reached his ears.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Seeing Gerald answer calmly, Krovitz nodded.
“You may make the first attack. Since the time of Emperor Krosen, it has been customary for the challenger to attack first, so do not think of refusing. That, too, would be an act contrary to courtesy.”
“Understood.”
Gerald began his attack without hesitation. Once a fight had begun, doing his best was Gerald’s usual conviction.