Mitchell, who had been keeping his head bowed, flushed bright red as he struggled to hold back his laughter. Of course, Mitchell was the only one who knew what Hales was usually like.
‘To think such words would come from Father, who would not even permit him to become a knight of Penslot…….’
Unlike Mitchell, however, the king of Penslot seemed deeply moved.
“What are you saying? I am regretting what happened in the past. To think I allowed a loyal subject such as you to leave Penslot……. The culprit has already been severely punished, so I hope you will let go of your resentment.”
“I dare not know where to place myself before Your Majesty’s grace.”
Hales bowed his head once more. After staring at Hales for a long while, the king of Penslot finally turned his gaze to the Crossen delegation. The head of the delegation offered a respectful salute.
“So you have come to obtain troops to subjugate Trubenia?”
“That is so, Your Majesty. The dragons of Trubenia……”
The king of Penslot waved his hand as if there was no need to concern himself with it.
“Our nation has already resolved to dispatch troops. The prime minister is waiting outside. Please discuss the details, such as the size of the force and supplies, with him.”
“Y-Your Majesty’s grace is boundless.”
At the words that the decision to dispatch troops had already been made, the head of the delegation, flustered, bowed his head again and again. To think the decision had already been made……. Withdrawing his gaze from him, the king of Penslot looked at Kasim, Mitchell, and Hales.
“I have had a banquet prepared in the inner hall. On such a joyous day as this, how could wine and food be absent? Let us leave the tedious negotiations to the officials and have a meal.”
It was welcome news, and the party answered in one voice.
“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless.”
“Well now, how troublesome……”
Krovitz shook his head helplessly. They had just arrived in Tezeros through the teleportation magic circle, only for a difficult situation to arise. He had expected the commander of Tezeros’s Royal Guard Knights to come out to receive them, but unexpectedly, the man did not guide the party to the palace.
“Honored members of the delegation, please rest today at the state guesthouse. The talks will likely be held tomorrow.”
Krovitz could not help feeling dumbfounded. Though it was afternoon, the hour was still early, so he had thought they would proceed directly to the talks. Seeing Krovitz flustered and at a loss, the knight commander added an explanation.
“His Majesty is not feeling well and retired to bed early today. Therefore, we had no choice but to set the meeting for tomorrow.”
“I… I understand.”
Though he nodded as if convinced, Krovitz somehow did not feel at ease. He had a good guess as to why the talks had been postponed until tomorrow. As he was guided toward the state guesthouse, he bit his lip gently.
‘They must have heard the rumor that the commander of the Crossen Knights went to Terbia. And since the commander of the Duke Knights, who are considered a step below, came to Tezeros, they are highly displeased—is that it?’
It felt unpleasant, but there was nothing to be done. From any perspective, the Crossen Knights were a martial organization evaluated as a step above the Duke Knights. In particular, was not the commander of the Crossen Knights the legendary Grand Sword Master? Thus Krovitz had no choice but to reaffirm in his heart the vow he had made countless times until now.
‘I will bring down the stronghold of the Crossen Knights without fail. With true ability.’
Behind Krovitz followed some thirty Duke Knights. As if sensing that their captain was in a foul mood, each of their faces was stiff. Among them, however, were two knights with particularly small builds.
They were Gerald and Heinrich. They were scanning the capital of Tezeros with strange looks in their eyes. Since they had originally been from Tezeros, there was no way the cityscape would be unfamiliar to them. They were now wearing the Duke Knights’ dress uniforms, which fit their bodies perfectly. The plain ash-gray uniforms had been tailored with thorough practicality in mind. With the insignia proving them to be full knights embroidered on their chests, they lowered their voices and conversed quietly.
“To think I passed the Duke Knights’ entrance examination……. It really feels like a dream.”
“No. Heinrich. You may not know it, but your skills have improved to an astonishing degree. You could have become a full knight anywhere.”
Hearing that, one of the Duke Knights smiled and patted Heinrich on the shoulder. He was the knight who had sparred with Heinrich during the entrance examination, a Sword Master named Fadian.
“Gerald is right, Heinrich. You are a knight with outstanding skill. I can guarantee that.”
“R-Really?”
“Of course. The entrance examination for our Duke Knights is conducted strictly according to ability. Connections and the like do not work at all. Well, your young age may have had some influence, but if your skill had not been acknowledged as above a certain level, you could never have become one of the Duke Knights. I was quite surprised while crossing swords with you myself.”
“Th-Thank you.”
Heinrich’s face flushed faintly. The Duke Knights were a first-rate knight order, one that could well be classified on the level of a great nation’s Royal Guard Knights. It still did not feel real that he had become a knight of such a Duke Knights. He had become a full knight of the Duke Knights only yesterday.
Unlike Gerald, whose entrance examination had been waived because of his sparring match with Krovitz, Heinrich had to undergo the examination through the formal procedure. This was because of the Duke Knights’ strict rule that one could not become a full knight unless one proved one’s skill.
As his sparring opponent, Fadian, one of the squad leaders and a Sword Master, had been chosen in advance. Thus Heinrich ended up fighting a sparring match that would decide his admission in front of Duke Perstein and Krovitz. The result was a great success. Heinrich was able to prove his skill proudly against Fadian. Although he had not mastered any powerful swordsmanship such as left-handed swordsmanship, Heinrich had the experience of fighting Death Knights countless times. Because of that experience, Heinrich’s movements and reflexes had improved by leaps and bounds. In short, he had firmly learned how to fight when facing an enemy. In truth, the fact that he had been able to become a formal knight owed much to the Death Knights. Death Knights who never showed mercy just because it was sparring. Because he had been trained while being beaten mercilessly by them, Heinrich had been able to sufficiently temper what had been his greatest weakness: his soft heart.
Because of that, Heinrich was not easily pushed back against Fadian, a Sword Master. After twenty minutes had passed in a back-and-forth exchange with Fadian, Krovitz finally stopped the sparring match. He had at last judged him to have passed.
“Enough. From this moment on, I acknowledge the knight aspirant Heinrich as a full knight of the Duke Knights. There is no need for him to undergo a probationary period.”
Gerald sincerely congratulated Heinrich, who was so delighted at becoming a formal knight that he looked ready to leap for joy. The two, who had been inseparable best friends, had at last become comrades belonging to the same knight order.
After going through the prescribed initiation ceremony, the two became formal knights of the Duke Knights. Before their joy had even faded, they had to follow Krovitz to Tezeros. It was for Gerald’s long-cherished wish—to settle an old debt.
The state guesthouse was unexpectedly close. Krovitz, who had been unable to wipe the bitter expression from his face the entire way there, lined up the knights when they reached their destination.
“We will rest here today. Unless there is an unavoidable matter, I will not permit anyone to go out.”
After finishing his words, Krovitz looked at Gerald. Judging by the satisfied light in his eyes, he seemed utterly delighted to have taken Gerald under his command.
“Gerald and Heinrich. As an exception, only you two are permitted to go out. The time limit is midnight tonight. I hear you have something to settle here?”
“That is correct, Commander.”
“I do not know what it is, but I hope you handle it well. Be sure to act in a way that does not tarnish the name of the Duke Knights. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Captain.”
The two offered respectful salutes. Krovitz turned toward the remaining knights.
“Although we are in the capital of another nation, we will not skip training. I trust all of you felt something from what happened today. Understood?”
The lined-up Duke Knights replied without hesitation.
“Understood, Commander.”
“As this is a state guesthouse, it should have a proper training ground. Everyone go inside and change into your training clothes.”
As soon as Krovitz finished speaking, the Duke Knights streamed into the state guesthouse. Just as he was about to enter, Krovitz turned his head and looked at the two.
“As you have seen, the Duke Knights’ training hours are incomparable to those of other knight orders. So harden your resolve.”
Gerald smiled and answered.
“Do not worry, Captain. We train even by cutting into the time we spend eating and sleeping.”
“I acknowledge that.”
Krovitz smiled faintly and nodded. Having lived together with them for a month, Krovitz knew well just how obsessed with training the members of Kasim’s Mercenary Corps were. If anything, they surpassed the Duke Knights; they were certainly not inferior.
“Then go carefully.”
After Krovitz entered, only Gerald and Heinrich remained in front of the state guesthouse.
“Then shall we go too?”
“Yeah. To tell the truth, it feels like a dream. To return to Tezeros as a proper full knight……”
The two walked toward the city center while conversing quietly. Since this was where they had been born and raised, the cityscape could not possibly feel unfamiliar to them. Heinrich spoke, sounding worried.
“But how are you planning to take revenge on Proctor? You can’t just barge in and kill him.”
Gerald’s expression hardened as he answered.
“I’m thinking of going to him formally and challenging him to a duel. Given my status, I think I have to follow legal procedures.”
“But he’s a merchant. He’ll naturally put forward a champion, and even if you win, you won’t be able to get proper revenge.”
Gerald’s face became complicated.
“Probably. Since he’s a merchant, even if he loses the duel, he can just compensate with money……. If I followed my heart, I’d tear him apart alive. But I can’t let my personal revenge drag down the honor of Kasim’s Mercenary Corps, and of the Duke Knights who accepted us, can I?”
“That’s true, but……”
Gerald quietly raised his head and looked up at the sky. The blue sky pierced his eyes until it stung.
“Since Daimon told me to try resolving it myself, I have to give it a try. Even if I can’t take proper revenge, I’ll think of it as something that can’t be helped. I do have one idea, but whether it will work……”
“Let’s try our best first.”
Heinrich comforted Gerald with a worried expression. Gerald silently took off the backpack he had been carrying. Inside it was the old coat he had worn during his days in the mercenary corps. He had deliberately brought it along.
“I feel a bit sorry toward Commander Krovitz, but let’s change clothes. For the plan to succeed, we have to hide from him the fact that we are Duke Knights.”
“Got it.”
The two took out the old coats and trousers they had worn all the way from the north and went to a deserted corner. Once they had changed, their neat appearance was completely transformed. If their faces were covered, they would look exactly like experienced mercenaries.
“Then shall we go?”
“Yeah.”
They set off toward the mansion of Proctor, a great merchant renowned in Tezeros.
“Heh heh heh. This quarter’s income is quite handsome too.”
A strange laugh suddenly rang out from within a splendidly decorated office. An old man sat in an armchair covered in velvet, smiling broadly. Before him lay a large chest, and astonishingly, the chest was filled to the brim with gold coins. He was an old man whose crafty-looking eyes and long, narrow jaw somehow gave him a sinister impression.
Judging by the extremely luxurious clothing and ornaments he wore, it was clear he was a man who enjoyed extravagance. His name was Proctor. As the head of the foremost merchant company in Tezeros, he was a wealthy merchant who possessed considerable riches. However, public opinion of him was not very favorable. This was because his wealth had been accumulated not through normal commerce, but through shady transactions such as slave trading.
He was a slave trader of considerable ill fame on the continent of Arcadia. At one time, the Romain Company of Lorvain had been spoken of as one of the two great pillars of the slave trade, but after it unexpectedly turned over a new leaf(?), his Proctor Company was now enjoying its greatest heyday. As Proctor recalled that fact, a look of puzzlement spread across his face.
“Just what reason did that Baron Romain have to change his mind?”
In the past, Baron Romain had been a wicked merchant whom the world shuddered to speak of. His infamy had been so great that even Proctor could not match it. Yet Baron Romain’s company had now changed to a degree comparable to being reborn. Baron Romain, whose evil name had once spread widely throughout the world, had now cleanly given up slave trading and was making money through perfectly ordinary commerce.