Heinrich, too, was counting the moments until this uncomfortable time would pass. Just then, Marta
looked at Heinrich with a frown.
“Why don’t you take off that dusty coat? I don’t know how it is among mercenaries,
but here, you ought to observe proper manners.”
“Yes, sir.”
Heinrich quietly rose. When he took off his coat, a waiting attendant approached and
received it. Heinrich was about to sit back down when Marta suddenly let out a cry of shock.
“Ugh! That uniform—?”
Marta’s eyes bulged as if they might tear. He was now staring fixedly at Heinrich.
Heinrich was wearing the dress uniform of the Duke Knights. The perfectly fitted
silver-gray uniform, together with the crest embroidered on his chest, changed Heinrich’s entire air
into something utterly different from just moments before.
“Th-that’s the uniform of the Crosen Empire’s Duke Knights, isn’t it? How, how did you…?”
Of course, there was no way Marta would fail to recognize the uniform of the Duke Knights.
It would make no sense for a regular knight not to recognize the attire of another nation’s knights.
The uniform of the Duke Knights, infamous for its plainness. It was known to be unfashionable,
pursuing only absolute practicality, yet no one could disregard a knight
wearing that uniform.
The Duke Knights, a group of training fanatics who pursued strength alone with utter devotion,
were unquestionably a first-rate order of knights. They were evaluated as being in no way inferior
to the royal guard knight orders of the three great powers.
Moreover, even among knights, the knights of the Crosen Empire were different. They were
rated even more highly in terms of skill, so it was impossible for Marta not to be astonished.
Heinrich, who had left home and suddenly reappeared, was wearing the famed dress uniform
of the Duke Knights… Unable to contain himself, Marta sprang to his feet.
“You… Where did you get that uniform?”
“It was issued to me. Is there something wrong with that?”
Seeing Heinrich calmly ask in return, Marta was left speechless. The Duke Knights were,
in a word, an order of knights on a completely different level from the Wyvern Knights to which
he belonged. Their standards could not even be compared. So shocked that he could hardly speak,
Marta continued haltingly.
“Th-then… what you’re saying is that you became one of the D-Duke Knights?”
Heinrich replied as if it were nothing.
“That is correct.”
“Did you perhaps enter as a t-training knight?”
“No. I am a regular knight.”
Having finished speaking, Heinrich undid the insignia hanging at his waist and showed it to him.
There, along with Heinrich’s name, words were engraved proving that he was a regular knight
of the Duke Knights. Marta’s hand trembled violently as he took the insignia.
“H-how were you able to enter the D-Duke Knights?”
Heinrich, having regained his composure, answered without the slightest hesitation, as smoothly
as flowing water.
“I joined through the formal procedure. I sparred with Vice Commander Paidian, a Sword Master,
and had my skills verified. The commander of the Duke Knights personally observed the examination
and judged that I had passed.”
“I, I can’t believe it. How could you…?”
Marta’s body swayed again and again as if he had come down with malaria. If what he said
was true, then Heinrich’s skill was surely superior to his own.
The fact that the Duke Knights’ entrance examination was conducted strictly based on skill
was already well known throughout the continent. In other words, it was impossible to enter
the Duke Knights through connections or personal ties. Count Farion, who had been staring in utter shock,
called Heinrich in a trembling voice.
“Heinrich.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Is it true that you have become one of the Duke Knights?”
“It is.”
As if he still could not accept it, Count Farion showered him with questions.
“As far as I know, the Duke Knights are extremely strict in discipline, and it is said that one can hardly
receive leave from them. Then how were you able to come all the way to Tezeros?”
Heinrich looked into his father’s eyes and answered quietly.
“The commander and thirty of my comrades are currently staying at the state guesthouse.
They were officially dispatched to Tezeros as an envoy party for a request for military support.
I came as one of his attendants. Fortunately, the commander permitted me to stop by home briefly.”
After maintaining silence for a moment, Count Farion looked into Heinrich’s eyes.
“Then you must have become a Paladin.”
Heinrich silently nodded.
“Would you show your father your Aura Blade just once?”
“Of course.”
Heinrich picked up a pair of knives placed before him. When he concentrated his mana,
the knife in his right hand was instantly dyed a deep blue. For Heinrich, it was no different
from eating cold porridge. He swung the knife upon which he had raised his Aura Blade and began cutting
the other knife.
Slice. Slice.
The metal knife was cut apart easily. Seeing it fall into pieces as helplessly as if it were a radish,
Marta’s face turned pale blue. Marta still could not freely operate an Aura Blade.
Even if he tried ten times, he could only bring it out two or three times at most.
Moreover, even if he did manage to bring it out, it was impossible for him to deploy it so quickly
and easily as Heinrich had. In the blink of an eye, Heinrich sliced one knife into several pieces,
then quietly withdrew his Aura Blade. Count Farion, who had been watching the scene,
had tears gathering around his eyes.
“Well done, Heinrich.”
“……”
“To think you have grown so splendidly… I am truly grateful.”
Count Farion was crying. His youngest son, Heinrich, who had left home without so much as a word,
had joined the renowned Duke Knights, and done so proudly by his own skill; the fact choked him up
so much that words would not come out properly. A moment later, Count Farion looked at his wife
with proud eyes.
“Look, Stella. Even now, will you say that Heinrich is not my son?”
“……”
Countess Farion, too, had no choice but to remain silent like a mute who had swallowed honey.
She could not properly comprehend the situation now. Though she had spent a large fortune
and spared no support, Marta had become nothing more than a low-ranking knight
of the second-rate Wyvern Knights.
But Heinrich, whom she had not even acknowledged as family, whom she had never once paid attention to,
had returned as a knight of the Duke Knights, proudly recognized as first-rate. It was truly
an absurd turn of events.
If only she had supported Heinrich as she had supported Marta… The countess thought that perhaps
he would have entered the Tezeros Royal Guard Knights and brought glory to the family. But
now that Heinrich had become a knight of another country, it was already spilled water. Count Farion
looked Heinrich over with deep eyes.
“I feel a little regretful that you have become a knight of Crosen rather than Tezeros. But I will
not mind it. I have no lingering wishes simply because you have grown so splendidly. As I said
earlier, wherever you may be, do not forget that you are a member of the Farion family.
Do you understand?”
“Yes, Father. I will engrave it upon my bones.”
Receiving the reverent gazes of his brothers, Heinrich straightened his chest. More than anything,
he was overwhelmingly happy to have been acknowledged by his father. And gratitude toward
the comrades who had allowed him to feel such a sense of triumph welled up in him anew.
Heinrich would probably never forget this night.
Marta’s gaze, as if he could not endure his envy. Countess Farion’s expression, as if she regretted
having mistreated him in the past. The faces of his two brothers, Peter and Malachi, filled with
utmost astonishment. At this moment, Heinrich could not bear how exhilarating it felt.
“Why are you just grinning like a fool?”
Even at Gerald’s question, Heinrich only kept smiling faintly. A smile hung endlessly on his lips,
as if he were a man who had obtained what he wanted. It did not take Gerald long to guess the reason.
“Looks like things went well yesterday. Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Gerald. It’s all thanks to you.”
The two, who had risen early in the morning, were now diligently putting on their armor.
After finishing his meal with his family, Heinrich had immediately returned to his lodging, and only after
swinging his sword once did he go to bed. And now, he had risen early in the morning to have an audience
with the king of Tezeros.
Since they were on their way to meet the ruler of a nation, they took care in adorning themselves.
They were now wearing the plate mail issued to them by the Duke Knights. As an order of knights
that Duke Ferstein had raised with painstaking care, the Duke Knights were treated excellently.
Though their training volume was far greater than that of other knight orders, their supplies were likewise abundant.
Therefore, the armor issued to Gerald and Heinrich was also of quite high quality. It was coated
with high-grade wyvern bone, and the mirror finish on its surface was impeccable as well.
What was particularly striking was that the anti-magic defensive array engraved on the armor was of considerable quality.
It could block attack magic up to the 6th Circle, so it was nothing if not astonishing.
Considering that ordinary anti-magic armor was designed to block the 4th Circle, and only in limited fashion
up to the 5th Circle, it had to be regarded as possessing a remarkable level of anti-magic defense.
However, it was not stylish. The lack of aesthetic sense—a trait one could call characteristic of the Duke Knights—
was a problem, but in terms of quality, it was far superior to the plate mail worn by
the royal guard knight orders of other nations. The magical protection of armor worn by the royal guard knights
of most kingdoms was limited to the 5th Circle at best.
Even so, the two put on the armor without any particular excitement. They had already experienced
wearing the highest-grade armor that had been stored within Incresia. Though somewhat old-fashioned,
in terms of splendor and dignity, the armor they were wearing now could not even dare be compared.
Moreover, most of those pieces had been masterpieces equipped with magical protection up to the 7th Circle.
It was simply a pity that they had been broken and rendered unusable in the clash at the central plaza.
As Gerald tightened the breastplate firmly, he gave a bitter smile.
“Maybe because it pursues practicality so thoroughly, it really has no style.”
“But it’s easy to move in, isn’t it? The armor that broke last time was a little uncomfortable.”
“That’s because we forced ourselves into armor that didn’t fit. Plate mail is originally custom-made armor.”
After speaking briefly, Gerald pressed his helmet down onto his head. Perhaps because they had taken his measurements,
it fit his head perfectly.
“Still, it’s surprising. They took our body measurements after the induction ceremony, and yet the armor was
finished in just a single day…”
The two checked each other’s appearance. Heinrich, whose complexion had become exceptionally bright, joked.
“Now that you’re dressed so neatly, you look like a different person. You don’t seem like your usual self.”
“Want to mess around?”
They were scuffling playfully when Paidian’s voice came from outside the door. Since the two were assigned
to Paidian’s squad, he was personally looking after them.
“Are you both ready?”
“Yes.”
Having finished their preparations, the two headed toward the door. A moment later, Paidian’s familiar face appeared.
“I was worried, but you’ve dressed yourselves quite well.”
After looking over the two of them, Paidian nodded as if satisfied.
“Let’s hurry. Everyone should be gathered by now.”
“Yes, Squad Leader.”
Thirty Duke Knights, equipped with armor and helmets, stood in the courtyard of the state guesthouse
under Krovitz’s command. From this point on, they would go to have an audience with the king of Tezeros.
Thirty horses wearing barding waited for them, splendidly adorned.
“Everyone, mount.”
At Krovitz’s command, the Duke Knights all mounted their horses at once. Gerald and Heinrich also selected
their assigned horses and climbed into the saddle. Since Paidian, their squad leader, had taken meticulous care
of them, there was nothing that could become a problem.
“Depart.”
At the command, the Duke Knights began to march proudly on horseback. In this state,
they would parade all the way to the royal court. Carefully selected members of the Tezeros Capital Knights
were positioned on the outside, prepared for any possible incident.
An ironic situation had occurred in which the weak were escorting the strong. More than half of
the Duke Knights dispatched here consisted of Sword Masters. Even among the Paladins,
the majority possessed outstanding skill.
Considering that Crosen’s Paladins were, overall, evaluated far more highly than those of other nations,
they had to be seen as a cut above the members of the Capital Knights. The Duke Knights dispatched
to Tezeros began marching toward the royal court amid the citizens’ welcome. Citizens lined along the boulevard
clapped their hands and welcomed them.