Chapter 68. A New Journey
“You don’t mind if we exchange no further farewells?”
“It’s fine.”
Binaeril bade farewell to Rike with a light bow instead.
“Dad, did you hear the speech? I was so moved. I think the Second Princess is so wonderful.”
“I heard it too. And you should call Her Majesty the Emperor now.”
Lady Vivian was being quite talkative in front of Duke Dukseu.
Binaeril could understand the feeling of cherishing a daughter.
They were preparing to depart for the ducal territory.
“Do you know how to ride a horse?”
“I know a little.”
“That’s fortunate. We rushed to Essen, so we couldn’t prepare a carriage.”
“Dad, then what about me?”
Vivian asked.
“It will be uncomfortable, but you’ll have to ride with me. Vivian.”
Vivian showed an expression of dislike.
“I hate it because the seat is cramped since you’re fat.”
“F-fat... you think I’m fat....”
Duke Dukseu made a face as wounded as a young girl.
Sylvia called Binaeril’s name and came running out of the royal castle.
“Are you leaving now?”
“Yes. The coronation is over too, so there’s no reason to stay any longer.”
She pouted her lips. She seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
“You and your way of talking as always.... Did you properly greet Her Majesty?”
“More or less.”
Binaeril was not a citizen of the Empire. He did not need to be so particular about etiquette toward the newly enthroned Emperor.
The quasi-viscount title that Charlotte the First had bestowed was also an honorary one given out of courtesy.
“She’ll miss you.”
“Why are you being like this, it’s creepy.”
“Not me, Her Majesty! Her Majesty asked me to tell you.”
“Rike?”
“She didn’t say much earlier. Tell her I’ll miss her too.”
“And this.”
She took off the necklace she had been wearing and handed it to Binaeril.
It was the Myo tribe necklace she had received from Sori in Hohenberg.
“Why this?”
“It’s a token of my gratitude. I’ll be buried in paperwork helping Her Majesty, so you’ll need it more.”
“No buts. Just take it.”
She personally placed the necklace around Binaeril’s neck.
He felt a mysterious spirit energy. Whether it was his imagination or not, his body felt lighter.
“...Thanks.”
“I’m lending it. Return it later. And make sure you properly greet Her Majesty later.”
Binaeril answered with a smile.
“Got it.”
The two waved their hands instead of parting words. For some reason, the back of his head stung.
Vivian was glaring at Binaeril with a complex expression.
“Dad.”
“I will ride with Sir Binaeril.”
“Wh-what?”
She did not need permission.
Vivian marched over and extended her hand to Binaeril on the saddle.
He failed to understand for a moment, then realizing, took Vivian’s hand and pulled her up onto the saddle.
Duke Dukseu looked at his daughter with a complex expression mixed with shock, anger, and betrayal.
“Now, depart like this!”
With Vivian’s thunderous declaration to advance, the procession slowly began to move.
After leaving the royal castle and passing through Essen’s outer walls, the procession began to gallop.
The magnificent scenery of Essen began to race away in an instant.
A fired magic bullet pierced another monster.
“Krrgh!”
A giant orc with a height reaching two meters looked down at its pierced chest as if unable to believe it, then met its end.
“Huu....”
It was the third battle since departing Essen.
Around Binaeril, the corpses of orcs with parts of their bodies cleanly pierced were strewn about.
“M-my word, amazing, Sir Mage!”
Sir Berron sheathed his sword and exclaimed in a pure voice.
“Is it over?”
“Yes. You slew more than ten of the twenty orcs by yourself... We took care of all the remnants.”
Under Duke Dukseu’s command, they were covering the shortest distance to the duke’s castle.
Naturally, they ran along main roads less often, and as a result, encountered monsters frequently.
However, in the three battles so far, there were zero deaths. The number of soldiers with minor injuries did not exceed ten.
This was a miraculous achievement.
“These damned monsters appear without tiring. Berron, any casualties?”
“None.”
Duke Dukseu appeared with a tired expression from the battle with the orcs as well.
“Again?”
“Yes, this time as well....”
Sir Berron pointed at Binaeril.
It was nothing short of astonishing that the boy mage was handling monsters that would take over a dozen knights to manage.
“Sir Binaeril.”
“...You’ve worked hard.”
“Not at all. I have to earn my keep.”
Binaeril answered in a tone suggesting it was no big deal.
*At this point, I’ve more than earned my keep.*
Duke Dukseu tried his utmost to hide his emotions.
He had met some mages on the front lines, but he had never met a mage like Binaeril.
Rather, he tended not to trust mages’ power much in chaotic battles.
The mages he had met needed time for chanting and whatnot, and even when that time was bought for them, there were countless cases of them dragging their comrades into danger.
But Binaeril was different.
When battle broke out, he dashed to the very front lines, drawing all attention, and with agile movements and efficient magic, he cut off their breaths one by one with certainty.
It was an achievement that made Duke Dukseu reconsider the very image of mages in his head.
*So it wasn’t empty talk that he’s the Princess’s bodyguard.*
And this despite his young appearance and age.
“Let us rest here for today.”
“Are we making camp?”
“Yes. We’ll camp here today.”
Binaeril entered the tent the soldiers had pitched and let out a long sigh.
He had taken risks for the troops’ safety, but that did not mean it was easy.
The battles with the monsters were life-or-death every single moment, and the mental strength expended there was no small matter either.
But Binaeril always dashed to the front lines in every battle.
It was for his own training.
Rumors regarding Nunnaeril Dalheim were making Binaeril anxious.
Binaeril did not know his older brother’s full strength.
He could only roughly guess from his reputation as the Sword of the Order, the Knight of Salvation.
The only person comparable enough was...
*Dominic Siller.*
Binaeril recalled him on the battlefield and drove his body to the limit.
*How did Dominic cut down monsters? Did he dodge, or attack? Was he faster?*
At times, Nunnaeril’s figure seemed to overlap with Dominic’s.
Binaeril washed his face with water a soldier had drawn and calmed the excitement of battle.
He felt his fingertips trembling from expending so much mana.
He was tired, but he had gained something.
The Myo tribe necklace Sylvia had given him.
Thanks to it, his movements had become much more agile.
Being able to keep up with the duke’s army’s forced march, and being able to dodge attacks in the middle of monsters, was all thanks to the Myo tribe necklace.
“...!”
Eden, who always wore an affectionate expression, appeared and clung to his finger.
Binaeril felt that his own ability to handle Eden had grown as well.
Giving Eden detailed commands for assistance while wielding magic had been too much for Binaeril.
So Binaeril had given Eden only a single command that allowed it to act autonomously.
*Protect me.*
Eden faithfully carried out the given command.
At times, he could leave attacks from blind spots that he couldn’t avoid entirely to Eden.
Binaeril finally felt like he had grasped how to handle Eden.
Close-quarters combat using the Myo tribe necklace and magic bullets, firepower capable of wide-area magic with Veritas’s mana, and solid defense through Eden.
*Still not enough.*
Binaeril was gradually improving, but he himself thought it wasn’t enough.
Someone spoke to him from outside the tent where he was resting.
“Sir Dalheim? Are you there?”
“Yes. Come in.”
It was Sir Berron, one of the duke’s knights.
“I’m sorry to disturb you while you’re resting.”
“It’s fine. But what brings you here?”
They hadn’t spoken much, but Sir Berron was a knight with a calm and serious personality.
He was also the knight whom Duke Dukseu, who had a powerful drive like a one-man army, trusted most and kept by his side.
Yet such a man was hesitating to speak and watching Binaeril’s cues.
Binaeril found Berron’s reaction strange and asked.
“Please speak comfortably.”
At Binaeril’s urging, Berron shut his eyes tight and spoke.
“Sir Binaeril, could you duel me?”
Binaeril was dumbfounded.
“A duel? With Sir Berron? Did I make some kind of mistake?”
A knight’s challenge to a duel was a fight to the death thrown at an opponent who held a grudge or had insulted him.
Binaeril looked back on his actions but couldn’t think of anything he had done wrong.
*Is it because I killed too many monsters and stole the credit?*
Berron hastily corrected himself.
“Ah, no! Not a duel, a spar. I misspoke.”
“A spar?”
“Yes. I was amazed watching you fight. I know it’s rude to make such a request of a guest of His Excellency the Duke, but if it’s alright with you....”
Only then did Binaeril realize why Berron had been so hesitant.
He had wanted to test their skills, but Binaeril had suffered in battle, and challenging a guest to a fight could potentially be seen as dishonorable.
If Binaeril had been an authoritarian and narrow-minded person, he might have reported this to the duke immediately.
“That’s fine. Please don’t hesitate to speak comfortably about such requests.”
“Th-thank you!”
Berron bowed his head deeply to Binaeril with a moved expression.
“Hm? Why so sudden, Vivian?”
Vivian burst in on Duke Dukseu, who had been resting in the command tent and gauging the remaining distance to the castle.
“Sir Binaeril, Sir Binaeril!”
“Sir Binaeril what? Did something happen?”
Dukseu jumped up from his seat.
Had Binaeril collapsed or something?
He had thought Binaeril was overdoing it in the recent continuous battles, but he had looked fine when returning to the command tent....
“No, Sir Binaeril is having a match with Sir Berron!”
The duke rushed out in one breath and surveyed the situation.
Had Berron done something wrong?
Given Berron’s personality, he wouldn’t have been picking fights or slighting Binaeril.
Then was it Binaeril’s side?
Soldiers were gathered on one side of the hastily prepared campsite.
“What is the meaning of this!”
Those nearby shrank back at the duke’s roaring appearance.
“Why are the two of you dueling? Why was I not informed?”
But contrary to the duke’s expectations, the atmosphere was not hostile.
“Your Excellency. It is not a duel. I requested a spar from Sir Binaeril. I didn’t think it was worth reporting, so I didn’t tell you....”
Understanding the situation, the duke scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
“Hmph, so it is not a duel but a spar?”
Now that he thought about it, Vivian had also used the word “match” rather than “duel.”
“Why do something so easily misunderstood? You requested this?”
“Yes. Sir Binaeril readily accepted.”
Binaeril also smiled awkwardly and greeted the duke with a nod.
“I-I see.”
The duke, who had been about to turn away awkwardly, changed his mind and sat down.
“Your Excellency?”
“I shall watch as well, so feel free to have your match. Sir Binaeril, is that alright?”
“It doesn’t matter.”