Episode 120
“Did you just say an alliance between the House of Saxon and the House of Lancaster?”
In the Duke of Lancaster’s study, the unexpected visitor, the Swordmaster Sephilia, spoke up.
“Indeed,” Dale replied with a nod.
“Five hundred Night Raven knights and six black mages from the Black Tower are with us,” he added, openly sharing information with his adversary.
“For such a grand alliance, that’s quite a modest force, isn’t it?”
“Ah, but war isn’t just about numbers,” the ‘Black Prince’ replied with a confident smile, showing no sign of intimidation before the continent’s top swordsman, Sephilia.
“Just as Sir Sephilia, one of the Empire’s five war heroes, wields her sword for the House of York, regardless of the Imperial stance.”
”…You cheeky brat, you sure know how to run your mouth,” Sephilia finally let her expression twist, showing none of the respect or courtesy she had shown earlier.
“Do you need a spanking from your big sister to come to your senses?”
“Oh, I’m all grown up now. I’m past the age for spankings,” Dale retorted with a smirk.
The tension in the room was palpable, yet Sephilia never reached for her sword.
“Dale of Saxon, I formally greet His Grace, the Duke of Lancaster,” he said, acknowledging the silent man weighed down by the presence of the Swordmaster.
”…Then I suppose it’s time for an outsider to take her leave,” Sephilia said, turning her back on Lancaster and Saxon, her sword, the ‘Soulbringer,’ and the eerie aura surrounding her leaving with her.
“I heard Saxon sent five hundred Night Raven knights and black mages,” the Duke of Lancaster said after Sephilia left, leaving him with his son and Saxon’s heir.
With the enemy gone, they could finally discuss their alliance.
“But surely, with the ‘heir of Saxon’ here in person, it won’t stop at just that,” the Duke continued.
“You’re right, Your Grace,” Dale replied.
“The enemy knows this too.”
“Since I’ve shown myself, they can easily predict as much,” Dale said calmly, as if he had expected it.
Especially since the York witches would have already deduced the alliance between the two ducal houses just from the information that Mikhail had visited the northern demon realm. Such was their wisdom.
“But appearing officially and wielding a sword from the shadows are two different matters.”
“What are you hiding in the shadows?”
“An invisible sword,” Dale answered coldly, and the Duke asked no further.
“Father,” Mikhail spoke up after a moment of silence.
“Please accept Prince Dale’s goodwill towards our House of Lancaster.”
“Can we trust the ‘Black Prince’ of Saxon?”
The Swordmaster asked, knowing full well the reputation and ruthlessness associated with Dale’s moniker.
“At least there’s no doubt about the fear and ruthlessness the ‘Black Prince’ instills in his enemies,” Mikhail replied.
“Even if those enemies are the York witches.”
“You trust him greatly.”
Mikhail Lancaster was not one to trust easily. In fact, he despised the nobles who bowed and scraped before the name of Lancaster.
But Dale of Saxon was different. It wasn’t just because they shared the same noble blood.
“I’m not trusting the prince,” Mikhail said, recalling the fight at the club where Dale had bested him despite the overwhelming difference in skill.
“I deeply respect him.”
”…!”
“He’s a wall I must overcome, a stronger force I aspire to reach.”
The Duke of Lancaster wasn’t the only one surprised by Mikhail’s unexpected words. Even Dale was taken aback by Mikhail’s candidness.
“By losing to Prince Dale that day, I reached my current level,” Mikhail said, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword, ‘Peacemaker.’
“Despite the clear difference in skill, I was defeated by a young mage who read my mind in front of everyone.”
Recalling the unforgettable humiliation of that day.
“The Empire’s greatest genius, the victor of the Black and White Tournament, the war hero of Britannia.”
Mikhail turned to Dale.
“The bond with Saxon will be an irreplaceable strength for us. And when it comes to showing respect to those who are worthy, age means nothing.”
With those words, Mikhail bowed once more to Dale.
The Duke of Lancaster, after a long silence, finally spoke.
“Very well, young genius of Saxon.”
The young genius of Saxon.
“Our House of Lancaster will join hands with your northern Saxon and gladly seek your aid.”
“An excellent decision,” Dale smiled. The House of Lancaster had bowed to Saxon for help, and Dale was more than capable of responding to their call.
Even in a war where two great houses clashed and the strongest swordsmen battled, Dale didn’t need to be the one to defeat the Seven Swords.
He only needed to move the pieces, the extraordinary warriors, on the chessboard.
And that debt would never be forgotten, shining brightly when Saxon needed it most.
In the name of the continent’s greatest sword, the Duke of Lancaster, at the pinnacle of the Seven Swords.
Officially, this battle was an internal conflict over the succession of the House of Lancaster, but in truth, the eldest son, Richard, was merely a puppet of the ‘Marquess of York.’
The clash of two great houses, symbolized by the Red and White Roses and the Blue and White Roses.
Wars between lords of such stature don’t erupt overnight. But that doesn’t mean they take centuries either.
The vassal houses under the Marquess of York gathered their forces diligently, and the House of Lancaster was no exception.
And leading the charge for the Marquess of York were two of the Seven Swords, the Holy Sword Count Brandenburg and the Swordmaster Sephilia.
Since this was a conflict between great nobles with ‘just cause,’ it was typically resolved through a fair and open battle between large forces.
When wars drag on, they bring looting, arson, and all manner of crimes, directly affecting the people and the land itself.
Thus, the Empire’s tradition was to resolve conflicts swiftly, minimizing the sacrifice of land and people.
That was how it should have been.
But the Marquess of York did not adhere to the Empire’s traditions.
Behind the Blue and White Roses they displayed, they chose the path symbolized by the Black and Blue Roses—cold, calculating wisdom.
The border between the Lancaster and York territories had no natural fortresses like rivers or mountains. Thus, a guerrilla force led by two of the Seven Swords began raiding the Lancaster lands.
For a noble cause of upholding the Empire’s traditions, it was a cunning strategy.
Since the war began, the Lancaster forces had not found an opportunity to move.
“The situation is dire. We’ve organized a mobile strike force to chase York’s guerrillas, but with two of the Seven Swords protecting them, it’s not easy…”
“Those damned York witches stabbed us in the back!”
”…”
The leaders of Lancaster raised their voices, while the Duke of Lancaster remained silent.
‘Extraordinary warriors’ are those who can turn the tide of battle single-handedly. But in war, their value isn’t just to write tales of chivalry.
By integrating extraordinary warriors into ‘strategic and tactical domains,’ battles unfold. For those who value the pride and nobility of knights, York’s guerrilla tactics, avoiding fair fights and resorting to looting and arson, are distasteful. Even the Holy Sword and the Swordmaster couldn’t be exceptions.
But that’s war. Even actions that disregard the nobility or pride of knights can be justified under the name of ‘strategy and tactics.’
That’s the art of war, and the Marquess of York understood that.
And so did the ‘Black Prince.’
At that moment, leaving behind the stagnant meeting, Dale was alone in a room within the Lancaster castle.
On the table lay a map of the region, with pieces representing various military units, like chess pieces.
Following the Lancaster leaders’ reports, he marked the areas where the ‘two of the Seven Swords’ guerrilla forces were active with a quill.
The fertile and prosperous lands of the Duchy of Lancaster were being trampled one by one. A counterattack by raiding the lands of the Marquis of York was an option, but there was a critical issue holding the Duke back.
Legitimacy.
Ironically, the Marquis of York had a justification for their pillaging of Lancaster’s lands.
Their claim was to execute the “traitors” of the duchy who refused to recognize the eldest son, Richard, as the rightful heir.
Innocent people, unaware of any such treason, were being massacred under this pretext.
It was an absurd claim, yet in this world, the weight of legitimacy was never light.
And the Marquis of York was skillfully walking the tightrope of this legitimacy, mocking the House of Lancaster.
“Truly, they are no ordinary adversary.”
Despite this, Dale remained unfazed.
As promised to the Duke of Lancaster, the time had come for him to wield his sword from the shadows.
“Master Barrow.”
Dale spoke from the darkness, and a fierce, ominous wind swept through. It was a chilling and foreboding gust.
Before long, men clad in black coats and bird-like masks, led by Master Barrow, appeared. They were the elite assassins of the “Shadow Court,” an organization nurtured by the empire’s most powerful nobles.
The “Shadow Lord,” who ruled among them, spoke calmly.
“The time for deployment has come.”
Winning this battle was not something Dale and his organization could achieve alone. Even though Dale had pledged allegiance to Lancaster, he was not in a position to command the entire battle.
Thus, he waited for the right moment, and before that moment arrived, he needed to secure his position.
Even the mighty Duke of Lancaster would have no choice but to become a pawn in Dale’s chess game.