Episode 124
Not long after, the “Black Prince” returned to Lancaster Castle with news of victory.
When Dale’s messenger first reported the news, the leaders of the Grand Duke’s house could hardly believe their ears.
“We’ve annihilated the St. Magdalena Cavalry, who were conducting guerrilla operations, and captured Count Brandenburg.”
For a brief moment, they wondered if it was just the boastful exaggeration of a child. After all, it wasn’t uncommon in war to inflate achievements by defeating insignificant groups of soldiers.
When Dale first announced he would lead a small group of knights on a “patrol of the duchy,” the leaders of the Lancaster house couldn’t hide their disappointment, thinking they had finally seen through the “Black Prince’s” bravado. They were even concerned enough to try to stop the eldest son of the Saxon house from acting on his own in such a critical situation.
“Let’s trust Prince Dale this time.”
It was Michael, the second son of the Lancaster house, who chose to respect Dale’s determination until the end.
And this was the result. An outcome no one in Lancaster Castle could have imagined. In other words, it was a surprise attack using “external forces” unknown even to the Lancaster family.
The Shadow Court, the empire’s top assassin organization… Only those capable of covert operations in battlefields where the empire’s greatest lords clashed could achieve such results.
Thud!
The Holy Sword was there. Or rather, what was left of it could no longer be called a Holy Sword.
Reduced to a crippled state, unable to take even a few steps on his own, he was thrown into the castle, bound by Dale’s Night Raven Knights. It was a scene so horrific that it was hard to believe he was one of the empire’s five war heroes.
“Count Brandenburg!”
Even the vassals of the Lancaster house couldn’t hide their shock and horror at the sight.
War is a matter of life and death. But unless it’s a total war aimed at annihilating the opposing force, the rule of sparing those of “noble blood” usually applies in this world.
When a knight or noble is captured, it’s customary to treat them with respect befitting their rank and demand a ransom. It’s more beneficial to keep them alive and plan for the future than to kill them and incur hatred.
But the “Black Prince” did not follow this custom.
The Holy Sword’s body was brutally slashed by the assassins’ weapons, leaving him unable to move a single finger.
“How could you treat an imperial war hero so cruelly!”
“This is an unforgivable insult!”
The vassals of the Lancaster house couldn’t hide their dismay, all expressing concern for the “imperial war hero.”
Seeing this, Dale spoke as if he couldn’t understand.
“To which lord do you owe your loyalty?”
“This isn’t a matter of loyalty! Respecting prisoners is an imperial tradition…!”
“An imperial tradition, you say?”
One of the Lancaster vassals swallowed hard.
“Are you saying that, according to that proud imperial tradition, you intend to ignore the Grand Duke’s wishes and set the eldest son as the heir?”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant…”
One of the nobles stammered, and at that moment—
“Enough.”
After a long silence, the Grand Duke of Lancaster, the Celestial Sword, spoke from the throne. His words carried a weight that silenced the room.
“Young heir of Saxon, do you understand the significance of your actions?”
“I understand it very well.”
Dale replied without hesitation to the Celestial Sword’s question.
“I captured a powerful enemy intent on destroying the Lancaster house and presented him to Your Grace.”
“Do you understand the repercussions your disrespectful and cruel actions towards the Holy Sword might have on the Saxon house in the future?”
“Oh, there’s no need to worry about that.”
Dale sneered coldly.
“The ‘Holy Sword Durandal’ of Count Brandenburg is no longer of this world.”
”…!”
“Even if a blacksmith blessed by the twin goddesses were to forge ‘another Holy Sword’ in the future, it would never be wielded by this man.”
The sound of people swallowing hard echoed throughout the hall.
“The Holy Sword is broken, irreparably damaged, and has vanished. Therefore, the Count is no longer a ‘Holy Swordsman.’”
The kneeling count bit his lip.
“I will never, ever forgive this…”
He muttered weakly, his voice hollow as if his soul had left him.
“The church will not remain silent after you have desecrated the relic of the first White Tower Master.”
The Celestial Sword of Lancaster asked, and Dale nodded.
“I will bear that burden. The responsibility for defeating the Holy Sword lies solely with me.”
“Are you claiming both the credit and the blame?”
The Celestial Sword of Lancaster asked sharply.
“Yes.”
The responsibility for defeating the Holy Sword and the St. Magdalena Cavalry would rest solely on Dale. In other words, the fame and victory of defeating the Holy Sword would belong entirely to the “Black Prince.”
The facts could not be denied. Moreover, it was a burden worth bearing.
“Very well.”
The Celestial Sword nodded and continued.
“The treatment of the captured ‘Count Brandenburg’ will be left entirely to the will of the Saxon house.”
”…!”
“I will carry out Your Grace’s orders.”
Dale bowed his head silently. At least the Celestial Sword was a man of reason.
Thus, the enemy he so despised fell entirely into Dale’s hands. But this was only the beginning. The empire was like a great dragon, and Dale had merely cut off its tail.
— Move this man to the “Court.”
The responsibility for the treatment of the Holy Swordsman as a prisoner fell entirely to the Saxon house, and Dale did not hesitate.
The Shadow Court.
In a secret place within the Lancaster duchy, unknown even to allies, the “Shadow Lord” resided.
“Haha, what a pitiful fate for a hero.”
Beside the Shadow Lord, the master of the assassin’s blade, Baro, muttered as if it were someone else’s business.
From within the iron bars reminiscent of a dungeon, the man once known as the “Holy Swordsman” lifted his head.
“You… the monster of Saxon…!”
The monster of Saxon.
“Let me tell you about the future that awaits you, Count.”
Dale replied coldly.
“Officially, you still hold the ‘title of the Holy Sword,’ and we will demand a ‘hefty ransom’ from your family in exchange for that name’s weight.”
”…!”
“Even for the great Count Brandenburg, it will be a sum difficult to bear.”
Dale sneered coldly.
“But will your son, Prince Philip, have any choice?”
“You, you dare…!”
“For the pillar of the family, the proud father, the Holy Sword, the ‘sacrifice to be paid’ will be a trivial amount. Even if it amounts to a fortune.”
”…!”
Dale muttered as if it were someone else’s business, and the Holy Swordsman struggled desperately. Despite his crippled body, unable to support itself, and his internal organs in disarray, rendering him unable to use his aura.
The “tendons” Dale referred to were not just literal tendons.
The tendons of a knight, the organ known as the aura heart, were no exception.
Reversing such damage was impossible, even with the healing magic of the White Tower Master.
As Master Baro had said, it was a rather unremarkable end for one of the empire’s proud war heroes.
Just as the “Hero from Another World” had once experienced.
Shortly thereafter, an envoy arrived at the York Marquisate.
Not in the name of the Lancaster Grand Duke, but under the banner of the “Saxon Ducal House.”
Along with the treatment of the captured Holy Sword, it was a proposal to request a meeting between the York and Saxon houses.
Titania of York.
Officially, she was the “wife of the York Marquis,” supporting the family with her intelligence and wisdom. However, those who knew the truth called her by a different name.
“Nice to meet you, Mistress.”
”…”
Dale called her by that name, but “Mistress Titania” showed no sign of disturbance. She merely fanned herself gracefully, her beauty and elegance untouched by the passage of time.
“Oh, the charming young prince of Saxon has made quite the difficult journey.”
Titania and the intelligent daughters of the York house she favored were there. Margaret and Catherine, along with five other young ladies. Sisters with the cruelty of black and the wisdom of blue.
“May I ask why you requested a ‘meeting’ with me instead of him?”
“There are two of the Seven Swords on this side, and only one on yours.”
“So the rumors that the Assassin’s Blade and the Shadow Court have bowed to the ‘Black Prince’ were true.”
Titania spoke as if it were no surprise.
“The balance of power held by these extraordinary forces has already been disrupted.”
Asymmetric Force.
In the world of the past, there were unconventional forces like nuclear weapons that fell under the category of “strategic weapons.” In this world, the weight of existence for beings like the Seven Swords or the Five-Colored Tower Masters is similar.
“For the future of House York, wouldn’t it be wise to surrender and step back now?”
Having gained the upper hand, there was no need to resolve this through battle.
“Even if you cannot inherit the title, the Duke is willing to maintain the engagement between Prince Richard and Lady Margaret. Continuing this fight seems rather pointless, don’t you think?”
“It seems the reputation of the ‘Black Prince’ is well-deserved.”
Titania of York smiled as if she were amused.
“Upon hearing my acceptance, you plan to use the engagement between Prince Richard and Lady Margaret as a bargaining chip in peace negotiations with the Duke of Lancaster, don’t you?”
”…”
Dale maintained a calm demeanor, smiling slightly. Titania’s insight was spot on. There was no agreement between Dale and the Duke of Lancaster. It was a bluff, a ploy to coax House York into negotiations.
The plan was to secure an agreement with House York and use it to persuade the Duke to end the war. That was Dale’s goal for the talks.
“Regrettably, we have no intention of ending this war.”
“Even with the balance of power among the strong disrupted?”
“The swift fall of the Holy Sword was unexpected, even for me,” Titania admitted.
“But wars aren’t decided by the presence of a few powerful individuals. If they were, why would we need grand armor, swords, soldiers, and strategies? A single duel between the strong would suffice.”
‘Indeed.’
Dale swallowed the words that almost escaped his lips and asked, “Do you have something else in mind?”
“Hmm, perhaps…”
Mistress Titania smiled enigmatically.
──At that moment, the landscape around them began to warp.
An otherworldly realm existing solely for Dale and Titania. It could mean only one thing.
‘The World of Thought…!’
A landscape of the mind overlaid by a high-level mage of the sixth circle or above.
It was a field of roses stretching endlessly beyond the horizon. Each rose glowed with shades of blue and black, their petals scattering, while sharp thorns protruded from the stems throughout the world.
‘Black and blue roses, and thorns.’
Within this world, Mistress Titania asked, “If I were to capture you here, how would you respond, my prince?”
“The esteemed ‘Mistress’ wouldn’t make the foolish decision of turning the Black Prince into an enemy.”
Dale replied with a poker face, his tone steady.
“Oh, how astute of you.”
Titania laughed, clearly entertained.
“But surely you understand the significance of a mage unveiling the ‘World of Thought.’”
It was either a complete denial or a complete affirmation. There was no middle ground.
“Fortunately, I am prepared to reciprocate the trust Mistress Titania has shown me.”
“I’m relieved to hear that.”
Mistress Titania continued with a smile, “But trust is built on mutual belief. Just as I have revealed my heart, won’t you grant me a glimpse into ‘Prince Dale’s heart’?”
Titania urged him to reveal his own landscape of the mind in response to her World of Thought.
Dale fell silent, contemplating the dark intentions she might harbor as the enchantress of York.
A brief silence settled between them.
Finally, Dale spoke.