Episode 142
“Gather ‘round, everyone! I’ve got an incredible tale to share with you today!”
A man was shouting at the top of his lungs from a street corner in the city. As a crowd began to gather around him, a woman in a robe was about to walk away when she heard something that made her pause.
“Today, I bring you the story of the Empire’s greatest genius! The very ‘Black Prince’ himself, and his heroic deeds in the War of the Roses!”
At the mention of that name, the woman stopped in her tracks and turned her head. The man was a street storyteller, a wanderer who made a living by collecting rumors and embellishing them into captivating tales.
“You won’t want to miss this story. Not many have had the fortune to witness the fierce battle between the Holy Sword and the ‘Black Prince’ up close!”
“Did you really see them fight?”
“Absolutely! It was pure luck that I happened to be in the lands of the Duke of Lancaster, following the stars, when it all happened! Ahem, ahem.”
The storyteller paused dramatically, prompting a few people to toss coins into the basket at his feet. Only then did he clear his throat again and raise his voice like an actor on stage.
“Ahem, so, about that epic battle—it was during a standoff between thousands of knights from York and Lancaster! And then, as representatives of their armies, two figures stepped onto the field for a one-on-one duel…”
His voice painted a vivid picture of the war, drawing gasps and applause from the crowd.
The storyteller’s craft was to sell stories—compelling, immersive tales that would captivate an audience. And as far as the Storytellers’ Guild was concerned, nothing sold better than the legendary exploits of the ‘Black Prince.’
But to the woman, it was nothing new.
Tales spun by gossipers were always exaggerated, and she was all too familiar with the inflated reputation of ‘Dale.’
“The clash was so intense that the earth shook, and thousands of soldiers held their breath!”
The crowd had grown so dense that there was hardly room to move. The woman quietly turned away, hiding her crystal-colored hair beneath her hood, and leaving behind an inexplicable longing in her heart.
Meanwhile, in the northern Demon Lord’s domain…
For the sake of the ‘Great Demon Alliance’ officially endorsed by Saxon and Lancaster, two royal bloodlines had set foot on the land.
“Thank you for making the arduous journey to this humble place.”
Alongside his father, the Duke of Saxon, the Viscount of Saxon, who ruled the Demon Lord’s domain, spoke.
“I’ve expanded my father’s military fortress, built to counter the demon threat, into my castle. It may be modest, but I ask for your understanding…”
“Enough with the explanations.”
Before Dale could finish, the Seventh Prince, Mordred, interrupted.
“I can see well enough that it’s a shabby, insignificant castle.”
”…I see.”
Despite the rudeness, Dale bowed his head without complaint.
“Do you know why I’ve bothered to come to this backwater?”
At that moment, Mordred stopped and turned to Dale.
“I wanted to see for myself the talent of the ‘Black Prince’ that this country’s fools can’t stop talking about. Aren’t you honored beyond words?”
“I’m truly honored.”
“Then show me what you’ve got.”
”…Show you what, exactly?”
“Do I have to spell it out? Your sword.”
Mordred placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“Or is it not a sword? Magic, artifacts, whatever you’ve got, show me everything.”
Srrng.
Before Dale could respond, the prince’s sword gleamed as it was drawn. A tense silence fell. Even the infamous Black Prince couldn’t hide his surprise at Mordred’s reckless audacity.
”…”
Dale remained silent. In the quiet, his artifact, the ‘Shadow Cloak,’ began to flutter.
“Interesting.”
“I shall comply with the prince’s command.”
With the Shadow Cloak billowing, Dale drew his obsidian sword, framing the act as reluctant obedience to an order.
“Good, now clear away the obstacles around us.”
Mordred adjusted his grip on his sword. Understanding the implication, Dale gestured to the surrounding people.
Instantly, both sides stepped back, leaving Dale and the prince facing each other with swords in hand. Dale glanced at the Fifth Princess, Kiara. Despite having earlier restrained her brother’s rudeness, she now stood silently with a cold expression.
“You better hope the title of the Empire’s greatest genius isn’t a sham.”
Mordred sneered.
“Because I won’t be responsible if you lose your head.”
“What is the reason for this?”
Dale asked, unyielding and bold.
“His Majesty sent you and the princess here for the Great Demon Alliance, for the cause of Saxon and Lancaster.”
“Yes, and that esteemed cause of Saxon’s genius…”
At that moment, Mordred tightened his grip on his sword and spoke.
“Do you know what you did to my unparalleled master?”
Dale swallowed hard.
“You tore his tendons, destroyed his aura heart, and spread false information about his rescue by that fool Philip… You kept him captive throughout the War of the Roses, inflicting pain.”
Finally, Dale understood the source of Mordred’s burning hatred.
But he had already accepted the consequences of breaking the Holy Sword.
“Now, the murderer of my master stands before me.”
He hadn’t anticipated the backlash would come like this.
“Isn’t that what war is?”
Dale replied coldly.
“To kill before being killed, to extract the maximum before the end—that’s war.”
He didn’t hide the ruthless and brutal reputation of the ‘Black Prince’ that people whispered about.
“Every soldier who dies on the battlefield has parents and children waiting for them, friends or spouses. Yet, when wielding a sword, no one hesitates, thinking of the enemy’s family.”
”…”
Mordred remained silent.
“Even if the Holy Sword was a revered and respected master to you, Prince Mordred—”
Before Dale could finish, Mordred lunged forward, kicking off the ground.
Clang!
Their blades clashed. Despite Mordred’s aggressive swing, Dale did not draw his sword.
”…!”
Instead, the swirling Shadow Cloak rose like a spear, aiming at Mordred.
Had he been even a millimeter closer, it would have pierced his retina, blinding him.
“How dare you show such disrespect to the prince!”
Seeing this, the Iron Cross knights drew their swords in unison. At the same time, the Night Raven knights of Saxon also unsheathed their weapons. The air inside the hall grew cold and tense, silence descending like a feather.
A standoff on the brink of violence unfolded.
“Everyone, please, let’s stop this here.”
In the midst of the deadly tension, the Black Duke finally broke the silence.
“Do you think you can lay a hand on the prince and get away with it?”
One of the Iron Cross knights shouted at the Black Duke, who replied calmly.
“Didn’t you hear me?”
”…!”
Simultaneously, the entire hall began to be engulfed in darkness.
From the shadows, arms extended. The Iron Cross knights, caught off guard, tried to swing their swords, but the ‘arms of darkness’ seized them faster.
“Aaaah!”
The knight who had shouted at the Black Duke screamed as the shadowy arm tightened around his ankle. His armor crumpled, and his ankle bones snapped, twisting his body like a rag doll.
At first glance, it seemed similar to Dale’s Shadow Cloak. But it was clear—the darkness was of a different caliber. It was a voracious, greedy blackness that threatened to swallow all the light in the world.
“As I said, let’s stop this.”
The voice echoed again, quiet yet imbued with an undeniable authority.
Even before the prince and the Empire’s finest knights, there was not a hint of disturbance.
“Dale, put away the Shadow Cloak.”
“Yes, Father.”
Without hesitation, Dale disarmed. Before him, Mordred struggled, ensnared by the shadowy arms.
“Prince Mordred.”
The Black Duke turned his gaze toward Mordred.
“Black Duke, release this at once!”
“No matter your royal bloodline, don’t think that alone grants you the right to behave so rudely.”
“What… what did you just say?”
“Exactly what you heard.”
The Black Duke replied calmly.
“This is my domain, and my son acts here as my representative, fulfilling his duties.”
“And who do you think granted you that domain?”
“His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor.”
The Black Duke’s voice was steady, without a hint of hesitation.
“And as a duke of the empire, I possess the immunity to take lawful actions to protect my lands. Even royal blood is not exempt.”
Flap!
Suddenly, several crows took flight behind him, an impossible sight indoors.
Black feathers scattered in the air as the Black Duke continued speaking with an unruffled demeanor.
The atmosphere froze. A chilling cold and the fear of death swept through the room.
“I understand that Prince Mordred holds the Holy Sword as dear as a father and respects him deeply as a mentor.”
”…!”
Mordred’s expression hardened at the Black Duke’s matter-of-fact words.
“But that and this are entirely separate matters.”
The Black Duke continued, his tone unchanging, as if tightening an invisible leash around Mordred, armed with secrets of the empire unknown even to Dale.