Episode 202
“Please forgive us for hosting the esteemed guests of the Saxon family in such a humble place.”
The once-proud Orhardt estate, now in ruins after the fall of the Teutonia Knights’ Order, was barely worthy of being called a mansion. Yet, remnants of the Orhardt family’s pride were etched into its very walls, a testament to their once-great legacy as the foremost martial family on the continent.
”…So Charlotte is training under the guidance of the Celestial Sword at the Lancaster Grand Duchy.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Officially, Charlotte was under the protection of the Saxon Duke’s name. Even if she had left Dale’s side to embark on her journey, that fact remained unchanged. While the Saxon name couldn’t shield her from every danger she might encounter, it was far from meaningless.
“Charlotte is no longer a girl who needs to be protected unilaterally.”
“Indeed. You can’t deny the blood that runs through her veins. It’s all thanks to you, my lord.”
Vanessa smiled gently at Dale’s words.
“Charlotte will participate in the sword trial held in the old Knights’ Order’s territory. I, too, will not be an exception.”
Vanessa fell silent, contemplating the implications of his words.
“I’ve heard the Celestial Sword, the Duke of Lancaster, shared a deep bond with your husband.”
“Yes, and yet, when the Knights’ Order fell, the Celestial Sword chose to side with the Empire, abandoning that bond. Perhaps now he feels some pangs of conscience.”
“Perhaps he sees a shadow of his past in Charlotte’s swordsmanship.”
Vanessa Orhardt scoffed.
Understanding the minds of those who pursue the way of the sword isn’t as difficult as one might think. And witnessing the brilliance of Charlotte’s talent is something that would captivate anyone.
“Regardless, for the sword trial, she will return to this land…”
“Much has changed.”
Dale spoke, unable to hide his concern for Vanessa.
“The Holy Sword is dead. His son, the infamous Philip, who now rules the old Knights’ Order’s territory, is unfit to inherit the count’s title.”
“A debt that can never be repaid.”
Officially, the Holy Sword died from irreversible wounds sustained in the War of the Roses. The one who inflicted those wounds and broke his sword was none other than the ‘Black Prince’ of Saxon.
“Yet, she left the Saxon family and your side, my lord…”
Vanessa lowered her head, at a loss for words.
“I respect Charlotte’s decision. And in the upcoming sword trial, I will hear her decision.”
“In her letters, she often spoke fondly of you, my lord.”
Vanessa’s words made Dale swallow quietly.
“When she became your guardian knight, she spoke of it with great pride. She said she found a lord worthy of her loyalty and that she would become as strong as her father.”
”…”
Dale recalled the time before Charlotte left the Duke’s household. Charlotte had ambition. Her pride wouldn’t allow her to be protected by Dale unilaterally.
She wanted to be the sword that could truly protect Dale. Ironically, that’s why she chose to leave his side.
“You must understand her heart, my lord. Perhaps her decision to leave was…”
Vanessa hesitated, but Dale shook his head gently, indicating there was no need to say more.
“I will respect Charlotte’s wishes to the end. But in the sword trial, that may not be possible.”
“I know it’s shameless of me.”
Vanessa Orhardt bowed her head apologetically.
“But may I ask one last favor?”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Be wary of the new Count of Brandenburg, the lord of this Knights’ Order territory.”
Philip of Brandenburg, once the infamous scoundrel of the count’s family, now the head of the family following his father’s footsteps.
“With the sword trial officially taking place in his domain, who knows what schemes he might be planning.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Dale nodded solemnly, and the conversation ended there.
The sword trial at the Blade Mountains.
The first challenge is to reach the summit of the treacherous Blade Mountains, home to the ‘Temple of Sword,’ a tradition of the Teutonia Knights’ Order.
As the name suggests, the Blade Mountains are considered the highest and most perilous on the continent. The mountains are teeming with monsters left there intentionally, and for an ordinary knight, the climb itself is a life-threatening endeavor.
The first task is to climb the mountains ‘alone,’ a journey that takes several weeks without any provisions of water or food.
For those of a certain caliber, however, this is not a significant challenge. Dale was no exception.
Several weeks later.
Dale found himself climbing the snow-covered heights, higher than the clouds. Along the way, he hunted animals and even monsters, crafting pouches from their hides to store water from streams, ensuring he had enough supplies to reach the summit.
In the distance, a structure rose at the horizon’s edge. As the path converged, the scattered figures of other participants began to appear, marking the start of the continent’s most prestigious sword trial.
Around a few dozen participants gathered at the Temple of Sword after climbing the mountain. People from across the continent had come to prove their swordsmanship, though most were familiar faces.
Among them were the five swords of the Continent’s Seven Swords and other renowned warriors who had already proven their prowess.
The most attention-grabbing figure was undoubtedly the new master of the ‘Holy Sword Durandal.’
Defeated by the ‘Black Prince’ on the island of Britannia and reduced to ashes, she was said to have been resurrected by a goddess’s miracle, the pure white saint.
Few knew her true identity.
And that wasn’t all.
The most noble bloodline of the Empire was also present.
The leader of the Imperial Knights, the Iron Cross Knights, and the Empire’s First Prince, Lancelot, along with the Seventh Prince, Mordred.
“To think the First Prince himself would appear.”
The strongest of the Iron Cross Knights, Vice Commander and Ghost Sword Sephilia, stood by their side.
“Ah, it’s good to see you again, ma’am.”
The Sword Master Baro, who stood by Dale, chuckled, while Ghost Sword Sephilia exuded a chilling aura. It was the eerie presence of the cursed sword ‘Soulbringer’ at her waist.
”…You stand before the prince. Mind your uncouth tongue.”
“My apologies.”
”…”
Yet, the First Prince, clad in full armor, remained silent. The same was true for the Seventh Prince, Mordred.
Like the First Prince, Mordred remained silent within his armor.
Trying to sense anything beyond the armor was futile. It felt as if an empty shadow resided within, a foreboding and hollow sensation. It was like looking at an empty suit of armor.
Without prior knowledge that the First and Seventh Princes would participate in the sword trial, their identities would have been impossible to discern. The only way to distinguish them was by the imperial insignia on their armor.
‘Suspicious.’
Pushing aside the vague unease, Dale turned his head. At that moment, a familiar face caught his attention.
There was a knight he could never forget. A disciple training under the Celestial Sword, the Duke of Lancaster.
“I greet the Celestial Sword, Duke of Lancaster.”
Dale bowed respectfully, and the Celestial Sword responded coldly.
“Lord Dale.”
The mentor who taught Charlotte the sword, and the father who lost his son Michael to the ‘Black Prince.’
“If Michael were alive, he would have tested his sword against yours here.”
“It was a regrettable event. But Michael and I had already tested our swords on the battlefield that day.”
The Celestial Sword spoke, and Dale replied icily. A complex mix of emotions flickered across the Celestial Sword’s face.
But it was only for a moment. The Celestial Sword turned away silently, and Charlotte spoke with a mix of emotions.
“Dale.”
”…Charlotte.”
Once a knight known as Lady Black, who guarded the Saxon Viscount, she had grown into a remarkable lady, unrecognizable from before.
Without Dale realizing it…
“You’re still using the Saxon sword.”
“Yes.”
Dale smiled warmly, like greeting an old friend, and Charlotte returned the smile gently.
“It’s good to see you again.”
Charlotte smiled, though her words still carried an air of awkwardness and distance.
“Ah, it seems everyone has finally gathered.”
At the same time, knights clad in mithril armor, who would oversee the trials at the Sword Pavilion, were present.
Moreover, the leader of the Knights of St. Magdalena, the lord who ruled over the lands of the old Teutonia Knightdom under the banner of the Count’s family, was also there.
“Of all people, why him?”
The Teutonia Knightdom had fallen, and ironically, it was the usurpers who had brought it down that now carried on its traditions. Vanessa Orhardt’s warning flashed through his mind.
“Glad to see you again. The Empire’s greatest genius.”
Philip, once a notorious scoundrel and now the Count of Brandenburg, smiled. What had changed? One thing was certain: the fool Dale once knew was nowhere to be seen.
“Or should I call you the Shadow Lord now?”
”…”
Swords, each concealing their own intentions, gathered in one place, and the trial began in a setting steeped in the traditions of the old knightdom.