Episode 75
The man lay sprawled among scantily clad courtesans.
Despite the ongoing war, he was in a lavishly decorated bedroom within the castle.
“Your Highness, Charles.”
Even at the call of the holy maiden, Aurelia, the man did not respond. He merely buried his face in the courtesans’ bosoms, snoring loudly as if the world were ending.
The room reeked of alcohol. It was a scene that made a mockery of their fight for independence against the empire’s tyranny.
“Your Highness, Charles.”
After a long silence, Aurelia called out again. It took five more attempts of calling the ‘king’s name’ before—
“Ugh, what…? What is it?”
Finally, Charles VII, the legitimate heir of the Britannia royal family, staggered to his feet. As soon as he stood, he grabbed a gold goblet encrusted with rubies and gulped down the wine poured by a courtesan.
It was broad daylight, with the sun high in the sky.
“The imperial army has just handed over a large supply of military goods as we demanded.”
“Is that so…? Well done, well done.”
It was a decisive gain that could turn the tide of battle. Yet, Charles VII showed little interest.
“Anyway, it means the day I become king of this land isn’t far off, right?”
”…Yes, Your Highness.”
Aurelia nodded, recalling the words of the ‘Black Prince’ from the recent negotiations for Philip’s ransom.
“Additionally, the enemy commander has made a rather suspicious proposal.”
They offered to hand over the capital, Reims, to the Britannia Kingdom without bloodshed.
“Perhaps they’re just scared and trying to flee.”
Even at this shocking news, Charles VII’s demeanor remained unchanged. Without a hint of caution, he dismissed her words with an expression of sheer annoyance.
“Oh, by the way.”
It was then that he spoke again.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
For a moment, a sharp intelligence flickered across Charles VII’s face. Was he finally ready to fulfill his duties as a king?
“Please, go ahead, Your Highness.”
Aurelia asked, not letting go of a sliver of hope.
“Among the supplies the imperial army handed over, could you bring me some wine from the southern region of the empire?”
”…!”
What came back was the request of a drunkard, betraying her expectations.
“Heh, heh, I can’t resist the taste of southern wine!”
Charles VII burst into laughter.
“Isn’t it fitting to pop open some wine to celebrate reclaiming the kingdom’s capital?”
At his words, the courtesans around him erupted in laughter.
‘Celebrate? Didn’t you have a grand feast just yesterday?’
Suppressing the words that rose to her throat, Aurelia simply bowed her head in silence.
The blood of the royal family ran through his veins, and for that reason alone, this man had the right to become the king of Britannia. It was deemed the ‘will of heaven.’
All they needed to do was reclaim the capital and hold Charles VII’s coronation…
Unbidden, thoughts of what would follow flashed through her mind.
—Will you uphold the commands of King Charles VII of the newly reborn Britannia Kingdom as if they were divine revelations?
The dagger the ‘Black Prince’ had once plunged into her heart.
“You’re saying you’ll just hand Reims over to the rebels?!”
Count Brandenburg, the holy knight, raised his voice in disbelief at Dale’s words.
Reims, the former capital of the Britannia Kingdom and the traditional site of royal coronations.
“Do you even understand the significance of that, you young pup of the Saxon family…?!”
“Oh, I’m well aware.”
Dale replied, as if he would never reveal it for free. Lady Scarlet remained silent, devoid of the coquettishness she had shown until recently.
“And Count.”
Dale continued, undeterred.
“It seems you still don’t understand your position.”
“What… what did you say…?”
“Have you forgotten our contract already?”
In front of the holy knight, who couldn’t hide his anger, Dale continued.
“I’m your superior.”
”…!”
The binding oath between the two. Dale’s taunt reignited the holy knight’s fury.
“Your arrogance won’t last much longer…!”
“Alright, alright, just keep your head down and stay quiet.”
Dale replied nonchalantly.
“When your superior says jump, you jump. Why so much talk?”
Just as Dale had promised, there wasn’t a single soul to block the advance of the Britannia independence army.
Even the main imperial forces stationed in Reims had withdrawn early in response to the independence army’s advance.
And when the Britannia independence army reached their target, the old capital—
Waiting for them in Reims, where they would enter without bloodshed, was the commander of the imperial forces, the ‘Black Prince’ of the Saxon family.
Dale stood there.
Lowering the drawbridge of Reims, the former capital of the Britannia Kingdom, he stood alone, as if to block the enemy forces.
Like a lone warrior at Changban Bridge.
But even for Dale, it was an impossible task.
The imperial forces, led by a holy knight and a 7th-circle dark mage with their Purifier unit, couldn’t guarantee victory against the strong forces led by the holy maiden.
In other words, even a full-scale battle offered no assurance of victory.
──It wasn’t that there was no chance from the start. In fact, the imperial forces had overwhelming superiority.
If knights were considered the ‘flower of war,’ they had the core power known as the ‘god of war’ in terms of military branches.
High-ranking mages.
That was until a certain genius of defeat squandered most of that ‘high-ranking mage power.’
Assuming they were providing cover from the rear, they could even influence battles involving extraordinary strongmen. Their importance was such that they were stationed at the impregnable fortress ‘Belle Fort,’ which ironically became a death trap.
“Prince of the Saxon family.”
In that dire situation, he faced the enemy forces alone. Dale of Saxon, the ‘Black Prince.’
“Will you hand over ‘Reims’ to our independence army as promised?”
Thus, it was up to the holy maiden Aurelia to confront Dale.
On the drawbridge connecting the moat surrounding the city walls, the holy maiden faced the ‘Black Prince.’
“I will hand over Reims as promised.”
Dale spoke.
“But before that, I have a request.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Would you grant me the honor of a lesson with your sword?”
A lesson with the sword. As countless challengers had once done to the ‘Black Prince.’ But now, standing on the side of the challenger, Dale spoke.
“Does that mean a fight to the death?”
“No, what I seek is merely a ‘lesson’ from you, holy maiden.”
The holy maiden tilted her head in curiosity, and Dale replied.
“In front of your sword, my magic is nothing more than a child’s play.”
It was clear. Even for Dale, the holy maiden Aurelia was an opponent he couldn’t handle. He wasn’t hoping for victory. He was simply like a curious child, unable to resist the allure of witnessing the prowess of the ‘holy maiden’s sword.’
Yet, beneath it all, he harbored a dark, ulterior motive.
“Very well.”
The holy maiden grasped the hilt of her sword, adorned with golden embroidery.
Even if Dale were to exert 100% of his power, he couldn’t win now. The holy maiden surely knew that. It was a ‘proposal she could accept precisely because of that.’
Srrrng.
From the sword belt at her waist, her sword emitted a cold, blue gleam.
“Does the sword have a name?”
“It is the iron sword of an unnamed veteran who fought honorably and died for the kingdom’s independence.”
The holy maiden replied.
“Thus, I wield this sword to honor his dying wish.”
The sword of an unnamed soldier.
“I call this sword the ‘Nameless Sword.’”
At the same time, a dark blue aura began to swirl beneath Dale’s feet.
Even those watching from afar could sense the overwhelming amount of magical energy. The independence army in the rear hurriedly assumed battle stances, but the holy maiden Aurelia did not.
She merely extended her arm to hold them back.
“Everyone, stand down.”
Stand down. With those words, light shimmered along Aurelia’s Nameless Sword.
It wasn’t the pure white pursued by the holy knights and the Knights of Saint Magdalene.
A radiant golden light. So brilliant that it was hard to look at directly, the golden light began to envelop Aurelia’s sword and armor.
The act of projecting one’s thoughts onto the sword, armor, and body. A realm of the ‘Aura Master’ that even talented knights couldn’t be sure of reaching after a lifetime devoted to the sword.
An extraordinary power indistinguishable from magic, wielded by the daughter of a mere serf.
The ultimate combat form pursued by a knight’s sword.
The armor of thought, Avatar.
──A Valkyrie clad in golden armor stood there.
The maiden of war. A manifestation of divine revelation, a testament to the goddess’s descent.
“That’s the image of a Saintess…”
Dale gathered his thoughts, focusing on the mock duel with the Saintess. While it was part of a strategy for victory, he had another deeply personal reason for this confrontation.
Facing an opponent of unmatched strength offered certain gains. Dale was on the brink of reaching a new level.
The 4th Circle.
“Honestly, I don’t stand a chance.”
He hadn’t challenged her with the expectation of winning. Even in a mock duel, a moment’s lapse could lead to death in a battle between the powerful. A single instant of carelessness could be fatal.
But there was a slim chance. If he could grasp the 4th Circle here, the odds of victory wouldn’t be zero. At best, it was a mere 1%.
“If that happens, things will get much easier.”
If he won, the war would end here. Even if he didn’t, Dale had a plan for what came next. It was a gamble with nothing to lose from the start.
Yet, the Saintess Aurelia likely saw Dale’s proposal as the best way to gain control of Rance without any sacrifice.
“Let the duel begin.”
There was no hint of underestimating him, as if she were facing a mere child.
At that moment, a surge of dark blue magic spread from beneath Dale’s feet.
Aurelia understood its significance. Just as high-ranking knights donned the “Armor of Thought,” high-ranking mages consciously overlaid the “World of Thought” onto this reality.
The mage’s realm.
The essence of magic that even a 6th Circle mage could only dream of was being wielded by a mere 12-year-old at the 3rd Circle.
It was unbelievable. Yet, Saintess Aurelia remained unfazed. Dale wasn’t the only irregular who had gained “unprecedented power.”
──A world of white and dark winter night enveloped them.
A horizon of emptiness and void.
”…!”
It was the very essence of a 《World of Death》, swirling with icy cold and darkness.
But even that icy cold and darkness couldn’t overshadow the golden radiance of the Saintess.
“That’s the Avatar…”
The Saintess’s nameless sword scattered brilliant golden light. A cloak of light fluttered along her golden armor.
“Prepare yourself, Lord Dale.”
Saintess Aurelia spoke.
But this was Dale’s world, and he, who projected this icy cold and darkness, was not an opponent to be easily defeated.
“I look forward to it.”
Dale bowed respectfully. At the same time, the icy cold and darkness swirled beneath his feet, the shadowy cloak billowing wildly behind him.
“──Shub.”
Dale called out the name of a girl.
A golden Valkyrie charged forward like a flash of light.