980. With the weapon called the face
It was only natural that everyone gathered at the training grounds in the evening. The fact that it was another fight piqued their interest.
Would it be as fierce as before? Would it at least be entertaining to watch?
Filled with such expectations and questions, they became spectators and watched as the swordsman and the wizard stood facing each other.
A breeze blew. It was refreshing and light, as if to herald the arrival of spring. Looking at the sky, clouds were gathering thickly in the distance; it was the kind of day where someone with the ability to read the weather, like Esther, would predict that rain might fall within a few days.
Whatever the case, the weather today was clear. Beneath the clear and bright sky, the wizard opened his mouth.
“I am Nephir Tessher of the Imperial Magic Tower.”
“I see, is your nickname the Mage of Flirting?”
“No! My alias is ‘The Holder of the Morning Star’!”
Ah, I see. A wizard’s alias was different from a knight’s.
It was attached with rhetorical devices such as ‘Grabbing the River’ or ‘Eating the Light.
‘ The nickname ‘Grabbing the Morning Star’ was due to the type of spells Nephir primarily wielded. Furthermore, the wizard maintained his composure better than expected. Instead of being shaken by the provocation, he brought out what he had prepared.
“If you realize it and try to avoid it, it will be too late. I won’t hurt you seriously.”
He spoke and chanted a spell. Encred walked forward without even drawing his sword. With his arms hanging down, he walked with a calm, heavy stride. As his arms swung back and forth, the sword belt hanging over him swayed lightly. *
Thump*—the scabbard brushed against his thigh with each step.
*Crunch, scratch*—the scabbard rubbed against the fabric.
*Ting*—the ring buckle and the metal studs clasped together.
And through it all, the sound of his cloak swaying gently in the wind.
Following the sounds, he displayed a sense of ease in his attitude, actions, expressions, and gestures. It was as if he was saying, “Do whatever you want.” It
was not a high-speed slash, nor did he readily approach. It was an act whose intention was incomprehensible. He
was simply walking. Walking straight ahead, toward the wizard standing in the distance.
Among those watching, some showed concern and others expressed bewilderment, but most were anticipating. He would
suddenly vanish, leaving behind an afterimage, right? He would move so fast that it would be difficult for their eyes to follow. While the majority expected this, the activation word flowed from Nephir’s lips.
The Serenade of Phil de Frodo, Master of Light.
What is the meaning of the rhetoric “Holder of the Morning Star”? It meant wielding spells that manipulate starlight.
A beam of light, far faster than an arrow and rivaling the speed of lightning, flew toward Encred’s shoulder.
With a thud, it scattered in the air, scattering something like shining glass shards in all directions. The shattered light resembled the ripples created by sunlight or moonlight reflecting on a lake.
Rumble-
Then, the air trembled slightly, accompanied by sounds like heavy iron chains dragging. With a roar, a gust of wind rose, causing his dark green cloak to flap wildly.
It made Encred appear as if his body had doubled in size.
The sudden gust of wind vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.
Amidst the shattering fragments of light, Encred walked with the same appearance and speed as before.
The sounds of thud, rustle, and ting were still present. The broken fragments of light vanished without a trace in an instant.
Defense spell?
Nephir had such suspicions, but he had simply swung his sword to deflect it. To be precise, he drew his sword at an absurd speed, severing the magical energy forming the core of the spell and sheathing it again.
The sound that accompanied this was like heavy iron chains dragging across the ground, but it was merely a noise that followed the excessive speed of the swing. Even then, this was the result of controlling the swing.
If he had swung it with full force, the air would have burst, and a thunderous roar capable of tearing eardrums would have erupted.
So you’re saying you’re showing off your skills?
Nephir Tesher muttered and chanted the spell once again. Several beams of light flew in in succession. They increased from one to two, from two to six, and eventually, entire spheres of light flew in.
Encred sliced and deflected them all. The same sounds—rumbling, clicking, thud, ting—repeatedly echoed through the training ground. To Nephir’s eyes, it appeared as if his sword had not been drawn even once.
That was after he had moved beyond mere sword reach and within hand’s reach. Unable to hide his surprise, Nephir Tesher stared at Encred with wide eyes, and Encred asked in an exceptionally calm and steady tone.
“more?”
What more could be done here? A desperate struggle? A pathetic resistance? Or should I just die to save my pride? But would doing that really save my pride?
Nephir shook his head. His face had turned deathly pale. I don’t know about their caliber, but the difference in skill was evident.
I lost.
Nephir looked as if he were about to run off to the cliff right away. Esther didn’t particularly mind him.
It was fun.
Encred said so sincerely. It was a truly concise yet direct spell.
It was a spell filled with the intent to strike, tear, and pierce you, regardless of the magic core or whatever.
It had a different flavor from the Astrail Master he had faced before. And that was why it was interesting.
“fun?”
Nephir merely muttered despondently to himself.
“Does everyone do things like that?”
Seriana, who had been watching, asked Balmung.
“Not at all. It’s a skill not just anyone can master. If it were a skill where you just use your body or cut along the grain, there might be a few, but that’s a bit much.”
It was Balmung’s answer. The spell itself vanished before the sword strike. It made me think that a mage would be in big trouble if they ran their mouths carelessly in front of Encred.
Exactly two days after this incident, an imperial delegation was assembled, including Krang’s escort.
I’m so excited because it’s been a while since I’ve traveled.
Krang smiled and spoke in front of him. It’s not exactly a path to leave with a smile, but well, if he’s happy with it, isn’t that all that matters?
Border Guards will be coming along the route. Please go together.
Crys spoke and stepped back. If he went all the way to the Empire, the Kingdom would be left too vulnerable. He had decided to stay behind to handle all the problems that would arise in the absence of a king.
Besides, there was no need to take unnecessary risks here.
If I happen to get caught, I’ll have to give them a taste of hell.
I had also thought about gathering our forces to prepare for any eventuality. In any case, Crys remained behind while the rest moved.
The five Royal Guards, the envoys from the Empire, Encred, Esther, and Rem were all together. Aside from
Nephir’s unusually slumped shoulders and Seriana walking particularly close to Encred, it started exactly as expected.
Esther scrutinized the woman named Seriana from time to time.
She could kill her quickly if she wanted to, but she was a woman who weighed on her mind strangely.
Should I say she felt like she was somehow being outmatched? It was just a feeling. A feeling.
“So, you were originally a mercenary?”
She spoke to Encred without hesitation and engaged in conversation. It seemed as though a strange atmosphere was flowing between the two.
“exactly.”
Encred also answered readily and treated her without hesitation.
“That’s impressive. You started as a soldier and went from being a mercenary to becoming a knight.”
Encred skillfully returned it to Seriana in response to her praise.
“I heard that Lady Seriana is also an Executor. Ah, I should call her Lady Seriana, but judging by her face, she just looks like a beautiful young lady.”
It means that it is surprising how capable he is for his young age.
“The luck of hearing praise for one’s appearance from a knight, and one like you at that, does not come easily, does it? It is a moment of true auditory delight. You may call me Lady. I look forward to the day we grow closer and I can simply call you Seriana.”
“What is there to wait for, Seriana?”
“Then, may I also comfortably call you Encred?”
“It is fine.”
Esther gazed into the darkness within her. The Witch of Struggle raised her head, preparing a spell.
What if I secretly cast a spell to wipe out all of that woman’s hair? What
if I gave her the nickname “Bald Lady”?
How ugly.
Esther suppressed the darkness that rose within her.
It’s the first time I’ve seen Prince Seriana smile like that.
This is what Nephir Tesher said.
Is that so?
Esther’s reply came back. She seemed somewhat offended, but Nephir could no longer flirt with Esther carelessly. After all, the loser is the one who speaks.
“okay.”
So he, too, gave only a simple answer. Similar things continued afterward. That routine where Seriana spoke and Encrid listened, keeping in sync.
Esther’s face grew paler and paler. No, it grew cold.
“This is going to cause trouble. You knew all along, so why are you acting like this?”
Rem spoke as he moved closer to Esther, pushing with his shoulder the guy named Nephir who had been loitering near Esther without even flirting.
I know.
Esther replied.
Right, didn’t Crys, who had sneaked up before coming here, tell us?
“Esther, what do you think about fighting using all the weapons at your disposal?”
When I looked at him with a look that seemed to say, “Why are you asking such an obvious question?”, Kreis nodded vigorously.
“I knew it. I expected you to agree. There are people in this world whose looks are so outstanding that they become a weapon in themselves. So!”
Why does this big-eyed lunatic reveal his passion at a time like this? He was a truly strange human being. His eyes held a brilliant light. They were eyes burning with heat.
“He will utilize that weapon. Encred will deliberately treat Duke Seriana kindly and use that to extract information from within the Empire. Therefore, you must not suddenly strike with lightning or cast a curse.”
I also felt offended, wondering how they viewed me to say such things.
“What am I supposed to do?”
When asked to repeat the question, Kreis took a step back and answered in a serious tone.
“……You know I get a bit anxious, right? I’m telling you this in advance because my worries are so great. It’s absolutely not because I suspect Esther or anything like that. It’s solely because I’m anxious. Something strange is flowing from my eyes. Esther.”
Originally, those who wield spells would only occasionally have black smoke coming out of their eyes; it was never because they were angry.
“haha.”
Encred laughs. The sound snapped me out of my thoughts, and I looked ahead. Next to the laughing Encred, Celiana also smiled.
For some reason, I just felt uneasy. Esther watched them indifferently.
Hey, hang in there.
Rem stopped her from the side. She didn’t know why, but Esther missed a certain fairy.
Wouldn’t things have been different if she had been there?
A woman named Seriana glanced at her and spoke.
“Lord Esther, I am late in saying it is an honor to meet you. It must be because of you, Sir, who keeps blinding me by my side.”
She had spoken, but the rest of her words were directed at Encred. It was a clumsy joke. Esther looked at her inner self, gripping the last thread of reason. The thread was incredibly thin. Along with her arms stretched out to the left and right, the thread held in both hands looked as if it would snap with just the slightest force.
“Going blind? Are you sick? Be careful. It’s very dusty.”
Encred responded to Seriana’s clumsy joke with a joke of a similar caliber.
The two exchanged glances and laughed. They looked like a couple in love playing around.
Inside Esther, the string she held in her left hand snapped with a snap. Yet, one string still remained.
Laughing and giggling, the two chatted amongst themselves once again.
However, they weren’t holding hands affectionately or doing anything else. They were just chatting.
“What food is eaten only in the Imperial Palace?”
“I don’t think there is anything particularly special, but we eat salted fish roe.”
“Roe?”
“It is an excellent recipe, and they say it tastes wonderful if you add the right amount of salt.”
“Ah, then His Majesty must like it, too.”
“He does.”
The flow of the warm conversation that had been flowing proudly between the two was briefly interrupted. It had been happening repeatedly for some time.
Whenever the Emperor was mentioned, she would cut him off. Encreed concluded that it would be a distant prospect to hear the information he wanted from this woman’s mouth.
Nevertheless, Crys asked him to maintain the same attitude until they arrived, even if there seemed to be no possibility. I wondered
why that was the case.
“Balmung, there will surely be many opportunities to see other knights besides you, won’t there?”
On one side, Krang was roasting Balfir Balmung.
Of course, that could be the case.
The rough Balmung answered nonchalantly. However, Seriana was blocking even that attempt time and time again.
“That is one of the things Lord Walfir really likes. And since it is a food Lord Walfir likes, it will surely suit your taste.”
“Is that so?”
With this, he would insert Balfir Balmung into the conversation. Then, the watching Esther would feel a little more at ease.
When Krang brought out Balmung again and Encred and Celiana became affectionate, Esther would feel uncomfortable.
Well, Rem just watched, chuckling to himself.
Wasn’t everything they did amusing?
Sometimes, when he let out a laugh, Encred would shoot his fighting spirit at him, but so what? It was fun.
Rem was just Rem, no matter where he was.
As they moved along the route, it wasn’t the path leading to the city.
These were men of formidable strength. There was no need to waste time following the main road. They were to
pass the city of Saltenberg, finish their final resupply there, and then head straight over the mountain range.
The road looks like it will be rough.
The head of the Royal Guard was worried, but Krang, on the contrary, had an excited look on his face.
“If climbing mountains is too hard, shouldn’t you quit being a Royal Guard?”
All I do is crack jokes like this.
“It’s not that I’m having a hard time. I’m just worried about Your Highness.”
The head of the Royal Guard didn’t seem bothered at all. He had heard jokes like this more than once or twice.
They eventually reached Zaltenberg, and after waiting about a day, the companion Krang had mentioned would join them appeared. He had said there were two, but three were waiting for the group.
And one of them was the very person Esther had longed for.
