“Iron Prince, I have something to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
“A document arrived from House Rhapsody of the Six Free Cities, requesting permission to bring armed forces into our Iron Kingdom. However, before we could even review the contents, the approval was already finalized. It bore your official seal, Iron Prince.”
“And?”
“Did you personally authorize this? Based on our humble review, their forces are far too large and powerful. The justification they provided—‘to reclaim lost honor’—is hardly convincing.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. A force of that magnitude… could burn down one of the Iron Kingdom’s smaller cities in an instant. If they were determined, even a major city would be at risk. Especially considering that Edan Rhapsody, the second son of House Rhapsody, is among their ranks…”
“I approved it personally. So, do not breathe another word about it.”
“…”
“I don’t know what you’re so worried about. Whether it’s their second son, their eldest, or even the master himself, the great Hugo Rhapsody—no one can be a threat within the borders of this Iron Kingdom. Not as long as I am here.”
“Ah…”
“Do not bother me further. Do you understand?”
“…I understand, O Great Iron Prince.”
The old vassal quickly bowed his head and withdrew, cowed by the Iron Prince’s irritable reaction. He didn’t have the courage to endure the Prince’s annoyance, let alone his wrath. Countless vassals and nobles had met their ruin after earning the Iron Prince’s disfavor.
The Prince was right, though. Nothing could threaten him within this kingdom of steel. In this realm, that young man reigned as an absolute being—as long as his executioner was by his side.
He’s incredibly prickly today.
The old vassal hurried to put distance between himself and the temperamental prince. Yet, strangely, the last glimpse he caught of the Iron Prince’s face wasn’t twisted in a scowl. He was smiling. Like a young boy who had just discovered a fascinating new toy, he looked genuinely delighted.
A lowly vassal could never understand why that madman was so amused or why he was smiling. But the vassal didn’t dare seek the reason. In this palace of blades built upon steel, those who sought to know too much always died young. And the old vassal had no desire for an early grave. That attitude was exactly how he had survived this long.
“Excellent, Carlos…”
The old vassal tried to erase even those final words from his mind. He acted as if he hadn’t heard what he heard, and hadn’t seen what he saw. It was the fundamental rule for survival in the City of Blades.
* * *
“Damn it.”
Defaming the honor of a Young Master of House Rhapsody and brutally murdering loyal retainers.
That was the justification they had declared for their war. But neither reason made any sense. I had never defamed the Rhapsody boy’s honor. I had won the duel against him, but it was a fair fight—a match concluded under a Duel’s Oath to the Goddess Lefri. If they were insisting their honor was defamed simply because he lost and they wanted revenge, it was nothing more than a forced argument.
According to Continental Law, a declaration of war cannot be made on such grounds. If I could properly prove my innocence, other families or groups that uphold justice would surely step in. Since they claimed to be acting on the testimony of the youngest son, Toma Rhapsody, I simply had to counter with my own testimony.
“They cannot declare war for such reasons. No matter how much the Arena officials dislike matters escalating outside the amphitheater, they will step in here. They are secular people who pursue gold and glory, but they are also followers who worship the Goddess Lefri.”
Tom said he would contact the Arena to seek help. However, a short while later, he returned with a troubled expression.
“They aren’t answering.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not just one or two people. Everyone is unreachable. Even the Arena’s chief administrator, who was always prompt with replies, isn’t responding. What on earth is happening…?”
Tom seemed genuinely flustered.
Meanwhile, I examined the second reason: Brutally murdering loyal retainers.
This was nonsense. I had never killed any of Rhapsody’s retainers. The only lives I had taken that day were the fighters participating in the Infinite Duel. If a retainer had followed the young master into the Infinite Duel and died a sudden death, that would be one thing. But even then, they would have died in a legitimate duel. They could never hold me responsible for that. Never.
“Whew.”
As my expression darkened, Tom’s face followed suit. It was partly out of concern for me, but there was another reason.
“This is unacceptable. I will help bring this to light, even if I have to serve as a witness myself. I was there that day, and I saw with my own eyes that the duel was fair and not dishonorable. I would even stand before a wizard and tell them to search my memories.”
Tom was an official of the Arena. At the same time, he was a devout follower of the Goddess Lefri. He found the way this situation was unfolding to be utterly repulsive.
“This is far too strange. It’s as if everything is moving specifically to drive Lord Arhan to the edge of a cliff.”
Hearing Tom’s words, I let out a long sigh.
“I think you’re right.”
“Pardon?”
“I think someone is intentionally screwing me over.”
“What do you mean by…”
Tom tilted his head in confusion, then his eyes suddenly went wide.
“The Iron Prince…”
“Yes. This wretched situation feels exactly like the ‘whirlpool’ he mentioned.”
A whirlpool.
It was a bit of an understatement for this situation. One of the Five Great Families, who exerted influence over the entire continent, had declared war on a tiny estate in the middle of nowhere. This was an event that would make even a decent-sized city tremble in despair, let alone a backwater fief in the Verdi region. To say the influence of the Five Great Families was equivalent to a nation was only a slight exaggeration. It wasn’t that the five families combined were equal to a nation; it was that each of the five families was practically a nation unto itself.
“Tom.”
“Yes.”
“You should leave now, while you still can.”
Tom remained silent at my words.
Understandably, it would be difficult to stay after seeing things come to this. This wasn’t just a difficult problem; it was a natural disaster bearing down on us.
I sighed and looked out the window. The people who had barely begun to gather in our territory were trembling, voicing their fears. A few of the more anxious ones had already left.
It was just like back then. When it was announced that Swordmaster Carlos would return, everyone had fled. And those who didn’t leave were all killed. Everyone except me.
So, even if all my neighbors left me again, I could understand. I could wave them goodbye without a hint of resentment. Truly.
But.
“Why would I leave?”
“What?”
“We are friends, Lord Arhan.”
“…”
“Do I look like the kind of old man who would see his friend in crisis and run away? Hardly. Even if I end up caught in the crossfire and die here, I will stay with you. Besides, this old man doesn’t have much time left anyway. Rather than fleeing like a coward and eking out a few more years, I’d rather go to the side of the gods while fighting alongside a precious friend. Then I can tell my old friends and the Goddess Lefri a grand tale—that I met a magnificent end.”
“…”
“So, do not worry.”
Tom smiled.
“The Goddess Lefri always said that even when a giant wave crashes down, one must stand against it.”
“Those are the words you told me once before.”
“You remember?”
“Back then, you said that sometimes it is wise to avoid a struggle. You said that since we aren’t as great as the Goddess Lefri, it’s okay to hide until the wave passes. You told me that kindly when I was facing my promotion match for the Silver Medal. I remember. So why are you saying something different now?”
“Because I was inspired by my friend.”
“Inspired?”
“Back then, my friend Lord Arhan said this: As a fighter who prays to the Goddess Lefri, avoiding a struggle is out of the question. He said he would not run, but would fight back with all his might. He said he wasn’t afraid to die in a glorious struggle.”
Tom grinned.
“I feel the same way now.”
Ah.
“So, instead of wasting time on useless talk, let’s come up with a plan.”
Tom was truly a good man.
“There’s an old saying that even if the heavens fall, there’s always a way out.”
“…”
“Let’s find that way out, my Lord.”
A truly, truly good man.
* * *
While the residents were leaving in droves, we gathered at the Caravan Mansion. The group consisted of five people: myself, Seol-yoon, Tom, Audrey, and Hailyn.
“I already decided to see the end of the sword with you, so why would I leave?” Seol-yoon said.
“Let’s find a countermeasure,” Tom added.
“Descendant of Steel, if you die, my mission ends too. I’ve never failed a mission in my life, you know? I can’t have a stain on my career. Besides, I won’t die even if I stay here. Whether it’s a Great Family or whatever, they won’t dare harm me directly because they’re afraid of my husband. So, I’m staying until the end. Hmph.” That was the witch, Audrey.
“I’ve grown fond of this estate. If you hadn’t saved me, Lord Arhan, I would have died soon enough while moving with Jerry Selfit. I’ll use this borrowed life for the estate. I wanted to turn this place into a grand city.” And finally, Hailyn.
Every single one of the five people here had no intention of running away. It was something I was deeply grateful for.
“First, we need to know our enemy. If there is anything you know, please speak up,” Tom said, opening the discussion.
“I know about that wizard over there,” Audrey said.
“How so?”
“I can’t help but know. That unpleasant way of speaking, that specific mana pattern… He’s a wizard of the Wave School from the Free Cities. People call the wizards belonging to that group ‘Wave Catchers.’ They’re the type that other wizards despise. They don’t treat magic as a field of study; they see it as a means of war or a way to make money. It’s a trait of those low-born things from the Free Cities who act like they’re cool. They’ll take on anyone as long as they’re paid, and they’re more than happy to join in as mercenaries whenever a war breaks out.”
“Do they have any specific characteristics?”
“They’re strong. Their ability to destroy things or conduct war is probably superior to mine. A witch’s magic is magically brilliant, but brilliance doesn’t always equate to raw power. The magic of the Wave Catchers was developed purely for combat.”
Audrey poured out information in response to Tom’s question. Her words were incredibly helpful. She also mentioned other traits of the Wave Catchers and what they pursued. The easiest way to deal with a Wave Catcher was to offer them more gold. However, no matter how much money I had earned, I couldn’t possibly pay more than a family that reigned as masters of the Six Free Cities.
“Don’t worry. They’re powerful, but because their studies lack depth, they’re weak in magical battles between wizards. I can neutralize them.”
Audrey was full of confidence. And she wasn’t just boasting; she had shown her skill earlier. Had she not neutralized five Sword Runners in less than a second? The witch had already proven her worth.
Next, Tom spoke up.
“Since we have no information on the army that will arrive later, let’s talk about the vanguard first. I likely know more about them than the rest of you.”
“Is there something we should know?”
“First, those thirty or so knights are likely a knight order belonging to Rhapsody. They probably brought a small number just to deliver the declaration of war quickly. From what I felt, none of the knights there were Rhapsody’s true elite. The truly powerful knights will be with the main force arriving soon.”
Those were grim words. A knight order of thirty, where every single member was a Sword Runner… and they weren’t even the core strength?
“Among the forces in the vanguard, there was only one swordsman to watch out for.”
“…”
“I’m sure everyone felt it.”
But there was no time to be stunned. Everyone nodded at Tom’s words. Everyone here had felt it. That man’s aura.
“The man who recited the declaration of war at the end.”
“…”
“The second son of House Rhapsody.”
Tom continued.
“The one we must be most wary of in that loathsome camp is that man.”
“…”
“Edan Rhapsody. The rising star said to be the one who will succeed Hugo Rhapsody as a swordsman.”
Tom’s explanation didn’t end there.
“I’ll say this plainly. If I weren’t here… that man alone could slaughter every living soul in this estate, including everyone in this room. Within two hours.”
