“Why ten seconds?”
Tom had asked.
And I had answered him.
“Because that is enough time for that young master to remember the truth.”
* * *
I stepped out in front of the barracks as summoned. The legion lined up before the entrance of the Caravan estate was far too numerous and far too powerful. Had they wished it, our territory would have been wiped off the map without even the chance to struggle. The wave pattern emblazoned on the fluttering banners carried the full, crushing weight of the name 「Rhapsody」.
“This is insane,” Audrey muttered.
“Bringing this much military force to a backwater estate? If anyone else saw this, they’d think a territorial war had broken out between the Five Families. This is enough to topple a small nation…”
Audrey’s eyes were trembling.
The army that had arrived after ten days possessed a momentum that was overwhelming just to look at. Only now did I truly understand Tom’s words. A family with power equivalent to an independent nation, capable of contending with an entire country.
That was the Great Five Families.
“Ugh…”
The old guards protecting the entrance could not stop their shaking. Having lived their entire lives in this remote corner, they were seized by an unbearable terror. The Rhapsody legion had no intention of hiding their presence. Rather, they flaunted it, as if to ensure everyone was thoroughly intimidated.
“Sword Demon Liam.”
A war between the Caravan estate and one of the Five Families.
The very sentence was an impossibility.
It was like an egg striking a boulder.
“Come out.”
Everyone felt it. The momentum of the legion dominated the area.
As Edan Rhapsody, the second son of Rhapsody, called for me, Hailyn grabbed my shoulder. She looked at me imploringly.
“Don’t go.”
“…”
“Don’t go, Young Master. You’ll die.”
As Hailyn pleaded, the residents looked at me. Those who intended to leave had already done so before the legion arrived. Those remaining were only those who didn’t know how to run—people who had spent their lives farming, lived in this backwater forever, and cared only for their families. People who had never even imagined leaving for somewhere else.
“Lord Caravan.”
People who had moved here because they heard it was the best place to live in the region. People who had settled down and nurtured modest dreams. People who wanted bread and soup for tomorrow rather than gold coins. People who loved laughing and chatting with village women more than partying with peerless beauties and wine—my people. My residents. The people who brought life to my estate.
“I haven’t been in this territory long. I came after hearing the rumors. They said I wouldn’t starve here. It was true. For the first time in her life, my daughter ate bread with jam. I can still see her face as she giggled. Just say the word. I’ll come out even with a sickle. I want to protect this estate. I want to fight, no matter who the opponent is.”
“I’ll fight too. I-if this place falls, those thugs will just swarm the neighboring villages anyway, won’t they? In the end, it’ll be the same no matter where we r-run. For poor country folk like us, running doesn’t change a thing.”
Simple people.
They did not know the world outside the well.
They did not know that farm tools could never wound a 「Sword Runner」. They knew nothing of knights who could move like ghosts. They did not know the greatness of the Five Families. They did not know of legions. They did not know of war.
“My wife is full-term. There’s no way for a pregnant woman to flee over the mountains. I can’t run and leave her behind. I’d rather die. I’ll die and go to the side of the gods. And I’ll ask them why they gave us such a trial.”
They did not know the unreasonableness of the Sword.
They did not know violence.
“My son is too young; he doesn’t have the strength for a long journey.”
What they feared was drought.
What they feared was flood.
What they feared were pests that ruined the harvest.
What they feared were wild boars coming down from the mountains.
The legion of the Five Families, the swarm of knights who were all at least Sword Runners, the second son of Rhapsody who was a promising Swordmaster candidate, and the malice they harbored—the residents knew none of this.
There was only one thing they knew.
“This is our village.”
They had overcome droughts, floods, pests, and wild boars. And so, they believed that if they all joined forces, they could overcome this crisis as well. It was because they were those who did not know the world outside the well.
“We will fight with you.”
A certain philosopher once said: As the maxim goes, to a servant, there are no heroes.
Because only a hero can recognize another hero.
“I want to protect this place.”
The servants spoke foolish words.
There was not a single resident here who knew the Sword. Forget a 「Sword Walker」; there wasn’t even a single 「Sword Beginner」. There were likely many who had never even held a blade in their lives. Yet they said they would stand against them. Even if every resident here attacked at once, they couldn’t do a thing to a single knight over there. Even if every resident here attacked at once, they wouldn’t be able to touch a single hair on the second son of Rhapsody. Even if every resident here attacked at once, they couldn’t defeat me alone.
As the philosopher said, servants do not recognize heroes. There is too much their eyes cannot see. Their world is too narrow. But in my opinion, the philosopher was wrong.
“You don’t have to fight alone, Lord Caravan.”
My great Master defined a hero like this:
Those who cannot find an answer in the midst of hardship, yet do not give up. Those who do not back down regardless. Master said such people were heroes.
“It’s alright.”
A servant can be a hero.
Anyone can be a hero.
All of them are heroes.
And even for a servant, there is a hero.
“Do not worry.”
Master told me that I had the talent to become a hero.
“I will not lose. Never.”
Today, I must become a hero.
* * *
The mountain behind the Caravan estate.
From a high vantage point that overlooked the estate—which had taken on a decent shape but was still cramped—the beasts of the mountain had long since fled, and even the birds were silent.
“Hmm.”
Orcs were there.
Elite Orc warriors who would not lose even if they clashed with an average knight.
“He’s a decent warrior, Father. But he’s too flashy to be my husband. For the record, a male should have a serious and heavy side. Rings, necklaces… it’s excessive.”
In the midst of the elite Orc warriors stood the pride of the Orc race, Sherizik—a beauty that appeared once in a thousand years. She held a beautiful glaive befitting her looks, a weapon that looked capable of killing a mountain giant in a single blow.
“Not that one, daughter.”
“Oh?”
“The one on the opposite side. The human boy with blond hair, blue eyes, and a pathetic sword. He is the Successor of Steel.”
Sherizik shifted her gaze upon hearing the words of the Orc Shaman, Sherdic. In the direction Sherdic pointed was a small boy. A boy who looked insignificant compared to the legion. By human standards, he had developed a fairly sturdy build, but to Sherizik, he looked like a tiny bean.
“His face is quite nice.”
He was a mere 「Sword Walker」.
However, Sherizik—a true warrior born of the bloodline of a great shaman and gifted with the talent of the God of War—saw the reality contained within the boy’s shell.
“I like the soul inside him, too.”
“Well? Is he not a perfect candidate for your husband?”
“Hmph. He’s still lacking, but he looks like he’d be worth raising.”
Sherizik snorted loudly. At that sight, several elite Orc warriors marveled, saying, “As expected, she is beautiful,” and “Even her snorting is beautiful.” Amidst the exclamations, Sherizik spoke.
“So, how long are we just going to watch? We’ve been spectating for days now. No matter how much of a refined Orc I am, my blood is starting to boil.”
“Wait a little longer. The stars say it is not yet time.”
“Hmm, the stars are far too leisurely.”
Sherizik shook her head.
Seeing the swarming human legion made it hard to suppress her rising blood. Her heart wanted to charge in and run wild right now. The faces of those knights who thought they were the best in the world—breaking their arrogant bodies was Sherizik’s noble hobby.
“Wait. Are those pale humans who enjoy peeping not also waiting quietly like little girls? Even they know. They know that now is not the time.”
Sherdic chuckled as he spoke.
An answer came from within the thick bushes.
“Vile Orc Shaman, if you insult the Watchers of the White family one more time, I will not stand for it. I knew well enough that Orcs know nothing of honor, but just how long do you intend to keep this up?”
There was another faction within the bushes.
The Swords of the North, personally dispatched by the Great Duke White. These guardians of order, who bowed to no one outside the North, glared at the Orc Shaman Sherdic. Feeling their gaze, Sherdic let out a wheezing laugh.
“The fledglings are all talk.”
“Why, you Orc, I really—”
“Shut it. I know the fangs of winter are sharp enough to tear my throat out without you barking so loudly. But do you have the confidence to handle the aftermath?”
“…”
“Kill me if you want. The moment I croak, I’ll go find your ancestors sleeping in the spiritual world. Some of them are my close friends. You fools. Your ancestors who lived through the Age of War are my companions. Tsk, instead of serving your elder, you persecute me like this. I suppose I should just die since I’m old.”
“…”
“If you want to get whipped on the soles of your feet by your ancestors after you die, go ahead. Young ones these days are truly ill-mannered. Tsk!”
They did not know how long the Orc Shaman Sherdic had lived. Thus, the noble Swords of the North, who did not even bow before the Imperial Family of the Sky Empire, had to keep their mouths shut.
“Daughter.”
While everyone fell into a somber silence before the undisputed elder, Sherdic spoke.
“That human from the Five Families over there. Can you win?”
Sherizik pondered for a moment at Sherdic’s question.
“I think I’d have to fight him to know.”
“Then, can the Successor of Steel defeat that human?”
Sherizik frowned at that.
“It’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Forget winning; he won’t even last three seconds. Maybe after the Successor of Steel fully awakens his power, but right now, comparing the two is just laughable.”
“Yes, you are right.”
Sherdic chuckled at his daughter’s words. And then, he left behind a meaningful remark.
“But you see. The Successors of Steel are those who make the impossible possible.”
He paused, his eyes glinting.
“Hundreds of years ago, there wasn’t a soul who didn’t know that saying.”
* * *
A great legion.
And a remote backwater estate.
With the two clashing backgrounds behind them, two men stood facing each other.
“We shall make this a Duel of Honor.”
“A Duel of Honor?”
“The rules are simple. The duel ends when one side declares surrender or becomes unable to fight. No responsibility will be held even if a life is lost in the process.”
“Familiar rules.”
“The winner can demand one of three things from the loser.”
“That is also familiar.”
The duel I had fought to protect Petel’s honor—that day’s duel had also been a Duel of Honor. Since I had fought as a Proxy Warrior then, today’s duel was effectively my first. It was funny. To think my first formal Duel of Honor would be against a 「Sword Expert」.
“Do you have any conditions to propose before the duel?”
“If I propose them, will you accept?”
“If they are reasonable.”
I looked at the man standing before me.
Edan Rhapsody.
Looking at Edan Rhapsody from up close, he didn’t seem human, but something else entirely. A fortress built of stone and timber. He looked like a walking castle—a castle that would not fall no matter what was done to it.
I spoke to the man who resembled a city wall.
“Use only the basic thrusts passed down in your family.”
“Is that all?”
“And, among the swordsmanship of your family, there must be a thrust that resembles a wave. Use only that technique along with the basic thrusts.”
“Anything else?”
“Use only three pairs of wings.”
Conditions.
The man who heard them replied.
“Is there nothing else? You could ask me not to use one arm, or to continue the duel after stabbing a sword into my neck, or to start after punching a hole in my stomach and spilling my guts, or to tie my legs together—you may set such conditions.”
“I don’t need them.”
“I see.”
The man nodded.
“Move to the far left, you lowly fighter.”
The duel was about to begin.
Having accepted my conditions, Edan Rhapsody received a dueling weapon from a knight under his command. A pathetic wooden stick was held in Edan Rhapsody’s hand. It was an object so crude it was laughable to even call it a wooden sword. A long, blunt wooden rod. Holding it, Edan Rhapsody looked at me with languid eyes.
“The duel begins on the signal.”
“Isn’t there something you should do before that?”
“Ah.”
I was not looking at him. I looked at the man further beyond him.
“Toma Rhapsody.”
The cause of this situation.
“Look me straight in the face and say it again.”
Toma Rhapsody.
“In the Infinite Duel that day, did I defile your honor? Was the duel we fought that day unfair? Did I truly slaughter your loyal retainers without mercy? Is everything you experienced, every sin you charge me with, truly a sin I committed?”
The fighter from the Infinite Duel, whom I couldn’t see hidden behind his helmet and armor. The one who had made me tremble. He was there among the many knights.
“Answer me. Looking into my eyes.”
Blond hair as fine as silk. Blue eyes. A face that looked like a young noble. Everything was exactly as I had seen in the waiting room of the Infinite Duel. But the emotions contained in his eyes were different.
“T-that’s right.”
Composure. A boredom that suited the word ‘arrogant.’ Languidness and playfulness. All of it was gone.
“S-Sword Demon Liam. Y-you did it. All of it.”
Toma Rhapsody’s eyes were not clear. His pupils were incredibly murky.
“Y-you must take responsibility for the sins you committed. You must take responsibility!”
I was certain. Toma Rhapsody was broken. I didn’t know whose doing it was, but his soul had been ruthlessly shattered. The fighter I knew from the Infinite Duel and the Toma Rhapsody here were different people.
Liam spoke.
「It’s just as you expected.」
“…”
「The stage is set. Now only your role remains.」
Yes, it was as expected.
“Toma Rhapsody.”
“W-why do you call me?”
“Can you swear what you just said under the names of the Nine Goddesses and the Seven Chief Gods? That you have not spoken a single lie, and that your retaliation now is a rightful exercise of your rights according to Continental Law?”
I glared at Toma Rhapsody. Soon, an answer came back.
“I… I swear it.”
The moment Toma Rhapsody’s words fell, I turned my body. There was nothing more to hear. Everything was flowing as expected. Instead of speaking further, I walked to the far left of the temporarily prepared dueling ground. Far away at the right end, Edan Rhapsody was stroking the head of his trembling younger brother while glaring at me. A languid gaze, yet one that contained a blade.
“Lowly fighter, I told you before, didn’t I?”
Even though it was quite a distance, Edan Rhapsody’s voice was heard very clearly.
“That you would not die easily.”
Truly, very clearly.
“I shall make sure to keep that promise.”
It was a chilling threat. After hearing it, I let out a long breath.
And then…
‘Why ten seconds?’
At this moment, I recalled the conversation I had with Tom.
‘Why on earth must I hold out for ten seconds?’
And I had answered him.
‘Because that is enough time for that young master to remember the truth.’
Everything went according to plan.
‘I must hold out.’
What remained was my part.
‘No matter what happens.’
Now, it was time to become a hero.
