Volume 2 Chapter 56 The Commotion Of The Checkpoint
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”I dislike nobles, but Lady Eleonora is different. She’s like a mother──no, more like an older sister to us, the Knights of the Sun. She guided us, sometimes strict, sometimes kind, in place of our aging leader. She’s no relic of the past. We need her.”
Oswald said this while looking up at a large portrait discreetly displayed at the end of the hallway.
The painting depicted an elderly, overweight man and a blond boy.
”Is this man the former Knights of the Sun?”
”No… this is my foster father. He was a member of the Knights of the Sun. By inheriting everything from him, I became a knight too. The leader’s portrait is over here.”
Guided by Oswald, they entered a room on the right side of the hallway.
Inside was a smaller parlor compared to the room they had just appraised.
But all the furnishings looked expensive.
Even though he’s an unnamed lord, being a banker, it’s clear there’s a vast difference in wealth compared to the Margrave family.
”Here it is.”
At the back wall of the room, a large elderly man with a white beard was depicted sitting in a chair, wearing the armor of the Knights of the Sun.
His hands rested on the hilt of a golden holy sword standing upright.
”The artist painted 5 versions, and the leader took 2 he liked. The rest were divided among me, Renaud, and Owl. I thought the one of him sitting in this chair was good, but he said it lacked energy… so he didn’t like it.”
”When the painting was made, did he actually hold the Holy Sword of the Sun?”
”Of course not. He’s too old for that. Holding the holy sword for long would’ve made it impossible to pose. But for this painting, he did hold it.”
”Earlier, Lady Eleonora mentioned she got burned by touching the holy sword. But if it’s sheathed, it doesn’t cause burns, right?”
”Yeah, it gets burning hot when she tried to draw and use it. The Holy Sword has a powerful purification effect, and there’s a legend that it shattered the magic power of an ancient dark god. It’s a powerful weapon, but it seems the Holy Sword itself chooses its wielder. It selects those with courage, strength, and the right character.”
”So the Holy Sword has a will of its own?”
”That’s right. It’s not like it can think complex thoughts, but it definitely chooses its wielder. The exact conditions aren’t well understood. I’ve managed to deflect her sword several times during practice, even before I beat her in an official match.”
”……”
(It seems Eleonora lost the ability to wield the Holy Sword not just because she lost to Oswald, but because she lacked the will to keep fighting.)
Kian picture the face of that red-haired noblewoman.
She didn’t seem to have any lingering attachment to the fight.
She had this air about her, like she didn’t need to try hard because Oswald and the others would handle things, and she could just focus on her own happiness.
”Beating her in an official duel was a dream of mine, and I also wanted to join the Knights of the Sun. But this power is really hard to control. I’ve made it a rule never to fight seriously around noon.”
”Sir Oswald’s magic power skyrockets around noon, far surpassing Ms. Aliona’s. Honestly, it felt unnatural.”
”The Holy Sword of the Sun lends me its power. The night before I inherited it, I had a dream of being burned by the sun. When I woke up, the color of my eyes had changed. Lady Eleonora apparently had a similar dream once. Maybe the Holy Sword was altering my body while I slept. After an examination, it turned out the number of cells producing magic power had drastically increased, and their quality was higher than normal.”
”That’s a pretty creepy story to hear.”
”Absorbing something and having your body transform isn’t uncommon in this world. Maybe that Head Magician in the basement was absorbing thorns and turning into a vampire.”
”……”
”Let’s head back soon. It’s about time the money gets delivered.”
”Right.”
”If Christina hadn’t come, I would’ve wanted to spend the whole day talking with you. And maybe spar a bit too.”
”Don’t you have practice with Sir Guillaume?”
When Kian asked that, Oswald’s face visibly twisted in annoyance.
He opened the room door with his ring-covered hand and motioned for Kian to go ahead.
”I do, but honestly, it’s boring. I’ve already seen enough of the Franz Kingdom knights’ swordsmanship. Plus, their form is sloppy.”
”So you brought in the way adventurers fight?”
”Yeah. It’s all about winning, but it’s just too ugly. Can’t they do better? On the first day, he kicked up sand at me. I laughed it off at the time, but later I burned his bangs. He won’t mess around again.”
”I met Sir Guillaume after that, and he was furious about his hair being burned. He said he almost lost his prized ponytail.”
”Hahaha. Maybe I’ll pretend it’s an accident and burn the back of his hair today.”
”You’re okay with your ceremonial opponent being bald?”
”He’ll be wearing a helmet modeled after the ‘Thorn Demon.’ A little baldness will be hidden by the green.”
”Poor Sir Guillaume…”
”Hahahaha!”
Oswald laughed heartily.
He patted Kian on the shoulder.
”Someday, I’d like to have a real match with you. There aren’t many opponents I can go all out against… Let’s spar sometime, not at noon.”
”Of course, I’d be happy to.”
Kian bowed slightly, and Oswald smiled with satisfaction.
The two continued chatting as they slowly made their way back to the parlor where Christy was waiting.
* * *
After receiving a bag of gold coins from Oswald, Kian left the mansion.
As they parted, he made an effort not to look at Christy.
”Hey, Kian.”
As they walked down the white stairs together, Christy leaned in close.
”What is it?”
”Just wondering… do you think Oswald dislikes me?”
”Why do you think that?”
”It feels like he’s always annoyed when he looks at me. I think it was the same today.”
”I don’t know if Oswald dislikes you. But if Christy, who’s known him longer than I have, feels that way, then he might not have positive feelings toward you.”
”I see…”
”Christy.”
”Y-Yes?”
Kian looked down at the young witch with black hair, his expression serious.
”I think you should stay true to yourself. Sometimes, there are people you just won’t get along with, no matter what.”
”Yeah, you’re right.”
”Have confidence in yourself. You have many great qualities. There are people who see that in you — like me.”
”Kian…! Thank you.”
Christy’s eyes glistened with emotion as she clung tightly to his arm.
Realizing what she’d done, she quickly pulled back but kept her left hand pinching the sleeve of Kian’s clothes.
The ‘glasses’, who had been silent up until then, suddenly muttered.
’Is it okay to say yes?’
(She’s a proud woman, so if you tell her to be careful, she’ll probably get upset. If she feels the need, she’ll tell me, so I think I should accept it at that time. I’m not going to force her, and I don’t have the right to do so.)
’You think just like a father or an older brother. But I think a man who thinks like you would be a good fit for that girl.’
(That’s the actual age difference. Even though I look younger, I’m almost thirty.)
’Ten years difference. Come to think of it, you’re an old man by human standards.’
”I-I had the wrong impression that you were just a bastard who liked to r*pe. But I was wrong. If I had met you earlier…at school, I might have had a more enjoyable student life.”
Christy said, looking up at Kian and giving him a toothy smile.
A beautiful woman’s smile.
It’s pretty intense.
If she could effectively direct this smile at unsuspecting people, she would gain control over the royal court.
”If I lived with Christy in her uniform, I would probably be busy like a monkey every day and not have time to study.”
”You idiot! Are you a pervert if you get excited by schoolgirls in uniform?”
Christy blushed and quickened her pace.
Sleeves are pulled up.
”We have to keep our relationship a secret in public.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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