Volume 2 Chapter 76 The Conflicting Moon And Sun III
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”No… more than that, I was honored to fight here. I never thought the Windsong Blade wouldn’t work.”
Oswald shouldered the holy sword and smiled.
”I told you once. Near noon, I am invincible. Beyond my offensive power, my defense surpasses human limits. Even if I were to take the sword’s maximum firepower, it would only result in a scratch.”
”Is it really that hard?”
”At exactly noon, literally no attack can harm me. If you want to kill me, you either have to break the Holy Sword of the Sun or bring forth a divine sword that rivals it. Well, both are nearly impossible, though.”
”────”
(This is nonsense…)
”But at midnight, even my blade can strike.”
”Indeed. If the earlier scene was a true duel at midnight, I would have been injured.”
Oswald said this and extended his right hand.
Kian also extended his hand, shaking it.
The cheers grew even louder, drowning out the bard’s voice.
”You are a man who can stand alongside me, Kian.”
”No, that’s not true.”
”Don’t be modest. No one else can survive a direct confrontation with me.”
His golden eyes were fixed with a serious gaze.
His palm was warm.
”I have become desperate to have you. I don’t want to hand you over to Waterman or McCutchen. Her Excellency Maribel’s protection is out of the question.”
”────”
”And I came to know my desire. Look, the audience is applauding, witnessing the strength of the holy sword. I do not know if they are afraid, flattering, or clinging to strength. But one thing is certain: there is no fool here who would dare to oppose me.”
”So, what are you trying to say?”
”Kian, I want you to walk the road ahead with me.”
”Does that mean you want me to serve you as a knight?”
”No, I want you by my side as an equal.”
Oswald spoke quickly, and his expression was earnest.
He continues.
”I have a passion and dream hotter than anyone else’s. Those who walk with me can share the same dream. Would you not want to dream with me, filled with joy and excitement?”
”However, objectively, this means I shall be your knight.”
”That is──let’s see.”
”Excuse me, can I have some time to think?”
”Of course.”
Oswald nodded easily and turned his back to Kian.
Thus concluded the play of ‘Knights of the Sun’ and ‘Thorn Demon.’
Kian exited as a minor character, and Oswald returned to the continuation of the ceremony.
”I have no intention of giving up on inviting you. Right now, I feel like a boy again, my heart fluttering. I sense that my new career begins with you by my side──such is my intuition. We shall meet again, at the evening gathering after the ceremony.”
”……”
”──Sir Kian, let us exit.”
”Ah.”
Prompted by Natra, he turned his back to the arena.
The removed armor had turned to dust from the impact of the magic sword’s clash.
With no choice but to head to the waiting area empty-handed, he descended the stairs.
”Sir Kian.”
”What is it?”
”That man is dangerous. Though it’s not my place to say, he seems too bloodthirsty. It would be wise to keep your distance.”
”Thank you for the advice. However, if I stop associating with him just because he is bloodthirsty, I will never be able to forge proper bonds in this frontier.”
The knights waiting pulled the chains, closing off the staircase entrance.
Kian turned back to gaze at the sunlit arena.
(Just now, Oswald had traced a path with his sword, tearing limbs apart. He seemed quite seasoned, but could it be──)
* * *
Returning to the control room cluttered with barrels and wooden boxes beneath the arena.
As Kian changed back into his original ‘Nightshade’ coat with Natra’s assistance, Waterman approached from the stairs with 3 subordinates.
”Kian Vahid!”
”Yes?”
”What was that strike earlier!? Was that sword you carry on your back a magic sword!?”
”Yes.”
Kian closed the front of his coat and stepped forward with Natra beside him to the bald knight.
”I apologize for releasing such a magic sword; it should have ended as a mere sword clash. Sir Oswald suggested surprising the audience, and I couldn’t refuse──”
”The power was tremendous. I never expected for you to counter the Holy Sword of the Sun.”
Hearing this from one of Waterman’s knights, Kian shook his head.
”Sir Oswald was merely holding back. Otherwise, I would have been reduced to dust.”
”Is that so? It didn’t look that way.”
(Recognizing me as a dangerous presence, would they forcibly confiscate the Windsong Blade?)
No matter how much Kian was Maribel’s lifesaver, it wouldn’t sit well with Waterman, the military head, to have an individual possessing a magic sword capable of clashing with the Sun’s magic sword.
As he pondered how to evade the situation, Waterman spoke up.
”Cleaning up the audience area has become a hassle, but the guests’ reactions were excellent. Those starved for entertainment seemed satisfied with what they witnessed. There was even a lady fuming because her favorite hat was blown away.”
”So, everything I did this time is credited to Lord Guillaume’s achievements?”
”Indeed. Those unaware of the circumstances likely didn’t realize until the end. I was startled when you suddenly began removing your armor, but fortunately, you and Guillaume share a similar build. The audience had assumed from the start that you were Guillaume, so there shouldn’t be any suspicious minds, except for Guillaume’s acquaintances.”
”Is that so? I’m glad.”
”However, we know that it was you who fought Lord Oswald. That magic sword’s power as well.”
One of the knights beside Waterman said this.
He continued.
”If possible, I hope you will wield that power as our colleague in the future. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to monitor you as a troublesome wielder of power.”
”I’m affiliated with the Adventurers’ Guild and am already bound by its rules. If I do something unlawful, I will face expulsion, so I intend to live modestly from now on.”
”Do you really think we’ll just return you to Friedrich?”
”Am I going to be locked up in a dungeon?”
Kian gauged the distance, ready to counterattack at any moment, but Waterman shook his head.
”I won’t treat a desired subordinate in such a way. ──For now, why not join the soirée happening later? We can discuss what comes next in detail there.”
”I’m happy to be able to attend the soirée, but don’t I have to meet the envoy from Azrael afterward?”
”That’s right.”
Waterman looked as if he had a piece of bread stuck in his throat.
”What a hassle. Yet even if that country desires your surrender, as a nobleman, I will firmly refuse. Handing you over to Azrael would be too much of a loss.”
”Thank you very much.”
When Kian replied this way, Waterman nodded repeatedly with satisfaction, saying, “Yes, indeed.”
He surely believed he could integrate Kian into his knightly order.
Being Waterman’s subordinate seemed like a better option than being Oswald’s, but the pay was dismal.
If Christy were the only wife, it would be manageable, but considering the other women, the risk of economic ruin loomed.
He couldn’t settle for being just a mere subordinate of this bald knight.
(Though using the magic sword wasn’t ideal, it was enough to demonstrate strength to Waterman. If McCutchen insists on my surrender, this bald knight will surely oppose it with all his might.)
It was, in the end, a fairly good outcome.
The noble spectators would think it was Guillaume who used the magic sword, and Kian’s peace shouldn’t be disturbed by them.
”──Has the discussion concluded, Baron Waterman?”
Suddenly, a haughty woman’s voice echoed in the underground.
As the others turned to the stairs leading to the first-floor hallway, there stood the golden-haired head magician, Natasha.
She quickly approached and grabbed Kian’s arm.
”Hey, could you please come with me for a moment? I have something important to discuss. It might decide your future, you know.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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