The Strongest Man on the Continent
Translated by SoundDestiny
Edited by Kaepinned
The news that Raidorl had fulfilled his royal mandate and conquered all the traitors of the Eight Eastern Houses was delivered to the royal court.
King Granard Zain listened in silence to the news of his brother’s victory, delivered by his soldiers and then quietly nodded his head.
“……….I see, he’s won again, hasn’t he?”
“Ha…….”
The soldier who came to report to him was on his knees, bowing deeply. His expression was etched with a deep colour of fear and he desperately turned his face to the floor to look away from Granard.
The soldier dared to turn his eyes away from Granard’s face and the reason was obvious. Sitting on his throne, irritably tapping his elbow pads with his fingers, Granard’s face was covered with purple bruises that looked like burns. The bruise covered the left half of his face, running from his eye down his neck to his left breast.
The cause of this was the cursed 『oath』placed on him by Raidorl. The cursed bruise, caused by the outburst of the agent sent to frame Raidorl, gave Granard pain that felt as if he was being roasted on fire, day and night, even at this very moment.
Every time the pain hit, Granard thought 『I still can’t let my brother live.』
The soldier finished his report in a fearful tone, looking away from the king, who was obviously grim-faced from pain and hatred.
“Thank you, you may step back.”
“Ha,ha! …… Excuse me!”
The soldier exited the audience chamber quickly, his shoulders relaxed with relief. When he saw the soldier disappear through the door, Granard raised his fist in the air.
“Damn you! Raidorl!”
DAN! he slammed his fist into the armrest of the throne. The chair on which successive Zain kings had sat made an ominous sound but he raised his voice regardless.
“How dare you mock me! You have disgraced me, your king and your older brother and now you are drinking the wine of victory! You are a brother who makes my stomach boil!”
Ever since the curse had left a bruise, a fire of hatred had been raging in Granard’s heart.
To begin with, the secret agent who caused the curse to be activated was working under orders from Granard.
He plotted to assassinate Raidorl on his own initiative, and after failing to do so, he triggered the Curse of the Seal…..which made him completely dig his own grave.
A schemer, drowning in his own schemes – felt that it was as if the heavens and fate were trying to make Raidorl king, further fueling the flames of Granard’s anger.
Watching bitterly at the side of such an enraged king was his Prime Minister Lockwood Marcell.
“…..However, Your Majesty. If you only look at the result, it is not all bad. Thanks to His Highness Prince Raidorl’s victory, we can regain the eastern border regions and bring them under our control.”
Lockwood softly followed up with a few words, choosing his words carefully so as not to provoke the king.
Most of the territory of the Eight Eastern Families, which had been taken by the Empire, had been returned to the Kingdom of Zain. The war results alone should make all sides happy.
“Originally, the eastern border areas were out of sight from us. This is a good opportunity for the royal family to send in someone who is convenient for us as a lord, and we should take the victory of His Highness Raidorl as a positive thing, shouldn’t we?”
The border regions of the Kingdom of Zain were ruled by lords who were loyal and trustworthy to the royal family when the kingdom was first established. However, over the course of its long history, local nobles who had moved away from the capital became obsessed with their own pre-existing rights and interests, and their loyalty to the royal family waned.
In fact, only two houses remained loyal to the royal family until the end of the latest imperial invasion. Three-quarters of the Eight Eastern Houses had switched sides.
“Sending a trustworthy man to those towns would further increase His Majesty Granard’s power. Let’s put it this way, His Majesty has used His Highness Raidorl to increase his influence.”
“…… I know. Now if Raidorl had been killed in action, I wouldn’t have complained!”
Although the prime minister’s follow-up somewhat lowered his reservoir, Granard was still sore and stroked the bruises on his face with his left hand.
Breathing a sigh of relief at the king, who seemed to have calmed down, Lockwood shook his head bitterly.
‘…..His Majesty may no longer be good enough to rule. I doubt if he can serve as the kingdom’s main pillar any longer.’
Prime Minister Lockwood Marcell was a selfless and loyal subject.
However, that loyalty was not necessarily directed towards King Granard but towards the state of the Kingdom of Zain itself. For Lockwood, the king was the pillar that supported the kingdom and was merely a cog in the wheel for running the state.
The only reason why Lockwood was standing by Granard’s side was because he thought that the elder brother, who had supported the state administration since the time of the previous king, was more suitable as king than his younger and inexperienced younger brother.
‘But……the situation has changed. His Highness Raidorl, who should have been sent to the frontier and lost everything, is now about to gain everything……His Majesty Granard will only lose power!’
Raidorl showed his power and honour as the Holy Sword Holder in the battle against the Empire.
Through his activities as an adventurer, he saved people and gained the support of the people.
And with this expedition to the east, he had his own army and the survivors of the Eight Eastern Families as his entourage.
‘Eventually, there will be people within the royal palace who will turn to the side of His Highness Raidorl. I don’t know how much they are reaching down our throats……but at this rate, it’s only a matter of time before the balance of the scales will tip over.’
The royal court was a haven for devils. The royal palace was the abode of the monsters who circled around the chair of power, plotting and scheming.
Among the nobles ostensibly loyal to Granard, there were some who were secretly trying to drag the king off his throne. It was only a matter of time before they tried to raise Raidorl as their banner.
The king’s younger brother, who had no other merit than being chosen as the Holy Sword, had grown in influence to the point where he was now eating Granard’s position.
No matter what predicament they sent him into, no matter what kind of schemes and plots they put him up to, Raidorl grew as if he was using them as a means to feed off them.
‘He eats all hardships and rises to great heights. Like a phoenix…….So this is what it means to be a hero of a new age.’
Lockwood was convinced with a somewhat distant look in his eyes.
Having grown in strength in a short period of time, as if loved by the goddess of destiny, Raidorl might indeed be the hero sought after by the times. Or perhaps it was they who would be regarded by future generations of historians as the one who had mischievously disturbed the country and caused internal strife.
‘…..If I think of it that way, it may have been a strange idea to send my daughter into His Highness’ service. In whatever way it came about, a member from House of Marcell will serve the next king.’
Mertina Marcell was captured in the frontier city in an attempt to trap Raidorl and was captured by him.
Lockwood did not know how she was being treated, but the nature of Raidorl’s character would not kill her for fun.
Mertina was a talented woman. Her beauty and perfection of style had made her a magnet for many men. Her wits and politics were also exceptional and when it came to intrigue, she had no equal – it was no wonder, since Lockwood raised her to be that way.
As his own daughter and greatest creation, Merina would surely win the heart of Raidorl. As a woman or as a subordinate.
Even if Granard were to lose his position and Lockwood were to sink with him, it would be satisfactory enough for Lockwood if Mertina supported the next king, Raidorl.
The political struggle that would now arise between the brothers – where Lockwood would support the Kingdom of Zain as a vassal of the king if Granard won, and Mertina if Raidorl won. Whichever side won, the loyalty of House Marcell was undying.
‘Once I sacrificed my daughter for the sake of my kingdom. This time I must be prepared to sacrifice myself as well, or else it would not be fair. I shall offer my life in the event of His Highness Raidorl’s victory.’
“Lockwood, what is your next move? You must not allow that brother of mine to grow any further!”
“Yes, that’s right…….”
Granard’s voice was abhorrent as he addressed the Prime Minister, who was concerned about the future of the kingdom. Lockwood stopped his train of thoughts and said the best move he could think of at the moment.
There was nothing Granard or Lockwood could do about the curse seal. Then they should take steps to contain Raidorl.
“Yes…….Our priority at the moment is to lift the curse that has been placed on by His Highness Raidorl. And the 『enclosure』 to contain His Highness.”
The court magicians were being mobilised to lift the curse. According to the head court magician, Old Bavarois, the majority of the analysis of the curse seal had already been completed. In another month or two, the curse would be lifted.
“It is unlikely that His Highness Raidorl can be contained by force. Then we will have to use hostages.”
“A hostage……I believe he has a maid in his house?”
“No, a mere servant cannot be a hostage. His Highness’s residence is also home to the Imperial Princess and should not be meddled with carelessly.”
“Hm, then ……”
Granard’s eyes narrowed and a slight smile appeared on his mouth. He had apparently come to the same conclusion as Lockwood.
“We can take his territory hostage. We’re going to overrun the frontier cities before Raidorl returns from the east and use them as shackles to contain him?”
“Yes, we’ve already sent a handful of men to the frontier cities to assess their strength. They are strong in combat against demons but not so good as soldiers. If we send in soldiers from the royal palace, we should be able to take them down in less than a month.”
“Houu……that’s good. That’s a very good plan.”
Granard’s face twisted into a smile of depressed amusement.
Eventually, Raidorl would return from the East with his nose turned up in victory. But……then the pioneering city of Raid, Raidorl’s second home, would have fallen into the hands of his brother king and become a chain that binds him.
Imagining his brother’s proud face tinged with despair, Granard’s shoulders shuddered with backward glee.
“Look forward to it! You seem to think you’re going to take the throne from me but I’m the one who’s going to take it from you……! Just as I once took away your place as prince, I will take your place again……!”
“……………..”
His hatred for Raidorl had given him a devilish look, and he was now just a shadow of his former self, when he was a wise and brilliant king. Lockwood’s expression was indescribably delicate at the sight of the king he had raised in his own hands.
Vowing to stay with the king until the end of his days, Lockwood set his sights on the pioneering city.
“Your Majesty! Excuse me!”
However, the door to the throne room was opened before the Prime Minister could move. A different soldier entered through the door from the outside.
The fun and games were interrupted by a snide remark from Granard.
“Such rudeness! Who do you think you are?”
“I beg your pardon! But it’s urgent!”
“Mu……?”
The soldier, despite the king’s scolding, retorted with firm resolve. Granard, realising that something unusual was happening, gave the soldier permission to speak.
“General Garst from the fortress of Blaine has sent a message! The emperor has appeared near the fortress!”
“Ha…..? What did you say?”
The soldier’s words were so unexpected that they did not understand the content. Both Granard and Lockwood rolled their eyes and asked the soldier to speak again.
The soldier gritted his back teeth in disrespect and reported angrily in an even louder voice than before.
“I repeat! The Emperor of the Arslanian Empire…… Zacharias Von Arslanian, has appeared in Fortress Blaine!”
“Wha…whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattt?!”
Granard slid off his throne with a startled shriek.
Lockwood held back a shriek but stood speechless and cowering, his face drawn as if he had never seen anything like this before.
The battle at Fort Blaine. Six months had passed since the defeat of the Imperial Princess Celia Von Arslanian.
The fangs of the continent’s most powerful power were once again pointed at the Kingdom of Zain.
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〇 〇 〇
The winds and clouds were rising.
The urgent news of the appearance of the Arslanian Empire’s Emperor, Zacharias Von Arslanian at Fortress Blaine was delivered to Raidorl, who was in the eastern border town of Caltrith.
Receiving the letter from General Bazel Garst at the Caltrith’s residence where Count Calcifer used to live, Raidorl opened his mouth in admiration.
“……The monarchs of the empire are quite light on their feet. I wish my brother, who is frozen like a stone statue on his throne, could learn from him.”
Raidorl’s speech was light, but those around him…… looked closely at him and they could see that his brows were furrowed and his face was grim. This was a natural reaction, as they had run into an obvious crisis situation with the arrival of the enemy’s leader.
The room was lined with the entire entourage belonging to the camp. All the entourages looked tense, as they were aware of the gravity of the situation.
According to a messenger sent by General Garst, Emperor Zacharias had suddenly appeared in Fortress Blaine about a week ago.
Since the victory a few months ago, post-war negotiations had been underway between the two countries.
The Kingdom’s demands were mainly for the return of the stolen territories and reparations. The Imperial side’s demands were, of course, the return of Princess Celia and the holy sword Claíomh Solas, both of which were held captive by the Kingdom.
For the Kingdom, this was a great victory that could be said to be the greatest victory in a thousand years that it had won against a major power. The kingdom must make the most of this opportunity to close the gap in national power with the Arslanian Empire.
The Empire was also determined as the continental champion. No matter how much the princess and the national treasure sword were at stake, the Kingdom could not easily take the initiative in the negotiations.
The post-war negotiations between the two countries were not settled even after half a year had passed and at Fortress Blaine, the venue for the talks, day and night a contentious argument was raging.
Then……suddenly the Emperor Zacharius appeared at the scene of the negotiations.
The appearance of the emperor, who was supposed to be in the imperial capital, seemed to have surprised not only the kingdom side but even the imperial negotiators, who apparently had not been informed beforehand. Zacharias put on a surprised face for the representatives of the two countries and opened his mouth proudly.
“『Two weeks from now, this battle will end with a duel between me and your king’s brother Raidorl Zain! If Raidorl Zain wins, the Imperial side will accept every single one of the Kingdom’s demands!』”
Ignoring all the previous exchange of negotiations, Zacharias declared unilaterally. The negotiators on the Kingdom side were so one-sided that they couldn’t stand it and shouted back.
“『Please wait! We are taking custody of Her Imperial Highness Princess Celia! Do you think such a self-serving argument will be accepted? ……』”
“『Aaah!?』”
“『Hiiiiii』”
The diplomat dispatched by the royal court fell from his chair at the threat of Zacharias.
For the diplomat, who had never seen war, Zacharias, the High King of a powerful nation and holder of the Holy Sword, was a monster comparable to a dragon. The emperor’s eyes were tinged with contempt and loathing as he looked down on him.
“『If you want to kill Celia, do what you want! She’s a pretty little girl who won’t hurt you even if you put her in your sight to kill but still, it’s a rule of war that the loser loses his life and his pride! Behead her, rape her, do as you please!』”
“『Tha, that’s absurd….』”
“『But in return…..If you put your hand on my daughter, don’t think you can ever make peace with the Empire again! I will immediately turn the whole kingdom into scorched earth with all the armies of the Empire! Not a single tree, not even a rat shall be left alive!』”
Zacharias, standing tall, looked down at the hapless diplomat and declared with dignity. The diplomat, his face pale and white was so terrified that he even smelled a pungent odour wafting from the crotch of the diplomat.
Having said all he had to say, Zacharias turned straight back to Fort Balmes, where the imperial army was stationed.
While the diplomats fled back to the capital in terror, General Garst sent a fast horse to inform the king and Raidorl of the emperor’s visit.
“So you want me to fight the emperor in Fortress Blaine? That’s a very bold thing for the Emperor to do, isn’t it?”
Hearing about the messenger sent by General Garst, Raidorl muttered, half in amazement, half in admiration.
He made such a demand because he was so confident of his own strength…….In the unlikely event of a defeat, the emperor’s life could be lost.
Celia, one of the strongest forces, had already been taken prisoner and if Zacharias, the Excalibur holder, died, the foundation of the empire could be tilted.
“He sounds very confident but is……Emperor Zacharius really that strong?”
“Yes, I think……he is definitely strong. Possibly the strongest on the continent.”
It was Sven, the boy strategist, who answered Raidorl’s question.
For some reason, Sven was sitting on Angelica’s lap in a chair. Angelica was lovingly pressing her nose against the back of Sven’s head and was slowly stroking the boy’s abdomen with both hands.
“Emperor Zacharias usurped the imperial throne by defeating his father, the previous emperor, and is the owner of the holy sword Durandal, which controls fire.With Emperor Zacharius as emperor, the originally large empire’s territory has nearly doubled. Even without the fact that he is a Holy Sword holder , he is a considerable warlord.”
“….Emperor. Leader of the Empire. Revenge for my family.”
Angelica, who was the human chair, murmured in a bewitching tone when she heard the episodes related to Zacharias. Apparently, hearing about the empire that destroyed the Ilkas family had ignited her hatred and revenge.
The outburst of intense emotions caused uncontrollable magical power to leak out and her agitated hair was flailing like a snake. The people around her feared that she might start to lash out again, but when…..Sven popped a cookie into Angelica’s mouth, her face returned to a happy, flustered look. It was no longer clear which of them was the guardian.
“Nevertheless, …… this is also an excellent opportunity. If His Highness Raidorl is victorious here, he may not only regain the kingdom’s stolen territory but may even be able to extract even more favourable terms.”
“That’s true…… no, it can’t be avoided either way, can it? If I withdraw here, my victory so far will be ruined.”
If Raidorl was being honest, even he did not want to clash with the emperor.
The picture Raidorl had in his mind was to establish as good a relationship as possible with the Arslanian Empire and confront his brother King Granard without worrying about his backside.
Even though Celia was captured alive for that reason……if there was something that left the emperor with the roots of trouble, there was a possibility of a pincer attack with Granard in front and the empire in the rear.
‘Or is it the other way round? If I defeat the Emperor here, I can make peace on more than equal terms without having to bow the knee to the Empire. That way, there won’t be any problems later on.’
“I have no choice……but to go and pick up the chestnuts in the fire. If I refuse to fight a duel here, the Emperor will drop Fortress Blaine, invade and destroy the kingdom. If the Kingdom of Zain is destroyed, I won’t be able to get back at my brother.”
If the emperor had appeared around the time of Raidorl’s exile to the frontier, he would not have cared so much if the Kingdom of Zain was destroyed. But ….. things were different now. Now Raidorl had his own vassals and his own army. He now had something to protect. He was about to settle his differences with his brother and he could not afford to be sidetracked.
Raidorl held up his hand to his subjects, who were gathered in the room waiting for his decision and declared it emphatically.
“We are marching to Fort Blaine!! I will put an end to this long war against the Empire!”
“「「「「「Haa!!」」」」」”
The entourage lined up reverently nodded at Raidorl’s decision.
The Holy Sword of Curse and the Holy Sword of Fire.
The moment when the two holy swords clashed was getting closer every second.
〇 〇 〇
A military meeting was then to be held around the table with Raidorl and the entire entourage.
The circumstances being what they were. No one stopped Raidorl from going to Fort Blaine but there was a struggle over who would accompany him. Among the entourage, Angelica Ilkas was a particularly strong advocate of going to Fort Blaine.
“I cannot miss this great opportunity to avenge my family! I will kill the Emperor and hang him and I will blow every single Imperial soldier to smithereens!”
Angelica got up from her chair and slammed the table vigorously.
Angelica’s vengeful side came forward again, her face contorted in hatred and assertiveness. Today, she did not hold Sven to her chest and her right hand gripped the sword at her waist.
Angelica’s eyes were burning with melancholy, but if ……she were taken before the imperial army, there would be no more duel and no more peace. Raidorl could see her forgetting herself and attacking the Emperor and the Imperial Army.
“………. Sven, please.”
“Eー……”
Raidorl threw the whole thing to Sven, who was sitting in the chair next to Angelica.
Sven’s face was drawn and he looked up at his lord with resentment, but he did as he was ordered and restrained Angelica.
“Um, Angelica-san? Would you mind staying at home with me?”
“Nah……!?”
Angelica flinched slightly when Sven pulled on her sleeve sleeves and looked up to 『ask』 her for a favour.
“N,no matter how much Sven asks, I can’t listen to you! This is the perfect opportunity to avenge the Ilkas family!”
“I don’t want Angelica-san to go because I’m scared. I’ll be sad if you leave me and I wish you’d stay……with me.”
“Uuuu.”
Sven fidgeted and clasped his index fingers of both hands together. Angelica’s heart throbbed and she backed away as the boy’s cheeks were stained with shame.
“But it’s not every day that a……emperor comes to the frontline. If I miss this, I’ll……Aaah but I can’t leave Sven behind…..but I can’t take him into a dangerous battlefield either….!”
Angelica, holding her cheeks and shaking her hair, was conflicted.
[One more push and she’ll fall] Sven was convinced of this and struck the killing blow.
“Will you stay with me……… Angelica Onee-chan?”
“Hauaaa……!”
Angelica’s body shook as if she had been pierced by an electric shock. She pulled Sven’s hand and hugged him and held him to her chest from the front.
“It’s okay……! Onee-chan is here for you! I’ll protect you Sven……!”
“………Wa ーI’m so happy!”
Sven said in a barbed voice while nuzzling his face against her plump breasts.
With his eyes that had lost their light, he took one look at Raidorl, gave up and accepted the embrace. Sven relaxed his limbs and rested his face on the soft twin dunes.
“…..Okay, it’s decided. Angelica, you’ll be the one to stay and guard this town.”
“Yes,my lord! I will make sure Sven is protected!”
“….. Please, protect the town too, will you?”
Angelica’s cheeks were rosy and she assured him. Raidorl mumbled with a sigh, shook his head and turned his attention to Darren and Justy.
“My father, Bazel Garst, is in Fortress Blaine and I think it will go faster if I accompany you.”
“I will also stay behind as an absentee………..In the event that Angelica-dono should go out of control, we will need someone who can stop her with force.”
“……It’s decided. My companion is Darren. Angelica and Justy will be in charge of protecting this town.”
The roles for everyone had been decided. The duel was to take place in a small force, as there was not much time left before the date and time specified for the duel.
Whatever the outcome of the duel, Darren’s second-in-command, Saara Leifet, would be asked to lead the rest of the army and march in later, in case the peace was strained and they had to fight the Empire again.
Raidorl left the town with an escort of about a hundred horsemen. Darren lined up next to him on horseback.
“I have arranged to send a fast horse and have the towns and villages along the way provide replacement horses and food. This will enable us to reach the fortress in the shortest possible time.”
“Well done, let’s go and see the face of the most powerful emperor on the continent!”
“Ha!”
The horses were driven to the Blaine Fortress, which was located south-west of Caltrith.
They took minimal rest, ate as much of their meals on horseback as possible and made their way to the fortress, changing their tired horses several times along the way. Thanks to their efforts, they were able to arrive at Fort Blaine two days before the previously specified date and time of the duel.
The fortress, which had been in a state of excitement after the victory over the Empire when he last visited it, was now quiet. The emperor’s appearance must have shocked the soldiers. The faces of the soldiers standing guard on the ramparts looked somewhat shadowed.
“His Highness Raidorl has arrived! Open the gates!”
The guards shouted as soon as they saw Raidorl’s figure.
Raidorl led his guards through the gates and entered Fortress Blaine for the first time in half a year.
“Thank you for coming all the way here. Your Royal Highness Raidorl Zain.”
Bazel Garst, a general in the Royal Army, greeted Raidorl as he entered the fortress.
The last time Raidorl saw him, Bazel had a tired look on his face immediately after the battle but his expression today was also gloomy. The hardships of war, combined with ageing, had left dark lines and wrinkles on his face.
“It’s been a long time. We have a lot to talk about, so let’s get on with it and explain the situation.”
“Ha……As the messenger informed you in advance, the Empire has unilaterally challenged His Highness Raidorl to a duel. The date and time is two days from now. The place is here in Fortress Blaine. If His Highness does not agree to the duel or if he does not show up by the time and date of the duel, the Emperor has declared that he will personally destroy this fortress.”
“I didn’t expect that. …… So he ignored the hostages and set it up from their side.”
However, the emperor probably had no intention of abandoning his daughter, Celia….and the general Gracos Barzen, who was also a prisoner of war.
If the kingdom took them and acted as shields or killed them as an example in this situation, the angry emperor would attack the Kingdom of Zain with his maximum force. There was no way he would do such a careless thing. It was obvious that Granard, the king, did not have the guts to kill a cat and incur the wrath of the Tiger.
‘……Either way, though, I don’t intend to hurt Celia. It seems that my feelings have indeed turned to compassion.’
Although Raidorl did not spend much time with Celia they were still friends who slept in the same mansion. If it was a situation where they were clashing swords on the battlefield, he couldn’t be so ruthless as to kill an imperial princess who couldn’t resist just for show.
‘I think I’m being naive but……there’s no merit in killing her.’
“So? What does my brother say?”
Naturally, Granard must have been informed of this demand for a duel. What decision would he make as king in the face of the appearance of the leader of the Empire?
At Raidorl’s question, Bazel’s expression stiffened slightly.
“…..Of course, I have reported it to His Majesty and asked for instructions. But there has still been no response.”
“Is that so? The duel is the day after tomorrow, right? Can he make it in time with such a long delay?”
“It will take five days from Blaine Fortress to the Royal Capital, no matter how fast the horse is. So it can’t be helped if there’s a delay in the king’s reply. However, it has already been more than ten days since I sent the messenger to report. If there are instructions from His Majesty, they should be coming soon. ……”
“…..I see. Well, there are still two days until the duel. We can wait for the King’s wise decision. I really…… hope he comes.”
Raidorl hung his lips sarcastically.
Raidorl was interested to see what decision his brother king would make in this situation, but he didn’t think it would change things for the better.
‘If there was any chance of changing the situation, it would be for Granard to come here and negotiate directly with the emperor. If the king of this kingdom came to talk directly with the emperor, the emperor would not be able to be indifferent and negotiations might be settled in a different way from a duel.’
However, Raidorl predicted that this would probably not be the case.
Granard would not come here. He would never have come face to face with the emperor.
If Granard had been prepared to go head-to-head with the Empire, albeit in a battle at the negotiating table, he would have been here long ago to engage in a war of words with the Imperial negotiators.
“…..A weak king, a king who cannot move when he should?”
“Ha……? Did you say something?”
“No, it’s nothing. Rather, I’ll take the rest of the day off. I don’t know if my brother’s messenger will reach you by the deadline but we’ve had a hard march so far. I want to get enough rest and prepare for the duel.”
Raidorl lightly waved to Bazel, who had a quizzical look on his face, and walked into the building.
In the end, two days later, no response from the royal capital came.
Either there was trouble and they could not reach Fortress Blaine or Granard could not make a decision until the end. Either way, the outcome of the war between the Kingdom of Zain and the Arslanian Empire was left to the two Holy Sword Holders.
On the date of the duel, the Imperial Army arrived at Fortress Blaine at almost the same time as the pre-designated time.
The imperial troops lined up on the hilltop, as they had done when they once attacked the fortress but they were eerily quiet even under the banner of the……Empire.
Were the Imperial troops nervous? They were so controlled, as if they were one living creature, that it seemed as if they would not even breathe without the commanding officer’s permission.
And it must be the man clad in a red armour suit like a blazing fire, astride a black horse at the head of the imperial army, who had brought such perfect order to the troops under his command.
Imperial Emperor Zacharias Von Arslanian.
Always victorious and undefeatable. The holder of the Holy Sword, the strongest man on the continent, looked down on the fortress from a hilltop with his fangs peeled like a beast.
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