Episode 11
* * *
After firing the ice bolt, Dale rode straight down the ridge.
“Oh, Prince Dale!”
The Duke of Saxony shakes his head, stopping Sir Helmuth from pulling back on the reins.
“I’ll just watch it like this for a little longer.”
“Your Majesty the Duke!”
I dismiss the flustered Sir Helmut’s words and turn my gaze towards Dale’s back.
At first I thought it was a child’s tantrum.
But the ice bolt that was released from Dale’s fingertips was a kind of proof and message to his father to trust him.
Can you really call that thing, which has a range and lethality that is incomparable to any other bolt, a bolt in the first place?
Plus the formulas Dale added to his order.
「Barrett M98B」, 「8.58x70mm」.
For the Duke of Saxony, who had lived his entire life as a person of this world, this was an otherworldly pronunciation that he could not even dare to imagine. Therefore, there was only one answer he could rationally come up with.
‘Surely at that age, you already have your own unique formula… … .’
Even if novice magicians add incomprehensible formulas to their spells, the effect is very minimal.
However, the case is different for high-level magicians who have firmly established their own mental image through repeated practice. They are at a high level of skill in drawing out images from their elaborately constructed mental world.
That is the “Original Modification”.
‘Is it possible that a wizard of only the 1st circle level has such a complete mental world?’
Before we even talk about circle levels, Dale is only nine years old. That’s an understatement to even call him a prodigy or a genius.
──But strictly speaking, what Dale used was not a true unique formula. At least, there was a clear entity corresponding to the spell Dale was reciting.
Bombers made of iron armor soar through the sky and rain down bombs. Gunfire and gunfire echo endlessly.
Weapons from another world that no one in this world dares to imagine, but which clearly exist with physical reality.
‘What on earth is that kid… … .’
The Duke of Saxony, who had no way of knowing that fact, decided to just trust Dale and watch. No, he was so curious about what Dale would do that he was almost impatient.
Become the heart of a reckless father who is looking forward to his child’s achievements.
Besides, no matter how far away they are, the Duke of Saxony is the greatest black magician on the continent. No matter how far away they are, it won’t be a problem to protect Dale alone when the time comes.
Dale was now galloping down the ridge, cutting across the retreating cavalry.
In the distance, I could see the stragglers and orc swordsmen, and behind them, the orc hordes still forming a square.
The distance quickly narrowed, and Dale’s mind, looking at them, was colder than ever.
‘The additional formula for the order is too cumbersome.’
It’s perfect for sniping, but it’s incredibly ineffective when pronouncing it when the enemy is right in front of you.
However, the suggestion is too weak to project the image of weapons existing on Earth at an unconscious level.
That’s why we need a ‘substitute’ that is a little more efficient, that can be 70% efficient on the spot.
Lightening the formula.
‘… … !’
After thinking about it that far, Dale couldn’t help but laugh. He felt like an idiot for struggling so much for such a simple reason.
Ice Bolt. That is the magic name that the wizards of this world use as a spell to conjure up ice projectiles.
And Dale added a ‘formula’ to the image of the sniper rifle he had in mind, based on that magical name.
It was such a stupid thing to do. There was no need for it in the first place.
“Geuuuuuu!”
One of the Orc swordsmen is instantly killed by Dale’s first sniper ice bolt, and the remaining Orcs begin to stand guard.
Dale pointed his finger at them again from his horse. After aiming, he opened his mouth.
“Ice Bullet.”
──Taang!
Regardless of whether the pen is truly mightier than the sword, at least guns are mightier than bows and crossbows. Bullets and arrows are no different.
A bullet of ice struck one of the orc swordsmen.
A blow that penetrates the skull beyond the eye socket, just below the pupil.
“Oh, Your Majesty!”
The knight, who had been lying on the floor and had a premonition of death, turned his head and could not hide his shock.
“What on earth are you doing here! Quick──.”
“You don’t have to worry.”
Dale, who was talking nonsense without understanding the situation, quietly smiled as he got off his horse.
“We, the House of Saxony, will never abandon our loyal sword.”
It has such a heavy tone that it’s hard to believe it’s from a nine-year-old.
“Confucius… … .”
He was also one of the vassal knights who had observed Dale’s performance several times at the Duke’s Castle.
The world is unfair, and this child is proof of that absurdity.
That’s why, every time I saw Dale, who was growing by leaps and bounds day by day, I had to smile bitterly at the unfair reality of the world, regardless of my loyalty. I had to put aside the dark emotions welling up in my heart.
But that very child is standing alone against the orc horde for himself.
Dale turned his gaze towards the few surviving orc swordsmen.
The dawn air was very cool, but there was no wind. Nevertheless, the hem of Dale’s black cloak began to flutter as if in a strong wind.
“Ghaaaah!”
Dale’s shadows rose like skewers from beneath his feet, facing the blades of the charging orc swordsmen.
The first form of the artifact ‘Shadow Cloak’.
Shadow Blade.
Kaang!
It was terrifying to think that the shadow blade had just deflected the orcs’ swords.
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‘Eat it all up.’
Shadows began to wrap around the orcs’ swords like living tentacles, sliding towards their hands.
Choaack!
Several dark, black snakes made of shadow blades wrapped around the orc’s wrists, cutting them and rushing towards his torso.
Starting from the wrist, the shoulder, torso, and finally the neck were cut off. Green blood gushed out from the cut area.
The black slaughter Dale was showing was far beyond common sense. It was so much so that it made one doubt whether the child who had swung the sword at the Duke’s Castle was really him.
It is not the sword of a knight who pursues kendo.
It is an assassin’s sword, filled with the obsession to take the opponent’s life by any means necessary.
“Ice Bullet.”
After slaughtering the rushing orcs using the shadow cloak, Dale extended his finger.
Taang!
What the tip of the finger was pointing to was the last orc swordsman.
The corpses of the orcs sent to hunt down a lone straggler are strewn about in a disorderly manner.
Dale turns his head. In the distance, he sees a line of orcs holding pikes in formation to counter the cavalry’s charge.
A few orcs in the line of battle readied their spears and took up their spear-throwing stances. However, no such thing as a barrage of spears rained down on Dale.
He just hurriedly grabbed the spear handle as if he was surprised by what he saw.
Dale easily figured out the meaning and smiled faintly. His activities had ended here.
“──All cavalry battalions, charge simultaneously!”
At the same time as he smiled, the ear-splitting roar of Sir Helmut rang out.
The heavy hooves of the war horses continued behind them.
As the two men crossed, the charge of the ‘Black Cavalry’, the pride of the Duke of Saxony, began once again.
At the same time, the morale of the knights who were charging forward with their lances fixed was higher than ever.
The eldest son of a duke’s family risked his life and ran to the battlefield for a single knight. It was a miracle that was difficult to describe even with the words ‘duty of a nobleman’, and it was a legendary tale of bravery.
Therefore, Dale’s actions had the effect of pouring oil on the flames of loyalty to the House of Saxony in their hearts.
“For the House of Saxony!”
“For Prince Dale!”
“Let’s wipe out those orcs!”
“Charging!”
A storm of steel swept through. It was a blow that drove a wedge into a shield that was on the verge of breaking.
* * *
The dawn sun rose along the eastern ridge.
“Why did you go into the enemy camp alone and recklessly?”
After the battle with the orc horde, that was the first question his father asked Dale.
But it was never meant to be a reprimand. It was simply a question to test myself.
“My father said.”
So Dale answered without being flustered.
“The knights of the House of Saxony here are the ones I will lead in the future,” he said.
“… … .”
“To the noble, there are noble duties.”
Dale continues speaking blandly.
“As someone who will lead them in the future, I simply carried out that duty.”
“But it was too reckless.”
“If it had been a truly reckless act, it wouldn’t have been difficult for my father to stop me.”
Dale answered. It was a truly cheeky answer.
“It wouldn’t be a big deal for my father to defeat those orc hordes.”
“Hoo.”
At that boldness, the father, the Duke of Saxony, smiled as if he was pleased. It was as Dale said. For the Black Duke, wiping out a thousand orcs would be just a gesture.
But still, I didn’t do that.
“If you really want to do it like you say, it won’t be that difficult to wipe out the orcs before your eyes.”
“Then why are you watching your own people die?”
Next it was Dale’s turn to ask back.
“Do you want me to wipe out a horde of orcs with a single wave of my hand?”
“I was hoping to at least find a knight who would be loyal to my father.”
“They do not take up swords in the hope that they will be saved on the battlefield.”
At those words, the Duke of Saxony continued in a cold voice.
“Is it your idea that the duty of a nobleman is to step forward and save his subordinates and turn the tide of battle whenever they are in danger?”
“Yes.”
Dale’s answer was met with a cold sneer, forgetting that he was talking to a mere nine-year-old.
“Our lands are exposed to countless threats every year.”
It was the face of a nobleman so cold and cold that even Dale was unfamiliar with it.
“Whenever that threat comes, I use my power, and with that power I maintain peace in the dukedom. What do you plan to do next?”
Next time.
“Will you, the Duke who succeeds me, protect this territory with your own strength?”
And then again after that.
“Then what is the point of training knights loyal to the House of Saxony?”
“that…….”
“How will you take responsibility for them losing their sense of battle and their blades becoming dull?”
Faced with the cold realism, Dale was speechless for a moment and remained silent.
“To face the threats of the land, our knights of Saxony constantly sharpen their swords.”
The Duke of Saxony said.
“When a threat that they cannot handle comes, I will stop it.”
As the head of the House of Saxony, one of the most powerful princes of the empire.
“That is the ‘noble duty’ that the House of Saxony must shoulder.”
“… … .”
It was something that even Dale hadn’t thought of. No, it was so obvious that it hit the nail on the head.
Didn’t he act like that in his previous life, even though he had the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Death Squadron?
‘Then why did I try to save that article?’
By the time he got there, Dale himself was overcome by an inexplicable suspicion. Was he simply trying to gain the loyalty of the knights who would later become his subordinates?
It was just then.
“──Nevertheless.”
As if his cold expression from before was a lie, the Duke of Saxony continued speaking in a softened voice.
“You have carried out your own ‘noble duty’ to the end, of your own volition.”
At those words, Dale swallowed softly.
“When you later inherit this ducal house and return to your ‘noble duties’ in the name of the Duke of Saxony.”
A future that Dale cannot even dare to imagine.
“Which of our beliefs was right, you will find out later.”
“father…….”
“Let’s go back to the castle.”
Each person has his own path. As if trying to say something like that, the Duke of Saxony turned his back silently after saying that.
And where the Black Knight turned his back, there were ‘two hundred and fifty’ knights waiting for the two rich men of the Saxon family.
The Duke of Saxony… … no, he could not hold back his surging loyalty towards the ‘Dale of Saxony’, and he swore repeatedly that he would gladly give up his life.
