Episode 24
* * *
After that, Dale focused on ‘Completing the 3rd Circle’ by breaking through the tier guardians one by one.
Test out new magic, add improvements based on knowledge from your past life, combine various types of formulas, and play around to your heart’s content in the realm opened by the 3rd Circle.
Refining and processing the three interlocking circles more precisely, and fully understanding one’s own capabilities.
When he reached the 20th floor, leaving behind his opponents who fell like autumn leaves in front of him, an opponent worthy of Dale’s status finally appeared.
Headless Knight. A knight without a head.
He is wearing pitch-black armor and holding a large greatsword.
It was a formidable opponent that could not even be compared to anything before, and especially the compatibility between an ‘ordinary wizard’ and a knight was needless to say.
‘It’s no fun when things go exactly as expected.’
Dale smiled and extended his arm toward Headless Knight.
Phew!
At the end, refined dark magic swept through the room like a storm.
But as everyone in the audience held their breath and waited, no bloody fight occurred. No, the fight itself did not happen in the first place.
just…….
Kuung!
“Wh, what’s going on?”
“Look at that!”
Leaving the murmurs of the audience behind, Headless Knight knelt before Dale, and of his own free will.
The guardian who was supposed to protect the hierarchy gave up that role and opened the way for those he was ordered to protect.
As if swearing an oath of obedience before the lord whom one truly deserves to serve.
All he had to do was kneel down and stick his greatsword vertically into the floor.
Absolute obedience.
Dale muttered coldly as he watched the scene.
“Commit suicide.”
It was a voice without even a shred of emotion.
To his horror at hearing those words, Headless Knight grabbed his greatsword with his opposite hand and swung it down with all his might.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he turned towards his own breastplate.
The bones protected by the armor broke and collapsed limply.
For those in the audience who were expecting a bloody duel, it was a somewhat disappointing ending.
But here on the Black Tower, the astonishment of those who understood its meaning was beyond words.
The elders of the Black Tower were watching Dale’s activities relatively calmly… … and the Black Guard was no exception.
No, they are the ones who will be most shocked.
It is a greater force of darkness that subdues the dark being.
And the creature created by the Elder of the Black Tower betrayed its creator and swore allegiance to Dale. In other words, the dark magic power refined by Dale is already on par with the level of the Elder of the Black Tower.
A young wizard of only 3 circles!
It also deals with the dual properties of water and darkness, and is done by a child not even ten years old.
‘That’s impossible.’
But that very impossible thing was unfolding right in front of everyone in the Black Tower.
Every wizard has his or her own world, and the training of a wizard is the process of completing that world.
They would never dare to imagine it.
The source of Dale’s magic, a world of emptiness filled with cold and ashenness.
It was the darkness of that winter night that held Dale’s magic, and before that darkness, the Headless Knight bowed down and offered his obedience.
It is the ‘greater darkness’ that subdues the dark being.
And a world filled with cold and darkness that even the elders of the Black Tower dare not enter.
That was Dale’s true power as a wizard.
‘Is this a bit too much?’
But after defeating Headless Knight, Dale felt sorry for himself. This was not even at the level of proving himself.
‘… … I guess I’ll call it a day here for this year.’
All of the intended objectives had been achieved. Dale’s remaining tests were over. So Dale turned his back on the path to the next level that Headless Knight had personally opened for him.
“Uh, why?”
“Why do you want to go back?”
I turned my back on the murmurs echoing throughout the auditorium and walked outside the stadium, where I announced the end of the exam.
Even if it’s Dale now, there is a line he must keep.
Climbing up to this level and proving yourself would be something unknown, something that goes beyond even the realm of monsters.
Even with his reputation as the son of the Black Prince and the greatest genius in the empire, he is in a realm that cannot be understood.
* * *
Some time later, Dale’s test was over, and soon the Tower’s test was over as well.
The Great Hall of the Black Tower.
“The Lord of the Tower is coming!”
Right there, the black ball took a step forward.
As the one who reigns at the top of the Black Tower, he is the object of endless majesty and awe.
Likewise, Dale, the ‘successor of the Black Ball’ who proved himself in the exam, followed him.
Reigning in fear that no one can resist.
That was the way of the Saxon Dukes, and Dale and his father were no exception. That was why the elders of the Black Tower, the Black Guard, saluted the two fathers.
Then, all the black-topped magicians filling the hall bowed their heads.
The loyalty of the entire black tower is reminiscent of a military parade.
This is Dale’s official debut and the consolidation of the Saxon line of succession.
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Unlike the hereditary system of noble families, in the magical world where ability is everything, that position is not something that can be obtained through bloodline alone.
But no one dared to rebel against Blackbeard and Dale.
In a sense, it was very similar to that of the ‘Red Tower’, which pursued order through force.
* * *
At the age of ten, he reached the level of the 3rd circle, and as if that wasn’t enough, he passed the 20th floor of the ‘Tower Test’.
Dale’s overwhelming bravery during the test also quickly spread throughout the empire.
The most legitimate successor to the Black Knight. The greatest genius of the Empire.
The people of the dukedom went around shouting the name of ‘Prince Dale’ as if they were bragging about their own son.
Moreover, the loyalty of the vassals and fief knights of the House of Saxony towards Dale was needless to say.
Dale’s activities, which were inflated without end, gradually began to unite the entire North.
* * *
After successfully completing the tower’s test, some time later.
The vast duchy of Saxony, in the northern part of the Empire.
Heehee!
Along the vast white horizon stood a line of cavalrymen in pitch-black armor and ash-grey surcoats.
A single cavalry squadron consisting of 50 men.
Now, Dale was commanding that very unit in his own name.
By order of his father, the Duke of Saxony, he was preparing to fight a small group of orcs within the duchy.
It is different from the battles of the past where one participated solely to gain experience. It is a battle where one must put one’s name on the line and take full responsibility for the results of the battle.
Of course, as the successor to a noble family, leading soldiers and commanding troops was an essential virtue. However, it was an absurdly heavy responsibility for a mere ten-year-old child to take on.
Yet, no knight here dared to doubt Dale’s abilities as a ‘commander’.
For ‘Dale of Saxony’, age was literally just a number.
Rather, the pride that Dale gave to his knights and the loyalty they showed to him were incomparable.
Even without that, the trust the knights of Saxony had in Dale was beyond imagination.
The successor to the Duke’s family, who learns from knights by directly confronting them with swords every morning, and even tells a story of bravery where he flies himself to save his knight from a horde of orcs.
Which noble child from a noble family could act so ‘aristocratically’?
Another lord truly worth dying for.
Gaining the trust of your subordinates is one of the greatest virtues of a commander.
That is why the knights of Dale all drew their lances. They faced the orc horde in pike formation, with a fighting spirit that was more fiery than usual.
“For Prince Dale!”
“For the House of Saxony!”
“Charging!”
Dale’s cavalry began to charge the orc phalanx.
Spears clashed with shields, and shields shattered. The orcs screamed and green blood sprayed everywhere.
In front of the black cavalry charging like tanks… … it was a one-sided slaughter that could not even be called a fight.
The knights of the House of Saxony were never those Dale had to protect, but were swords wielded solely for Dale.
* * *
“Prince Dale has returned!”
Saxony.
The knights of the Duke of Saxony were marching through the city.
As a token of their conquest, they hung the heads of a group of orcs in a row.
“Your Majesty has once again eliminated the monsters within the territory!”
As Dale and his cavalry returned to the dukedom, the people of the dukedom began to raise their voices.
He had already led his subordinates to eliminate monsters within the territory several times. As Dale’s achievements steadily piled up, the people of the dukedom began to endlessly talk about Dale.
“As expected, it’s Prince Dale!”
The successor to the Duke family who leads the fight to eradicate the monsters that are overflowing within the territory.
It was also a duty that a noble should rightly bear, but for the nobles of this world, the idea of a ‘duty that must be borne’ was not a common sense. No, it would be much different in any world.
In that regard, it goes without saying how Dale’s appearance of taking the lead in fulfilling the ‘duty of a nobleman’ would be perceived.
* * *
Duchy of Saxony.
The Duke’s office.
“I report to Your Majesty the Duke that we have taken the head of one hundred and forty-five orcs.”
“What about the damage to our cavalry?”
“There were three minor injuries, but no other damage.”
Dale reported the results blandly, and the Duke of Saxony asked coolly.
“Did you use magic to protect them otherwise?”
“It is the result of the swords of the House of Saxony working together.”
When Dale quietly shook his head, a faint smile appeared on the Duke of Saxony’s lips.
“Good job, Dale.”
“Your Majesty, it seems you have already become accustomed to commanding a battalion of cavalry!”
Only after the story of the two rich men was over did Sir Helmut Blackbear open his mouth.
“It’s all thanks to what Sir Helmut taught me.”
Sir Helmut taught more than just swordsmanship.
Because he was Dale’s swordsmanship teacher, and at the same time, he was also a teacher of strategy and tactics… … military art.
How to command your troops and win the war.
It is not that difficult to handle a battalion of, say, 50 cavalrymen. Orders are given quickly and there are not many choices to make.
However, if multiple cavalry squadrons come together to form a cavalry regiment (Regiment), and if two or three regiments come together to form a cavalry division (Division),
Commanding a large force of over a thousand knights is a task of a completely different nature.
Moreover, the number of cavalry that the Northern Great Prince would summon for an all-out war would not be limited to a mere thousand.
Besides, war is never fought with just one troop of knights.
“Truly, the speed at which Confucius learns is incredible.”
Nevertheless, the speed at which Dale absorbed the tactics of this world was still unbelievable.
In fact, Dale’s ‘strategy plan’ was not something that was achieved overnight.
Confidence as a commander. Ability to handle troops.
I have considered the synergy that would result when those strategies and tactics are combined with the power of command.
“At this rate, the day you will be able to carry out the Youngji War will not be far off!”
Just then, Sir Helmut continued speaking with a hearty laugh.
‘It’s a battle of the spirits.’
Dale smiled faintly at the unexpected words, not showing his reaction. A new stage to prove himself was always welcome.
