The Returned Sword King Decided to Become a Tyrant Episode 24
The Fugitives (2)
I don’t remember ever feeling awe in my life.
It was always he who was praised, and this truth had never changed since the moment he first encountered swordsmanship.
Because he was born with a talent different from others.
But it wasn’t that man.
“Did something happen while we were away?”
“… … Huh? What did you just say?”
Vice-Captain Roder, who was conducting a search operation with the knights of the second platoon that joined last night, showed an unexpected lack of concentration.
It was like that just today.
It was common for him to stare blankly into space, and sometimes he would mutter something with a serious expression.
A look of worry crossed the face of the knight who was watching this.
“Have you received any burdensome orders from His Majesty the Crown Prince?”
“That’s not it… … .”
“Hmm? Then the battle with the barbarians must have been very difficult. You must be exhausted.”
“… … Phew. It’s the opposite.”
How much better it would have been if that had happened… … .
Roder shook his head silently, recalling memories of the past.
The land that was thought to be endlessly ashen was now dyed red with their blood, and the pieces of flesh that had collapsed onto the ground were so numerous that it was difficult to tell who they belonged to.
Yes. The ghosts that were hanging out there were enemies that had threatened them.
Yet, Roder’s body was shaking uncontrollably.
-This can’t be happening…!
As he took off his helmet, which had not a single drop of blood on it, his brilliant silver hair fell down like a painting.
The bloodshot eyes hidden inside the helmet showed no emotion other than boredom.
Why not?
Without a single step, everything happened in the man’s hands.
The knight who was listening to the story opened his mouth wide.
“… … That means.”
“At least the highest level of Sword Expert. Maybe… … It’s definitely higher than that. We weren’t even given the chance to hold a sword.”
“Then isn’t that a higher level than the captain?”
“… … Maybe that’s how it will be.”
Unlike the first time when he was rambling on and on, now he was clear enough to the point of being firm. But he nodded cautiously.
And his own actions to express it were also wrong.
1. It was difficult to simply judge the prince’s skills because there was not even a single clue that could be used to gauge his skills.
“Even while cutting down hundreds of barbarians until the second contingent arrived, the First Prince maintained his original expression. It was as if he felt no emotion at all.”
“… … .”
“To him, a barbarian warrior was nothing more than that.”
A very small part of the process that passes by without even becoming an obstacle.
But to be treated like that… … they were the representative danger that had been threatening the safety of the Northern Continent until now.
So much so that multiple punitive expeditions had to be organized. So much so that there were so many sacrifices… …!
It must have been so… … .
“Maybe we didn’t need the help of our knights from the beginning.”
Even in the midst of confusion where common sense and the truth I saw with my own eyes were intertwined, I was able to be certain.
That they might have just been a puppet to convince the king.
It was not even half a day before I realized the truth.
“That’s why the knights who were part of the advance party had such expressions… … .”
The knight nodded as if he understood, thought for a moment, and then said.
“If that’s the case, why did you come to a place like this and act like that? Even if you reduce the number of barbarians, there will be a limit to their numbers… … .”
“There’s no point in thinking about such superficial reasons.”
Roder dismissed it with a grave expression.
There was no way that they, mere knights, could understand the thoughts of a ruler who had already been completed.
Even if it is the Sun Knights, who are revered by many knights.
… … The moment I thought that.
Click!
-Here, I found the traces you were talking about!
An urgent magical transmission from a certain knight was heard.
* * *
“This… seems like a trace that someone has hidden.”
George stuck his head out, adjusting his glasses.
A pickaxe, a hard hat, and something that looked like a cart.
Although its true meaning was obscured by the dust of the desolate land, its shape was clearly similar to a mining tool.
“Are you looking to discover any local ore now?”
“… … .”
“Wow, I’ve finally gotten to see all the polar minerals. I guess I should write a paper on them, along with Mithril.”
It’s useless nagging.
I got off my horse and wiggled my fingers without saying a word.
What came was Roder, lying face down.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Have you called?”
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“Leave the Sun Knights here, and follow me. Tell the others to activate their magic balls immediately if the enemy comes.”
I said that was all, and then I dragged George, whose calves were aching from the long horseback ride, away.
“Ahh! Just a moment!”
The guy who had been screaming at the constant movement soon started to run unsteadily and asked me a question in a voice so small that only I could hear.
“Why is that person like that?”
“What are you talking about?”
“That guy with the stiff neck. He was the vice-captain or something.”
George arrived here with a second party responsible for supplies and scouting.
He probably didn’t know what had happened so far, but he seemed to have sensed the strange atmosphere that was permeating the Knights Templar.
I replied calmly.
“It seems like you have developed a sense of awe towards the Prince.”
“… … Are you telling me now?”
“I don’t know.”
As the guy said, the Knights of the Sun who left Esteban did not move obediently from the beginning.
Perhaps he was given instructions from the Grand Master to act that way.
Because they couldn’t trust my command, which had no achievements, in the sudden dispatch of personnel without consultation and the dispatch to the north.
still.
‘You don’t trust your superiors even on the battlefield? That’s ridiculous.’
I didn’t really intend to blame anyone.
It was natural for me to take care of my own survival as someone who had been brought here by order from above, and I didn’t need their cooperation either.
But going against my orders was a separate story.
“Well, I guess I won’t be able to act that way anymore.”
George shivered at the cold reply that filtered through his thick coat.
“… … Something definitely happened.”
“Nothing. I just moved as I had done so far.”
Whatever they felt or did during that process, that was their business and I didn’t want to care.
My duty on this earth was to extract maximum benefit with minimum movement. Nothing more, nothing less.
Meanwhile, we reached the end of a canyon blocked by a steep cliff.
Aside from the magnificent sight, the destination is an absurdly vast and empty space.
I reached out and stopped the group, then began to feel the wall and analyze the energy I sensed.
“It’s a fantasy series magic.”
“Huh? No matter how I look at it, it’s a cliff.”
“If you could tell the difference, you wouldn’t be able to call it illusion magic.”
Hmm.
Then, he took his hands off the wall and slowly crossed his arms.
What a headache.
Of the three cliffs blocking the canyon, only one will provide access to the true destination.
But all three of them felt a magical aura.
Even if a sword master was very sensitive, it would be difficult for him to find the right path unless he was a magician.
‘Should I break it all?’
……no.
I sighed, trying to erase the thoughts that had come to mind.
Protecting others from a collapsing cliff was almost impossible.
‘After all, it can’t be helped that situations change over time.’
In the past, such a barrier did not exist.
If I had known, I would have declined to bring only the Knights.
It was my mistake for not anticipating this situation.
If only there were a little more clear hints… … .
As I was resting my chin on my hand and thinking, an unexpected voice came into my ear.
“Hmm? This cliff face seems a little unnatural.”
“… … .”
“Look at this. It’s as if only this side has maintained a smooth texture, as if it hasn’t been cut.”
I turned my head in the direction where the voice came from.
And then, slowly, very slowly, I began to enjoy the ‘softness’ he had been talking about.
Hmm, indeed… … .
“… …Did you say Roder Calver?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You have a keen eye. That’s correct.”
“Huh? Yes, it is an honor!”
If you don’t look closely, you won’t know.
No, rather, it was decorated so elaborately that you couldn’t tell even if you looked closely.
If he hadn’t said anything, I probably wouldn’t have felt even a little uncomfortable.
“… … Is this the level of talent that would allow one to rise to the position of Vice-President?”
If there was one thing that was most important in sword fighting, it was neither strength nor speed.
An opportunity to create a gap.
And the only way to create an opportunity was to watch your opponent’s movements and anticipate his next move.
In that sense, the insight he possessed could be said to be the ability most needed for swordsmanship.
I pushed away George, who was still tilting his head in puzzlement, and gave them some caution.
“Be observant. And stay calm.”
“… … Haa. Are you talking nonsense again?”
George scratched his head and straightened his posture in resignation.
Since I spoke like that, I knew better than anyone that something would happen.
Regardless, I swung my sword with aura as if I was cutting down my enemies, looking forward to the delightful scenes that would unfold.
Okay then.
Clang-!
“omg!”
“……her!”
A small crack appeared in the air, and the cliff collapsed.
What had been thought to be a cliff had disappeared, revealing a civilization filled with strangely styled stone buildings.
He didn’t forget to personally talk to George, who was stepping back hesitantly and laughing.
“The aide’s seat is going to be empty.”
And then we slowly began to walk into civilization.
But it seems George had a lot to say.
“No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t look like a mine.”
“Thinking is free, but unfortunately this is a land of foreigners.”
“… … A different race?”
George continued, tracing the knowledge of the alien race that had only been told in legends.
“I heard among scholars that this race was wiped out from the continent… … .”
“It is only in the realm of conjecture. The knowledge that humans possess is ultimately limited to what they see and hear. There are no exceptions.”
“… … And His Highness the First Prince found such a thing.”
The guy’s questioning gaze is fixed on the back of my head.
It was a roundabout way of asking how I knew that, but I didn’t feel the need to explain and remained silent.
That in itself was a difficult story to explain why I came to the North.
at that time.
thud!
A hammer flew in from somewhere and struck George’s feet.
At the same time, Roder drew his sword, but George paid no attention and just cleaved it.
“Is this what it means to be calm?”
“That’s not it.”
George looked curiously at the dusty ground beneath my feet.
It was not a long hammer, but a metallurgical hammer with a head over a span long.
“……her.”
If we had been just a little closer, something so great that even the slightest bump in the foot would have been considered cute.
George, who had been tapping the hammer like that, turned his head toward the direction where the hammer had been given to him.
“Humans! What are you doing in this land!”
“… … Dwarf?”
I washed my eyes and checked again, but there was no difference.
Short men with wide torsos, holding hammers the size of their heads in one hand… …were clearly dwarves, the kind that only appear in legends.
And it wasn’t an illustration, it was a real dwarf.
