A true sword that was once capable of drawing great power. If learned properly, it could become a true Tenness sword. Instead of being a shameful warrior who borrows the power of magic tools, I would be able to hold the sword of a great knight.
-You might be able to reawaken this forgotten power.
My father expected that. And Russ didn’t want to disappoint those expectations.
However, it was a path that could never be reached by just cutting down. No matter how much I tried to find my way again and again, no matter how much I swung the sword again and again, the fragments of the sword that had already disappeared could not resurface.
“Aaaah!”
In the end, Russ threw down his sword and let out a scream. She was so frustrated that her heart felt like it was going to explode.
☆ ☆ ☆
On the second floor of a gray brick building, Eussus was looking out in silence through a window covered with dry ivy.
As the sun set and the back garden became cold, I could see Russ concentrating on his training in the corner. Eusus frowned.
“joy… … .”
There was no hatred, contempt, or any other light in Yussus’s eyes as he looked at his half-brother.
His father, Paul Tenes, had a cold personality. Whether dealing with him himself or with his mother, the Countess of Tenes, he always showed a businesslike and cold demeanor.
When I was young, I didn’t think it was that strange. She just thought that she was a military person and had a cold personality. Although it broke her heart to see her mother cry secretly every night, it did not go to the extent of hating her father.
He started hating his father 15 years ago, right after his mother died, when he heard that he had a half-brother.
Even among nobles, there is no family that does not have at least one or two illegitimate children. Therefore, there was little surprise about the presence of a half-brother. However, the expression on his father’s face when he met his younger brother was surprising.
It wasn’t his usual cold expression. Count Tenes, looking at Russ, had a truly ‘fatherly’ expression, full of affection and love. And the way he looked when he brought his mother into the family was enough to make the author doubt whether he was really the father he knew.
Then I realized.
My father actually doesn’t have a cold personality. That he only looked like that when dealing with himself and his mother, the Countess of Tenes. He originally had a passionate personality, so much so that he even attempted to lead Russ’s mother, Eiri and Yavan, when he was young. In the end, he failed and even after marrying his mother through an arranged marriage, he secretly came to see her whenever he had the chance.
My father didn’t love my mother. His father loved only one woman in his life.
His father didn’t love him. All his father loved was the child he had with the woman he truly cared about.
As the heir of the family, he was destined to eventually break up with his lover and enter into an arranged marriage. If an outsider were to see it, they would sympathize with his father. It may seem like a beautiful and sad love story.
However, in the story, the joys and sorrows of Bonbon-in and his children are completely ignored. Her mother tried to love her father, even if the marriage was only a result of her family’s covenant. As her wife, she lived a shameless life as the countess’s mistress.
‘The price you pay is to bring a wild dog like that into the house as soon as your mother dies, father!’
Yusus clenched his fists without realizing it. Just thinking about her dead mother and the lowly woman who took her place fills me with anger.
As soon as her mother passed away, her father brought Eiri to the count’s house. And even his son. Even though he was his illegitimate son, he recognized him as his official son, and even committed the unprecedented act of denouncing him with the title of knight despite the opposition of his family. Just for this event, I was forced to join the ruins exploration team even though everyone was against it. No matter how much he loves her, her behavior is not overly aristocratic.
Eussus’s eyes, which were looking down at Russ, who was truly a thorn in his eye, suddenly became cold.
The perfect trajectory of Russ’ downward slash was clearly visible to the swordsman.
It was a smooth yet sharp movement that seemed to cut through space, a slash so perfect that it was still scary to look at. Eusus bit his lip.
“also… … .”
It’s not like he didn’t learn how to cut down. As he was the heir to the Count of Tenes, he could not ignore the one remaining sword. But he couldn’t draw such a perfect trajectory.
“That kid… … .”
Of course, Yussus did not practice the downward slash properly. He was the successor to Eldrad, so he devoted all his energy to learning the art of using barding. Rather than focusing on the swordsmanship of a family that has already become trash, it is better for the family to acquire solid military power.
However, even if I tried, I am not at all confident that I would be able to show such inaction.
“Genius… … .”
Russ, who only knows one slash, was able to reach a considerable level with his other moves as well. Even movements and breathing methods that had nothing to do with slashing were created solely with one’s own talent and thrown away. Of course, it was far short of the power of a downward slash, but it was not at a level where it could be disparaged as nothing special. In fact, that level alone was not inferior to the swordsmanship of most vassals.
‘I can’t believe I did that even though I didn’t learn anything… … .’
If you teach the world one thing, if you call someone who knows ten things a genius.
What should we call someone who knows ten things without being taught a single thing?
Russ was that kind of guy.
That kid is so talented that even the word genius is not enough. No matter how much Yusus hated Russ, he couldn’t deny it.
‘… … That’s why the father clings even more to that child.’
When it comes to the golden knight of grime, he is often looked at in awe wherever he goes. As a magic swordsman who handles Eldrad, he is confident that he will not be defeated even if he engages in a sword fight with quite a few Auror users. He worked hard and was rewarded with strength for his efforts.
But still, there was a feeling stuck in the back of my mind like a wedge.
‘After all, a magic swordsman is just a magic swordsman.’
The laymen feared him, but none of the truly powerful acknowledged him. Although he praised it on the outside, he scoffed at it behind the scenes, saying it was just the power of a magic tool. It wasn’t that Yusus didn’t know that fact. A shameless knight who touts the power of magic tools as his own. This is the title behind the famous Golden Knight of Grime.
And this was also a long-standing concern of the Count Tenes family. To Count Tenes, who lived in such invisible contempt, Russ’s talent must have seemed like a ray of light. If that is the intention, his father’s attitude is not completely incomprehensible.
‘Yes, I guess.’
Even if I understood it, it didn’t mean I approved it. Eussus snorted his laughter. I knew what to expect, but realistically Russ was just a knight who mastered one skill.
‘No matter how outstanding your talent is, it is meaningless if the circumstances do not support it. ‘Isn’t the environment also one of your talents?’
In that sense, it cannot be said that Eusus, who can inherit Barding Eldrad, is less talented than Russ. Realistically, Eussus could cut off Russ’ head in 3 seconds. Of course, some people may question whether it is only when Eldrad is present, but then Russ will only show his skills when there is a sword, so it is a long-wavelength blood.
Yuseus’s opinion was that if a swordsman with excellent sword handling skills was recognized as a warrior, it would also be contradictory for a magic swordsman with excellent sword handling skills to not be a martial arts swordsman.
‘Hmm, now is not the time to worry about useless things.’
Eusus tried to ignore Russ. And he tried not to care anymore.
There was still a lot of work to do. The relics obtained from the ruins had to be sorted out and a plan had to be drawn up to return compensation equally to the members of the Knights Templar. Cleaning up the remains of those who died within the ruins is also an important issue. He is the leader of the Knights of Tenness. The world is not so simple that he can just swing his sword without thinking.
“He’s not worth worrying about. He doesn’t need to waste his mental energy for no reason.”
Eusus turned away from the window. But his ears still couldn’t shake the song of the blade cutting through the wind.
☆ ☆ ☆
Deep at night, a shadow was running in the darkness of a dense forest. She was a sturdy man dressed entirely in black and even had a mask on her face, looking very suspicious to anyone.
It jumps over steep mountain ridges as easily as a mountain goat, and easily traverses a forest where you can’t even see your feet. The man who had been running for a while stood on a rock for a moment and caught his breath. Then he touched his mask and muttered.
“I was born again and tried all sorts of things. “Woldam with a hood on.”
The masked man, Reppenhardt, smiled bitterly. Now he was heading to Kelbern Castle under the cover of night.
Leppenhardt and his party stayed for a day in Gehaln Village and headed straight to Kelbern Castle the next morning. Viscount Kelbern’s territory, where the castle was located, was approximately a day’s drive from Gehaln Village. As we entered the village below the castle, the sun was already setting.
After finding a suitable inn, Reppenhardt immediately obtained information. It was unusual for knights from the royal capital to visit such a country estate, so the innkeeper knew quite well about the activities of the Count Grime family.
Well, even if it is dynamic, it does not mean great information such as the number of people or personal details of the other party. I heard that a noble knight came to the Viscount’s castle. I heard that those precious knights and the Viscount had a great adventure. And it is said that he returned with a mountain of treasure. I’m sure you’re having a fun party with those knights at the Viscount’s castle, right? It was just word of mouth with no information at all.
But that was enough for Leffenhardt. All he needed to know was that the relic, the Voice of Eleusion, was still in Kelbern Castle.
After a quick dinner, Reppenhardt went straight to a clothing store and purchased a black outfit. Black clothing is essential if you are in a situation where you are secretly climbing over a fence at night. I was a thief and I wasn’t one to show my face, so I needed a mask.
Of course, no clothing store in the world would sell masks if they were in their right mind. So I bought some black fabric, made a hole, sewed it, and made one.
Instead of feeling the knot on his mask, Reppenhardt suddenly burst into laughter.
——————
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“Now that I think about it, these are the first clothes Siris made for me in this life.”
Although she claims to be a female swordsman, a slayer is ultimately a female slave serving a man. Of course, general housekeeping skills are also taught along with swordsmanship.
So, Siris in her previous life was good at cooking and sewing. In her free time, she would make Reppenhardt’s clothes by knitting or embroidering her own scarves. She was very talented and had many nice clothes. As expected, the craftsmanship has remained the same even now, as the masked knots were exquisitely sewn, stitch by stitch.
‘Tsk, I made it well… … .’
Leffenhardt sighed. It’s a very depressing story that the first piece of clothing (?) made by one’s lover was a mask for stealing.
Anyway, after completing the preparations, Reppenhardt left the inn alone. Siris and Silan were made to wait at the inn. No matter how much he understood, he was not so stoic that he asked a priest to directly participate in the theft. In addition, although the Priest is very helpful in terms of combat, he is only an obstacle when you need to act secretly, like now.
Siris was left behind to guard Cilan. Originally, the Priest was good at raising the combat power of others, but he himself was illiterate in combat. There was also a case in the Principality of Chatan, so it was necessary to prepare for just such an emergency.
Moreover, no matter how convincingly he disguised it as a lie, Leffenhardt himself knows best that what he is doing is theft. No matter how much one’s previous life may have been lost, it is an undeniable truth that the current rightful owners of Eleusion’s voice are the Count Grime family. He was so shameless that he didn’t feel like bringing Siris with him.
‘Ah, how did it get so twisted? Tsk.’
Reppenhardt clicked his tongue and continued running through the forest. While running at high speed through the forest, he suddenly raised his head and looked beyond the branches.
“Huh, it’s starting to show.”
Between the branches, a gray castle was revealed in the dark. The destination was Kelbern Castle.
Kelbern Castle is a three-tiered castle built on a cliff along the Yaham River, which flows down from the Settelad Mountains. It was structured with a watchtower and an outer castle to prevent invasion by foreign enemies, an inner castle where slaves and servants lived, and a tower and old castle, the viscount’s residence, in the center.
The back of the castle was a cliff next to a river, and the front was surrounded by the forest he had passed through. There was only one gate leading to the castle, and it was built on a single, high road, and even had a drawbridge in front of it. If you want to break down the gate to attack this castle, you will never be able to send many troops up that narrow road. It is a very thorough defense structure.
Reppenhardt clicked his tongue as he inspected the castle.
‘No, why is a country lord’s castle so grand?’
Certainly, the Viscounty of Kelvern is neither a military stronghold nor a center of trade. Of course, it would be necessary to fortify the castle to block monsters near the Setelad Mountains, but this was still too much.
Puzzled, he continued to look at the structure of the castle and soon realized the reason.
“This is the work of the dwarves.”
It was not humans who built this castle, but dwarves. It was clearly visible by looking at the structure of the castle walls and the location of the watchtowers. If you use dwarf slaves, you can build a much superior building at a much lower price than if you use humans, so it is understandable why the castle of this country lord is so grand.
‘I heard that Viscount Kelvern was a person who established himself in the mining industry… … .’
In today’s era, it was common sense to use dwarven slaves to carry out mining. Compared to humans, dwarves are stronger than humans – they are not affected by dust at all – they have superior strength and stamina, and they can instinctively read the grain of stone. It could be said that dwarves are a race specialized in mining and construction.
In simple open pit mines, human miners may be used to mine, but if digging underground is required, the productivity of the dwarves cannot be matched. For that reason, Viscount Kelbern also had a large number of dwarven slaves, and it appears that he made full use of those slave labor when building this castle.
‘No matter what, it won’t be easy to infiltrate.’
Hiding in the shadow of the bushes, Reppenhardt kept rolling his eyes. Two human soldiers stand guard in front of the castle gate, and three troops patrol the top of the castle wall. Bonfires were lit throughout the walls to ensure maximum visibility.
It was a strict security reminiscent of a wartime. Apparently, they had ordered to be on special alert because they were carrying a lot of valuable relics from the Silver Age.
‘Well, it’s all within the expected range.’
With a secret smile, Reppenhardt sensed the presence around him with his senses. The moment the troops above the castle wall passed by, he jumped out from the shadow of the bushes and crossed the clearing beneath the castle wall.
Crack, clap, clap!
With just three movements of his feet, Reppenhardt was able to move straight to the dark shadow beneath the watchtower. Even as the large man passed through the illuminated area, no one noticed.
Common sense tells us that if a guard is standing there and a patrolman approaches, the security can only be strengthened and not delayed.
But there was a loophole there. No matter how sincerely you are on alert, as you are a human being, if someone approaches you, your attention is bound to be focused on that direction. Even if you know it’s an ally.
When the patrolman and the guard paid attention to each other for just a moment, Reppenhardt took advantage of that moment. An Auror’s formidable sensory ability goes beyond simply sensing presence, and can even sense the other person’s mental state to some extent. Normally, it is used to detect the heartbeat or inaction of an unmanned person, but he immediately recognized the moment when the guards’ awareness was momentarily interrupted and moved.
Of course, since Reppenhardt had not specialized in stealing, there were natural footsteps. One of the guards who was greeting the patrolman at night looked down the castle wall in confusion.
“huh? what?”
But by then, Reppenhardt had already hidden himself in the shadows. It was the moment when the guard tilted his head and turned his back to go back to his original position.
Whick!
A black shadow flew up the castle wall along with the sound of the wind.
“… … uh? “Kek!”
Before he had time to be surprised, a strong shock hit the back of the guard’s neck. Just like that, the guard collapses. The patrolmen were about to blow their whistles when they were taken aback by the sight of a strange man who suddenly appeared on the castle wall.
“sorry!”
With his apology, Reppenhardt threw left and right fists repeatedly. Golden auras were fired one after another, striking three patrolmen and one remaining guard. All four of us fainted at that moment, unable to do anything.
As soon as the security was taken care of, Reppenhardt quickly crouched down and looked in all directions.
‘Has anyone seen it?’
His fists are literally weapons, and it is more certain for non-lethal purposes to use a low-power bullet rather than a clumsy punch. That’s why I used it, but the surprise bombs are so bright that they are not suitable for covert actions.
Of course, Leffenhardt was not completely thoughtless. Currently, bonfires were burning at 10-meter intervals to keep the walls of Kelbern on high alert. It was judged that at this level of light, even an ambush bomb would not be noticeable.
Fortunately, everything was quiet. It seemed like he wasn’t caught.
‘Beginner’s luck.’
Reppenhardt heaved a sigh of relief and hurried on.
They stick the guards’ spears into the ground and place the unconscious people there like scarecrows. This was done to make it look like they were standing guard from afar.
After processing the surroundings, I looked inside the outer castle. Bonfires were lit here and there and it was quite bright, but it didn’t feel like it was popular.
