Chapter 236: The Man Called the Grim Reaper

Breaking the wax seal, the man scanned the letter of introduction. He was Leonard, the commander of the newly established Thirteenth Knight Order, a subordinate of the Royal Capital Knight Order.

He appeared to be in his early thirties. He was quite young for the position of commander. He had achieved great success on the battlefield and had been given his current position as a reward.

Among the twelve existing knight orders, rather than inheriting someone else’s position, the fact that a new order had to be established indicated the delicacy of his situation.

Since it would be rude to stare, Lutz glanced at Leonard’s face hesitantly. He had a handsome face, to say the least.

However, there was an aura of gloominess about him. A pervasive dark atmosphere seemed to shroud him.

…Surely, he isn’t called the Grim Reaper because of his gloomy personality.

A foolish thought crossed Lutz’s mind.

But he couldn’t directly ask Leonard about his title.

When a soldier is called a reaper, it means he’s the bravest one who has taken the most lives on the battlefield, but it also implies a certain distance from allies. Lutz felt there was something he shouldn’t casually touch upon in Leonard’s somber expression.

After finishing reading the letter of introduction from Marquis Eldenburger, Leonard silently rolled up the parchment.

“…I hear you’re willing to listen to requests.”

“I’ll do my best within reason.”

Lutz set up a precautionary line. Saying he would do anything in front of nobles would only lead to ruin. Leonard grumbled lowly and began to contemplate again.

“May I speak abstractly?”

“Just conveying the image would be helpful.”

“I want a sword that will adorn my death.”

“…Pardon?”

Lutz inadvertently made a strange noise. The requests from the two he had met before were somewhat unclear, but this time, it was genuinely incomprehensible.

Perhaps aware that he was saying something strange, Leonard didn’t reprimand Lutz’s rudeness and continued calmly.

“I’ve taken many lives. Enemies, allies… Many have come after me seeking revenge, and they will continue to do so. I consider it my fate to be eventually killed by one of them.”

“Even if you’ve killed people, it’s all on the battlefield, right?”

“How much can you hide your sins behind the words ‘because it’s war’?”

“That’s…”

“Because it’s war, it’s okay to kill people. Because it’s war, there’s no other way. Who decides that, and who allows it? At least not God. Those who claim to speak for God are only inciting war.”

With a sigh that seemed to sap one’s spirits just by watching, Leonard exhaled deeply.

Dark. This man’s atmosphere is incredibly dark indeed. But Lutz didn’t harbor a negative impression of him. Even though he’s called the Grim Reaper, he’s not someone who enjoys killing. If anything, perhaps he’s called the Grim Reaper because he faces death so deeply.

“Someday, someone will come to seek revenge on me. At that time, I don’t want them to be disappointed.”

“Disappointed?”

“I don’t want my comrades to be disappointed, thinking, ‘Is this all it took to kill him?’ On the contrary, I want them to understand, ‘If such a man was slain, then it was right.’ That’s why I want to resist with all my might if I’m attacked, and I want to have good equipment. It would be the best scenario if the avenger picked up the sword after killing me and carried it as a trophy. Do you understand?”

“I don’t understand.”

While Lutz had answered “I understand” to the other two, he couldn’t follow Leonard’s unique perspective this time.

Leonard murmured, “I see,” sounding slightly disappointed.

“Well then, let’s summarize the conversation. Your request is for a sword suitable for adorning the final moments of a knight, a sword that the person who defeats you would want to use as it is. Is that correct?”

“It’s become quite abstract, hasn’t it?”

“I’ll give it a try. Even if I only have a vague image, it’s much easier than forging without any idea. This conversation was very meaningful; thank you very much.”

“I see. If it was helpful, then that’s good.”

Expressing his gratitude, Lutz left the room, but he couldn’t shake off the vague feeling of uncertainty about Leonard’s sword.

When he left the castle, the sun had already set.

Meeting up with Claudia at the inn, she sat on the bed without saying a word, while Lutz lay down with his head on her lap.

“I hate it… I hate talking to important people…”

Lutz uttered a pitiful voice. While Lutz didn’t mind physical exhaustion like carrying iron sand or swinging a hammer all night, he was extremely weak when it came to the mental exhaustion of talking to important people.

“I’ve been thinking all along that if Claudia were by my side, I’d feel better.”

“But you know, Lutz, I don’t really understand anything about blacksmithing, so I don’t think I would be of much help.”

“Just having you, who’s used to negotiation, by my side made me feel so much more at ease. I may have forgotten, but until recently, I was just a shady blacksmith working outside the city walls.”

“I was just a penniless peddler until recently…”

Looking back, the two of them nodded lightly.

“So, Lutz, did your conversation with them go well?”

“Yeah, it was worth coming all this way. It’s important to investigate the physique of the person who will use the sword and ask about its main usage if you’re going to make a sword tailored to each individual. The requests from the Royal Guards and the Fourth Knights were completely opposite.”

“Just handing them over with a simple greeting might not have been well received.”

“Exactly. …Well, actually, there’s still some uncertainty lingering. There’s one person whose image is still hard to grasp.”

Lutz talked about Leonard, the commander of the Thirteenth Knight Order, who was called the Grim Reaper. Claudia also had a somewhat incomprehensible expression.

Wanting to resist to die and wanting to give a sword to the person who killed oneself. It’s a story that’s somewhat understandable yet not quite comprehensible.

“So, here’s a proposal: since we still have time, why don’t we go to the village near the border?”

“The princess’s village?”

It was the village created by the Third Princess Listille to accommodate returning soldiers who had nowhere else to go.

Listille was very fond of Claudia, treating her like a real sister, and Claudia also adored her very much. She even lent her a thousand gold coins at a very low interest rate, showing her support.

“I thought we might be able to hear more about Leonard from those who participated in the war. What do you think?”

“That sounds good, really good. I have no objections.”

Perhaps there was also a hope that Lutz would create an opportunity for Claudia to meet the princess. Knowing that she would be evasive even if asked directly, Claudia just smiled and continued to stroke Lutz’s hair.

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