Kays Translations

Chapter 35: God's Invisible Hand

Jocel, with the knight-killer sword in front of him, folded his arms and groaned to himself.

Gerhard, a master of the art of enchantment, gave his apprentice a great sword as a gift, as he had promised for some time. He reminded him that he would not apply any spells, but that he would show him how to make the best sword with his own skill.

That in itself is good. If Gerhard had prepared everything, Jocel would have nothing to do. It was rather nice of him to set a goal for his training.

The question is, why did he hand over a sword with a dangerous name such as Knight Killer?

Jocel, who is both an apprentice spellcaster and an active high-ranking knight, understood the significance of the sword at first glance.

If this had been a great sword or a spear, it could have been called a weapon for killing enemy knights on the battlefield. But the knight killer was too short to be used on the battlefield, and too long to be used in a scuffle with the enemy to cut off his head. In other words, it was a sword to be wielded indoors.

What is a knight-killer to be used indoors? Is it for use in war, riding into an enemy castle?

No, no, no.

This sword was inscribed with a more definite malice and murderous intent. It is a sword of solemnity, namely, to kill a knight indoors.

"Why are you giving me this ......?"

I asked Gerhard about it.

"There is no deep meaning behind it. I gave it to you because it is a good sword. It's up to the owner to decide what meaning he wants to put on it and how he wants to handle it. I don't know."

And so on.  For Gerhard, the Knight Killer was a sword that had already been handed over to someone else. He was deliberately blunt about it, because talking about it too deeply would only make him regret it more.

He said he didn't know and wasn't interested, but his eyes were glancing toward Jocel's left hip. It was an appealing idea to walk around with two different swords, one made by his friend, the blacksmith Borvis, and the other by Lutz, the swordsmith, but it was a little heavy for the 65-year-old Gerhard. It would be extremely difficult to move around.

Also, his aesthetic sense as a craftsman did not allow him to take back a piece that he had intended to give to his apprentice because he felt it was too regrettable to do so.

What lay behind Gerhard's cold demeanor was a trivial matter once he learned about it, but Jocel was bothered in vain.

He was a serious man. And he had a bad habit of keeping to himself.

In the hands of a high-ranking knight, a sword with the name " knight-killer" had passed into his hands. He sensed the presence of the invisible hand of God there.

Is it a divine decree to purge the delinquent knights who are avenging the count's territory? No, if he did so, it would worsen the relationship between the low-ranking knights and the count and cause more trouble than it is worth.

He was so anxious not to miss the unheard voice of God that he lost three pounds in three days.

"Master, I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it? If you want to return the sword or something, I'll talk to you about it."

“No, I would like you to introduce me to the swordsmith Lutz. Thinking back, I have heard of his name many times, but I have never actually met him in person.”

"To Lutz. What are you going to do when you see him?"

As for Gerhard, he wanted Lutz's presence to be a card that only he could use, if possible. Even though the other party was his beloved apprentice, he would be a little wary if he was asked to meet with him.

“I want to hear. What is the true meaning of striking this sword and how should I move with it? I don't think Lutz has all the answers, but I think it could be a light to illuminate the path. ......"

"You mean it..."

Gerhard knew. Lutz only did so because it was easier for him to have a theme when he was striking an unfamiliar sword.

One might expect that Claudia, having been falsely accused by the Knights in the past, might have chosen the theme of killing knights as a way to vent her anger. There is no such thing as truth, truth, or God's will.

… and if I explained that to this idiot disciple, would he agree? He would nod his head, but I have a feeling that he would agonize over it. If he is not careful, he might go looking for them by himself. If that's the case, it would be more appropriate to give him a few pointers and then let him go.

"Okay. I'll tell you where Lutz lives. But before that, I have a few things to tell you."

"Yes."

“Lutz has a residence outside the city walls. And you have a way of looking down on people from the outside.”

"Such a thing..."

"Are you saying you don't have one? Hmph, don't underestimate the elderly."

"I'm sorry"

Jocel bowed his head in awe.

“I will leave it at that for now, since this is not the place to talk about my status. However, since you are going there on my introduction, I will not tolerate any disrespect to Mr. Lutz. You are not to treat him as an outsider, but as a nobleman. If you are disrespectful to Lutz and as a result cut a deal with him, I will have to give you a fair reward, and I will have to inform the Count to that effect. Be prepared for that."

Treat a lowlife who cannot even live within the walls as a nobleman. In this age of strong and severe class disparity, this is as outrageous as offering tea to a lickspittle. Jocel looked into his master's face, but his eyes were serious and not tinged with madness.

"Respect the craft, not the title. You will see a noble soul. You who are a knight of high rank and have cultivated an eye for truth, you can do it!"

"Ha-ha!"

For some reason, Jocel was overwhelmed with tears, and Gerhard told him about Lutz's residence and their personalities.

Gerhard looked away with eyes that seemed a little tired and troublesome as his apprentice bowed deeply, then clutched his knight killer tightly and ran off.

"He's a guy with a lot of assumptions... Well, no, I don't know anymore."

Gerhard whistled and began to take care of the sword he was wearing. Since he is busy loving the sword, let the young men do the rest on their own.

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