Chapter 57: The King’s Sword

It was a banquet lacking in excitement, as the guests simply digested the sake and food that was brought to them in silence.

They have hated and killed each other for more than ten years. Just because there was a truce, it didn’t mean that they would suddenly stand shoulder to shoulder and become good friends.

Still, as a social call to arms.

“From now on, let’s work together.”

“I now have a reliable ally.”

It would have been nice if I could just say something like that, but Cassandros, the king of the Coalition nation, was somewhat preoccupied, and the conversation did not continue well.

The second prince Arsames tried to talk to King Rathbald in order to liven things up, but he only gave a half-hearted reply. On the contrary, he even made a troubled face, so he decided to give up early.

He wanted to build a connection with someone he could talk to, even if it wasn’t a friend, but being branded as someone who can’t read the atmosphere would have the opposite effect.

A banquet that costs a lot of money and no one enjoys. The only thing that interrupts the band’s performance is not a chorus of voices but sighs.

I want to go home as soon as possible. Only on this one point were their hearts united..

In the doorway of the large tent, the thick cloth opened with both hands, a knight of the Coalition entered and knelt in front of the two kings.

“Your Majesty, the sword is complete.”

“Success!?”

Cassandros’ face lit up so brightly that you would wonder what his previous grumpiness was all about.

For Rathbald, it was a complicated feeling. It was like being told that talking to you is boring, but you are welcome to talk about swords.

It’s a bad analogy, but would you feel this way if someone cheated on you right in front of you?

“So what kind of sword is it?”

“I am sorry, Your Majesty. My head is at a loss for words other than ‘exquisite’.”

The knight said proudly. It is a great honor for a knight to deliver good news to his lord.

“It’s okay. A man like you shouldn’t change jobs to a poet.”

“Is it okay to call forth the three craftsmen?”

“Yes, let him through at once. Let me have my sword.”

The knight left the tent quickly, yet without making a speck of dust.

“King Cassandros, those artisans are my vassals.”

Beowulf  very much anticipated this. He was telling him not to take the reigns. It may seem like a small thing, but if I don’t say it here, it will mean that he can do it again next time. He might even start telling the soldiers and knights to do this or that.

“Oh, I am sorry. King Rathbald’s entourage is a loyal one.”

He apologized, even if only formally, though he did not express the slightest remorse. Then there is nothing more to say from Beowulf.

The craftsmen came quickly, perhaps waiting at the doorway. Gerhard, with a sword raised in both hands, led the way, flanked on either side by Lutz and Patrick.

Gerhard knelt down and they followed. They had no idea how to behave in front of the king. They decided to leave it completely up to Gerhard.

“I present it to His Majesty as a token of peace.”

Gerhard said, and a knight of the coalition entered to relay the message and received the sword before handing it to Cassandros.

Cassandros drew his sword slightly with a curious expression. A pale, warm light leaked out. The blade of the sword is often described as shining, but this is not reflecting light, but shining by itself.

He couldn’t take it anymore. Cassandros pulled out his sword with such anticipation and excitement that he felt as if he were taking off his pants in front of a beautiful woman, to use a crude metaphor.

Light filled the dimly lit tent. The thick blade of the sword radiated a translucent beauty. It was not only beautiful and shiny, but it seemed to fill the whole body with power just by holding it.

In contrast to Cassandros, who was fascinated by the sword, Arsames was unhappy. He had been forced to go along with the farce of enchanting magic on the day of the event, but he had succeeded, and his father was fascinated by the sword.

It was unpleasant, it was the height of unpleasantness. I feel like my diplomatic ability was completely denied in front of me. If they had failed, I could have laughed at his kingdom and brought back four of their famous swords as souvenirs.

“I wonder if this is really a five-letter light attribute. If you just increase the number of characters and it’s not full of magic, it’s just a counterfeit.”

He just had to say that.

Gerhard seemed a little pissed off that their frantic work was being denied. Gerhard stood up with a gust of wind and exclaimed with his chest out.

“If you don’t like it, you are welcome to use us right here and now as a test for your sword! See for yourself the sharpness of this one-of-a-kind sword!”

The nobles were overwhelmed by the power of the old craftsman.

The two craftsmen standing behind

……Don’t get us involved without permission.

And they turned a resentful look at Gerhard.

In the confusion and silence, it was Cassandros who made the first move.

“Stop it, Arsames. One must humble oneself in the presence of art.”

“Ha…”

The king had accepted the sword as an art, so there was no more fuss. A sense of defeat weighed down Arsames’ shoulders. Moreover, he was stabbed to death by his father.

“I would like to swing this sword. May I please step out for a moment?”

“Then I will join you.”

King Cassandros asked, and King Rathbald nodded.

While everyone was leaving the tent with anticipation and curiosity, only Arsames’s neat face was contorted in humiliation.

Soldiers and aristocrats gathered and watched from a distance as the king performed a sword dance. Approximately half of the 5,000 people, excluding the soldiers who cannot leave their posts, are watching the king.

Cassandros was unfazed and slowly drew his sword and held it in the upper stance.

“Mnh!”

It was a sharp swing down. The light trails off, fades to a blur and disappears. A slash, a horizontal cleave. One after another, he performed his techniques fluidly, and each time he did so, a line of light was drawn, creating a fantastic spectacle.

“Not good……”

Gerhard mutters bitterly. Lutz looked at him accusingly, wondering what he would say in this situation.

“If we fight, I might lose.”

“…… If the sword we all made made him stronger, then so be it.”

“It’s a complicated state of mind. As an enchanter, I’m happy that he’s happy, but as a former adventurer, I wanted him to be just barely weaker than me.”

He’s a troublesome old man.

Lutz pretended not to hear Gerhardt’s murmurs and returned his gaze to the sword dance.

After the sword dance was over, Cassandros returned his sword to its sheath, feeling pleasantly tired. He felt as if heaven, earth, and himself had become one, a feeling that cannot be expressed in the word “wonderful”.

The eye of the High King is indeed breathing in the sword. No, that jewel existed for this day. To be combined with the famous sword and be reborn.

A miraculous trail created by a brilliant stone. A fusion of power and light, this is the sword of champions. It is the proof of the authority that he has never stopped desiring.

There was no applause. They didn’t think it was appropriate for this place.

Instead, one of the leading knights knelt down. Seeing this, the knights of the coalition knelt in unison, and the soldiers knelt in unison, again recognizing Cassandros as king and pledging allegiance to him.

Some of the kingdom soldiers even fell to their knees together with them, whether they were carried away by the atmosphere or whether they truly sensed the presence of a true champion in Cassandros.

That sword gives power and confidence to its wielder. Its majestic appearance fascinated all who saw it.

It was a miraculous spectacle that could be engraved as a passage in mythology.

Excited soldiers. The aristocrats of the kingdom who are anxious. The three idiots innocently rejoicing that they have created something good.

Amidst all the various speculations, Claudia was the only one who remained calm, her gaze fixed on a single knight.

The first man who broke his knee was that inspector who was directed by the coalition.

It is certain that everyone’s hearts were filled with emotion at the encounter between the wonderful sword and the king. However, wasn’t he guided by where to direct that excitement and how to express it?

“Oh, scary scary…”

Claudia muttered like it was someone else’s problem.

I have no intention of speaking to anyone about this matter. What should I do to protect Lutz? Her only concern was whether she should be closer to King Cassandros or farther away.

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