Chapter 147: Entrance to the Royal Capital (1) (2/2)
‘Escorting missions are typically a bit hard.’
Jude himself had several unpleasant memories related to escorting during his time as Kang Jin-ho.
So Jude understood Sir Cornwell’s burden and harshness.
“I merely did my duty as a noble of the Sälen Kingdom.”
Sir Cornwell had a small smile again when Jude bowed and spoke politely.
“You’re truly an ideal knight. As expected of the son from the prestigious Bayer family.”
The son of Count Bayer, the Sword General.
Sir Cornwell didn’t show it much, but he actually had a fairly good impression of Count Bayer.
After all, Count Bayer was a famous swordsman who had protected the north for many years.
“As Her Highness said, we would like you to visit Duke Spencer. The duke will surely welcome you and Lady Cordelia.”
“Yes, we’ll definitely visit after dropping by the royal capital.”
Duke Spencer owned a mansion in the royal capital as he was one of the great nobles in the kingdom, but he usually stayed at his main home outside the royal capital because of his illness.
Because Jude and Cordelia had already told Princess Darianne and her group that they would go their separate ways once they had entered the royal capital.
‘That’s probably why he’s being honest to me now.’
They were going to part ways soon.
Since they would no longer be traveling together, he was genuinely treating Jude as one of the duke’s benefactors.
“And…I would like to tell your story to Rhun.”
“Are you talking about…the First Sword?”
Sir Cornwell slowly nodded at Jude asking him again.
“I haven’t seen you fight in person…but I have a good eye too. I can tell that your talent for martial arts is above average just by looking at you.”
It was actually one of the reasons why Cornwell continued to show a harsh attitude towards Jude.
‘Too strong.’
As he said himself, he did not know how good Jude’s martial arts talent was, but one fact was at least clear to him.
If Jude became an enemy, he was the only one in the group who could stop Jude.
The other knights wouldn’t be able to stop Jude.
But they were parting ways now.
So Sir Cornwell was able to see the strength of Jude in a pure manner.
“Rhun had said to me. He saw people with monstrous talents in the Empire.”
Children with monstrous talents.
They were sword monsters who were in their late teens and early twenties at most, and might be close or even at the level of the Ten Swordmasters in the next few years.
“Rhun was worried about the future after they grow up…and if they would really become monsters.”
The Sälen Kingdom was a powerful country.
The Argon Empire was the country with the largest territory on the continent.
Naturally, a war between two such countries would likely be a huge fight, to the point that tens of thousands of people being mobilized would just be a trivial number.
Nevertheless, having strong knights were a way to show one’s might.
‘Because superhumans exist in Pleiades.’
The Ten Swordmasters were not military commanders.
They were tactical weapons on the battlefield.
Therefore, the existence of tactical weapons that could subdue other countries’ tactical weapons was important.
‘Maximilian and Leon.’
Perhaps they were the children in the empire that Rhun Froud, the Sword Saint of Light, was wary of.
Both were playable characters, and Maximilian was the main character born with cheat talents.
“Of course, we have many prospects in the Sälen Kingdom. I’ve heard that Count Hræsvelgr’s successor is an outstanding young man. But…I still have a human heart. I can’t help but be anxious too after hearing Rhun’s story, but seeing you has made me feel relieved.”
If there was Maximilian in the empire, then there was Jude in the kingdom.
Even Jude slightly blushed at his strong comparison, and Sir Cornwell warmly smiled.
“Rhun will also be interested in hearing your story. Perhaps he’ll come to see you.”
His words were something Jude could not have imagined.
He would then have a point of contact with the First Sword Rhun Froud, the Sword Saint of Light.
“Thank you for your kind words.”
“I can’t help but admit that you’re good.”
Because Jude was a truly upright young man who was born with an outstanding talent.
“I look forward to seeing you again at the duke’s estate.”
“Yes, I look forward to that day too.”
Sir Cornwell was pleased when Jude bowed again, and he patted Jude on the shoulder several times before he lightly turned around.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Sir Cornwell.”
Sir Cornwell quickly reverted to his harsh expression again because he returned to his escort duty, but Jude could see and feel that it was different from before.
***
“Orabeoni! Unnie! I’ll wait for you at the duke’s estate! You must come! By all means!”
“Yes, Your Highness. We’ll definitely visit you.”
“We’ll be there soon.”
She had already said goodbye several times, but Princess Darianne continued to wave her hands and stuck her face out of the carriage window as if she felt that it was still lacking.
Naturally, Sir Cornwell said that it was dangerous and struggled hard to stop Princess Darianne.
“It must be hard.”
“Huh? Sir Cornwell?”
“Yes, Sir Cornwell.”
Jude quietly laughed and Cordelia tilted her head once before she quickly hugged Jude’s arm and asked.
“Jude, Jude.”
“Yes, Princess.”
“What did the two of you talk about?”
“Something good.”
“Ohmigosh, was that it? Did you talk about the detonating cord?”
“…We talked about Rhun Froud.”
“The Sword Saint of Light?”
“Yes, the First Sword.”
When Jude briefly explained his conversation with Sir Cornwell, Cordelia clapped her hands.
“That’s great! It feels like the heavens are helping us, right?”
She didn’t expect the harsh Sir Cornwell to have thought of them that way.
Moreover, it was a plus for them to have Sir Cornwell connect them to Rhun Froud.
“Let’s sort it out now that we’re talking about it.”
“You mean, what we are going to do in the royal capital?”
Jude nodded at Cordelia’s question and took a deep breath.
The massacre of the royal family was one of the two events that destroyed the Sälen Kingdom.
“The process itself is simple. The purpose of our enemies is to cut off the sacred blood that has been inherited by the Sälen royal family. They will carry out their plan on the 300th anniversary celebration of the founding of the country where all the royal family members will gather, so that they could kill off everyone.”
“The Devil’s Hand is the mastermind.”
“Their wish is to weaken the guardian of the royal capital through the severance of the royal family’s sacred blood.”
Deep inside the royal capital of the Sälen Kingdom, there was a powerful guardian who suppressed the power of the demons.
Due to the presence of a powerful guardian who protected not only the royal capital but also the surrounding areas, the demon followers could not summon demons nor create demonic humans in the capital.
“But what they really want is not just the destruction of the guardian.”
“Claíomh Solais, the divine sword that is the main body of the guardian.”
A heavenly weapon used by the sun god Solari.
“In the game, the divine sword was stolen by the demon followers.”
“A long story unfolds for the player in order to retrieve the stolen divine sword.”
But if it didn’t get stolen from the beginning.
No, if they couldn’t do anything to the guardian itself in the first place.
“We have around a month or so before the founding ball is held.”
“We’ll be preparing in advance during that time, right?”
“That’s right, we have to make our side stand against them, and most of all, we have to make the royal family trust us.”
So that they would listen to the two when an emergency happens.
So that the two could approach and be close enough in order to protect the royal family.
“There’ll be a lot of big shots in this battle on the royal capital.”
“Because my father and your father will also be coming now.”
Count Chase and Count Bayer.
It wasn’t just the two counts.
It was an extravagant event where numerous names would appear, such as the Lord Protector, the other Ten Swordmasters, the commanders of the Royal Guard Magic Corps, and so on.
So it would be a little different from their fight in the wild lands.
They needed a tactic to block the other side’s hand with their hand as if they were playing chess.
“Again, you’re making a wicked expression again.”
“No, it’s not? It’s an expression I have when I feel it’s fun, okay?”
At Jude’s counterargument, Cordelia clicked her tongue before she naturally got on Jude’s back.
“Anyway, let’s go. The royal capital is waiting for us.”
“We’re not looking for a carriage?”
“My horse is faster, right?”
“You’re right.”
Jude nodded his head and adjusted Cordelia’s position on his back before he flew towards a sparse forest. Even though she was his fiancée, it would be bad if a rumor spread that he ran with her on his back.
And an hour or so later.
Jude and Cordelia arrived at the south gate of the royal capital and met some familiar faces.
***
“You ran away again, again, and again!”
“Owww! U-unnie, it’s not like that!”