WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

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◈ Sword Master of the Fallen Kingdom

Chapter 46

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The Weight of Honor (3)

Kyle spoke calmly. Gerard stared straight into those black eyes and, for a moment, lost his words.

The last knight of the fallen Hailen.

The Knights of Ash had been disbanded, but until five years ago, they were still famed as the strongest knightly order on the continent in raw military power. Because of that, Gerard could not imagine Kyle losing. Still, he could not keep placing more burdens on his benefactor. That thought kept making Gerard hesitate.

"Why... why are you going this far?"

Gerard muttered in a trembling voice. Kyle was Gerard's benefactor, but the reverse was not true. Gerard had given Kyle many things, yes, but compared to what he had received, they were pitifully small.

It felt shameful. That was why he could not understand why Kyle, who could have simply walked away, was doing this much.

"You told me yesterday."

Kyle kept his eyes on Gerard as he spoke.

"You asked if I should try living an ordinary life, even now."

"If those words were presumptuous, then I apologize. I only hoped you would not walk the same path as an old friend of mine who died before his time..."

"I know. And I understand."

Kyle was alone now, but it had not always been that way. Before the Hailen Kingdom fell, there had been many people around him.

His second home, the one he had found after coming to this world. Winters were harsh there, but summers were mild. A place with a beautiful mountain range far away, piled high with eternal snow. A place where a cool wind always blew down the slopes.

And the people he could call family. Every one of them had truly cared for him. They had all been precious to him. Every memory was vivid enough to touch, as if it had happened yesterday. He could still recall each face clearly.

"That evening, I thought about many things. What I wanted, what I was trying to do."

"Ah..."

"An ordinary life. The happiness other people chase. It would be peaceful. For a moment, my heart was drawn to it."

But it was not what he pursued. It was a dream that could never come true. Everything precious had already been left behind in a distant past.

"I am a coward. I am a loser. That is why, this time, I will not run away."

"Not run away? From what?"

"From myself."

Kyle answered without a moment of hesitation.

"You asked why I am going this far."

"That..."

"This is my repayment to my senior from the same order, and to the one who stayed with me to the very end long ago. And above all, I am doing this for myself."

"..."

"This is the last time. I will cut everything off with this one act. Every lingering temptation that has been binding my feet, every last one."

For the past three years, Kyle had gone dull. The hand that held the sword had dulled, and so had the vengeance that once boiled in his chest.

Kyle had been merciless during the war. If it meant winning, he had used any method he could. But he had failed, and after being left alone to wander the continent, his body and mind were slowly worn down. He had done countless things that the Kyle of that war would never have done.

Was he afraid of revenge?

He was. The terror of losing everything after one defeat had been eating away at his subconscious before he even noticed. He pretended otherwise on the surface, but that was the truth. He had not even had the courage to point his blade at the Empire, so he kept rationalizing it by saying the time was not right.

Was he different now?

Kyle asked himself that question.

He was. He intended to cast everything aside and move forward. Even if nothing from that revenge remained, he would still go on. Even if it turned out to be the wrong path, no regret would remain.

"You..."

Gerard could not answer and trailed off. With a faint smile, Kyle passed by him. Gerard watched Kyle's back grow distant, then turned his gaze toward Kairon, his old friend and the Tower Master of Lenore. Kairon wore the same dark expression and squeezed his eyes shut as he shook his head. Unable to watch any longer, he walked down to the edge of the sparring ground himself.

"Marsen, must this really go this far?"

"Tower Master."

Kairon had come close enough to speak directly. His voice was thick with concern. Marsen bowed in courtesy. The other mages did the same.

Kairon looked around once, then spoke again.

"Withdraw the duel, even now. This is foolish."

"No."

As expected, Marsen refused. It was plain from his burning eyes alone.

"This concerns a noble's honor. No matter that this is outside the Magic Tower, a mere commoner drawing a sword near the main gate and pointing it at a noble?"

"..."

"And if people defend that commoner, it becomes even worse. This incident cannot be ignored. Even if he is the one who treated Elder Gerard, once a precedent is set, problems will follow. House Krabel's prestige has already been damaged."

"Marsen..."

"If any trouble comes, I will take responsibility."

"Can you swear you will not go back on those words?"

Marsen nodded without hesitation. Kairon swallowed a sigh and asked again.

"Have you chosen a witness?"

"Elder Roberto agreed to take it."

The council was made up of seven elders and one Tower Master. Roberto was the only neutral elder in the council. As if they had spoken in advance, Roberto could already be seen waiting not far away.

"No, I will take it."

"Tower Master?"

"It needs to be airtight, so there will be no loose talk afterward."

Marsen jerked in surprise and tried to speak, but Kairon had already turned away. Standing at the center edge of the sparring ground, he made a calm declaration.

"I will serve as witness for this duel. Does anyone object?"

No one stepped forward. Whispers rose from all sides for a brief moment, then the hundreds gathered around the massive sparring ground fell silent. After a short pause, Kairon spoke again.

"I, Kairon Servante, Tower Master of the Lenore Magic Tower, confirm that this duel is a formal duel under kingdom law. Veronica Krabel. Lena Hartion. State your conditions."

His voice was so clear that it was hard to believe it came from an old man. It carried cleanly beyond the sparring ground. Veronica, who had been watching, took one step forward first.

"I, Veronica Krabel, and my family, House Krabel, were not only insulted by a commoner mercenary of unknown origin, we were also threatened with death. Therefore, I demand a sincere apology for intimidating me and insulting my family. And..."

"And?"

"I demand that the losing side be permanently stripped of formal mage status within the Magic Tower. Of course, it must be surrendered voluntarily. This is a duel between families only, with no intervention from the Magic Tower."

The moment Veronica finished, shocked gasps burst out everywhere.

"Permanently stripped of formal mage status?"

"That feels too harsh..."

"No, it is the opposite. Too harsh? Then what about a commoner mercenary setting foot in the Lenore Magic Tower in the first place?"

"That is true. Even if Elder Gerard invited him, should he really have drawn a sword at the eldest daughter of House Krabel?"

The quiet sparring ground turned noisy again. The moderate mages voiced concern over Veronica's terms, and the radical mages defended her.

Giving up rank within the Magic Tower permanently carried huge weight. For most noble daughters, the moment they gave up their tower position, only their value as tools for political marriage remained. Veronica was no exception. Lena was freer in that regard, but Gerard, who cherished his granddaughter dearly, would never accept it calmly. If she lost, Lena would never be allowed to step into the tower again.

"Enough. Silence."

Thud.

Kairon slammed the staff in his hand down hard. The loud crowd quieted in an instant.

"Veronica Krabel. This is your last chance. Do you swear there is not even the slightest lie in what you just said?"

Kairon, now witness, asked with a cold expression. Veronica nodded with complete confidence.

"I swear. The duel will continue until one side declares surrender, or suffers a fatal injury that leaves them unable to fight."

"I see. Lena Hartion. Do you raise an objection?"

After looking at Veronica, Kairon turned toward Lena.

Lena glanced sideways at Gerard's grave face, then looked straight at Kyle standing not far away. Black cloak. A plain sword at his waist. She could only see his back, but she felt she already knew what he was going to say.

"...I have no objection."

She had seen that back countless times inside the ruins. Kyle had never lost once. This final commission would be no different. He was the strongest knight she knew.

"Your terms?"

"The same. The losing side will voluntarily and permanently relinquish all position within the Magic Tower. In addition, they will offer a sincere apology to me and to my proxy."

"Veronica Krabel. Do you agree?"

Kairon looked at Veronica one last time.

"I agree."

"Good. Proxies for both sides, step forward."

People stepped back. The onlookers withdrew fully outside the sparring ground. Kyle, who had stood slightly apart from Lena and Gerard, slowly moved to the center.

"So this is the lunatic who pointed a sword at our young lady... what a joke."

A knight walked out from the opposite side with the same bold stride. Unlike Kyle, he wore proper armor, and his expression looked utterly languid. He did not even bother to look Kyle in the eye.

He looked like a man who did not even entertain the idea of defeat.

"Cedric Balmore. What is your name?"

After leaving a short distance between them, the knight stopped first and asked.

"Kyle."

"Your house?"

"I have none."

"No house? So you really are a commoner mercenary?"

Kyle did not answer. The knight who introduced himself as Cedric twisted his face in irritation.

"I feel like a clown on stage."

Spit.

Cedric did not hide his disgust as he spat on the ground.

In ordinary duels, both sides usually sent knights as proxies. A proxy match against a commoner mercenary like this was practically an insult to him. Even if he won, he gained nothing. If by some chance he lost, he would bear lifelong disgrace.

Of course, that would not happen.

"Surrender now. If you do not want to end up crippled."

Cedric scanned the surroundings with narrowed eyes, then looked at Kyle and spoke.

"My final mercy. Step down. Or choose another proxy. If not, surrender. This fight was decided from the start, and it is no place for an ill-mannered mercenary to meddle in."

"Honor?"

Kyle gave a short laugh and glanced down at his waist.

"Do not put that word in your mouth lightly."

"What?"

"It disgusts me."

During the war, Kyle had met many noble knights and mages.

They had been Imperial nobles, to be exact.

They had said the same thing as the knight in front of him. They wanted an honorable fight. But in Kyle's eyes, those were only pretty excuses. They started with elegant words, then just before Kyle's blade cut their necks, their attitudes always changed and they said the same thing. They showed their true colors.

The honor Kyle knew was the courage to die for someone else.

"Honor, loyalty, devotion, resolve."

Kyle tightened his right hand around the hilt.

"Those are not words an unqualified man like you gets to say."

Shiiing!

A dazzling silver blade rose with his hand and came free. The clear ring of metal stretched long beyond the sparring ground.

Before anyone noticed, a sword was already in Kyle's hand. The quiet was so deep the echo of the draw still hung in the air. Bright morning sunlight settled across it. Kyle's sword shone like starlight.

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