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Chapter 73 - An Indomitable Will
Each of the successors’ swords had a strong characteristic.
The Sword of Domination, in particular, had a hideous appearance.
A sword that seemed to be the mightiest and most durable.
But what about in reality?
What if it left the owner’s hand?
‘A knight got the sword blown away in my previous life and stepped on it, and it broke.’
It wasn’t that he was carrying a fake sword.
Perhaps since it was a magic sword specialized in mental abilities, there was a risk.
And the sword now.
Crash!
Ian’s hand broke the sword into pieces.
When the sword, which was the symbol of the power of the Second Prince, was smashed, his forces kept their mouths shut, and the knights exclaimed in surprise.
“No! That precious sword that you can’t buy even with money!”
“Ahh! If you’re going to do that, just give it to me!”
Nathan’s voice, in particular, was heard very well.
However, Ian stated firmly when the knights told him it was a waste.
“A sword like this is better off broken. I can’t let you have a sword that made a fool of my people, even if you give me a hundred million gold coins.”
“Yes? But
”
Of course, not all people disagreed with Ian’s words.
“Indeed
”
“Your Highness!”
Especially Duke Lavaltor and Fiosen.
Those who had experienced the Sword of Domination firsthand were pleased. That was enough.
Ian grinned.
“It’s my victory, Brother.”
He even pointed the sword at the prince’s neck.
With this, the match was over. It was the Second Prince’s defeat.
The Second Prince dropped the Sword of Domination weakly.
Clang. Clang.
In spite of that, the Second Prince glared at Ian while grinding his teeth.
“Don’t be so full of yourself just because you win. It’s a one-on-one match anyway. I will win the next match.”
Ian smiled lightly.
“You will be even less likely to win the next match.”
“Winner, Ian Kaistein!”
Cheers resounded throughout the arena.
And thus, the score was 1:1.
Now, once the one remaining match was over, the reign of the Second Prince was over.
***
The destruction of the Sword of Domination and the declaration of surrender by the Second Prince.
The atmosphere of the aristocrats who were watching the scene was astir.
“Doesn’t it seem like the Seventh Prince is going to win?”
“That’s right. With the way things are going, what will happen to us if the Second Prince loses?”
In particular, the atmosphere of the Second Prince’s faction was unusual.
The Second Prince said he would win, but it didn’t seem like that.
If Ian won at this rate, they would be utterly doomed.
It was only natural for them to be anxious.
On the contrary, the faces of the nobles who secretly supported Ian were bright.
“As expected of the Seventh Prince. He fights splendidly.”
“I need to get in touch with him as soon as possible. I should never let him fall to the others.”
No, it was a completely joyous atmosphere. They even laughed when they saw the supporters following the Second Prince.
And in the meantime, as Ian came down, Galon greeted him with a gentle smile.
“It was a great fight, Your Highness.”
Nathan was especially beaming in a festive mood.
“Now we just have to win one more time. Then it’s your victory.”
“That’s right. Next is Sir Galon anyway, so you’ll win.”
It was a good thing that the first one to go was Fiosen and Ian was second.
“Well, I don’t like it when our prince and Galon clean up the shit Fiosen made, but whatever.”
“Nathan
”
And when all the nobles and citizens were paying attention to the last match.
The referee shouted.
“Next combatant, please come forward!”
Galon and a man in a robe from the Second Prince’s side came up to the arena.
The nobles wondered as they saw the man sent by the Second Prince.
“Who is it? I don’t think he is a knight belonging to the Second Prince
”
“I know. But for now, there’s a man on the side of the Second Prince who can beat Sir Galon.”
Right then.
When that man took off his robe, everyone gasped sharply.
Not only the referee; the knights and Duke Lavaltor alike gaped in disbelief.
“Tha, that man
!”
“No way!”
The aristocrats were buzzing, and so were the citizens.
Ian also looked in contempt.
‘Ah. Is this why you said you’ll win in the end?’
This was beyond anyone’s expectations.
Nathan and Fiosen even shouted in surprise. That man couldn’t have been in a place like this!
“It’s the Guardian!”
“Isn’t he the hero of the Galatos War?”
“Three Great Knights of the previous king’s era? Why would such a person
?”
Kaistein was literally shaken.
It was inevitable.
He was a legendary warlord who led Kaistein to victory.
In addition, he was the top among Kaistein’s Three Great Knights, being one of the knights who once made a name for himself in the Kingdom of Swordsmen with his exceptional skill.
White, slicked-back hair.
A long beard.
Fiosen’s mouth twitched at his appearance, who had educated the successors of Lavaltor from generation to generation.
“I, I heard he is recuperating from the injury of the Galatos War.”
It was not easy to gain the name of the Three Great Knights.
In most cases, it was automatically passed to those worthy of the name the Three Great Knights.
And although he returned the title of the Three Great Knights himself, he was still a legend of Kaistein.
“Damn it, to think he is Galon’s opponent
”
“The opponent is too strong
!”
The nobles were also frustrated by the unexpected move.
Even Galon seemed surprised by the unexpected opponent, but he immediately drew his sword.
“Because my lord trusted me and left it to me, I’ll just repay him.”
At the same time, Oath rose from his body.
His figure caught the Guardian’s eye.
‘He said he is quite talented. It’s exactly as the Second Prince said.’
And right at that moment.
“Begin the last match!”
As soon as the referee’s voice fell, the two faced off in the blink of an eye.
Clang!!
Galon’s swordsmanship was dull yet strong and fast. The Guardian’s technique was heavy, but it bore a huge pressure.
When the two swords collided like that.
Bang!
Wind pressure surged out of the arena with a huge explosion.
It even caused the spectators to fall right away.
“Argh!”
“Wh, what!”
It was due to the collision of mana.
A force that could not be seen in normal knight battles stretched out. The knights of the nobles who came as escorts even got goosebumps.
However, Galon and the Guardian did not pay any mind and continued exchanging blows with each other.
Klang!
Every time the swords clashed, the floor cracked, and a huge battle ensued. Even Ian gulped nervously as he watched Galon’s fight.
Nathan praised Galon’s skills as if that’s what he usually did.
‘Weren’t those all he usually showed me?’
He had heard of Galon’s reputation in the past, but he didn’t think he would be this great.
Therefore, Ian couldn’t even imagine how painful it must have been for Duke Garcia when he was robbed of such a knight.
After several such exchanges followed.
Atop the cracked arena, the Guardian smiled and took a step back.
“Not bad. Then can you withstand this, too?”
“!”
As soon as the words fell, Galon let out a groan.
An invisible force slammed Galon on the head and weighed him down.
“Whoever kneels down first loses.”
“Kugh.”
Boom!!
And that was none other than the Guardian’s Oath.
[With a heavy heart, my heart will obey you more fervently than anything else.]
The Oath he had was called [Annihilation].
It was the Oath that was said to even have brought the emperor to his knees in the war against the empire. And that powerful force slammed down on Galon, no, the entire arena.
Crack!
It was simply a tremendous power.
Surprised, the referee ran out in a hurry.
Galon’s knee almost touched the ground before he knew it.
The Guardian smiled.
“I’m sorry, but I have to end this match with a victory for the Second Prince.”
“Ugh!”
“Kneel.”
Galon’s body was instantly weighed down by the enormous power.
But it was then.
“!”
The Guardian opened his eyes wide. People were also astonished and couldn’t close their mouths.
Nathan cried in joy.
“Galon!”
All couldn’t help being shocked.
It was because Galon did not kneel.
With bloodshot eyes and clenched teeth, he was enduring the Guardian’s attack.
The Guardian looked quite surprised.
“Whoa? You can withstand this?”
But he didn’t loosen up his power. It increased twice, three times as much. No, it was going more than that.
Of course, the victim’s body would not be fine.
“Don’t fight back, accept it. If you continue to resist, your body will be so crippled that you will never be able to become a knight anymore.”
“I will never kneel.”
Galon’s gaze went through him, landing on Ian. Seeing his gaze, the Guardian’s eyes gleamed.
Galon’s eyes were saying that he would only kneel before Ian.
So the Guardian was sad.
The knights of this generation were different from the past.
‘I thought that the knights of today were only those who gave up their convictions by pursuing their own interests and glory
’
This kind of guy wasn’t common.
And so, he spoke to Galon in a soft voice.
“This is not a place for people like you to risk their future. It’s not for the benefit of the princes. Even if there is a huge reward and honor, it is not worthy enough to put your future on the line, Knight Galon.”
But Galon still did not cave in while he was bleeding.
Rather, he enunciated again with serious eyes.
“There is only one person who can make me be on my knees.”
The Guardian opened his eyes wide.
Galon’s eyes shone.
“And that’s not you, much less the Second Prince.”
“Really
”
The Guardian laughed.
At the same time, the heavy pressure began to crack the floor of the arena violently.
Crack!
Bang!
The floor sank around Galon. The knights’ faces turned white at that sight.
Everyone had the same thought.
With this kind of power, no matter how great Galon’s Oath was, he couldn’t stand it.
The indomitable knight would no longer be able to keep his convictions.
But only the Guardian felt it.
Galon was still holding out.
Thus, the Guardian made a truly sad expression.
‘It would have been better had we met earlier
’
He would like to let this similar-minded fellow off, but he couldn’t help it because of his promise to the queen.
‘If he hadn’t endured it, there would have been no need to spill his blood.’
In fact, the results were set from the beginning.
He got this position not because of honor but because of the request of the Second Prince.
‘A knight has his own way.’
He didn’t like it, but he couldn’t do anything about it. He also suppressed the desire to compete with a chivalrous knight whom he had not seen in a long time.
Because a knight ought to keep their Oath.
The Guardian glanced back at the Second Prince. The Second Prince nodded.
It was at that moment.
Bwoosh!
The strongest power of the Guardian’s Oath. A fierce flame, so intense it was capable of instantly reducing the human body to ash, erupted.
Nathan screamed.
“Avoid it, Galon! You can’t get hit by that!”
It wasn’t a matter of willpower from here on.
In the face of such intense flames, the Oath of Invincibility would have done no good. Galon wouldn’t be able to hold out for sure. Even if he did, all the cells in his body would turn into a bloody mess and he would be in a worse state than death.
However, Nathan’s shout was drowned by the flames rolling toward Galon.
“It’s over.”
But Galon did not avoid it. He just watched the flames approaching.
Now, the words Ian had said before going up to the arena came to mind.
“Sir Galon, if there’s someone you can’t take on
”
Nathan burst out laughing at those words, telling him not to joke. However, thinking back on it, Ian had clearly expected this situation to happen.
And Ian, who was pondering about something after that, clearly said.
“In that case, you might as well surrender. I don’t want to lose you in a fight like this.”
But Galon had no intention of backing down.
[Invincibility] was never to yield nor buckle.
He did not make an Oath only to break it in unfavorable situations such as this.
Rather, he was determined.
“May there be only victory in the future of the Seventh Prince.”
It was Galon’s unspoken sincerity, an Oath of allegiance to death.
Galon raised his hand with difficulty. His trembling hand touched his chest. It was a pious move that didn’t match the perilous situation.
At that very moment.
Boom!
The blizzard of flames came crashing down on Galon.
The arena melted in an instant. The heat was so intense that the referee and the spectators had to step back for a long while.
Every last one of them thought.
Nothing would survive there.
The same went for Galon.
Then Ian rose from his seat in a hurry. His eyes were glued to the arena.
“Sir Galon!”
There, Galon was slowly straightening his back. The Guardian’s face hardened at the sight.
The eyes of Galon, who stood tall in the midst of the dissipating fire, flashed.
The moment he noticed the situation, the Second Prince immediately shouted.
“What are you doing, Sir Guardian! Keep your word!”
The Guardian’s eyes were filled with bafflement.
He had never gone easy with Galon. In the first place, he was not that soft to let his opponent off the hook just because he thought it was a shame to kill him.
Belatedly realizing this fact, the Second Prince’s face turned appalled.
“No way.”
Then Ian clenched his fist.
A single thread of light stretched out through the clenched fist. At the end of it was Galon.
Galon looked back at him.
Ian also faced Galon.
His eyes contained the mutual trust as firm as the newly-bloomed Oath.
Then a light burst from Ian’s body.
Pats!
The light zipped straight to Galon.
An unprecedented wonder flashed in the Guardian’s eyes.
‘This is definitely the Royal Roader
’
The light was absorbed into Galon’s body in a flash, somewhere around the heart.
It’s the evolution of the Oath.
The Second Prince shouted in surprise.
“What the hell is this
!”
Right in that instant.
Galon drew his sword.