The Master of the Brave - Chapter 130
Chapter 130 – The night before leaving
Finally, Alfred and Neumann’s army had begun fighting in Erz. A reconnaissance unit from the Kingdom of Lyon communicated this information to Cornelia at a military meeting.
“So, what is happening in Erz? Is my brother safe?”
“It seems that Prince Alfred made a surprise attack with the troops he had sent out of the city and apparently gained the upper hand. The city is safe. You can rest assured.”
“So… is that so?”
Cornelia finally smiled slightly at Raul, who nodded as if telling her to be calm. It had been a long time since she had come to the Kingdom of Lyon for reinforcements.
By arrangement of Raoul and the Lyon government, the situation in the empire was regularly reported to Cornelia. Since she had participated in the military discussions, she could foresee that her two brothers, Alfred and Neumann, would soon move their respective armies to enter into armed conflict.
Cornelia turned the anxiety that filled her chest into a sigh and let it out softly.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting so long, Your Highness, but our army has finally completed its preparations. The day after tomorrow, the troops will leave Lyon. So, I would like you to accompany the advance troops.”
“You want me to be your standard bearer? …I understand. The border between our country and the Kingdom of Lyon is guarded by the Knights of the Western Sector of the Empire. Besides, even if we are allies, for troops from a neighboring country to cross the border would cause unnecessary anxiety to the lords and people who rule the lands to the west.”
“Could I ask this as a favor?”
“This was originally caused by a disturbance in our country. I will be happy to do what I can.”
After saying this, Cornelia stood up from her seat and bowed slightly to Raul and the other senior officers of the Royal Lyon Army.
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The Kingdom of Lyon’s army began its march towards the Empire, with Princess Cornelia as the standard bearer.
“I see~. It has become a war after all~. I wonder if my father and mother will be alright~.” Although she was prepared for it, Lino muttered worriedly when she received the news that Prince Neumann’s army, which controlled the imperial capital, had begun attacking the city of Erz.
“I’m sure they’ll be fine.” Wedge, who rarely spoke to Lino, put his hand on her shoulder and gave her words of encouragement.
Wynn, Leticia, Locke, Wedge and Lino. The members of Princess Cornelia’s retinue should be recognized by Prince Neumann’s faction as subordinates of Count Royce von Elstead, who was believed to have conspired to kill the crown prince and raise a fake to the throne. Those close to the squire corps who remained in the imperial capital could be under surveillance.
“I wonder if my father, mother and siblings are safe. Maybe they’ve been detained or something.”
The Marine Trading Company had also been financing the Elstead territory. The fact that the fourth son became a knight squire to the princess would also greatly increase the amount of suspicion. On top of that, there was also the fact that the Marine Trading Company was considered a strong supporter of Alfred.
“Well, I’m sure my father wouldn’t be that easy to stop or anything, but….”
The Marine Trading Company was one of the largest merchant associations in the empire, with the imperial family as clients. Their influence in the empire’s commercial world was comparable to that of the great nobles. Although it had not been made public, the company’s capacity for self-defense was also considerable. Locke thought that, with the immediate enemy of Prince Alfred’s army, they would not want to create a new and powerful enemy in the Imperial Capital, their home.
“I’ll go swing my sword for a while.” Wynn’s complexion also looked somewhat gloomy as he stood up after saying that.
“Onii-chan, wait.” Leticia, worried, went after Wynn.
Wynn and Leticia were also worried about the people at the Wandering Bird’s Nest Inn. There were also many people Leticia knew in the imperial capital, such as Laura, Ifelina, Paul and other adventurers close to them, whom she met for the first time in years.
Wynn had many other things to worry about. Like the gold seal of the Sword Crafter that Mito had left behind. He was also worried about Seri, who was on her way to Elnasa, the elven capital.
If he went to the battlefield with those worries, he could create a fatal opening. But as she watched Wynn begin his training, Leticia knew her fears were unfounded.
The fact that Wynn had obtained the Gold Seal of the Sword Crafter had already spread throughout the royal court of Lyon. And since the word had spread, there had been a steady stream of people asking Wynn to fight with them.
Knights preparing to go into battle could find their blood running cold.
Even now, the five knights who had been training earlier in the courtyard saw Wynn’s appearance and asked him for a fight.
Wynn gladly accepted the offer. He himself wanted to train as much as possible, as he was about to engage in combat. And so, he took on the five knights. He wanted to fight five against one.
Recently, Wynn had been having more and more one-on-many fights like this. At first, he used to fight one on one, but that was no longer enough for him.
The Lyon knights, who at first resented Wynn for underestimating them when he offered to take on several skilled knights by himself, were mostly defeated in single battles. At this point, they intended to dutifully accept Wynn’s offer.
Two of the five stood in front of Wynn and were throwing slashes at him from different directions, one of them circling left and right trying to sweep him, another striking the shoulder of his sword hand, and the other, who had come from behind, delivered a heavy thrust to his back.
All five were skilled knights. They were also trained by Raul, the highest-level warrior along with the Sword Crafter. The first thing they did was strike with a speed that no ordinary knight could match. But Wynn saw a slight lag in the coordinated attacks that seemed to have been launched at exactly the same time. Of the two knights coming at him from the front, the knight on the right side was hit hard, causing him to lose his stance and collide with the knight coming at him from the left. Then, taking advantage of the recoil from the sword strike, he dodged a thrust from behind. When the remaining two became annoyed and stopped moving slightly, he kicked the knight who was trying to attack his leg, then swung with his wooden sword, one after the other, at the four who were impatient because their coordination had been compromised.
Incredible…. He had always had amazing anticipation and reflexes, but now he reacts even faster.
The five knights were using magic to boost their physical abilities. This was because it was the knights’ most basic form of fighting.
In contrast, Wynn, who did not have access to magic, tried to anticipate his opponents’ movements by watching their eyes and body language to counter the magically enhanced speed, and moved to get ahead of them with as little movement as possible. The way he moved, even more than before, left no room for improvement in his movement. Not as if he was predicting his opponent’s movements, but foreseeing them, seeing the future. Even Leticia thought so, seeing herself sublimated by such refined movements.
It was also possible that his past experience had been the catalyst for Wynn to break through some kind of barrier, as he became infused with Leticia’s magic during the battle in the underwater temple, deep within the cape’s sanctuary, and displayed movements beyond the present limits of his own body.
“With that technique, how powerful a warrior would he have become if he had possessed more magical power, even if it was only at the level of a normal person? It’s such a pity when you think about it.”
Before she knew it, Raul and Cornelia were standing there. They must have just finished a military discussion and were walking out. There was also Locke standing next to Cornelia. He was probably escorting her as a squire.
“What a strange thing to say. Maybe it’s because he had no magic power in the first place that Onii-chan was able to improve his technique like that.”
Leticia was so fascinated with Wynn’s level that she didn’t notice the presence of the three of them.
Thanks to her own immense magical power, Leticia did not have to try as hard as Wynn to be faster than her opponent. Her own swordsmanship, held in high esteem by those who saw her, could be described as the same as Wynn’s, but she had been called the “Princess of the Divine Sword.” But if she looked at Wynn’s swordplay that way, Leticia inevitably remembered that her own technique was but a debased imitation of Wynn’s and far from perfect.
“Oh, Your Highness Raul. I am borrowing the courtyard.” After overwhelming the five knights and discussing with them his reflections after the encounter, Wynn noticed them and approached.
“I can’t believe you’re able to take on five of my knights and still win. What do you say, would you like to fight me again?”
“Oh, please don’t say that. I don’t think I can keep up with your highness yet.”
“Not yet… huh? I guess that means you’ll beat me eventually.”
Wynn did not respond to Raul’s statement. At no time did he look away from the prince. This attitude spoke eloquently of Wynn’s feelings and elicited a warm murmur in the hearts of Cornelia and Locke, who were watching. If it was Wynn, he would eventually indeed surpass even the Sword Saint Raul. That was what they could foresee.
“I still think it would be a good fight, though.”
“If the commander were to lose in one-on-one combat before going to war, it would be bad for the morale of the entire army. Please get a grip.”
“I think Wynn would win.”
Raul laughed a little at the look on Leticia’s face as if taking the outcome for granted.
“Well, whatever, I’ll think of a match next time. By the way, Wynn.”
“Yes?”
“You asked me to introduce you to a suitable person to be the heir to the Sword Crafter, but why don’t you inherit the title? I was watching your battle earlier, and I think you’re more than qualified.”
“No way. There are plenty of people in this world more deserving of that title than I am.” Said Wynn, and wiped the sweat that was running down his face.
Someone who was more skilled than Wynn. The first person who came to Wynn’s mind was vice-captain Kelvin. In a fight involving only swords, Wynn was confident that he could not be bested by Kelvin. However, with his vast combat experience, Kelvin had many ideas to draw from. They had already met hand-to-hand a few times in Royce’s platoon training, but he felt he still didn’t know Kelvin’s true strength.
“I am the Sword Saint, but I believe that the titles of Sword Saint, Sword God and Sword Crafter should be passed down to the strongest, but not necessarily after they have proven themselves to be the strongest. First of all, this world is a very big place, how can you prove that you are indeed the strongest?
Even if they built an arena like the one in the Carthiate Kingdom and held a tournament and gave the title to the winner, not every warrior in the world would be able to participate. The winner would only be the winner of the tournament, not the strongest.
“In short, there are no clear rules for these three titles. If anything, it is the recognition of being strong. In the past, there were even kings who called themselves like that just to show their authority. As the Master of the Brave, you have enough power to persuade people who aspire to be some champion, and if I, a Sword Saint, approve, it will be a stronger basis for you to be called a Sword Crafter. Now that the battle against the demons is over and the reconstruction has begun, the people need more heroes to take hold in their hearts. Consider it from that perspective as well.”
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After Raul left, Wynn and Leticia decided to accompany Cornelia to her room.
“I don’t mind Wynn taking the title of Sword Crafter either.” Locke said, walking beside Wynn.
“I don’t think there would be any complaints if Wynn-kun inherited the title, would there?”
“I don’t see it that way. It’s true that thanks to Letty I have the extraordinary title of Master of the Brave. Besides, I was an unknown commoner until Letty returned. In Simurgh, there are famous mercenaries and adventurers. There is even a great school that teaches sword fighting to knights and soldiers, as well as other people like them. They all rely on their own sword skills. How will they feel about me, a novice, jumping over those people and calling myself the Sword Crafter, who stands for so much? How can they not have complaints?”
“If they complain, why don’t you just beat them up?”
“Don’t say it like it’s nothing… There’s also the idea of giving the gold seal to the person who beats me with it.”
However, if he were to call himself the Sword Crafter and lose the fight and the title, he would bring shame to Raul, who would have recommended him.
“It’s impossible for you to lose, Onii-chan.”
“Yes, yes. I have a feeling that Letty’s assurances about me can’t be counted on.” Wynn let out a chuckle as he stirred and played lightly with Leticia’s ponytail, who was walking ahead of him next to Cornelia.
“That’s it! If you want, why don’t you open your own dojo? As the founder of the Bird Sword Style.”
“Huh?”
“Then your number one disciple would be Leticia-sama. It’s not unusual for the student to take the place of the master if a match is arranged in a dojo, is it? Before they can fight against Master Wynn, they will have to fight against his pupil, Leticia-sama. She can defeat any opponent in the blink of an eye, so there’s no way you’ll lose, right?”
“No, no, no. I’m sure that will only increase the number of people who want to sign up for a match with Letty.”
For a moment, Wynn thought he saw in his mind Kelvin cheerfully bursting in.
“If you want to open a dojo, I’ll talk to my father about financing it. I’m sure it would attract a lot of people and prosper.”
“Really?”
“But I feel that Wynn-kun and Leticia-sama’s techniques are not something you can teach someone else.” Cornelia bowed her head as she said this. “How can I put it… you two have been competing in swordsmanship since you were children, and I think it’s because you’ve been improving each other that you have the skills you have today.”
Seeing that Wynn and Leticia looked at each other, Cornelia smiled softly.
“I always feel that when I’m crossing swords with Wynn-kun, he can see through all my thoughts.”
“Yeah, that happens to me too.” Locke, who had his arms crossed, nodded his head.
“Probably. But I guess he makes you think that because he’s been watching your moves and anticipating them. But it’s still a little strange that he follows or anticipates the moves I’m going to make.”
“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to attack or defend myself in time, would I? Because unlike Locke, I can’t use magic to enhance my body.”
“Wynn-kun, can you and Leticia-sama teach others how to do that?”
“When you put it that way… I’m not sure I can do it. When I learned how to use Onii-chan’s swordplay, all I could think about was how I could hit him before he could hit me.”
“Now that you mention it, I was doing the same thing too. I was just avoiding your sword. And then how to get under it. That’s what I was thinking the whole time I was swinging my sword.”
“Ah. Really?”
Cornelia nodded.
“I see. It’s not something that can be taught, because Wynn’s ability to anticipate his opponents’ moves has been honed by his train with Leticia-sama. So that was it. Accompanying Leticia-sama with the sword is too much for a normal person, isn’t it?”
“You make it sound like I’m not normal…”
“I thought the dojo was a good idea…”
Oblivious to Leticia’s complicated expression, Locke ruffled his hair.
“Teaching how to use the sword, eh…”
With his hand on the sword he wore cinched around his waist, Wynn looked at the top of Leticia’s head, who was walking in front of him. He wanted to be a knight because it was cool. This is what motivated him to become a knight when he was a kid. When did he trade that motivation for the desire to be able to wield a sword as a knight and protect the people he cared about?
This dream came true, and Wynn became a knight as Cornelia’s squire. However, when he did, the most important person he wanted to protect was Leticia. She had just returned from a grueling journey to defeat the Demon King and had survived a fierce battle.
If he stopped being a knight, Leticia could lead a peaceful life without fighting.
It was Locke’s idea to open a dojo named after the style he just mentioned.
The only thing Wynn would have left, if he were no longer a knight, would be his skill with the sword, which had led everyone to consider him Sword Crafter.
He thought that he himself was not yet ready to call himself the Sword Crafter, but he might be able to express the skills and thoughts he had developed even if he was not a knight. He hadn’t thought about it before, but this was the moment when that idea began to rattle around in his head.
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