NOVEL NEXT Chapter 52 - Cradle of the Sword Demon (4)
Centurion Hans stood in front of the commander’s office, knocked, and shouted loudly.
“It’s Hans! May I come in?”
At that shout, a man with a rough appearance slightly opened the door inside the commander’s office and said,
“We’re in the middle of a strategic meeting right now. If it’s not urgent, come back later.”
As the man who gave the dry answer tried to close the door again, Hans stuck his foot in the doorway to prevent it from closing.
“Special Forces Captain, the royal knights have come to see you.”
“…Already?”
The one called Special Forces Captain glanced at me and my companions standing behind Hans and nodded.
“Please wait a moment. I’ll inform the Commander.”
The door closed like that, and not long after, it opened wide and giant men with rough appearances came out in a group.
They seemed to be unit commanders, and they all glared at us as if observing, then left without a word of greeting.
It was a natural reaction, if natural, as the warriors here tended to treat central knights condescendingly.
“The Commander says to come in. Hans, you may go about your business.”
At the Special Forces Captain’s words, Hans saluted and went back the way he came.
“Come in.”
As the Special Forces Captain stepped aside, we went inside.
In the commander’s office sat a middle-aged man with a sharp impression, as if he had sharpened a blade.
The fact that he was sitting at the head of the commander’s office meant that man was none other than the Sword Demon Demiway, one of the Ten Swords Under Heaven.
“You came much earlier than I thought. By my estimate, I thought the messenger would have just arrived at the capital. But where is Sir Horazon di Grain?”
At Demiway’s question, I greeted him with an embarrassed smile.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Commander of Blantzbarg. But before answering your question, may I ask one thing?”
“What is it?”
“May I know why you’re looking for Sir Horazon?”
At my question, Demiway’s brows furrowed.
“I sent all the explanations through the messenger though.”
Demiway glared at me as if displeased.
“No, I think there’s a misunderstanding. We’re not the ones who came after receiving your messenger.”
At my words, the Special Forces Captain looked at me in surprise.
“You said you’re not the knights who came after receiving the messenger?”
At the Special Forces Captain’s question, I took out the royal knight identification badge and said,
“Yes, I just introduced myself as a royal knight, but we were immediately guided here.”
If it were someone else, they might not know, but Demiway would recognize at a glance that this badge was genuine.
Hearing my answer, the Special Forces Captain sighed, holding his forehead.
“That Hans, I told him to fix that habit of jumping to conclusions.”
“I see. No wonder I thought it was strange that you came so early. The messenger should be arriving at the capital about now.”
The Special Forces Captain gritted his teeth, vowing to half-kill Hans who guided us here.
I had been prepared to take several days to meet Demiway, so it was nice not to waste time thanks to this.
Of course, it was an unfortunate event for the young man named Hans.
Demiway leaned back in his chair, seemingly deflated, and asked,
“If you didn’t come after receiving the messenger, what business does a royal knight have in this remote village?”
At the Sword Demon’s question, I answered with a bright smile.
“There are several reasons for coming to the Bastille Mountains, such as stabilizing people’s livelihood, but to be honest, it’s for knight training. So the top priority would be to get the Commander’s permission to act here.”
Demiway looked at us with interested eyes, seeming to like my answer.
He seemed to be thinking about the ‘several reasons’ I mentioned, but he showed interest in the superficial reason of knight training first.
“Knight training, huh. If it’s for that reason, there’s no reason not to allow it. Especially during times like now.”
Saying that, he glanced over my body and seemed to feel something strange, so he asked me,
“But it’s odd. How did you become a knight with that body? Looks like you’d collapse from exhaustion just by swinging a sword a few times. And you say you’re training, but you even brought a young child.”
“Ah, only these two will be training as knights. Not me or this child.”
When I pointed to Precia and Gilbert, Demiway nodded as if he understood.
“I see. Then you must be a supply administrative officer.”
Demiway didn’t find it strange that I had a knight identification badge despite seeing my physical condition.
It was natural. Although combat prowess was important for most knights as weapons of war, as long as it was a military organization, personnel for administrative and financial management were needed.
If it was a knightly order under a lord, administrative officers could concurrently manage without being appointed as knights, but royal knights who also come into contact with national military secrets couldn’t do that.
Of course, as a knight, basic physical strength was necessary, but there was always one unqualified parachute appointment everywhere, so he seemed to think of me as such a parachute.
Precia, noticing that thought, was about to say something angrily, but I stopped her by raising my hand.
“Well, something like that.”
In fact, I was managing all the money for the group, so calling me a supply administrative officer wasn’t particularly wrong.
“But listening to what you said, it seems the Commander wants Sir Horazon to be dispatched. Has the ‘Red Eyes’ resumed its activity?”
Don’t tell me the great demon beast of the snowy plains has already started moving?
The novel didn’t mention when it started its activity, but to think it was already active.
The snowy plains’ great demon beast ‘Red Eyes’ is one of the five great demon beasts reigning over the Bastille Mountains and appears as the boss of the episode starting the novel
The female protagonist Precia, demoted to a penal laborer in the Blantzbarg territory for failing to protect Prince Yuan, is transferred to the Special Forces led by the Marquis after being recognized for her achievements over 3 years.
The Special Forces’ mission is to locate and suppress the Red Eyes.
She carries out an operation as part of the Special Forces.
Due to a comrade’s mistake, half of the Special Forces die in battle, and Precia, injured, ends up wandering the mountains alone while trying to save her comrades against a large army of monsters.
Just as she thinks she’s going to die, Precia’s life is saved by the protagonist Jade, and together with Jade, she succeeds in suppressing the Red Eyes.
This was the main content of Volume 1 of the novel.
At my question, Demiway looked at me as if intrigued.
“You said you didn’t come after receiving the messenger, so how did you know that? It’s still an undisclosed military secret.”
When he asked, I answered as if it was nothing.
“Of course, the only reason the Sword Demon, renowned as one of the Ten Swords Under Heaven, would make a pitiful request to the central government and ask for Sir Horazon is none other than the legendary great demon beast ‘Red Eyes’ ruling over Bastille.”
“Are you saying I’m scared of the Red Eyes and calling Horazon?”
Demiway asked, emitting fighting spirit as if angered, but his eyes were unwaveringly cold.
Does he want to test me?
No, he’s not singling me out to test, but trying to test our whole group.
At the Sword Demon’s fighting spirit, Gilbert kept gulping nervously, Sillua frowned and stood in front as if protecting me, and Precia prepared to bring her hand to her sword with cold eyes.
By simply displaying his might, he could grasp the group’s behavior patterns and skills, and at the same time, he could tell who the center of the group was.
As expected of a veteran of a hundred battles.
I answered with a light smile.
“How could that be? I just thought, for the Marquis to face the Red Eyes, you would have to leave the defensive line… and if the Marquis, who accounts for more than half of the fortress’ strength, leaves, the damage would be great, so you’re looking for someone to replace the Marquis, that’s all.”
“Horazon can replace me? Are you saying he can substitute for the commander of this fortress?”
His might rose and pressured me.
At a glance, it could be interpreted as if I said Demiway was someone who could be replaced at any time.
An ordinary person would have trembled in fear and apologized, saying they misspoke, but not me.
“In terms of individual fighting prowess, it’s sufficiently possible. Of course, symbolically, it would be lacking, but I don’t think this fortress is incompetent enough to not function without the Marquis.”
When I smiled brightly, Demiway chuckled as if amused.
“If I deny those words, I become an incompetent commander, and a coward who calls someone to hunt in my stead out of fear of the fortress and family’s nemesis.”
I cheekily replied.
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“Your tongue is as sharp as a famed sword. I detest those who are all talk like you.”
At his words, I nodded.
“That’s fortunate.”
“What is?”
“I’m someone who acts along with his words, so there’s no reason for the Commander to detest me, right?”
At my words, Demiway looked at me incredulously.
“You’re someone who acts?”
“If not, would I, lacking in fighting prowess, have bothered to come all the way here?”
Demiway snorted and retorted.
“At most, you’ll do paperwork in the safe rear.”
“Well, that’s possible.”
At my affirmation, Demiway lost interest in me as if to say, ‘See?’
I smiled brightly at him.
“Or not.”
At my added remark, Demiway looked at me as if I was impudent.
“Come to think of it, I was late to introduce myself after meeting you like this. My name is Yuan.”
Even after hearing my name, Demiway didn’t immediately recognize me as the 1st prince.
Is he simply not interested? Or did he not even expect the missing prince to come here?
Perhaps he knew but didn’t show it.
He was like a sly person, fierce when fighting but not easy to read his intentions.
As I introduced myself, Precia and Gilbert introduced themselves in turn.
Sillua remained silent, seeming displeased that Demiway emitted fighting spirit at me.
Demiway didn’t particularly care that Sillua didn’t introduce herself.
“If you want permission to act, you must have brought a related cooperation request form, right?”
At his question, I handed over the request form I had prepared in advance.
“Hmm, the prince’s seal.”
My seal was stamped on the request form.
Even if I have no power, in a class-based society, bloodline itself holds authority.
It may not be as good as the king’s seal, but it would still be hard to ignore compared to the seals of other knight commanders.
“Alright, I permit the activity. However, if you cause problems, the permission can be revoked, and in emergencies, you knights can be conscripted. Do you agree to this?”
“Yes. I agree.”
Demiway nodded and stamped his own seal on the activity permit.
The Special Forces Captain handed me the activity permit, and I immediately put it in my inside pocket.
“You may go now.”
He cut off his interest in us and picked up the documents on his desk.
I said to him,
“Ah, may I also request for accommodations and meals?”
At my words, the Special Forces Captain looked at me in surprise, and Demiway glared at me as if I was impudent.
“I have no obligation to provide you with accommodations and meals.”
“You have no obligation, but can’t you show goodwill?”
“You impudent fellow. Why should I do that?”
At Demiway’s question, I answered with a bright smile.
“Well, it’s fine if you don’t show goodwill. It’s just that I’ll think to myself that the Commander is someone who forgets favors and be disappointed alone.”
“Favors? What have you done for me to mention favors?”
As Demiway emitted fighting spirit as if angered, Precia and Gilbert prepared to draw their swords, and Sillua immediately summoned named dolls.
Demiway was surprised to see one of the dolls Sillua summoned.
“Zillian?”
The Original Zillian pointed her sword at Demiway and said,
“Threatening magic wave detected, confirming magic wave record ‘Registration Name: Impudent Greenhorn’. Warning, withdraw the threatening magic wave at once. If not withdrawn, I will modify the relationship with ‘Registration Name: Impudent Greenhorn’ to ‘Hostile’.”
At Zillian’s flat voice, Demiway immediately withdrew his fighting spirit.
“Long time no see, Zillian.”
“Indeed, Mr. Demiway. It has been 19 years, 10 months, 3 days, 21 hours, 25 minutes, and 44 seconds.”
Amidst the reunion of the Sword Demon and the Original Zillian Original, I smiled and asked,
“So, are you now willing to provide accommodations and meals?”