Ch.3535. The Stroph Family (3)

I activated my aura, and I was so surprised that I kept staring at the iron sword’s blade, but the people watching my duel with Luke didn’t seem particularly shocked. Some looked slightly intrigued, but no one was as startled as I was internally. Perhaps they thought it natural for a hero to use aura when wielding a sword other than the Holy Sword.

“…”

Having drawn out the aura, I was lost in thought about how to handle it. Fighting like when I wielded the Holy Sword to slaughter monsters would likely devastate the surroundings, but completely holding back would make it impossible to control the aura.

“…So that’s the color of the hero’s aura.”

Whether aware of my concerns or not, Luke’s voice came from across the field. Honestly, after fighting this much, shouldn’t he have realized something by now?

“If I experience the hero’s aura, perhaps I can better understand your true intentions.”

No, he hadn’t realized anything. Stubborn bastard. I sighed and gripped my sword. I might as well use this opportunity to experience how to handle a sword that doesn’t communicate with me.

“Here I come.”

Luke, his eyes gleaming, kicked off the ground and charged at me. His blue aura surged like a wave. I neither dodged nor deflected it. I swung my sword in the exact opposite trajectory of Luke’s swing. First, a head-on collision.

BOOM-!!!

An explosion that could hardly be attributed to mere swords colliding echoed, and the shockwave spread across the training ground. Worried that Karin might get hurt, I glanced in her direction, but Quenore Strope was standing firmly beside her.

“You’re strong, hero.”

Meanwhile, my aura and Luke’s seemed to possess nearly equal power. The center of the collision was surrounded by slash marks as if a beast had clawed through.

“After this duel ends, whether I win or lose, I think I’ll finally acknowledge you.”

I snickered. Right, if you acknowledge me, there probably won’t be anyone else in Evernode to bother me unnecessarily.

“…But a duel once begun must be concluded, mustn’t it?”

Luke said this as he raised his sword. I nodded. The torrent of power lurking in the blade. Suddenly, the Holy Sword’s words about softness came to mind.

‘[In the end, softness (柔) overcomes strength (强).]’

It felt like I could almost grasp something, yet it remained elusive. Especially now, holding the aura blade in my hand. A way to handle this power was flickering at the edge of my consciousness. But it remained foggy and abstract rather than clearly manifesting.

Still, that small clue was enough for now.

The silvery aura that had been fluctuating settled into the blade with my will. I moved my sword as if drawing in a massive current and went on the offensive. Luke, undaunted, threw his aura directly against my sword. Blade clashed against blade. Luke’s attacks, responding orthodoxly to my sword, were extremely orderly and stable, but unfortunately, my sword—Ilroy’s sword—didn’t match up well against such orthodox swordsmanship. After an intense exchange, the tide was gradually turning in my favor.

CRASH-!!

I instinctively realized the next strike would determine the outcome. My sword and Luke’s crossed, passing each other and switching positions—

Crack.

My iron sword cracked, and part of the blade crumbled. The knights and soldiers were startled by this result, their eyes widening. Then, I heard them murmuring.

“…Did Lord Luke win?”

“He defeated the hero?”

Hmm. That doesn’t seem quite right.

I withdrew the aura from my half-broken sword and lowered it. Looking back, Luke was staring at his own sword in disbelief. Then—

Clang.

With a short metallic sound, the aura faded from Luke’s sword, and its blade split precisely in half, falling to the ground with its tip embedded in the soil. The murmurs predicting Luke’s victory died down, replaced by a stunned silence. Luke stared at his broken sword for a moment before dropping his arm.

“…Impressive.”

Luke said in a relieved voice. The referee, who had been watching silently, declared my victory, and when Luke and I shook hands, cheers erupted from the knights and soldiers. Fortunately, they all rushed to Luke rather than me, offering what seemed like consolation.

“You got completely destroyed, Vice Captain! But it was fun to watch.”

“You’re not going to sulk about this, are you?”

“Yeah, why did you even challenge him in the first place?”

…No, these crazy guys weren’t offering consolation—they were straight-up mocking him. The solemn image of Evernode I initially had in my mind was nowhere to be found; only these mean-spirited troublemakers remained. Where did things go wrong?

“Get lost, I want to be alone.”

“Are you crying? Are you going to cry?”

“Just admit it if you’re embarrassed. We’re embarrassed for you too.”

Through that noisy commotion, Quenore Strope appeared before Luke. His eyes didn’t seem to be reproaching his son who had lost the duel.

“I lost, Father.”

“Well done. It seems you didn’t waste your time in the capital.”

“But I’m still lacking.”

Quenore Strope glanced briefly in my direction. What? I shrugged, and the Grand Duke chuckled, shaking his head.

“Work hard so that someday you can defeat the hero. Just because you’ve lost to someone once doesn’t mean you’ll lose to them forever.”

That old man seemed like he was going to say something else, but changed his words after seeing me. Beside him, the Iron-Blooded Princess patted her brother’s leg comfortingly.

“Brother, cheer up.”

“…Thank you, Karin.”

My party members approached me. Daphne handed me the Holy Sword. I probably should have asked it various questions, but the Holy Sword remained silent. Still sulking?

“[Who’s sulking? I was merely thinking that it might be good for you to practice with other swords sometimes, not just me.]”

The Holy Sword said in a prickly voice.

“[Did you notice anything while briefly dueling with aura?]”

Right. Although I only glimpsed the edge of it vaguely, I felt like I was beginning to understand what the Holy Sword meant by handling ‘power.’

“[Then I think it would be good for you to occasionally train with ordinary swords, not just me.]”

Yes, yes. I’ll take good care of you later.

When I teased it mentally, the Holy Sword abruptly fell silent. I feel a bit sorry. Perhaps I’ve been infected by the mean-spirited energy of Evernode’s knights during my stay here.

Pat, pat.

Just then, I heard timid footsteps beside me. Similar to Daphne’s but much smaller and more hesitant. When I turned my head, little Karin was already standing next to me. Behind her, Luke and Quenore Strope stood side by side, watching her. What are you two doing, she’s not running an errand.

“Hero… congratulations on your victory.”

Formal speech with limited vocabulary. It might be too formal, but considering her nickname, I let it slide.

“Thank you, Iron-Blooded… I mean, Karin.”

Seriously, these Evernode jerks. And Karin, I have no idea how this young lady came up with such a perfect nickname. Whether she noticed my suppressed laughter or not, Karin’s eyes sparkled as she carefully delivered her proposal to me, one word at a time.

“I’d like to guide you and your party at the summer solstice festival.”

Summer solstice festival? Hearing this for the first time, I turned to Quenore Strope.

“In Evernode, we hold a three-day festival around the summer solstice. It’s this coming weekend. Although we’re preparing for war against the Calamity, we haven’t even begun the preliminary battles yet. I think it’s alright to give people some time to enjoy themselves.”

The Grand Duke approached me and fondly patted Karin’s head.

“During the festival, everyone in Evernode except the patrol units puts aside their work and enjoys the beginning of summer. The endless daylight isn’t entirely welcome, but it’s a much more pleasant visitor than the cold.”

So the estate being more bustling than usual wasn’t just because the Grand Duke’s family had returned. I quietly listened to the sounds outside the training ground. The busy commotion and energy were somewhat different from the usual mechanical activity. It was energy coming from clear excitement and joy.

“I’d like you all to forget your mission for a while and enjoy the summer solstice festival. I haven’t even given you a proper tour of the estate yet.”

The summer sun shone brightly. Quenore Strope squinted slightly as if dazzled and gave a faint smile. I returned the smile, but couldn’t offer one of pure joy. The first warm breeze of this summer was beginning to blow.

==

Swish, swish.

I first cleaned the Holy Sword’s hilt with a clean cloth. The leather strap wrapping the hilt must not be made of ordinary leather; despite long use, it remained firm and sturdy. I wiped the round pommel and polished the guard. Dirt and dried blood came off on the cloth.

“[Being cleaned feels better than I expected.]”

The Holy Sword spoke in my mind with a faint sigh. I opened my eyes wide in surprise. It was speaking as if this was its first time being maintained.

“Didn’t your previous owners take care of you?”

“[Well, let’s see. You might be the first to clean me so meticulously. My blade doesn’t get damaged, doesn’t dull, doesn’t break, and doesn’t get dirty with blood.]”

The Holy Sword said playfully. I chuckled and soaked the cloth with oil. Then I carefully wiped the sword again, starting from the pommel. The blade was indeed as the Holy Sword had described, in the same condition as when I first saw it, but I thoroughly cleaned the blade anyway. Every groove, every engraved area, without missing a spot.

“Well, cleaning doesn’t make much difference since your blade was already shining anyway.”

“[…That’s not entirely true.]”

The blade did seem to shine a bit more, but there was no special effect. When I grumbled with slight dissatisfaction, the Holy Sword denied my statement in a small voice. I laughed softly. I should probably clean it often. I quietly looked out the window while maintaining the Holy Sword. Golden sunlight poured into the room, and through the window overlaid with golden lattice, I could see people walking in the streets.

“[You don’t seem to be in a good mood. Are you alright?]”

“No. Nothing’s wrong. Really.”

The Holy Sword accurately perceived my mood and asked, but truly nothing was wrong. What I was worried about wasn’t the present. Rather, I was concerned about this fortress that would soon have to face and fight against the Calamity. Could I really fight and protect it? Could I face the being I saw in that crown? That was my worry.

“[…It’s too early to worry, Ilroy. Try to ease your mind a little.]”

“Yeah. I should.”

As I said this, I narrowed my eyes and gazed out the window at Quenore Strope and his family walking in the distance. I’m not sure if I should be worried about that man.

In the original story, Quenore Strope dies fighting a giant.

I secretly bit my lip as I watched the Grand Duke smiling at his youngest daughter.