Chapter 22: Chevalier

I put the necklace around Hildegarde’s white, straight neck.

I looked at her.

The amber jewel, the same color as her eyes, shone as it hung down to her collarbone.

I looked back and forth between her golden eyes and the amber jewel.

Her black hair, like the night sky, framed her face, making her golden eyes stand out even more.

“Please, don’t stare at me so openly.”

She covered her collarbone with her hand.

I stroked Hildegarde’s hair and spoke.

“Can’t I even look at my own woman straight on?”

“My, my own woman…”

“You’re my woman, and I’m your man.”

“That kind of talk is too…!”

A blush spread across Hildegarde’s face.

Unable to continue speaking, she suddenly stood up.

“It’s already late, so we should part ways now.”

“I’ll walk you home.”

“I can go home by myself. Goodbye. See you next time.”

Hildegarde turned her back and walked away briskly.

After taking about five steps, she suddenly turned around and walked back to me.

Then she threw herself into my arms.

“Thank you for today.”

After saying that, Hildegarde really did leave this time.

I waved gently as she disappeared into the distance and then headed home.

Without washing up right away, I lifted the floorboard and took out the box containing my guard uniform.

***

Falkmart Manor.

“How dare a commoner…!”

Drewver Falkmart, the only son of the Falkmart family, clenched his fists while looking at his aching calf.

The spot where the insolent commoner had hit him was red and swollen.

Even though he was applying ice, the pain and humiliation did not subside.

However, Drewver hated Hildegarde even more than the commoner.

‘That wretched woman dares to leave me and get with another man?’

Hildegarde von Quirhalstein.

The youngest sword master who graduated at the top of the military academy.

Not only was she exceptionally skilled, but she was also beautiful.

A superior figure, a well-toned body, an elegant and sharp presence like a famous sword.

She was more attractive than the princess, who was celebrated as the most beautiful woman in high society.

But Hildegarde was the granddaughter of the massacre knight.

Twenty years had passed since Maximilian’s massacre.

Ten years is long enough for the world to change.

A minor incident could easily be forgotten over time.

But the so-called Rhineborn Massacre was not a minor incident.

A massacre that claimed 30,000 lives.

Twenty, forty, sixty years—even when the generations who witnessed it are gone, it will remain in letters, pictures, and photographs forever.

As the worst butcher.

Although Hildegarde didn’t commit the massacre herself, she was his direct granddaughter.

Moreover, she openly denied the massacre committed by her grandfather and carried his sword.

Because of this, not only her peers but also her instructors kept their distance from her.

An untouchable, noble flower.

Drewver found that point particularly appealing and approached her.

At first, she refused him, but her parents were different.

A little money was enough to make them hand over their daughter.

‘Does she think she’s so great?’

Drewver thought it wouldn’t take long before he could make her his.

They were both in their early twenties, full of youthful energy. If they kept staying close, it would happen eventually.

However, Hildegarde was far more stubborn than he expected.

What was the point of upholding the premarital purity tradition of a fallen noble family for four years without even kissing?

Of course, as she said, it would be resolved once they got married.

But Drewver never intended to marry her from the start.

Marrying such a family? He would rather marry a commoner.

Unable to endure any longer, Drewver started having affairs.

In fact, he began cheating a month after he started dating Hildegarde.

But the first time he did it openly in front of her was then.

It wasn’t for any particular reason—he just wanted to provoke her jealousy.

‘I am the heir of the count’s family. I will be the head of the prestigious Falkmart family. You should be the one begging me, not the other way around.’

‘I cheated because of you.’

But surprisingly, she remained unbothered.

She neither got angry nor felt sad.

As if she had expected it, she calmly announced their breakup.

‘And now she’s with a commoner?’

‘How dare she dump the heir of a count’s family and meet a lowly commoner?’

His fractured wrist, swollen shin, his pride shattered in front of the upper class, and the humiliation from Schubalt.

At this point, it didn’t matter who was at fault.

“I’ll show her what happens when she messes with me.”

Drewver rubbed his wrist.

Since a lieutenant injured a major’s wrist, it was a sufficient reason for punishment for insubordination.

Or he could hire thugs to beat up that commoner she was so fond of.

There were many ways to make her life difficult.

As Drewver lay down to sleep, he noticed a man in black in his room.

“Who… who are you?!”

“You saw me earlier.”

The window was partially open.

The curtains swayed in the night breeze.

The man, sitting cross-legged on the bed, calmly removed his mask.

“You’re the one who…”

It was the commoner who had struck his calf earlier.

“What are you doing here?! How did you even get in?!”

“I found your address through the military records. But that’s not important. It’s good I came.”

Creak.

The man unfolded his legs and stood up.

“I thought about ignoring it, but your eyes looked like you’d do something.”

The man wore something resembling a black uniform.

With a soft clink, a sword emerged from under his cloak.

“Y-You’re trying to kill me? Do you know who I am?! I’m Drewver Falkmart! Guards! Guards!”

“No one can hear you. I blocked the sound.”

“Block the sound? What are you talking about—”

Gurgle…

Black aura oozed from the man’s sword, enveloping the blade like ink.

Drewver’s eyes widened as if they would tear apart.

“S-Sword Master?!”

Drewver had seen Hildegarde’s mana before.

Hers was radiant and warm, but his was dark and oppressive, like a shady alleyway.

The shadow-like mana rippled along the blade.

“I don’t really want to kill you—too troublesome. I’m just here to warn you.”

The man took a step forward.

Drewver instinctively backed away.

“Don’t mess with me or Hilde.”

“….”

“If you do, I will kill you.”

The calmness of his threat made it even more terrifying.

It felt like he truly would kill him.

“Don’t you fear the consequences?”

The man pulled something out of his coat.

A badge engraved with a double-headed eagle.

As a soldier, Drewver knew what it meant.

“Th-The Imperial Guard?!”

Drewver’s face turned pale.

Why would the Imperial Guard be involved with a foreign soldier…?!

He had no idea, but he knew one thing—his opponent was from the infamous Imperial Guard.

Drewver, being a lieutenant colonel, knew a little about the Imperial Guard.

The brutal killing machines who would do anything for the Emperor.

If the Emperor ordered it, they would even kill the royalty of other countries.

Among all the royal families, there was hardly a single one that hadn’t lost a royal member to the Imperial Guard.

But since there was no evidence, no one could challenge them.

If they could kill royalty, could they not easily kill a mere count like him?

Drewver broke out in a cold sweat.

He had gotten involved with the worst kind of people in the world.

It wouldn’t just end with death if he provoked them.

“Drewver Falkmart. If you cause any trouble, you will be considered an enemy of the Empire.”

Drewver nodded frantically.

He knew how the Imperial Guard dealt with “troublesome” matters.

The man patted Drewver’s shoulder roughly and left the room.

“Before that, I should return what I received.”

The man, as if he had just remembered, turned around and kicked Drewver’s shin.

Crack!

“Agh!”

Drewver collapsed, clutching his shin.

His swollen leg felt as if it had been struck by a hammer.

It was broken.

The man looked down at Drewver, writhing like a caterpillar, then vanished like a shadow.

***

Chevalier is the benefactor of my life.

He took me in as his disciple when I only knew how to wield a sword and taught me his magic.

He didn’t just teach me magic; he gave me a wealth of knowledge.

In my heart, I regarded him almost like a father.

But when the Emperor died, I had no choice but to cut ties with him.

Chevalier and I were particularly close.

There’s no way the Empire wouldn’t know about that.

When Emperor Markus died and they started pursuing Elizabeth and me, Chevalier was probably put under surveillance.

That’s why I haven’t sent him even a single letter until now.

It wasn’t just Chevalier—I cut ties with everyone from my Imperial days.

Occasionally, I would catch glimpses of his life through the newspapers.

***

As promised, I went to the Grand Park at 10 o’clock.

In one corner, on a bench, sat an old man stubbornly reading a newspaper.

It was Chevalier.

I approached him, and he folded the newspaper and looked up at me.

Chevalier wore a strange expression, half laughing, half crying.

After hesitating for a while, he finally spoke.

“You brat.”

It was a familiar greeting I hadn’t heard in five years.

“Why is your first word a curse?”

I responded nonchalantly, sitting down beside him.

Not liking my response, Chevalier raised his voice.

“You little punk, how could you suddenly cut off all contact? Huh? At least you should have sent a letter!”

“You know the situation.”

Chevalier pressed his lips together tightly at my words.

Of course, he knew the truth behind what happened five years ago.

Looking at the distant mountains, he spoke.

“…Are you eating properly?”

“I’m actually living better than before.”

“You look it. Found yourself a lovely girl or something? So, what do you do for a living? Swordsmanship? Magic?”

“Neither. Just working steadily.”

We sat on the bench, sharing stories after a long time apart.

“No one’s been following you, right?”

“No, they dropped off a while ago.”

“Which means someone was following you at some point.”

“Thanks to a certain troublesome disciple.”

“Ahem.”

“By the way, what happened with the princess?”

He asked bluntly.

Typical of him.

“I know you’re taking care of her.”

“I’m raising her as my daughter.”

“Ha!”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Ha!”

“Why are you laughing? Seriously.”

“Are you for real? Raising the princess as your daughter?”

Princess Elizabeth—that’s who he was referring to.

I hesitated before answering.

“That day, in the teddy bear Elizabeth was holding—there was a letter from His Majesty.”

“So, His Majesty personally entrusted you with it.”

“You knew all along.”

“Of course. That bastard spent years searching for his half-sister.”

The “bastard” he was referring to was the current Emperor.

“I’ve been in and out of prison more than a dozen times just because I was your mentor.”

“You didn’t tell them anything, right?”

“You brat! Shouldn’t you be worried about your mentor first?”

“You seem fine, so I didn’t think I needed to ask.”

“Sigh… What’s the point of saying anything? I don’t know what to say when I don’t know anything.”

True enough.

Even I hadn’t planned on escaping like that.

“Honestly, the Empire’s more incompetent than I thought. I figured I’d be caught within two years.”

“It’s not that they couldn’t find you—they just didn’t bother.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It’s more profitable to claim they’re looking for you while lounging around abroad, collecting allowances and salaries. Would you bother searching?”

“How do you know that?”

“One of the guys who interrogated me complained that he only got two years of cushy work.”

I was slightly dumbfounded.

“And the Emperor’s fine with that?”

“That sniveling brat? What does he know? He’s too busy burying himself in women all day. It’s no wonder his underlings are so slack.”

So the Emperor’s a mess, and his subordinates follow suit.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“But it’s a shame.”

“What is?”

“My money in the bank. Just the interest alone must be over ten billion by now.”

“A high-ranking mage being so greedy? Raising a daughter will change that. Do you know how expensive Lenz School fees are?”

“A daughter… It still feels weird. Did you get citizenship?”

“Yes, three years ago. Elizabeth is now Elizabeth Valentine, an ordinary fifteen-year-old attending Lenz School.”

“Are you happy?”

“I can’t stop smiling.”

“Then that’s all that matters.”

“How’s the Empire doing?”

I couldn’t help but be curious, even as a citizen of Eichenwald now.

Chevalier looked exasperated.

“Don’t even ask. The mess that kid makes wearing the crown is absurd.”

“How bad is it?”

“Just think of the exact opposite of Emperor Markus.”

I could imagine what that was like.

“Good luck with that.”

“You say that so casually.”

“I’m not part of the Empire anymore.”

“Lucky you.”

“By the way, why are you here?”

“The king asked me to come. He invited me to the academy.”

“Lenz School?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to do it?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I have to go back to the Empire. By the way, where’s the princess?”

“She’s not here. She’s on a field trip.”

“Where to?”

“To the eastern part of the Empire.”

66

“…Of all places?”

Chevalier rarely looked worried.

“Why do you look so uneasy?”

“The Ten Demon Kings have appeared.”

I erased my smile.

I looked at him with eyes demanding an explanation.

The Ten Demon Kings.

The ten demon lords.

Demons who survived after fleeing from the Founder.

Although many other demons also survived, the Ten Demon Kings were exceptionally powerful among them.

To demons, the human world was merely a colony—good to have, but not essential.

Moreover, demons displayed even greater power in Hell.

The Founder pursued the demons into Hell to exterminate them.

If left unchecked, demons would eventually invade the human world again.

Unfortunately, the Founder’s wish was never fulfilled.

Demons were strong in Hell. Particularly, each of the Ten Demon Kings possessed divine-level power.

In the end, the Founder, wounded from the combined attack of demons and the Ten Demon Kings, had to retreat.

It’s said that the injury shortened his life, preventing him from reaching the age of one hundred.

“A demonic energy trace presumed to be from one of the Ten Demon Kings has been discovered in the eastern part of the Empire.”

“Is it really one of the Ten Demon Kings?”

“Yes.”

“…We’re screwed.”

Chevalier nodded in agreement with my sigh.

Even a regular demon was an emergency, but a Ten Demon King?

The Founder managed to drive them out of the human world relatively easily,

But a single one of the Ten Demon Kings could be considered a walking catastrophe.

Demons were categorized into five danger levels.

Levels 1 through 5, with Level 1 being the most powerful.

Dealing with a Level 5 demon requires an alliance.

A Level 4 demon requires a brigade.

From Level 3 onward, a Sword Master is essential.

A Level 3 demon’s skin can’t be pierced by bullets—unless hit by a cannon.

Level 2 demons require both a Sword Master and a 5th Circle Mage.

Level 1 demons necessitate a division of ten thousand troops, accompanied by both a Sword Master and a high-ranking mage.

Just the appearance of a Level 2 demon puts an entire nation on high alert.

Demons aren’t mindless beasts.

They’re cunning creatures, more devious than humans, evading armies while wreaking havoc.

Even if one is spotted, killing it is incredibly difficult.

The Ten Demon Kings are the rulers of such demons.

I rubbed my face in frustration.

“…Elizabeth is in the East.”

“Where exactly in the East?”

“Easton.”

“Then that’s fortunate. The demon appeared at the very outskirts of the East. Besides, Easton is a fortress that even a Ten Demon King would struggle to attack.”

Easton is a fortress built by the Founder.

It serves as the Empire’s eastern stronghold against demons, with the main eastern forces stationed there.

Only then did I feel a bit relieved.

The East was as vast as Eichenwald.

The chances of Elizabeth and the demon crossing paths in that vast region were slim.

Besides, it was about time for Elizabeth to return.

Still, the Empire must be on high alert by now.

After all, a Ten Demon King had appeared.

They must have summoned high-ranking mages and Sword Masters.

“Wait a minute.”

“What are you doing here? Haven’t you received the summons?”

Why is the proud 9th Circle Archmage Chevalier idling here?

“That’s why I told you—we need to head to the Empire quickly.”

Chevalier got up with a face like he’d just swallowed something bitter.

“I just wanted to chat with you for a bit before leaving.”

He turned his back on me, waving his hand nonchalantly.

“Send me a letter later. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know where to find you.”

“Are you coming to my house?”

“Of course, idiot. You think I’d never see you again after this?”

“I wouldn’t mind either way.”

“Ungrateful brat.”

“I’m kidding. I’ll send one, so make sure to read it. No more surveillance, right?”

“None.”

“Alright. Take care. Don’t die.”

Chevalier gave a small smile and disappeared.

I prayed sincerely for his safe return and went home.