Chapter 200
Chapter 200: Dawn of Knights
Imperial Calendar, Year 902.
It had already been over four years since the Daphne family was granted the title of count.
Pavillonia, the capital of the Fabian Empire.
In front of Sun Plaza, located at the very heart of the city, a song rang out.
— "Ah, the great hero... Hardin Daphne! Ah, the great heeerooo…"
A bard was strumming his mandolin and singing in a sweet voice.
A crowd of imperial citizens stood around him, listening intently to the song.
— "He saved his house from the brink of ruin. Victory after victory in war. He defeated the great demon Veritarun and reclaimed the glory of old. Aaaaah."
The watching citizens nodded in rhythm with the song, their eyes gleaming.
— "He pushed forward through countless battles. Conquered ancient dungeons. Offered the glory and sacred relics to His Majesty the Emperor. He restored the tainted lands and forged peace with the elves. Ah, O Hero! Thy name... Hardin Daphne. Great and noble... the hero of this age."
Zhararang!
With the end of the song, the bard gave his mandolin a final pluck.
And then—
Clap clap clap clap!
“Whew! That was great!”
“As expected of Lord Hardin!”
“Why am I crying…?”
The citizens erupted into enthusiastic applause, tossing coins toward the bard.
Most were copper and silver, but there seemed to be quite a few of them.
“Thank you, thank you! Haha! Once Dawn of Knights ends, I’ll make a song about that too, so please look forward to it!”
Whew, sold well again today.
As the bard was gathering the coins—
“That was a good song. Take this.”
“Hm?”
Someone extended a palm toward him.
Upon it... were ten gold coins.
“Th-thank yo— huh?”
Grab!
The moment the bard accepted the coins and looked up at the person's face—
His body stiffened like stone.
“Well, it’s a bit of a shame that the song doesn’t quite match the real Hardin Daphne, though.”
A cat-faced woman with long silver hair looked down at the bard with an expressionless face as she spoke.
“P-Princess Medeia?!”
Thud!
As he fell to his knees, the surrounding citizens also quickly knelt and bowed their heads.
Medeia, the Fourth Princess of the Empire, and currently the most powerful figure in the Imperial Court.
She had become known as the living goddess of war, traveling from battlefield to battlefield across the Empire and returning victorious each time. With her standing right in front of them, such a reaction was only natural.
At that moment, Medeia lightly tapped the bard’s shoulder with her finger.
“Mind talking with me a little more?”
“Wh-what would you like to talk about, Your Highness? Of course, I’ll speak with you as long as you wish…”
“About Hardin Daphne. I want to hear more about him.”
“Pardon?”
I mean… I should at least know what that guy’s been up to lately.
Medeia’s lips curled into a faint smile.
---
A few days later, in the center of Pavillonia’s downtown district.
A crowd had gathered in front of a bulletin board where all kinds of requests and royal notices were posted.
“Oooh, Dawn of Knights, huh. So it’s finally happening?”
"It's the first time in nearly ten years they're holding it... I'm looking forward to it."
"Who do you think will win this time?"
"Hmm, I'd say it's likely to be Young Master Jillian of the Shadow family."
"Young Master Jillian? Isn’t Ignima stronger?"
"Heh, you clearly don’t know what you're talking about."
The poster on the bulletin board announced the upcoming knights’ tournament: Dawn of Knights.
Flyers had been put up all over Pavillonia, and word had spread far and wide to the many free cities and noble houses throughout the Empire.
"But why would they suddenly revive something that hasn’t been held in ten years?"
"I’ve no idea either. Apparently, it was a direct order from Emperor Leorine?"
"Hmmmm... maybe it’s that."
One man standing in front of the board crossed his arms and began to speak, drawing everyone’s attention.
"The Emperor must be hoping that the Daphne Count House wins this tournament."
"Huh? The Daphne Count House?"
"Yeah. Lately, the Daphne Count House has become very close with the Imperial family. If they perform well here, it’ll be the perfect chance to suppress the dominance of the Seven Great Houses."
"Hmmmm, you’ve got a point. But is that even possible? The knights of the Seven Great Houses are no joke."
"Come on, don’t underestimate them. The Daphne Count House has been on a real roll lately. You all know how popular Lord Hardin is, right? He’s been racking up one military achievement after another."
"True. I’ve heard he’s amazing when it comes to swordsmanship."
"Exactly."
Just like this, Dawn of Knights had become the hottest topic across the Empire.
The results each house achieved in this tournament would have no small influence on the balance of power within the Empire, as well as the prestige of the participating noble families.
And the one attracting the most attention and expectations this year… fully intended to live up to it.
"Is this the registration office?"
"Looks like it."
As I asked while folding my arms and staring at the building, Mikkelsen scratched his head and replied.
Behind us…
"You really came all the way here, huh."
"Zip that mouth of yours."
"Sigh, this kinda thing really isn’t my style, you know."
Jerry, Manton, and Beryl stood side by side.
A nearby knight shrugged his shoulders and muttered.
"A-aren’t those… the Daphne Knights?"
"Those guys?"
"Y-yeah! The halfling up front must be the ‘Rat Knight’ Jerry, next to him is ‘Steel Knight’ Sir Manton, that scary-looking guy is ‘Maw Knight’ Beryl, and that’s ‘Sly Knight’ Mikkelsen. The one in front is probably Lord Hardin himself."
"You're right!"
Reacting as if they'd just seen famous stage actors, the surrounding knights made a fuss, causing the ears of the Daphne knights to twitch.
‘Steel Knight, huh… I quite like that nickname.’
‘What the hell’s with "rat"?! If you're going to give me a nickname, make it a proper one!’
At that moment, I threw open the door and said,
"Hey, get in here already."
"Yeesssir…"
Once inside, the hallway was packed with knights.
Every one of them looked capable, and the aura they gave off was no joke.
The corners of my mouth twitched.
‘So, it’s a festival after ten years, huh?’
While the Daphne knights stood in line for quite some time, their faces tinged with a bit of worry, I shot them a sharp look and said,
“I’ve told you this over and over. If any of you get knocked out before the round of sixteen, you're dead. Got it?”
“Come on, that’s way too high of a target.”
“Please don’t say such absurd things, Lord.”
When Beryl and Mikkelsen replied with sour faces, I smacked both of them on the head with my fists.
“Can you or can’t you? Just give me a straight answer.”
“But we literally just said we can’t…”
Mikkelsen tried to protest again—
Smack!
“Argh!”
Only to be met with another dose of my wrath.
“So, can you or can’t you? Are you seriously going to start whining before it even begins?”
“Ughhh, fine, we’ll do it, okay!”
When Mikkelsen finally gave in and answered, I responded with a satisfied smile.
“Good. Your resolve and fighting spirit—I can feel it loud and clear.”
“……”
Let’s just not talk. Better to stay quiet.
The Daphne knights all sighed and shook their heads.
And on top of that, the glares from the surrounding knights waiting in line were just a bonus.
How much longer had we waited like that?
“Next group, please.”
At the registrar’s words, I stepped forward.
Thud!
I slapped down the pre-filled form with confidence and thrust it forward.
“Hardin Daphne of the Count of Daphne, along with four others. We are entering Dawn of Knights!”
“Ah, yes… understood.”
You’re all dead meat now.
I’ll show the entire world just what the Daphne house is made of.
An incredibly (maybe too) confident expression spread across my face.
---
At long last, Dawn of Knights—the greatest event the Empire had seen in the past decade—raised its curtain.
“Lint Rohan, Second Young Master of the Shadow Duchy, advances to the round of 32!”
“Rassion, Third Young Master of Ignima, advances!”
The early stages of the tournament played out exactly as everyone had expected.
Knights sent by the Empire’s Seven Great Houses smashed through unrefined challengers and surged ahead with unstoppable momentum.
Though underdogs occasionally stirred up some surprises…
They all crumbled the moment they came up against members of the Seven Great Houses.
Results and performances befitting their namesake.
Disappointment began spreading across the faces of those hoping for an upset, while smug smiles bloomed on the faces of the Seven Great Houses’ members.
…That is, until they met the knights of the Daphne Count House.
“Wooooooo! I did it!”
“A stunning upset! Sir Beryl of the Daphne Count House has defeated Lint Rohan of the Shadow Duchy!”
“Phew… That was a tough one.”
“Sir Manton, the Steel Knight, advances to the round of 16! And he did it by taking down Second Young Master Sallion of the Divinity House!”
Every time the knights of the Seven Great Houses faced the Daphne representatives… they got utterly crushed.
There had been many who were rooting for the Daphne House to do well,
But the results were so far beyond expectations that jaws were dropping everywhere.
“Hohoho, Daphne’s doing quite well. Things are getting interesting, wouldn’t you all agree?”
Especially for Emperor Leorine, the very one who hosted this tournament.
“…They’re stronger than expected.”
“I believe it was simply a matter of luck.”
While members of the Seven Great Houses tried to act composed, their insides were burning—no, rotting away.
The four members of the Daphne house had continued their victorious march.
But their winning streak didn’t last forever.
“Aaaagh! M-My Lord! Take it easy, will you?!”
“This little bastard, what was that? ‘Take it easy’? Take it eaaaasy?”
On one side, Beryl and Jerry were getting absolutely beaten down by me.
“…It seems I’ve lost.”
“It was an immeasurable honor just to cross swords with you, Your Highness.”
Manton and Beryl had ultimately failed to surpass Princess Medeia.
And just like that, the grand tournament that had begun with hundreds of participants was nearing its end.
“Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for! The final match is here! Facing off in the finals: Lord Hardin Daphne of the Daphne Count House! And—Fourth Princess Medeia!”
With the announcer’s cry, a thunderous wave of applause and cheers erupted throughout the arena.
Medeia and I stood across from each other, swords in hand.
“Your Highness, it seems you've improved quite a bit since last time.”
“Losing isn’t a hobby of mine.”
“That’s a problem. I could say the same for myself. Hahaha!”
Just as we exchanged a few words—
Clang! Clang! Claang!
Sparks erupted violently between us.
‘You’ve definitely improved.’
‘This won’t end so easily this time, Hardin Daphne.’
It was a fierce exchange of blows, leaving only afterimages and echoes in the air.
Both of us displayed our full strength, each pressing the other with relentless intensity.
“Wh-What the hell… I can’t even see them.”
“Hoooh… this is a whole other level.”
The fierce battle between the two young knights had left the spectators with wide-eyed, breathless anticipation.
‘So… who’s going to win?’
Dawn of Knights, held for the first time in ten years.
Who would come out on top?
The entire Empire now had its eyes locked on this match.
---
Early morning.
First floor lobby of the Daphne Count House estate.
“Alright, bring it over here. Right here.”
“Yes, sir!”
A group of workers, groaning under the weight of something covered in black cloth, were hauling it to the center of the lobby.
Thud!
A heavy sound rang out as it was set down.
Cobalt, Malion, and other core members of the house quickly surrounded the object.
Then, Malion grabbed the edge of the black cloth.
Fwoosh!
With a single motion, he pulled it away.
And then...
“Wahaha! Now that’s a fine sight!”
I nodded in satisfaction, a broad smile spreading across my face.
What had been revealed beneath the black cloth… was a statue.
A depiction of me—wearing a cape, boldly thrusting my sword forward while crushing a demon underfoot.
The body was adorned with gemstones and gold, and the surrounding waves were studded with tightly packed sapphires.
‘The Wave Knight’s Statue.’
It bore an uncanny resemblance to the one awarded nearly 100 years ago, back when I was Varlach, for winning Dawn of Knights.
Well, maybe a little more extravagant this time around.
Then, as he stared closely at the statue, Viscount Cobalt gave a soft sniffle and spoke.
“Well done, Hardin. This truly… is an honor for the family. The ancestors would be very proud.”
“Yes, I hope so. Truly.”
You're all doing well up there… right?
I'm doing well down here, too.
A bittersweet expression spread across my face—a mix of sorrow and joy.
It was the look of someone silently wishing that those left in the past could see who he had become now.
— Reincarnated as the Descendant of a Fallen Noble.
The End.