I Didn't Want to Become the Emperor of This World

Chapter 79

Jereuth, who had single-handedly subdued two of the pirate representatives.

He watched Ronak, who was approaching him, intently.

'Not bad. This one is several ranks above the other two I just faced.'

Ronak's slow approach towards him was like that of a seasoned beast. His movements were cautious, yet there was a clear confidence, and within that confidence, there was also prudence.

Jereuth, who had spent his entire life on the battlefield, could gauge Ronak's skill from that subtle atmosphere.

'Since he's a pirate, he probably hasn't learned proper etiquette, but he seems to have more manners than the two I faced before.'

The reason Jereuth was analyzing Ronak and the other pirates.

It was because Leonardo was trying to accept them into the kingdom's army.

To be honest, Jereuth could not understand Leonardo's intention to recruit pirates whose identities were not even clear. It was a decision that contradicted Leonardo's thorough personality.

However, Jereuth thought that if Leonardo had judged it so, there must be a good reason for it.

'So, what I need to do is to ascertain the strength of that pirate crew. As the knight commander responsible for the kingdom's army, it is my duty to ascertain the strength of my subordinates.'

Jereuth thought that ascertaining the strength of his subordinates was 'a natural duty as a knight commander.'

However, there were few knight commanders in the entire continent who paid so much attention to their subordinates.

The knights and soldiers were also aware of Jereuth's meticulous care, and that was one of the many reasons why Jereuth received absolute support from the military.

'Hmm, even so, he's a bit too cautious. He doesn't seem to be scared, so is he aiming for something?'

Jereuth thought as he watched Ronak, who had been circling around him for a long time.

Then he threw out a word.

"You're not planning to attack first—"

It was at that moment when Jereuth was speaking.

Swoosh—!

Ronak threw a hand axe. Even though it was a rather heavy hand axe, Ronak threw it at Jereuth using only the strength of his wrist, and the power contained in that axe was not ordinary.

The hand axe cut through the air, gaining speed upon speed, and was aimed precisely at Jereuth's brow. It was clearly an attack that could kill Jereuth.

Clang—!

However, Jereuth nonchalantly deflected the axe with his sword. As a result, the axe that was flying at Jereuth with a fearsome momentum was ridiculously easily buried in the sand.

Even after being subjected to a sudden surprise attack, Jereuth's expression was calm.

No, beyond being calm, there was even a faint smile on his face.

"Were you aiming for the moment I spoke? Not bad."

“...”

"It was an excellent surprise attack. Who did you learn it from? Or did you learn it yourself?"

“...”

Ronak, once again, did not answer and took out another axe that was at his waist.

It was a much larger axe than the one he had just thrown at Jereuth.

Thud— thud—.

One step, then another.

Ronak gradually approached Jereuth. However, the two only glared at each other from outside of their range, and there was no direct clash.

The sparring match was still in a lull.

As the reconnaissance continued, Jereuth spoke.

“If you don’t come, I will. It is not the duty of a subject to keep His Highness, who is waiting for the result of the sparring match, waiting for too long.”

“...”

“Focus. You will die if you miss my sword. Do not let your guard down for a single moment.”

As soon as Jereuth announced his attack, he thrust his sword.

Swish—!

In a posture that seemed to be from a fencing competition, the tip of Jereuth's sword was aimed precisely at Ronak's heart.

It was truly in an instant. The source of thɪs content is novel⚑fire.net

***

Ronak had never been so focused in his life. Not even when he was dragged away by the Kraken.

However, once Jereuth's attack began, Ronak found it difficult to maintain his concentration.

'...Fast!'

The tip of Jereuth's sword, aiming for his heart.

Ronak barely managed to dodge the tip of the sword by twisting his body to the side.

However, it seemed he had not completely dodged it, as a long streak of blood appeared on Ronak's thick chest.

Rip—!

"Ugh...!"

Ronak bit his lip and straightened his posture. He had no time to worry about the pain of the sword cutting his chest.

'That attack just now was truly an attack meant to kill me. There was no hesitation. More than that... what a frightening sense of distance. To thrust his sword as soon as I entered his range.'

While admiring Jereuth's sharp skill, Ronak felt a sense of suffocation.

'I can't see any opening to break through. Is he really human?'

It seemed as if an 'invisible curtain' was spread around Jereuth. That's how suffocated Ronak felt, as he could not see any opening to attack Jereuth.

'I have to break through that space to attack. But if I try to force my way in, that old master's sword will not forgive me.'

Ronak continued to think cautiously.

'If speed doesn't work, should I push through with strength? No, that's impossible too. Earlier, Commander Jereuth parried the glaive that Hark swung with all his might without any problem.'

Hark, who had been the first to face Jereuth in the sparring match, was the strongest man in the Ingrid Island Pirates. Jereuth had parried the glaive that such a man had swung with all his might without any problem.

That meant that Jereuth's strength was far greater than his own.

'It's not just strength. That old master surpasses me in experience and technique as well.'

Ronak suddenly recalled the time he was dragged away by the Kraken.

'Even when I was dragged away by the Kraken, I don't think it felt this hopeless... he's a real monster. He wasn't called a hero for nothing.'

To be able to spar with such a hero was certainly a source of pride for a man. It would be a story to tell over drinks for the rest of his life.

However, Ronak had no intention of giving up so easily.

'I have no choice. It's in front of His Highness, and it's a sparring match with a great hero, so I didn't want to use such a cowardly method... but I can't just say I lost without doing anything. I will fight like a pirate. The honest knight's play ends here!'

"Hmph—!'

With a short cry, Ronak threw himself into Jereuth's close range in an instant. Using that momentum, Ronak swung his axe from bottom to top with all his might.

Swoosh—!

Ronak's axe cut deep into the sand and was swung upwards. It was a slightly short attack to reach Jereuth.

However, Ronak was not trying to hit Jereuth with his axe. Instead, Ronak hoped that the sand kicked up by the axe would obscure Jereuth's vision.

'If sand gets in his eyes, he'll instinctively close them. That moment is my only chance!'

But.

Swoosh—.

Jereuth, as if he had anticipated everything, calmly increased the distance without blinking an eye. It is natural for any human to react to foreign objects entering their eyes, but Jereuth did not.

Ronak, who saw that from the front, widened his eyes.

'...He doesn't even blink when sand flies into his eyes, is he really not human?!'

As Jereuth didn't even flinch, Ronak hastily retreated. It was to prepare for a counterattack since his own attack had failed.

However, Jereuth was not one to allow Ronak to increase the distance.

Thud—!

Jereuth kicked Ronak's stomach. He had deliberately kicked him with his foot even though he could have cut him with his sword.

However, it was not because he was looking down on Ronak. It was to teach Ronak a lesson.

"Gah...!"

But contrary to Jereuth's intention, his kick was a huge shock. Ronak could not breathe properly. It was a pain similar to when he was hit on the back by the Kraken's tentacle.

Inevitably, Ronak dropped his axe. Since he couldn't even breathe properly after being hit in the stomach, there was no way he could put strength into his hands.

Jereuth stepped on the axe that Ronak had dropped. He had disarmed Ronak.

Jereuth placed his sword on Ronak's neck and spoke.

"What you just did was an 'all-in' attack similar to what that fellow named Rollo did earlier. It's an attack that will surely lead to death if it fails. If you're going to make such an attack, do it with two hands, not one. I'm telling you to use all your strength. Two hands are stronger than one—that's the basic of swordsmanship."

“...”

“It will be difficult to learn swordsmanship from scratch because of the habits you’ve accumulated so far, but you should still try to learn. That swordsmanship will save your life someday.”

“...”

When Ronak did not give any answer, Jereuth continued to ask.

"Ronak, will you continue? Or—"

It was at that very moment when Jereuth was asking.

Swoosh—!

From the bosom of Ronak, who was kneeling on the sand, a sharp dagger was shot at Jereuth.

It was a dagger smaller than a finger.

That dagger was the decisive blow that Ronak had prepared and hoped for. It was what he had thought to himself as 'fighting like a pirate.'

A dagger thrown from such a close distance.

Ronak did not think that the dagger could penetrate Jereuth's armor. However, he thought that it would at least touch his body.

He was so sure that he deliberately did not aim for Jereuth's neck. Because if the dagger were to graze Jereuth's neck by any chance, it would be a big problem.

However, it seemed that Ronak was still years too early to be worrying about Jereuth.

Clang...

As if he had anticipated Ronak's dagger throw as well, Jereuth nonchalantly flicked away the dagger that was flying towards him with his gauntlet. Ronak's decisive attack, the dagger, pitifully fell to the sand.

Thud.

“...?”

Ronak, whose cowardly surprise attack from point-blank range had been blocked.

As he looked up at him blankly, Jereuth asked Ronak again.

"Will you pick up the axe? Or will you try throwing another dagger from your bosom once more?"

“...”

"But if you're going to throw it this time, aim for my neck. Don't worry about hitting me."

Jereuth already knew everything.

***

I was watching the sparring match between Jereuth and Ronak from a distance. And throughout the match, I only had one thought.

'This doesn't seem like a sparring match...?'

Swinging an axe with all his might, thrusting a sword at the heart, and even using hidden weapons?

How is this a sparring match? Anyone can see that it's a duel to the death.

'Maybe Jereuth stepped up himself knowing that this would happen. If it were any other knight, they might have gotten hurt by such an attack.'

"I'll ask again. Will you continue?"

Jereuth asked Ronak once more. A moment of silence fell on the sandy beach.

Breaking that silence, Ronak spoke.

"...I have lost. To think that I couldn't even pose a threat even after using a hidden weapon in a cowardly manner... I'm pathetic."

As if he had not expected to lose so ridiculously, Ronak's voice was weak.

However, Jereuth seemed to have a different opinion.

"Pathetic? What is so pathetic?"

"Using a hidden weapon in a sparring match—"

"Isn't it more pathetic not to use it?"

"Pardon?"

"I said, isn't it more pathetic not to use a hidden weapon in a sparring match."

Jereuth picked up the axe that had fallen to the ground and handed it to Ronak, continuing to speak.

"Whether it's hidden weapons, swordsmanship, or spearmanship, they are all skills acquired through painstaking effort. I don't understand why it's pathetic to use that skill in a sparring match. Rather, not using one's own skills is a lack of courtesy to the opponent."

“...”

“Of course, there are knights who say that hidden weapons like daggers should not be used in a sparring match. If you ask the knights of the entire continent, most of them would say so. That hidden weapons are cowardly means, so they shouldn't be used. But we, the knights of the Plank Kingdom, do not care about such useless things. To do what is best for the kingdom by any means necessary, that is the mission of the Plank Kingdom's army.”

"Protecting the kingdom by any means necessary...?"

"Yes. In the past, my lord, His Highness Leonardo, said, 'It doesn't matter if it's a white horse or a black horse, as long as it runs well.' With those words, His Highness appointed a slave with skill and experience to a high position. In other words, that should also be applied to the army. The goal of our Plank Kingdom's army is to 'win by any means necessary.' It's the same in a sparring match."

White horse, black horse? Appointing a slave to a high position?

'Ah... I said something like that to Jereuth when I appointed Kalitos and Vaisar as the heads of the large farm and the market.'

As I was briefly recalling that time, I felt a hot gaze. It was the passionate gaze of the knights, soldiers, and pirates.

Was it because I had said 'white horse, black horse'? ...It was a bit burdensome.

"You fought well. If you had fought with Walter, it would have been difficult to determine a winner. You were just unlucky with your opponent."

"Thank you."

Pat, pat—.

Jereuth lightly patted Ronak's shoulder and then turned around to look at me.

"Your Highness. Then I will report the results of the sparring match."

"Ah, yes."

"The Ingrid Island Pirates. Their movements were not what you would expect from ordinary pirates. If any other knight had faced them instead of me, someone would have been seriously injured."

It was what I had roughly expected.

"Then, as I thought, does that mean I can entrust the Ingrid Island Pirates with the task of recruiting and subjugating bandits?"

“...!”

At my words, Jereeth showed a flustered expression.

The man who had been calm even when an axe was flying at his face.

"...Your Highness, you do not need to ask for my permission. Besides, there are other knights here, and if you speak in a way that asks for my permission, your authority will—"

"When it comes to battle or military affairs, you are the expert, Commander, so of course I should ask for your opinion."

"Even so..."

“Anyway, so. What do you think? Can I entrust them with it?”

"...Yes, I believe there will be no major problems in entrusting them with the recruitment and subjugation of bandits. Of course, we will have to provide some military support, but with their skills, they will be able to perform well enough."

With Jereuth saying so, I also became confident.

“Very well. Then, Lord Ronak.”

“Ah… yes!”

Ronak hastily approached me. The burly pirate with a face and body full of scars was fidgeting in front of me.

"I will give you the royal flag. With that flag, please recruit or subjugate the bandits. I will leave it to your judgment to decide who to subjugate and who to recruit."

“I understand!”

"However, until the kingdom's army begins to formally subjugate the bandits, I hope you will not overdo it. The strength of the Ingrid Island Pirates alone will not be enough to deal with all the bandits in the kingdom."

"I will keep that in mind."

Ronak nodded and then asked one more thing.

"Then, Your Highness, is there any area that we should look into first? Near the royal capital, or near Misty Port, for example."

"The area to look into first..."

In fact, the investigation into the bandits who were secretly active in the kingdom had not yet been completed. So, I did not know which area's bandits to attack first.

Then, I suddenly remembered something I had seen in the <Future Diary> before.

'Come to think of it... there was something like that in the diary, wasn't there? 「The pirates of the southern sea and the pirates of the western sea were a big problem.」 — something like that.'

Fortunately, I had recruited the 'pirates of the southern sea,' one of the two pirate groups. That was the Ingrid Island Pirates.

So, the bandits I should be most concerned about were the 'pirate crew of the western sea.'

"Lord Ronak. Do you happen to know the pirates of the western sea of the kingdom?"

"Hmm... unlike the southern sea, which our Ingrid Island Pirates dominated, I know that the western sea is still in a state of chaos with several pirate crews running rampant. So, there is no pirate crew that can be called the 'ruler of the western sea.' However..."

Ronak thought for a moment and then answered.

"There is a pirate crew called the 'Red Shark Pirates' that has grown significantly in power in recent years. They are expanding their scale by forcibly merging with other pirate crews."

"The 'Red Shark Pirates'?"

"Yes. They are not very pleasant people. They are crazy bastards who sail with the crew members of plundered ships or villagers tied up with ropes and thrown into the sea after cutting them just enough so that they don't die but bleed."

"Cutting people just enough so that they don't die but bleed... and sailing with them tied up with ropes and thrown into the sea?"

"That's right. The blood of those people dyes the sea red, and the smell of blood attracts sharks to follow the ship. That's why they are called the 'Red Shark Pirates'."

At Ronak's explanation, Jereuth's expression twisted. It was the same for the other knights and soldiers. It seemed they were angry at the atrocity, which was horrifying and disgusting even to imagine.

I was the same.

'...They're not even human.'

“Are those Red Shark Pirates stronger than the Ingrid Island Pirates?”

My displeasure with the 'Red Shark Pirates' was evident in my voice. Before being the Crown Prince of this kingdom, I thought that such human scum should be exterminated as soon as possible.

However, on the other hand, I wondered if I was placing too heavy a burden on Ronak. No matter how much Ronak was a pirate who ruled the southern seas, it seemed that the 'Red Shark Pirates' would also be formidable.

However, contrary to my concerns, Ronak even smiled slightly, his scar that was torn from the corner of his mouth to his ear widening viciously.

Perhaps it was a friendly smile intended to show me his confidence... but to me, it seemed as if he was plotting something evil.

"Your Highness. Although we were unable to use our strength properly in the sparring match with Commander Jereuth, the sea has its own ways for pirates. Please trust us and leave it to us."

Ronak's voice was full of confidence.

A wicked confidence like a 'pirate.'

Grin—.

Ronak smiled even more widely.

...It was scary.