Chapter 24 : Chapter 24
Chapter 24. The Wandering Duke Aselheit (3)
The Torch Knights created by Aselheit were disbanded when the war with the black mages ended, but some knights admired Aselheit and decided to follow his will together.
Knights who threw away all shackles with the world like Aselheit and punished black mages with only their will held high continued that lineage and were still active under the name of Torch Knights until now, so it could be called a gathering of knights with truly noble spirits.
"Me too! I also want to join! Lord Aselheit! Please take me too!"
Blanc knelt before Aselheit and shouted.
Bartomyu and Berger could not hide their bewildered appearance seeing that.
Joining the Torch Knights meant cutting off all ties with the secular world and devoting one's life to chasing only a noble goal.
Bartomyu and Berger, who were in danger of losing Blanc, who might become a grandson and son-in-law, in an instant, could not help but be shocked.
In contrast, Edwin was nodding, because the existence of the Torch Knights was a place honorable enough for knights to seriously consider at least once in their lives.
"B, Baron Blanc. Calm down. You must not rely on momentary attraction for important decisions in life. Look here, are you listening to me?"
"What disgraceful behavior is this in front of the busy Lord Aselheit. Blanc Cadmus! Stand up quickly!"
Although Bartomyu and Berger were nervous that Blanc might really join the Torch Knights, Blanc was also prostrating and begging with a desperate heart.
'I've never heard a story that the Torch Knights knew about the Void first!'
Why did the Void become the Void?
Who first attached the name Void to the Void?
It was an urgent time to argue about such things. Someone was already calling it that, and people started to follow calling it the Void containing fear.
In his previous life, when humanity recognized the danger of the Void, it was already too late.
A situation too late to stop them spreading endlessly.
Nations collapsed, religions collapsed, and everything humans built collapsed.
It wasn't a calamity only humans experienced.
Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, Fairy races, etc., all intelligent beings existing on this land, everything they built was becoming void.
What the survivors who survived in such a hellish gap gathered to create was exactly the Liberation Front.
But to think they already knew the existence of the Void in this timeline, more than 30 years ago.
Furthermore, to think they were preparing to stop the Void.
Would the Void Aselheit speaks of and the Void of the future Blanc knows be the same existence?
If they were the same existence, why was the link that should be connected between the current Torch Knights and the future Liberation Front severed?
To resolve such doubts, Blanc knelt before Aselheit.
"Hmm..."
Aselheit examined Blanc carefully with half-open eyes, unsure if they were open or closed.
Bartomyu and Berger did not know what to do seeing such an Aselheit.
For these two, the existence of Blanc was no different from a foundation to prepare for the next generation. The plan was to form a strong bond with the family through Blanc and pass on the family's influence they currently possessed to the future generation through that.
However, if Aselheit took a fancy to Blanc now and whisked him away, all these plans would become bubbles.
"There is still a boy who has the spirit to throw himself. The path I, Aselheit, walked does not seem to have been in vain."
Soon, Aselheit burst into hearty laughter and smiled.
And at his following words, Bartomyu and Berger turned pale.
"I like that spirit. Baron Blanc, take a sword and follow me."
He had suffered injuries on both hands, but fortunately, they were almost completely healed. No, in a situation like now, even if he was injured, he had to follow unconditionally.
Because it was a spar with Aselheit, a legend among legends.
"Yes!"
***
Jonas, who was in seclusion that was not quite seclusion within the family, felt the outside becoming noisy and asked.
"What is happening?"
"That... They say Lord Aselheit has visited."
"Aselheit... Aselheit... Aselheit? Wandering Duke Aselheit?"
"Yes, young master. That person is correct."
Hearing the name of Wandering Duke Aselheit, Jonas hurriedly prepared to go out without realizing it himself.
"No, why? What business did he come to our family for? I must offer greetings, where is he?"
"That is..."
"Why are you hesitating! Speak quickly!"
The newly changed servant of Jonas knew well about the vicious behavior Jonas had done so far.
Of course, about the incident with Isellin and Blanc as well.
That was why he was hesitating to tell Jonas. Because telling the truth would obviously stimulate Jonas' inferiority complex.
"You bastard! Can you not speak!"
Jonas, who had no way of knowing the servant's heart, was urging an answer with eyes opened bloodshot red.
Jonas' servant, who feared the immediate threat more than future danger, had no choice but to tell the truth.
"He is heading to the family's training hall right now..."
"That turned out well! I must receive a stamp of approval from Lord Aselheit taking this opportunity."
Jonas had fallen out of Schumacher's favor. If he could only utilize this golden opportunity that came now, he might be able to be acknowledged by his father once again.
"But... however, that is..."
"What is it?"
However, as the servant hesitated and tried to continue his next words, Jonas urged an answer in frustration.
"There was an order from Lord Bartomyu not to let anyone in."
"What does that mean?"
If Wandering Duke Aselheit came, it would not be enough even if they lined up all the grandsons in the family and introduced them.
But he said not to let anyone in?
"They say Lord Aselheit will guide B, Baron Blanc. So not to let anyone in..."
The servant prostrated himself flat on the floor and bowed his head even though he had done nothing wrong.
Therefore, the servant did not see. That Jonas' expression was breaking and shattering into pieces.
***
Aselheit and Blanc arrived at the Tolome family's training hall accompanied only by Bartomyu, Berger, Edwin, and a few knights.
'Indeed, the training hall looks good.'
Even before the great Aselheit, Blanc admired looking at the training hall. The past 30 years had made him bold enough to think other thoughts even with a legend in front of him.
While Blanc was admiring the training hall, Aselheit immediately approached the place where wooden swords were placed and began to scan the weapons.
"Hmm..."
"Lord Aselheit, if you just speak, we will bring the weapon you desire."
"No. Not that. Rather than those... Right, that would be good."
Aselheit passed the place where wooden swords were placed and approached a mop placed in the corner of the training hall.
The group could not hide their bewilderment at Aselheit's action.
Aselheit, who pulled out the wooden stick attached to the mop as if it were nothing, smiled with satisfaction as if this was enough.
"The wooden swords over there were too sharp. It wouldn't do if the Count's cherished grandson got hurt, would it?"
"...Pardon?"
To say wooden swords made for practice were sharp. There was no way a wooden sword made of wood would have an edge in the first place.
At Aselheit's incomprehensible remark, even the great Bartomyu could only make a sound of air escaping.
When Aselheit, who found a weapon suitable for him, went up to the sparring ground, Blanc followed as if he had been waiting.
The young boy and the legendary swordsman taking starting stances while making eye contact.
"Come, young Baron."
"Thank you for giving me such honor. Duke."
"Haha... I do not even possess a Dukedom, that is just an honorary title people attached to me..."
Before Aselheit could even finish speaking, Blanc instantly wrapped himself in the White Thunderbolt, occupied the space, and thrust in.
Movement without an inch of hesitation.
It was truly swift and fast. It was the movement of Godspeed itself.
'This crazy!'
At Blanc's movement, everyone except Aselheit could not hide their astonishment.
It wasn't because Blanc's movement was excellent. No, it was a sufficiently excellent movement, and some of the waiting knights couldn't even see Blanc's movement, but they were not surprised because of that.
'That crazy guy doesn't show mercy no matter who the opponent is, just like when training with me.'
Edwin shook his head from side to side.
Legend among legends. He had thrust the sword in immediately before Aselheit could even finish speaking.
'Does this go against etiquette? Since they exchanged greetings, does it not go against it? Did that guy Blanc go crazy?'
While everyone was out of their minds watching the legendary swordsman's movement, only Bartomyu, who had to take responsibility for all situations occurring now, was stamping his feet.
Blanc, who had thrust in at Aselheit as if it were nothing, was also in a difficult position.
'I can't see an opening.'
Even his teacher Edwin showed corners that could be called openings. To be precise, he was taking a form of intentionally giving an opening and then counterattacking.
However, Aselheit showed no such thing. It just felt like swinging a sword at a tree.
'If I strike about ten times, surely a scratch will appear.'
Edwin's swordsmanship, the Meteor Shower.
Meteor showers shining white were shot mercilessly toward Aselheit with lightning-like movements.
However, even at the sword shot with murderous spirit, Aselheit rather smiled as if enjoying it and parried Blanc's sword one by one.
Since Aselheit became a legend, there had been no swordsman who attacked him sincerely for a long time.
Fellow swordsmen out of respect for him, and black mages who could be called Aselheit's adversaries gave up opposing him and surrendered.
However, the boy here was different.
He did not treat him as a legend nor run away in fear.
Just simply as Sword against Sword.
Although the levels were vastly different, he was truly rushing in sincerely to bring him down.
'It's been a long time!'
Such a feeling was truly a long time coming. Even if it was Blanc's sword that was like a child's trick.
'There is a flash of brilliance.'
Aselheit was carefully examining Blanc's swordsmanship and glimpsing his talent revealed moment by moment.
It was indeed a talent that the Knight of Godspeed would take as a disciple.
"Oops!"
Perhaps judging that thrusting the sword alone wouldn't work, Blanc dug in extremely close.
Blanc, who rushed at the legend Aselheit without hesitation, thrust the arming sword with one hand and reached out with the remaining hand to grab Aselheit's collar.
'Huh? Huh?'
Bartomyu, whose insides were burning black at Blanc's unstoppable move of throwing punches at Aselheit.
"Excellent! Excellent!"
Beside him, Edwin was clapping and saying well done, unaware of Bartomyu's feelings.
Even a swordsman handling a sword needs some degree of fist fighting in extreme infighting.
Since Edwin's specialty was digging into the opponent with Godspeed movements, he had some expertise in brawling techniques as well.
Seeing Blanc spewing out the brawling techniques learned from him without reserve, he could only admire.
However, even he had to let out a shout seeing Blanc's last action.
Because Blanc attempted a headbutt toward Aselheit.
"This crazy guy!"
At that shocking sight, Bartomyu inadvertently spat out the words inside him.
"I never taught him headbutting though..."
However, whether the surrounding people were shocked by Blanc's action or not, Aselheit was just enjoying it.
The appearance of Blanc moving wrapped in the White Thunderbolt reminded him of the movement of a young wolf.
And the fangs and claws of that young wolf were already sharp enough.
'The future is expected!'
Originally, Aselheit just intended to parry Blanc's attacks and guide him on a few things, but he changed his mind.
To break the young boy's head and show him a slightly wider world.
"Then is it my turn now?"
Aselheit asked Blanc, who was panting from exhaustion.
"It is an honor."
When Aselheit sent an attack signal, Blanc planted his feet firmly on the ground and concentrated all his nerves on the tip of his sword.
Looking at Blanc struggling saying he would try somehow, Aselheit smiled a good-natured smile and raised the wooden stick high.
And then slowly... very slowly... drew the sword down.
However, to Blanc facing the slowly descending wooden stick...
'Ugh... Uaa... Aaaack!'
The World approached.