Chapter 113 : The Road Is Long, Yet We Still Move Forward (1)
Chapter 113: The Road Is Long, Yet We Still Move Forward (1)
“……You leave me with nothing to say.”
At Kyle’s words, Marquis Shartega let out a powerless laugh.
In the meantime, the soldier who had nearly died collapsed onto the ground in shock, and Kyle stepped in front of him, glaring at Marquis Shartega who still held his bow tightly.
“Do not make yourself miserable until the very end.”
“You remind me of Rai Ragnar. That fellow was always dignified no matter the situation. Just like you now.”
“……To Marquis Shartega, a close friend of my father, I will make the proposal once more. Let us not create any more casualties. Let it end with just the two of us.”
Seeing the sincerity in Kyle’s eyes, which did not wish to see him become disgraceful, Marquis Shartega closed his eyes.
“My lord, you must not!”
The Knight Commander, who had been preparing for battle below the defensive wall, hurried up.
It seemed that at least the Knight Commander’s loyalty had not wavered.
At the sight of him kneeling on one knee as he spoke, Marquis Shartega opened his eyes.
“That man is right. Any further sacrifices would merely be my greed. There are already enough people waiting for me on the road to the afterlife.”
“My lord!”
“Open the gate. Kyle Ragnar and I will see the end of this battle ourselves.”
When they descended below the defensive wall, the gate opened according to his command.
Walking forward proudly, Marquis Shartega stopped before Kyle.
“It seems I’ve grown old. Whenever I think of Rai, I become strangely sentimental.”
“Marquis Shartega.”
“Your appeal that I was his close friend has ultimately brought me here. This is your victory, Kyle Ragnar.”
“……Did it truly have to be this way? If you had simply remained quiet, I would not have chosen the Shartega Family as the example.”
At Kyle’s regretful gaze, Marquis Shartega let out a faint chuckle.
“I lived my entire life as a noble of the Kingdom of Daon. What my father and ancestors sought to protect was not Ragnar, but the Kingdom of Daon. Now that the royal family I served has collapsed, the Shartega Family must also disappear into history.”
Even knowing what lay at the end, he still chose to remain loyal to the Kingdom of Daon.
The reason Marquis Shartega had devoted himself solely to swordsmanship in pursuit of reaching the Master realm was also because King Clover had so desperately wished for him to become a Master.
Marquis Shartega had done everything he could to strengthen the national power of the Kingdom of Daon.
Yet when he finally completed his training and reached the Master realm, the king he wished to show those efforts to had already vanished like dust.
“If you truly think of me as your father’s friend, then do it properly. Do not put courtesy into the tip of your sword.”
“……I promise.”
“And do not even think of sparing my life. I lived my life as a knight. Dying on the battlefield is the end that suits me.”
Aron had said Marquis Shartega should be spared, but Kyle had never intended to place him on an execution ground in the first place.
To fail to die on the battlefield and instead disappear as dew upon the execution ground was a disgrace for a knight.
Kyle nodded and raised his sword.
“Kyle Ragnar, son of Rai Ragnar, challenges Marquis Shartega to a duel.”
“I accept.”
Srrrng—
Marquis Shartega drew a sword imbued with a blue glow.
In his prime, he had been the lion of the Kingdom of Daon and a hero who repelled foreign invasions.
But now, he was merely a foolish man who insisted on following a fallen kingdom to the very end.
“Come.”
Usually, the stronger one yields the first move to the weaker.
But Marquis Shartega yielding the first strike to Kyle was his final pride.
Understanding his intent, Kyle stepped forward first.
As Kyle’s sword strike pierced forward without hesitation, Marquis Shartega calmly raised his blade without losing his composure.
Then the Blade clearly manifested upon his sword.
KWAANG—!
A shockwave erupted as the swords collided, kicking up a cloud of dust.
When the dust soon settled, the two men stood facing each other.
Those watching anxiously from within the castle walls erupted in cheers for Marquis Shartega.
The clearly visible Blade.
It was proof that Marquis Shartega had reached the Master realm.
“……Is this consideration?”
“I wished to give you the final courtesy I could offer.”
“My thanks.”
“I will remember your pride and the loyalty the Shartega Family tried to uphold until the end. The history of the Ragnar Kingdom will also remember you, Marquis Shartega.”
At Kyle’s words, Marquis Shartega nodded.
Originally, his head should have fallen with a single strike.
Kyle was showing him the utmost respect even now.
That alone was enough.
Moments later, the Blade clearly manifested from Kyle’s sword.
‘You are strong. Rai, now that your son has returned having grown this much, you must have no regrets left.’
Kyle was fighting with his full strength as requested.
Seeing that, Marquis Shartega realized he could not block it and gently closed his eyes.
Slash!
Kyle’s sword cut through his shoulder, and one of his arms fell to the ground.
Pain surged through him, but he thought it was not unbearable.
However, he had misunderstood Kyle until the very end.
Suddenly, his entire body felt as though it were burning, and Marquis Shartega clutched his chest.
“Cough!”
“……Do you have any last words?”
“To the very end…… you…….”
“I would like to send you off without pain, but that is not possible.”
Writhing in agony intense enough to burn his heart, Marquis Shartega eventually calmed somewhat and lowered his head.
“I am sorry.”
“…….”
“I wanted to end the vicious cycle. I wanted to restrain the king so the Ragnar Family could focus solely on guarding the North. But I failed. No… what excuse is needed now?”
“If you wish to say such things, tell them to the ancestors who protected the Shartega Family.”
“Haha…… I suppose I will.”
“And when you meet my father, tell him how well your sons have grown.”
Swoosh—
Kyle’s sword moved toward Marquis Shartega’s neck.
At the final moment of his life, Marquis Shartega closed his eyes without regret.
Slash!
“Cough! My lord, how can you die alone?”
Kyle’s sword, which had been moving toward Marquis Shartega’s neck, suddenly changed direction.
A sword had pierced the chest of a knight who had suddenly rushed toward Kyle.
“……Commander.”
“I will follow you as well.”
With those final words, the Knight Commander’s head drooped lifelessly.
To die before the lord he had served with absolute loyalty.
That had been his dream and his goal.
After confirming the Knight Commander’s breath had stopped, Marquis Shartega staggered to his feet.
“Still, was it not quite a good life? To have subordinates who would throw themselves away for me.”
“…….”
“I will not beg in disgrace. But there will surely be people within the Shartega Family who will be useful to the Ragnar Kingdom.”
“I will remember that. Farewell.”
Pulling his sword from the Knight Commander’s chest, Kyle swung it smoothly toward Marquis Shartega’s neck.
The blade brushed past his neck.
A thin line of blood appeared across it, and Marquis Shartega fell to both knees.
“Aron, recover the body with respect.”
As soon as Kyle cut down Marquis Shartega, Aron approached and bowed his head.
“……Did you never intend to consider my opinion from the start?”
“Are you disappointed because of that?”
“No. How could I criticize my lord’s decision? I merely would have changed the plan if I had known what you were thinking.”
“The ones to stand on the execution ground have already been decided, have they not?”
“That is…….”
“Secure the Shartega Lord’s Castle and prepare to move back to the Royal Capital. And send a letter to Seros ordering him to escort Branch Head Benshi to the Royal Capital under guard.”
As Aron stepped back, Kyle bowed his head toward the lifeless Marquis Shartega with a calm expression.
When he was young, Rai often said something to Kyle like a habit.
— I have devoted my entire life to the North. I will probably never leave it until the moment I die. Yet there is one man who can be called a friend by such a father. Marquis Shartega, the Great Lord who rules the Western Territories. If you ever meet him, treat him as this father’s friend.
Kyle had made a promise to Rai.
And just as promised, Kyle treated Marquis Shartega as Rai’s friend.
By granting Marquis Shartega’s final request.
Kyle raised his head and looked up at the sky.
‘I kept my promise, Father.’
“News has arrived that Marquis Shartega has been beheaded and the Western Region has been secured. Congratulations on the victory, Your Majesty.”
Marquis Shan stepped forward in the hastily convened Great Hall Council and delivered the victory report sent by Kyle.
Joy spread across Pramo’s face at the news that the Western Region had been secured.
“And although the Kingdom of Daon has fallen, it is said that the body of Marquis Shartega, who did his utmost as a noble of the kingdom, has been returned to his family.”
“Duke Ragnar must have judged appropriately. Although Marquis Shartega could not be put on the execution ground, this will be more than enough warning for the nobles.”
“That is correct.”
“We should prepare a banquet for the Northern Army that will return to the Royal Capital.”
With no one opposing the decision to hold a banquet, the meeting came to an end.
Viscount Rak left the Royal Capital to stabilize the West that Kyle had secured, and instead Kyle himself appeared.
Marquis Shan bowed his head to him, who had appeared a week after securing the Shartega Territory.
“You have worked hard, Duke.”
“I have returned safely. But the Royal Palace seems rather noisy.”
“His Majesty has decided to hold a banquet for the Northern Army.”
“……This is no time to waste time on banquets. Cancel it immediately.”
“Duke, even so, I hope you will accept His Majesty’s goodwill.”
“Marquis Shan, I must return to the North.”
Seeing Kyle as if he might depart for the North at any moment, Marquis Shan shook his head.
“You have just returned from a great war. Please remain in the Royal Capital and rest—”
“You know this already, do you not? If I remain in the Royal Capital, His Majesty will not be able to carry out his duties properly.”
“…….”
“Marquis Shan, I intend to depart for the North today. Even if His Majesty feels disappointed, it cannot be helped.”
“Duke, are you truly leaving like this?”
“Please stay by His Majesty’s side and help him walk the right path. I will thoroughly protect the North.”
At Kyle’s calm words, Marquis Shan slightly lowered his head.
His words were not wrong.
Pramo was still not properly carrying out the duties of a king, and Kyle had resolved nearly every important matter.
Since there were many matters that Pramo would need to lead personally from now on, it was right for Kyle to gradually step back.
Yet the feeling of regret could not be helped.
“Duke, the framework of the kingdom has not yet been fully established.”
“Of course, the road is still long. But even so, we must move forward. We will face countless trials and errors, and the road will be full of thorns.”
“That is why I wish you would remain in the Royal Capital longer.”
“This is as far as I can go for His Majesty. The rest must be his responsibility.”
When Kyle refused to bend his will, Marquis Shan had no choice but to nod in the end.
Kyle had already fulfilled his duty simply by dealing with the Shartega Family, which could have become the fuse of greater conflict.
Now the rest had to be carried out by Pramo and those who followed him.
“His Majesty will surely do well from now on.”
After speaking with Marquis Shan, Kyle immediately walked toward the king’s office to meet Pramo.
Akun, who was standing in front of the office, opened his mouth to announce Kyle’s arrival.
“Kyle Rag—”
Kyle briefly stopped him.
“Commander.”
“Yes, Duke.”
“After meeting His Majesty, I will return to the North immediately.”
“But then His Majesty will feel disappointed.”
“I know. But there is no time to waste on banquets. Now that the Shartega Family has been dealt with, His Majesty’s workload will likely increase beyond imagination. Therefore, stand by His Majesty’s side and serve him well.”
“Are you leaving today?”
“Take care. When we meet again, I hope you will stand before me having grown even more.”
Kyle nodded as he patted Akun’s shoulder.
Left speechless by his words, Akun cleared his throat.
“Ahem…… Your Majesty, Duke Kyle Ragnar has arrived.”
“……Please come in, Brother.”
Kyle had deliberately spoken so that Pramo could hear his conversation with Akun.
Perhaps because of that, Pramo’s voice sounded slightly hoarse.
However, Kyle calmly opened the door to the office and stepped inside.
“Brother.”
“With this, I intend to erase the guilt I have carried toward you.”
He stood here not as king and subject, but as elder brother and younger brother.
Realizing his intention, Pramo nodded.
“I have never once resented you, Brother.”
“It was only the guilt I felt toward you. Now that I have placed you on the throne as king, I will lay down some of that responsibility. So do well.”
“…….”
“Even if the road ahead is difficult and exhausting, if it is a path you must walk, do not avoid it. And even if a great crisis falls upon the Ragnar Kingdom, do not be afraid. I will stand behind you.”
<Pramo Ragnar>
Talent : Territory Administration Grade S, State Administration Grade A
Potential : State Administration Grade SS
Unawakened Abilities : Authority of a King Grade S, Bearing of a Ruler Grade S
When Kyle placed his hand on his shoulder, determination filled Pramo’s eyes.
“I will also do my very best.”
Seeing how much his younger brother had changed compared to before, both in demeanor and ability, Kyle smiled at him.