Chapter 27: 27
“This was an unexpected outcome and also a stroke of luck.
If they had known that they were going to ambush Hanette and me, they would have done everything to prevent us from traveling.
But what I knew hadn’t even started yet, and I hadn’t even expected Robbenz to suggest the journey.
‘I can’t move in the capital.’
They were expanding their influence throughout the Alain Kingdom while waiting for the right time.
Of course, depending on the situation, they could reveal themselves, but they were acting discreetly as much as possible in the capital.
The security in the capital was superior to any other region, with the royal palace and numerous noble families present.
If they were caught for no reason, all the power they had built up could be swept away in an instant.
‘… But it seems too sudden. Isn’t it a bit much to ambush us just because we left the capital?’
Kellidos was a city close to the capital.
It took at least a day, and at best half a day, to travel between them.
Above all, because the capital was nearby, if they wanted to take action themselves, they had to be prepared for a lot of risks.
‘It might be understandable if it were Hanette’s sibling, but targeting Hanette doesn’t make sense.’
They had marked the current king, direct royal family members, Duke Adelaira, and Duke Ternein for assassination.
But for now, they were focusing on increasing their forces, and they would engage in large-scale activities only in the later stages.
So, considering the timing and conditions, there was no reason to kill Hanette.
Hanette was known as the Crazy Young Lady, so she was the least valuable noble from Duke Adelaira’s perspective.
‘It was a bit risky.’
They gained some benefits from this incident, but the mood wasn’t particularly good.
Not only myself but also the hired guards and employees almost lost their lives.
If it hadn’t been for Exceed Rain, they wouldn’t have been able to easily overcome the situation.
‘Hanette could have… been hurt.’
Hanette had learned magic, so she could have been helpful in battle.
Given her exceptional talent in magic, she would have displayed appropriate power and speed even in combat.
But because of that, Hanette might reveal that she had learned magic, and due to her lack of combat experience, she could have been injured due to a momentary mistake.
‘Should I watch over her a bit more?’
There was still time before the protagonist arrived.
There had been no mention of direct royal family members or Duke’s children being injured or killed.
Of course, it could have been intentionally omitted, so a bit of caution seemed necessary.
‘Focusing only on the protagonist isn’t ideal.’
Although this was the case with other novels too, typically, the story revolves around the protagonist, who encounters various incidents and characters, leading to rapid growth and information acquisition.
However, this often led to neglecting other characters and information, inadvertently creating constraints on understanding the overall situation.
‘This is the limitation of extras.’
As extras, they remained in the background, never getting as close to the protagonist.
Moreover, with the engagement shifting to the protagonist, it almost seemed bleak in some aspects for them to hand over their fiancée.
‘… What’s the point now?’
Zion got up from the bed.
Although there was a lack of information, dealing with it now wouldn’t be difficult.
Exceed Rain was in his hands.
‘I should engrave magic.’
He couldn’t always stick by Hanette’s side.
There would be times when Hanette wanted to be alone, and he also had things to do.
Moreover, they could attack again, so he needed to be prepared.
‘They won’t be eager to fight with me.’
Just wielding a sword made him threatening enough.
Furthermore, being able to neutralize magic, he could convey a sense of using special swordsmanship.
In other words, he left an impression of strength that made it difficult for anyone to mess with him.
‘But I might end up fighting… I should become a bit stronger.’
Zion had already roughly planned how to handle Exceed Rain.
He would increase his magic power to the maximum, learn swordsmanship to enhance his understanding of close combat and sword techniques.
Although it would cost a lot, Robbenz would take care of most of the expenses.
‘I can learn swordsmanship from Lord Barhen.’
Lord Barhen was known as a young knight and promising swordsman of the Marquis.
As he was a rival of Marquis Laird, there were no issues in terms of lineage.
Moreover, with rumors of him joining the royal knight order, many nobles showed interest and tried to arrange strategic marriages.
Barhen Laird was busy, but he wouldn’t refuse his younger brother’s request for guidance.
‘I should invest all the money for swordsmanship into magic.’
In reality, it was more about efficiency than cost.
Exceed Rain could maximize its unique abilities only if magic was utilized appropriately.
He needed to learn swordsmanship to use Magic Sword, but without sufficient magic power, even that would be meaningless.
‘I should have some talent too…’
* * *
The Grand Cathedral of the Kinesian Holy Order, Chamber of Declarations.
Only the Pope and the Cardinals could enter the Chamber of Declarations.
All matters related to the Order were discussed here, and decisions on how to handle them were made.
They also periodically changed their external stance and negotiation methods concerning matters within the royal palace, social circles, battles against demons, and so on.
“… Oh, right. Have you heard the rumors about Marquis Laird?”
“Marquis Laird? Why suddenly mention that family?”
“Are you aware that Duke Adelaira is currently conducting a strategic marriage with Marquis Laird?”
“The engagement ceremony of their children, right?”
“I’ve heard about it.”
“… It was a false rumor. They’re not ordinary at all.”
“Really? What do you mean?”
“They wielded Magic Swords. Does that make any sense?”
“Magic Swords? The ones I know?”
“They encountered a band of thieves on their way back to the capital by carriage.”
“Thieves? How can there be a band of thieves near the capital?”
“I’m curious about that too… How would I know the reason? Anyway, they encountered a band of thieves, and Marquis Laird’s youngest son intervened.”
“… He personally used a Magic Sword?”
“That’s right. He used the Magic Sword to kill half of the thieves.”
“Wow…”
Enrite Serenine listened intently to the conversation among the Cardinals.
He was also interested in the strategic marriages of these families.
He had met Marquis Laird’s youngest son before and left an unforgettable impression.
“Using a Magic Sword because you want to use it, right?”
“Even with training, using a Magic Sword isn’t easy.”
“It’s not about being easy or difficult. Marquis Laird’s youngest son is now 19 years old. How could he use a Magic Sword at 19?”
“… 19? I didn’t mishear, did I?”
“You heard correctly. Using a Magic Sword at 19 is a rare talent that may only appear once in a few hundred years. What do you think will happen now?”
“… Will the knights not covet him?”
“No elite knights would let him slip away. He would need to reach the level of the royal knights, wouldn’t he?”
The royal knights fought only for the king and direct royal family, prioritizing their protection above all else.
They needed considerable skills to guard the direct royal family closely and were expected to obey any order from the king without question.
Usually, nobles could meet these conditions, and even with effort, it wasn’t easy for commoners to become part of the capital’s defense forces.
“… Won’t the individual’s will matter?”
“Why would he refuse that? Entering the royal knights would elevate his family and himself. Isn’t that enough? They receive a good salary, always receive royal treatment while staying in the palace. It’s called being a knight, but in reality, there isn’t as much work as you might think.”
“Wouldn’t nobles recognize him just for being in the royal knights?”
“Nobles would seek him out just by being there. Who would disdain someone from the royal knights?”
“A knight’s position is just given for free?”
“Knights gather themselves, so the order is completed. In fact, there’s something even more important.”
“What’s more important…”
“If luck is on his side, he could marry into the direct royal family, couldn’t he?”
“… Ah…”
Enrite contemplated the situation while smiling faintly.
He wasn’t like them, but someday, his potential would be awakened.
The time had come sooner than expected, and his potential seemed exceptionally outstanding.