READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 11 - Pride of the North (4)
✦ Chapter 11 – Pride of the North (4) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
The Blood Duel.
The mention of this term caused a commotion among the bystanders.
“A blood duel is a duel where you fight until one of you dies, right?”
“It’s that emperor’s specialty.”
I hadn’t had a duel in a long time, so I was starting to get a little excited.
“I am Daniel of Dantalian. I accept your challenge.”
“It’s a duel!”
“A one-on-one battle!”
“Now that’s manly!”
It seemed the northerners were fond of one-on-one duels as well. Before I knew it, the crowd had formed a circle around us. I stood face to face with Galakrod, the 75th successor. He shouted at me—
“You’ve insulted my idol, His Imperial Majesty! I won’t spare you even if you beg for mercy! You pillar-hugging fool! You look like you’d be content feeding grapes to a countess under her skirts!”
Puh—haha—
The crowd erupted in laughter and among them was Del. When our eyes met, he seemed to feel guilty and tried to explain, “Well, the insults were just so specific and funny…”
I sighed inwardly. Who’s really insulting the emperor here?
Irritated, I flicked a small stone between my fingers and said, “Energy Bolt.”
Pishuuung—!
The pebble, no larger than my thumb, whistled through the air. It struck Galakrod’s armor with a resounding clang, sending him flying back at least two meters.
Zzzaang—!
“Argh!”
“W-what just happened?”
“Was that magic?”
“Didn’t he say ‘Energy Bolt’? It must be an attack spell!”
“But I didn’t sense any mana! This Daniel must be an exceptionally skilled mage!”
In reality, I had merely flicked a pebble with my fingers, but everyone was amazed thinking it was magic. Now, no one would guess that I was the emperor.
At this moment, I had become Daniel the mage.
“Ugh… What… was that? I feel like my consciousness is slipping away.”
“Oh? You’re still conscious after that hit? Not bad, Galakrod.”
Galakrod, the 75th in the Ascension Knights’ order, was a tough man, just as his face looked.
As I expressed my slight admiration, the crowd began to whisper about Galakrod.
“I heard the Ascension Knights could silence a crying child, but he went down so easily.”
“Maybe they’re not all they’re cracked up to be?”
“Perhaps the stories about the Emperor are exaggerated too?”
It seemed my easy victory over Galakrod had sown seeds of doubt among the people. And Galakrod couldn’t bear this atmosphere of disbelief.
“Mock me if you will, but I won’t forgive you for ridiculing His Majesty’s name!”
Galakrod spat blood and staggered to his feet, drawing his sword from his waist; then, in a move as if he were committing seppuku, he plunged the blade into his own chest.
“Rise, rise again, O Ascended One! We come with nothing and leave with nothing! Worship Emperor Bael, the sovereign of the destitute─”
Puuk—!
“That madman just impaled himself! He stabbed his own gut!”
“What on earth is happening?”
With a sickening sound, the sword pierced through his chest and emerged from his back; and an intense aura, strong enough to make my skin tingle, emanated from his wound.
‘This sensation… I’ve felt it before. It’s like Parthian’s false death technique.’
It was a technique that utilized the superhuman strength humans could manifest in the moment of death to surpass one’s limits. What Galakrod used was identical to Parthian’s technique. No, in some ways, it was even more destructive.
Zzzh— Zzzh—
Galakrod’s body began to crack like parched earth. Red heat seeped through the fissures in his skin—his blood rapidly evaporating due to the intense heat.
What I witnessed was closer to oxidation or self-destruction rather than a false death.
“Daniel, you who have insulted His Imperial Majesty, I will kill you without fail, even if it costs me my life.”
“L-let’s run!”
“He’s insane!”
“We’ll all die!”
The people who had been enjoying watching the duel started to run away. Galakrod’s momentum, even if it was temporary, was reminiscent of Parthian, who was called the Swordmaster, so it was no wonder people were terrified.
Of course, there were some who managed to maintain their composure.
“To throw away one’s life so carelessly…”
Del was observing Galakrod with an unusually cold expression; his demeanor was so chilling that it even dampened my spirits.
“I still can’t bring myself to like the Emperor or this Empire. Daniel, would you mind letting me handle this fight now? Please.”
“You?”
Del drew his sword.
It had been a long time since a third party had intervened in my fight, so I was intrigued. I thought it might be good to observe the situation a little longer when…
“Stop this.”
…a stern voice rang out as someone appeared in the square. It was a woman wearing a fur cloak and a heavy-looking helmet.
Somnia Paimon. At the appearance of this formidable figure, the crowd, who had been cowering in fear, suddenly changed their attitude. They raised their fists high and chanted her name.
“It’s Somnia!”
“Lady Somnia!”
“Bring down the imperial army!”
It was a moment that truly conveyed how deeply Somnia was trusted and revered in the North. This level of adoration was almost in the realm of religious faith. However, the 75th successor, Galakrod, perhaps not liking this cheering, charged at Somnia with his body crumbling from his reckless overexertion.
“You northern dogs! All cheers should be for His Imperial Majesty!”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
With each step Galakrod took, the stone pavement of the square sank; his leg strength had transcended human limits, allowing him to exert force greater than that of an enraged elephant.
Yet Somnia showed no intention of avoiding Galakrod’s predictable attack.
“How pitiful and foolish, to not even realize you’re being used.”
Somnia simply drew an enormous weapon from her back, something that could be called a sword or a steel plate, nearly as tall as she was.
SWISH—!
She brought it down on Galakrod’s body with all her might.
CRASH—!
“Guaaaahk!”
Galakrod, who had been charging forward with such momentum, was flattened by Somnia’s single strike. Though his sturdy body seemed to have kept him alive, he was so thoroughly crushed that he might as well have been dead.
Somnia turned her gaze to the crowd as if she was uninterested in Galakrod, who was lying there like that, and said as if nothing had happened—
“Fighting in Avalam is prohibited until the start of the hunting competition. Be advised that those who cause disturbances or incite disorder will have their eligibility to participate in the competition revoked.”
⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆
The heroic aura of Somnia, who had just defeated the marauders, was truly awe-inspiring.
Clap— Clap— Clap—
Applause erupted from the crowd. As people began to clap, I glanced at Galakrod lying on the ground; he was weeping, his face contorted into a vicious demon-like expression.
“Why are you crying? Are you bitter about your defeat?”
“…I’m frustrated! I, who couldn’t even exact revenge for His Majesty despite his name being insulted! I loathe my own weakness!”
Galakrod seemed to feel more pain from the insult to the Emperor’s name than from the fact that his bones were crushed and he could no longer move. My curiosity was piqued.
At this point, I couldn’t help but ask—
“Why are you so loyal to that man? The emperor probably doesn’t even know your name, let alone your existence.”
“…………”
“Besides, the Ascension Knights aren’t even the emperor’s real personal guard. They’re not even a proper knight order.”
Galakrod fell silent.
Del, on the other hand, who had been sheathing his sword, asked with surprise, “The Ascension Knights aren’t the emperor’s personal guard? They’re not even a knight order?”
“People from the North might not know, but the Ascension Knights aren’t actually the emperor’s knights. The emperor doesn’t need a personal guard. Who in this world could possibly harm him?”
The emperor had no need for bodyguards.
Del, seemingly unable to comprehend, pressed further—
“…Then what are these people?”
“Well…”
“You don’t understand. I was a street thug destined to die like a dog in the nobles’ game in the knights’ plains when I was conscripted. But on that day, I met my idol.”
It wasn’t a story I particularly wanted to hear, but Del seemed intrigued.
“Tell me more.”
“On that day, His Majesty stood alone before three thousand elite knights. He challenged Astaroth, the King of Knights, to a duel. Astaroth fell, and the war ended that night.”
As Galakrod began to speak about the emperor, he seemed to become serene, as if no longer feeling any pain.
“I saw His Majesty from afar that day. He wasn’t Emperor then. But it was certain that he saved me when I was dying meaninglessly as a soldier. Had His Majesty not appeared, I would have died like a dog on the battlefield.”
Del asked, seemingly perplexed, “Galakrod, aren’t you mistaken? The emperor didn’t specifically try to save you.”
“No matter what anyone says, that’s what I believe. His Majesty toppled kings and ended wars with nothing but his bare fists. He’s our savior. Any man can’t help but admire him. Aren’t you men too? Doesn’t it stir something in you?”
The Ascension Knights were all like this; they were a group of people of all ages and genders who arbitrarily revered the emperor, making it odd to even call them knights.
“If only I could have climbed the stairs of ascension and made His Majesty hear my name… what an honor that would have been. How regrettable… Glory to Emperor Bael… Long live the Empire…”
Galakrod began to cough up blood, writhing in agony. Seeing this, Del panicked and trembled.
“What should we do? Galakrod might die at this rate!”
“Del, didn’t you dislike the emperor and his subordinates? I thought you’d leave him to die.”
“You told me to love my enemies, remember? And after hearing Galakrod’s story, I can’t just turn a blind eye. These are just pitiful people who need something to believe in.”
“I see. Galakrod, the former street thug, I’ll remember your name in place of the emperor. Know that you owe your life to Del’s kind heart.”
“You pompous bastard! What good does it do for you to remember my name─”
“Get some rest for now.”
THWACK—!
I lightly struck the back of Galakrod’s neck with the edge of my hand, rendering him unconscious. Suddenly, I realized that I didn’t know the names of the handmaidens and guards in the palace at all. I had never made an effort to learn them, as it didn’t seem necessary.
However, if I return to the palace after this ordeal, I thought that perhaps I should make an effort to memorize people’s names.
— End of Chapter —
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Translator’s Notes :-
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