Episode 15 Moonlight Piercing the Dragon Scales I
The two knights who appeared in the Order of the Sun's training camp, in its operations room, were both very distinctive looking.
One was a bespectacled knight.
He is a very tall knight, nearly three meters tall.
The bespectacled one wore several brown bird feathers here and there on his silver knight's equipment. The helmet he carried on his arm was similarly decorated with bird feathers, and if he wore all of them, including his cloak, the wearer would look like a bird ― an owl.
On his back, he carries a magician's tin staff with a large white jewel on it.
His brown hair and white skin suggested that he was from the West, but the smell of perfume wafting through the air was somewhat reminiscent of the incense used in Azrair.
The other knight, a huge man.
Not only was he tall, but he was also wide.
However, he was wide only around his chest and buttocks, and his waist was tight and toned.
If all the knight's armor were removed, his entire body would be mostly muscle.
He had frizzy black hair and a beard on his face.
He looked like a dwarf.
But given his height, one would think he was actually an orc.
He carried a huge hammer on his back.
And in his large, gnarled hands, wrapped in white cloth, he held a weapon that was probably a sword.
(What the ......?)
Kian furrowed his brow when he saw the cloth-wrapped sword in the giant knight's hand.
Whispering, whispering.
A low sound, as if someone is whispering in private, is being heard.
(The sword is talking ......?)
Oswalt had already risen from his chair.
Kian couldn't remain seated either, so he promptly stood up and moved his body to the side. It is wise to stand back and be a silent statue at times like this.
「Owl, and Renault de Chatillon.」
Oswalt spreads out his hand holding a glass and an apple.
The two knights did not look very friendly toward him as he made a gesture of welcome.
The knight called Owl - a knight with glasses and bird feathers - steps forward.
「Oswalt, is it true that you have given 'again' financial support to Her Excellency Mariabelle?」
「What do you mean 'Again'? ...... I don't know what you're talking about, but I serve Her Excellency in good faith.」
「Don't play dumb with me! I know exactly that you've financially supporting Mariabelle for a long time!」
The giant knight said this with his arms folded.
His voice sounded like a gong, which fit his image perfectly.
He continued, his mustache quivering.
「You've been secretly taking advantage of a girl who doesn't even know the "せ (government)" in politics, let alone the "せ" in the world, haven't you? I will not tolerate any skulking! Lord of Ramsay.」 (TLN: 政治/Seiji = Politics, Se in 政治 = government/rule, 世間/Seken = World/society, Se in 世間 = epoch? I'm not sure about this one)
「I have no intention of doing so, though ...... Renault, from the way you speak, are you impudently aiming for the position of the husband of Her Excellency Mariebelle?」
「You are the one who's after it, Oswalt.」
says Owl, the knight with owl feathers on his armor.
His voice is terribly quiet, and he speaks quickly.
He nervously pushes up his glasses and takes another step toward Oswalt.
「I am not interested in what ambitions you have. But ...... you should not be so greedy for power that you commit unethical acts. The judgment of Azrair, the supreme god, will come upon you.」
「Ha, you Azrair madman, step aside!」
The giant man grabbed the owl knight by the shoulders and pulled him back.
He thrust his thick fingertips against Oswalt's chest.
「Don't buy the husband's place with money. That's cowardly.」
「Renault must have to change his attitude eventually. But ......, Oswalt. Your recent behavior is beyond notice. Do you intend to make the Count of the Frontier financially dependent on you? You are not going to buy your position as king of the Ezerland with money, are you? As a knight of justice, I will not allow such a thing.」
「You will not allow it?」
Oswalt repeated, turning to the side and playing with his apple.
「Owl, are you arbitrarily falsely accusing me and threatening me ?」
「You are not falsely accused.」
The brown-haired knight said quickly with a stern look on his face.
「In fact, your second-in-command just now rode her horse into the citadel in a hurry. Did she not go to lend her excellency money again? It's too bad she couldn't transfer because of the wards preventing her from doing so.」
「Even if I had given her financial aid, it would have been out of the goodness of my heart. Can't you believe me? But I, you see, don't believe you, Owl, in your desire for self-government in everything. What's in it for you to condemn the actions of me, Renault, and the rest of the knights?」
「It is not a question of gain or loss. It is just whether it is right or wrong. To me, Renault de Chatillon is nothing more than a reserve criminal who will sooner or later commit a grave crime. Do you get it? What you are doing is an act of usurpation of the throne of this frontier! You who ought to be faithful knights.....This is not an acceptable practice.」
「Hah, I don't want your forgiveness!」
「I'm in front of a guest. Would you please stop it?」
Oswalt said as he stirred his glass.
He continued.
「Renault, I get your complaint. We will discuss it later. I hope you understand that I am a knight of goodwill. ......Owl, I don't quite understand what you are saying. It's bothersome, so why don't you stop poking at me already?」
「It's too much of a whitewash. I am a loyal knight of Mariabelle――」
「Owl」
「As a loyal knight of Her Excellency Mariabelle, I am only rebuking the usurper of the throne. Do you not understand what I am saying? Then do you not even know what you are doing? Not only I, but even Renault de Chatillon thinks you are bribing Her Excellency. To Her Excellency, who is pure and innocent.....」
「......Owl......」
「You send a prop of money as a temptation! By forcing the perverse people around Her Excellency to spend it, they are forcing Her Excellency to create a debt that she cannot repay. When Her Excellency comes of age, are you going to ask her to pay back the money you lent her all those years ago? If I kill all the traitors with whom you have been doing business and pretend to be a third party who doesn't know the circumstances――」
「Owl!」
Oswalt's repeated words clearly contained irritation.
A disturbing magic power rose from the body of the young man with shaved blond hair.
The next moment――.
The temperature in the room seemed to rise all at once.
「......!?」「Nuh!」」
Kian was not the only one who was immediately put into a fighting stance by the powerful magic power that was so strong that it could be smelled.
The same goes for the giant knight.
Moving more agilely than he appeared, he leaped back from the doorway and reached for the hammer on his back.
(T-this is ......!?)
Kian's eyes widen.
A large amount of magic power was being released from Oswalt, who was standing holding a glass, and it was burning red like a flame around his body.
It was not just an illusion.
The dust and dirt flying around him had probably caught fire, and there was a high-pitched crackling sound, and sparks of fire were dancing around the room.
「――――!」
With a crackling sound, the owl-like appearance of the knight drowns out.
He leaps in an instant to the stone square outside the operations room.
And the floor on which he had just been standing was somehow red-hot, and white steam was rising from it.
「――Owl. You do know that the Order of the Sun has an iron law, don't you?」
Slowly.
Oswalt turns his body toward the doorway.
「Meritocracy. Obedience to the strong. You can pretend to have a sense of justice that you don't understand, but the force is always necessary to enforce justice. If you're going to make my actions difficult, I hope you'll first use force to screw me over.」
「............」
A frightened owl.
The blond young man twirled the apple in his hand with the tip of his index finger.
For a moment, a line of white slashes flashed.
Before Kian knew it, Oswalt was holding a knife in one hand.
In his hand was a baked apple, cut into quarters and sprinkled with a delicious smell.
He takes a step toward the doorway, and a brown-haired knight dressed as an owl step back in alarm.
「Tsk ......」
「What's wrong? Are you going to do it or not? If you want to prepare for a duel, I'll order my men to do it right away, though?」
Oswalt said and held out his hands in welcome.
The young owl knight stared at the blond-shaven knight for a moment in a low stance, but eventually, before long, he put the magician's tin staff in his hand back behind his back.
The muscles in the brown-haired young knight's arms creaked as he put the tin staff back.
He seemed to be literally clenching his anger.
He twisted his lips and said quickly, glaring at Oswalt.
「......I'll let you off the hook for now. The time is now 9 am. It would be foolish to challenge you between now and noon. The next time I challenge you to a duel will be when the stars are rising on the day you loaned Her Excellency the money. I will put a knight's morality into your head then.」
「I see. I am glad to see you have avoided a futile battle.」
Oswalt said casually and held out his hand with a baked apple to the giant knight.
「Do you want some?」
「Ha! No way in hell I'll eat any of the food you have prepared!」
「This is a snack for all the knights in the conference room, though. ...... Well whatever. How about you, Kian? Baked apples, they're good, you know. They're from up north――From Royal Capital」
「Errr...」
Kian hesitated when the conversation was unexpectedly directed at him, but as expected, there was no option not to accept it here.
Kian got out of the position of the furniture on the wall of the room and went out of the meeting room.
He received a baked apple from Oswalt and put it in his mouth.
The aroma wafted through his nose and the taste of the fruit spread slowly over his tongue.
「I hope Owl doesn't have to be scared if he doesn't want to fight a duel. As I said before, we are in front of a guest.」
「Well, who is that guy?」
「He's Kian. He's an adventurer in the city of East End. I had a chance to meet him the other day, and I invited him here.」
「Hmmm. ......」
「Azrarian?」
The owl knight's voice was strangely shaky.
Whether he realizes it or not, Oswalt puts his hand on Kian's shoulder as he chews an apple.
「He is very strong. Maybe even stronger than the "Order of the Sun".」
「Hmmm... ....... Doesn't look that way to me, though.」
「Sorry for the late introduction, Kian. This guy over here with the bird feathers is Owl. He's called the Owl Knight, and he's a jeweler in the background.」
「......,Hello ......」 「Hello, I'm Kian.」
「The big guy over here is Renault de Chatillon. He's also a knight, and he's a lord nobleman near the sea. He himself, however, is a craftsman who makes weapons and armor, leaving the management of the business to his son.」
「 A pleasure to meet you, Renault-san.」
Kian smiled softly and held out his hand, but Renault just stared at him.
「That armor, I've never seen that material before.」
「Eh?」
「Let me see it.」
He said and roughly grabbed Kian's arm and pulled.
He brought his bearded face close to the coat of the "Twilight" and observed it as if licking it.
As long as the other side is a lord nobleman, Kian can't reject him strangely.
After a few moments of patience, Renault slowly removed his hand.
「...... It's a wonderful piece of armor. The material is Remi Cain, right? But it's not the usual Remi Cain. The guy who became the fabric of that coat is a rare individual who had very smooth, tough skin.」
「Ha, haaa ......」
「Where did you get that armor?」
「Hey, hey, Renault.」
Oswalt interrupts with a laugh.
「Are you trying to get information for free? You're not getting it.」
「...... Surely, something of value must come at a price. Oi, you said your name was Kian? How much are you willing to sell that coat to me for?」
「This is not for sale. Even if it's a nobleman who asks this.」
「Huuh!?」
Renault bared his teeth.
「It won't lose for you! I'm paying you, and I'm telling you to give it to me!」
「That's such an absurd ......」
「Kian, you don't have to listen to this rowdy guy. It doesn't matter what your status is. Show him that you're better than him, and Renault will have nothing to say.」
「Eep!?」
「Haah!? What did you just say!?」
(Why do you have to say something that could get so complicated, this guy!)
『He looks like a fool, but he knows the truth. It is best to show your ability to such a rude bandit. There is no need for you to be the one to be exploited.』
Glasses also said to resist.
Kian also had no intention of offering the coat of "Twilight" to this giant man like a bandit.
In fact, he thinks it's absolutely wrong to offer it to him.
However, the loser's guts that have been ingrained in him over the past fifteen years...
(No, that's right. Oswalt is right.)
Kian looked up at the giant man who was peering at him with a red face.
Just as he would when confronting a monster.
He takes a deep breath and puts strength into his belly.
(I changed. I've survived a few deadly battles, though, aided by the Glasses.)
The adventures Kian has had in his short time here so far.
It was not only a simple combat experience but also a great confidence that had become Kian's flesh and blood.
Kian took a step toward Renault himself.
「This coat is not for sale.」
「You ......, you dare to stand up to this Renault de Chatillon! Bravery is not the same as recklessness! Do you understand!? Haahh!?」
「Yes, I understand. But this coat is an important piece of armor that protects me and is a tool for my business. I can't just hand it over.」
「Right, that's it. Don't be afraid of it, Kian. You ought to know your own strength.」
「Oswalt, what are you doing firing up the Renault de Chatillon?」
On the other side, the knight of the bird's feathers - Owl - caught Renault's arm and pulled him back.
He, too, was protecting Kian, it seemed.
「Renault quit it. It is the act of a bandit to steal equipment from the people. I will not tolerate such inhumanity.」
「Shut up!」
Renault shook off Owl's arm and poked his finger at Kian's chest.
「I'm in a bad mood today! I'm in the mood to punch someone because of that blond-shaven asshole over there!」
「Ha, someone like you should be expelled from the "Order of the Sun" as soon as possible」
「I agree with you on that, Oswalt.」
「It's a duel!」
Renault shouts and throws his cloth-wrapped sword at the soldiers who have gathered nearby.
He glared at Kian, his black mustache quivering.
「If I beat you to the punch, that coat is mine!」
「That wouldn't be equal. What does your side have to offer?」
At Oswalt's insolence, the giant knight looked at him angrily, but then clicked his tongue at the owl knight who looked like he was about to break in.
「Fine, I'll bet my side on that sword! A magical sword made from the materials of the "Wind-Eating Vargrips" that was rampaging in the south!」
「You, you don't have to accept this absurd duel.」
Owl stepped forward to put his hand on Kian's shoulder to protect him.
He pulls out the tin staff on his back and confronts Renault.
「I will make this outlaw understand me here.」
「Good. I've had enough of your clear facade! I'm going to smash you with my hammer!」
「Hey, hey, are you guys trying to kill each other?」
Oswalt, the one who started the fire, was leaning against the outer wall of the operations room, gracefully nibbling on an apple.
He looked as if he had no intention of stopping them.
But the surrounding knights, in a blood frenzy, broke in front of the two men and held both of them back.
「You mustn't, Owl-sama!」
「No problem. It's just a little fistfight.」
「There's a big problem. Someone is going to die!」
「We are the main victims!」
「That's right! Renault-sama too, please calm your anger! If you go on a rampage here, you'll make a mess of the Operations Room!」
「If you're going to do this, at least go out into the training ground space first.」
「You guys are in the way! Get out of the way from this me and that owl bastard!」
「Gughh. ......! O-Oswalt-sama, please help us! We're in big trouble at this rate!」
「Kukuku」
Even as the soldiers called out for help, the blonde-haired young man did not move.
Instead, he glanced ― turned his gaze toward Kian.
Kian was――
Kian was fascinated by the cloth-wrapped sword that Renault had declared to bet on.
When the sword was thrown by Renault, part of the cloth had come undone, revealing the body of the sword.
(Beautiful.)
The word "beautiful" naturally came to mind.
『Is that so? To me, it looks like a sword with a distorted shape, though』
As the glasses said, the sword that came out of the cloth had a strange appearance.
The hilt was normal, but the broad blade was pockmarked with numerous holes.
It looked like an insect-eaten leaf.
However――
The silvery blade of the sword, the golden hilt.
The design of the magical language is written all over the sword.
It was shining suspiciously as if it was drawing Kian's attention.
If the sword had a will like the Glasses, it might have whispered to Kian, "Take me in your hand".
The sword was so attractive that it made him think so.
(If you want it, take it.)
Someone whispers.
It was not a pair of glasses.
It was the voice of someone he had heard somewhere before.
(You want it, take it. You've gone to the trouble of making a bet with him.)
「Ah ............」
Kian blinked once and suddenly saw himself wearing the glasses.
He reached out his hand to it and whispered softly.
(That's my primordial need.)
「―――」
This voice.
It was my own voice――
(Oswalt is right. I should know myself better than that.)
「............」
At that moment, memories of his childhood flashed through Kian's mind.
With himself struggling desperately to get what he wanted.
Beside him, Jibril, who was getting everything he deserved as if he was breathing.
(I want it)
A dark flame flared up from within Kian's heart.
Right, this is who I am.
The me that had been suppressed in a distorted environment.
Kian's eyes narrowed.
(I want that――!)
『Kian?』
「I want it.」
「What did you say ......? It's okay, you should stay back.」
The next thing Kian knew, Owl was pushing him back.
But Kian shakes his head and slips past him.
He faces the huge, angry knight head-on.
「That sword.」
「Haah?」
「If I win, you will give it to me, right?」
「......Hoo......」
Renault squinted at Kian in surprise and smiled fearlessly.
「Yeah, a man does not go back on what he's said. If you can make me kneel, you can have that magic sword.」
「I've got your word.」
「Wha ....... You, are you insane?」
「――――. Kukuku, It was just as I thought」
Behind Kian, Owl and Oswalt were reacting respectively.
Kian no longer harbored any feelings of fear in front of the giant man.
He was no longer flirtatious, just pouring his sticky, lustful gaze on the distorted magic sword.
Renault laughed ferociously.
「What, when I thought you're a coward, but you've got a pretty good eye. Interesting. ――Hey, let's change places. We're going to the training ground! There we will duel! We'll duke it out for each other's equipment!」
「You, Kian-kun. Are you insane? There is no way a mere adventurer can fight a "Knight of the Dragon Scale" and come out of it unscathed.」
Owl raised his eyebrows in concern and grabbed Kian's shoulder.
「I am sane. A little ...... I just want that sword. If you're willing to take a chance on it, I figured I couldn't pass up the opportunity.」
「............」
The owl knight withdraws without a word.
He immediately turned to the knight behind him and flew orders to call in several healers.
「Kian.」
「Oswalt-san」
「Renault is a powerful knight known as the "Knight of the Dragon Scales". Don't underestimate him. Give it your all.」
「Of course」
Kian looked at the back of the giant man who was going down the narrow passage with a sharp snort.
It could be said of Oswalt and the owl knight, but that giant knight Renault also possessed magic power so powerful that it was hard to believe he was human.
His magic power is so strong that even a bunch of first-rate magicians would not be able to stand on his feet.
His magic power is on the same level as Serena's.
Needless to say, his body is also excellent.
The amount of muscle mass, the way he carries himself, and the balance of his torso make him one of the most physically fit people Kian has ever met.
He is like a wild magical beast.
Of course, since a sword match is a game, having a great body does not guarantee victory.
(That's right, I have the art and the skill.)
Confidence shows on Kian's face.
When it comes to swords, he has no intention of falling behind anyone.
If he fights, he will win.
That is Kian Vaid.
Kian closed his eyes and looked back on the days when he had been diligently studying his skills.
It was muddy, sweaty, and painful.
That's why it was so strangely comforting.
「Let me lend you my weapon. It's a top-quality divine sword.」
「No need.」
「What?」
The next time Kian opened his eyes, he was smiling fearlessly, even though he was not wearing glasses.
「I will fight with only the weapons I have now. Isn't that fair?」
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Tftc
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