I stared blankly at the man in front of .
Was it just my imagination that the room temperature seed to have dropped a few degrees?
The Heavenly Demon laughed slowly.
[It's a welco connection.]
The knight, who looked like a statue carved from ice, looked at with his characteristic, emotionless, ice-like eyes.
"Are you just going to stand there?"
I slowly sat down in the chair across from him and opened my mouth.
"This is a very unexpected move. If you were trying to surprise , you succeeded."
"Is that so?"
Lasol had said it.
The Black Sword would be surprisingly close, and the Blue Sword would co to .
I had my doubts, but he really ca.
The master of the Blue Sword, one of Ophosis's nine famous swords, and the king's knight who had beaten to within an inch of my life.
At the sa ti, the Eight Sword Master who had been beaten to a pulp by the Heavenly Demon and had been training with a wooden sword on his advice.
The Knight of Frost, Serkov Wintermire.
Of course, this man was also on the list of people I had thought of asking for help.
But it was hard to expect him to readily agree to the request.
Because the Knight of Frost was no different from the guardian deity of the Blake Kingdom.
No matter how much I warned that the world was on the verge of destruction, it was a matter of not believing it.
Especially the Black Prince, who was realistic and valued practical interests, it was hard to think that he would believe my words at face value.
No matter how much of an old connection there was, it was difficult to expect him to send a knight who accounted for half of the country's power to a distant land that even teleportation magic couldn't reach.
In other words, the mont he left Blake, the country's power would be cut in half.
But he ca.
The man sitting in front of , exuding an atmosphere so cold that it was hard to even speak to him, was definitely the knight who had made a blue ice flower that resembled him bloom in his garden.
'Then.'
Did that an that the national power of Blake had beco that much stronger?
To the point where they didn't have to worry about the invasion of neighboring countries even when the Knight of Frost was away?
The Knight of Frost said, sipping his tea.
"You have a lot on your mind."
"Welco, cold hands and feet. It's been a really long ti."
"...That mouth of yours is still the sa."
"How did you get here?"
"His Majesty sent ."
"The Black Prince?"
"No, not that one."
"Then?"
"I'm sure we've had a conversation once."
"Ah."
The senile forr king who had told the prophecy of Volund, the god of fire and the anvil.
I couldn't even rember his na.
He seed to have no energy, so I thought he would pass away soon, but it seed he was still alive.
"His Majesty sent here. He said he had a dream about Volund."
"Aha."
I wondered how he knew.
It seed that a god had delivered the ssage directly.
For the forr king, since a god had given a direct oracle, there was no way to refuse, and for the Knight of Frost, since it was the command of the master he had served his whole life, he had no choice but to obey.
"What did he say?"
"I don't know for sure. But I rember it was sothing like this."
Go to the land where the old war was fought.
For a new war will be fought there.
Go there and face the judge with red eyes.
For he will be preparing for a war that will end the old evil deeds, so help him.
"So, you ca to help ?"
"It is His Majesty's command."
Ah, it was as reassuring as eating a handful of beef jerky.
Because a mber of the Eight Sword Masters had co to help .
To think that the day would co when I would be glad of the personality of this ice knight, who would carry out a command even if he died, and who had no flexibility whatsoever.
Since the king had ordered him to help, he would help and participate in the war as ordered.
In a word, it ant that I could use the Knight of Frost as I pleased.
Was this what it felt like to have a thousand troops and ten thousand horses?
"Huhu... to think that the Knight of Frost has beco my pawn. I'll use you well. Be prepared."
"..."
The Knight of Frost looked at intently.
"Your atmosphere has changed."
"Is that so?"
Serkov nodded his head.
"Have you had a lot of work?"
"Sothing like that."
I also said, looking at the Knight of Frost, whose montum had beco even colder and sharper.
"You seem to have trained quite hard yourself."
"I won't deny it. I've been training hard while protecting my master."
"Hmm?"
That seed to an that he hadn't been performing his duties as a knight.
It seed he had been living a peaceful life with the forr king, tending to his garden in his flower-filled mansion.
A leisurely Knight of Frost.
"Did the Black Prince just leave you alone?"
"He left alone, except for simple tasks that required to accompany him once in a while."
"Hmm. That's surprising. I thought he would use you to the bone without a day off."
"I think it's thanks to Sir Roetgel who took care of things in my place."
"Who's Roetgel?"
The Knight of Frost stared at .
"The master of the Red Sword, Vlad."
"Ah, Sir Fluffy?"
"...He was also called that."
That was a welco na.
The Heavenly Demon seed to feel the sa way, as he said with a laugh.
[Ask him how he's doing.]
"How is our Fluffy doing?"
"He seems to be busy following the new king."
"Really?"
"Even in the midst of his busy schedule, he cos to visit from ti to ti and we exchange swords. I can see him growing a little each ti."
I smiled with satisfaction, like a master who had heard that his dog was brave.
"That's our Fluffy. He's so admirable."
"..."
As I was laughing and drinking the tea that Mary had brought, and talking about this and that, I suddenly said.
"Wait, so you're saying the forr king sent you?"
"That's right."
"Then you're saying the Black Prince didn't send anyone? After I put him on the throne. What an ungrateful bastard."
Chuckles—
The lips of the Knight of Frost, which had been like a piece of ice, cracked slightly.
It was as if a crack had appeared in the ice.
"Who said I ca alone?"
Just then, the door opened, and a familiar voice was heard.
"I'm sorry, Sir Serkov. I was so nervous... ah."
I turned my head and looked at the person who had just opened the door and co in.
Bright blonde hair tied back neatly.
Armor with a golden pattern that symbolized the royal knights of Blake.
The forr captain of the Stavanger Knights, and the current mber of the Blake Royal Knights.
The Golden Flash, Ashley Grandalde.
* * *
Ashley, who had opened the door and entered the room, froze when she t my eyes.
Her eyes, which were looking straight at her opponent, trembled.
"...Sir Ashuban?"
I said with a grin, glad to see her.
"It's been a while, Sir Ashley. Have you been well?"
"Uh, uh, uh..."
"It seems you've beco a fine mber of the royal knights. I knew you would."
Ashley, who had been flustered for a mont, saluted and greeted in her usual, upright voice.
"Ashley Grandalde of the Blake Royal Knights! I have co to assist Sir Ashuban under the strict command of His Majesty the King!"
That bastard, the Black Prince.
What an admirable bastard.
To think he would send one of his most reliable knights.
Just as I was about to answer, a short-haired person with the sa color as Ashley's poked her head out from the doorway and waved her hand.
"I'm here too~"
"...Sir Rutie?"
"Oh my? You rember . This is an honor."
Ashley chided her in a stiff tone.
"Sir Rutie. What is this rudeness to Sir Ashuban? We are a delegation that has co here under His Majesty's command. This ans that we represent the Blake Kingdom, and our faces are the face of the Blake Kingdom! Please greet him properly."
Rutie smiled brightly, not backing down.
"I don't want to."
Twitch—
I could see a vein pop out on Sir Ashley's temple from here.
"There's no need to be so stiff between us."
"Sir Rutie. What are you doing right now?"
"Hoho, you're so conceited for a junior who's so far behind. Do you want to be scolded by your big sister?"
"Do we have to do this in front of Sir Ashuban, whom we haven't seen in a long ti?"
I looked at the two bickering sisters blankly.
The sisters were wearing the sa armor.
The stylish armor of the royal knights that represented the Blake Kingdom.
"Enough."
At the cold words of the Knight of Frost, the sisters imdiately stopped their bickering.
"Sit."
"...Yes."
Ashley, who had walked over, sat down next to the Knight of Frost, and Rutie, who had co over with a pout, took the seat next to .
"Sir Ashuban. It's been a while. How long has it been?"
"I don't know. A year or two?"
"Oh, co on. I wasn't asking for the exact period. You know that~"
Rutie pulled her chair and sat close to .
Ashley's brow furrowed at once, but Rutie just stuck out her tongue.
"To think that the royal knights would send two people. The Black Prince was surprisingly considerate."
"Actually, His Majesty was only going to send our Ashley with Sir Serkov. But as her big sister, I had to be at ease. I begged and begged His Majesty to let co along. I did good, right?"
I nodded my head honestly.
"You did good. We're short on hands right now."
Rutie made a V-sign with her fingers and provoked Ashley, and Ashley, who couldn't say anything to my words of 'you did good,' bit her lip and seed to be holding it in.
"You two have also changed quite a bit since I last saw you. It seems you've made so progress."
"Ah."
Just as Ashley was about to say sothing with a bright face, Rutie cut her off.
"You see, our Ashley has beco so strong through harsh training that she's now one of the top five in the knights. Such rapid growth is rare, you know?"
"Hoo, really?"
Ashley scratched her cheek and answered.
"The Unmanajosik that Sir Ashuban taught was a big help."
Rutie chid in.
"The Unmanajosik has been secretly spreading from mouth to mouth, and everyone has gotten a lot stronger. too."
A chuckle escaped my lips.
I had roughly nad the ditation 'Unmanajosik' to suit those who used mana instead of ki.
And it had beco a trend.
They said that by circulating mana throughout their bodies while ditating, everyone had beco proficient in the use of mana, and it had beco more efficient and natural.
It had started to help Sir Fluffy control Vlad, but as the greedy Sir Walpole had learned it on the side, the Unmanajosik had beco a standardized training thod.
To think that even the Knight of Frost did it from ti to ti, that said it all.
Well, thanks to that, the support personnel who had co had beco even stronger, so it was a good thing.
"But what about the other mbers? I looked around while waiting, but there was no one besides the cute Miss Mary."
"Ah."
I thought of the Sherwood mbers who were probably getting beaten up by Guston and had collapsed by now.
"They seem to be busy."
"Hmm... sothing like that."
"Hmm... I wanted to et them. And get their autographs."
"Autographs? What autographs?"
"Ah, you rember Sir Victor, right?"
"How could I not?"
Wasn't he the flaming twin-axe knight who had beaten up in the decisive battle?
"He really wanted to co along, but only we ca. He asked to get the autographs of the Sherwood mbers. Of course, including Sir Ashuban's."
"..."
The silent Victor.
As I rembered, he was a ridiculously rough man who had swung his axe like a real man in the decisive battle that decided the owner of the throne...
Was he the kind of man who would ask for sothing like that?
"Sir Ashuban has also changed so much that I can't even recognize him."
Sir Ashley, who had been waiting for a chance to talk to , said.
"Well, a lot has happened."
"I've also heard the general news."
Rutie's eyes flashed with a dangerous light.
"How about we check it out, since we haven't seen each other in a long ti?"
Rutie said, licking her lips.
"Let's have a more intimate conversation with our swords."
The corner of my mouth went up.
"That's welco news."
Rutie stood up, fiddling with the hilt of her crooked sword.
"Huhu, it won't be that easy."
* * *
A mont later.
Deep in the forest, east of Milestone.
"N-no way..."
"W-what happened...?"
The Grandalde sisters, covered in dust, were sitting on the ground, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Ashuban looked at them with his silver-gray sword on his shoulder.
"Anyone else want to try?"
"..."
"No?"
Ashley bit her lip and got up.
"Ashley of Grandalde! I'll go again!"
"Co on, anyti."
Ashley, who was holding her sword with both hands, pulled her arm back as if drawing a bowstring, and her shoulder was pushed forward to a dangerous degree.
And.
Flash!
A dazzling golden flash was drawn.
It was a much faster charge than before...
Clang! Thump!
Ashley rolled on the ground.
Ashuban nodded his head and praised her.
"You're several tis faster than before. Impressive. You certainly haven't neglected your training."
"..."
Ashley, covered in dust, looked at the man with red eyes with a blank expression, as if she didn't know what was going on.
"Anyone else want to try? No?"
"..."
When there was no answer, Ashuban raised his sword and pointed it at the Knight of Frost, who was watching from a distance.
"Sir Serkov. You rember the promise you made back then, right?"
The Knight of Frost ca out of the shade and answered.
"Of course."
Ashuban grinned and said.
"Co on. I have to hold that cold lady once."
Screech—
The Knight of Frost drew the Blue Sword, Frost, and answered.
"If you can."
(End of Chapter)
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