Chapter 26: The Sword Meets the Sword (1)

The Sword Meets the Sword (1)

“The schedule has been set.”

After five days, Uncle came back with good news.

“We plan to go through the royal road for two days, then stopover for three days at Count Ellen’s, before going to the Templar Castle two days further on. All in all, it would take about twenty days from departure to return.”

I wondered if we’d be able to take a week away, but it was longer than was expected. It was a good surprise.

Besides, I also liked that we’re stopping by the Templar Castle.

I heard that the Templar Knights are one of the best in the kingdom.

At this moment, I was excited to gauge the level of the most popular knights of this era.

I would also get to see Arwen’s growth in person.

The letter she sent me stating her ‘achievement’ made me excited.

Uncle continued to inform me of various matters, such as the number of attendants that would come with us, but I was not interested in that.

“You have done a good job,” I told him. “I don’t need those details, just tell me more about Count Ellen.”

At my words, Uncle started firing off information about Count Ellen.

“They have an iron mine in the premises that supplies high-quality iron, and a guild that smiths it. More than half of the armaments delivered to the royal family are from Count Ellen.”

“Hoh, that’s appealing.”

When I reached the level of sword expert some time ago, I visited the arsenal of the royal palace.

Since I am now a sword expert, I could not keep using a wooden sword all the time.

However, I could not even check the swords in the palace.

The court knights informed me that the king forbade me to enter the arsenal, or to touch any sword.

It was unfair, but I could not argue with the king.

It was because the First Prince, whose body I took, hurt himself with a stolen sword.

Thanks to that, I earned a human body, but I earned the king’s anger as well.

Eventually, I had to turn away from the arsenal’s entrance without even having a step inside.

A foreign city known for high-quality armaments would not have a rule limiting the use of swords.

The king’s instruction about me was limited to the warehouses of the royal palace, and as such, I should be able to obtain weapons outside the palace.

“You could not have chosen a more perfect destination,” I smiled at Uncle.

“If you have another accident this time, you and I will suffer in many ways, so…”

“Don’t worry.”

Uncle was still uneasy.

“How could I not worry?”

* * *

It was the day of departure.

I got up early and prepared. I am excited about the thought of leaving the palace.

But that feeling didn’t last very long.

I wanted to leave right away, but there were more things to go through than I originally thought.

First, I have to inform the king and queen about my departure.

The king appeared disinterested and even waved his hand a few times to shoo me away as if I was annoying.

The queen, however…

She nagged endlessly as if it was the last time she would be seeing me, and her overwhelming nagging splashed cold water on my excitement.

“Finally, I ask you to…”

How many times would she say ‘finally’?

“So be careful. Come back right away if something happens. I don’t know what’s going on in your Uncle’s mind.”

“Yes, yes.”

It seemed never-ending, but finally, it was time to leave.

“Ah, I’m so tired,” I whined to myself.

I haven’t taken a step outside the palace yet, but I was already feeling tired.

I found Uncle and the attendants waiting for me at the entrance of the palace. I went inside the carriage that I once rode.

“It’s late, so let’s go right away.”

Uncle nodded. “I will close the windows,” he said and closed the shutters.

Again, I am locked inside the boring carriage.

Adelia was dressed in a simpler outfit than usual. I tried to talk to her to soothe my boredom, but the only answers that came back were the predictable “Yes, Your Highness,” and “I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

Ah, it’s not fun.

Eventually, I gave up talking and lay down.

* * *

On the first day, I stayed in the carriage.

However, it didn’t feel good to be buried inside it and be carried like cargo. I complained to Uncle, and he gave me a horse to ride.

“But I don’t know how to ride a horse?”

I mean it.

How would I have learned to ride a horse when I’ve lived as a sword all my life?

Uncle sighed as if he found it ridiculous, then called a horseman to teach me how to ride.

From then on, I was on horseback for the rest of the journey.

It wasn’t easy. It was easy enough to stay on its back while it was walking, but it was a different story when it ran.

It wasn’t bad, though.

Feeling the breeze against my face made me feel excited.

Besides, what is with this majestic landscape surrounding me?

I traveled with excitement as I captured the world full of life and vitality, not the hazy world I saw as a sword.

I was so immersed in the fun of riding a horse that I didn’t notice we have reached the border of Count Ellen.

“We’re a day late,” Uncle looked upset.

“Isn’t this an excursion? Didn’t we want to get some fresh air? So, what if we’re late?”

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Uncle laughed a dry laugh, then turned his head at the cloud of dust that appeared in the distance.

“Must be Count Ellen’s cavalry.”

Soon, a group of horsemen stopped in front of us.

Chuck-!

The horsemen jumped off and knelt on one knee.

“Ellen’s eldest son Torrance meets His Highness Idrian Leonberger! It’s an honor to meet you!”

An unusually large young man greeted me. I thought he was part of the cavalry, but it turns out he was the Count’s successor.

After I muttered a rough response, Torrance explained that he had been searching the premises because we did not arrive on the expected day. He mentioned that the Count’s troops were also searching the area.

“The carriage’s wheel broke and caused a delay,” Uncle said. “I sent a message to your father; he didn’t get it?”

“Ah, I have been looking around since yesterday, so I do not know any news from the castle. It seems like the messenger’s and our paths didn’t cross.”

Anyway, he said it was fortunate that we have arrived safely.

We followed Torrance Ellen. As time passed, I saw a city in the distance. It looked to be a pretty bustling city even from afar.

At the entrance, there was a crowd of welcoming people. Among them was Count Ellen, who was as big as his son.

“You don’t know how honored we were for your visit, Your Highness. Edgar from Ellen greets you.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

After the greetings were over, we were guided into the Count’s mansion.

The mansion’s interior was all about weaponry.

Glittering swords hung on the wall; various types of armor were displayed on either side of the halls.

As we walked past them, the Count explained the origin of the sword or armor, in a proud tone.

I listened to his words in a daze.

He said they have a guild of smiths, and that more than half of the armaments supplied to the royal family were from their smithy. I already learned that from Uncle, so I wanted to know more.

However, the armaments lined up everywhere I looked were disappointing.

Their gorgeous designs look good to the eye, but they seemed to only be good for decorations, not actual combat. People won’t be using these things in real life.

It seemed that it was difficult to find what I was looking for in Count Ellen’s castle.

* * *

As expected, Count Ellen gave me swords and armor on my first day.

However, it wasn’t different from the items that hung on the hallways. They were best used as ornaments.

At this point, I was wondering if Count Ellen was treating me as a fool, but looking at his sincere expressions, I doubted it.

Perhaps, the Count seemed to think that the stuff he had was really good.

Maybe, the aesthetics appealed to him more than practicality.

Other than that, there was no way he could proudly show off such weapons that could not be used in real-life.

“Did you say you want to take a tour of the smithy?”

“Yes. Why? Is it too difficult?”

At my words, the Count looked embarrassed.

“The smithy was not a suitable place for noble people like Your Highness to visit.”

The heat from the furnace, the noise of the iron getting pounded, bla bla bla. The Count had repeatedly tried to persuade me to visit somewhere else. There were more places to see than the smithy.

Of course, no matter what he said, I had no intention of bending my will.

“If you insist, Your Highness…”

The Count called his eldest son.

“Torrance knows the smithy and the guild better than me, so he would be a good guide.”

I didn’t care who guided me, so I went to the guild with Torrance.

“All the smiths were hard-tempered and stubborn,” he warned me, as we walked.

“When the work was in full swing, they often pretend not to notice even the Count, and the words they spoke were as cold and crude as the iron they are dealing with.”

He didn’t have to warn me. I had a deeper understanding of smithies than Torrance.

As we talked for a while, the guild’s building came into view.

It was a huge workshop.

“Woo.” I was filled with anticipation.

“The furnace is too hot. If you can’t stand it, please tell me.”

I did not answer Torrance.

It wasn’t because of the heat of the furnace.

When we opened the door… This smell. This noise.

My mind flew.

Clang-!

Clang-!

Clang-!

I fell in love with the sound of iron being pounded.

“Your Highness?”

I was heading into the middle of a workplace full of heat.

Only

Clang-!

Clang-!

The sound of iron was everywhere. Among them, there was a particularly unique sound.

I instinctively followed it.

Clang-!

Clang-!

Clang-!

When I came to my senses, I was standing in front of an old man.

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