Chapter 78: Helmut Extermination (3)

The greatest sword.

A knight who singlehandedly holds back war.

A lion perched upon a crimson rose.

Arandel Helmut.

His towering frame slowly rises, and the hand gripping his greatsword tenses.

Even that alone sends a wave of intimidation through the challengers who have gathered.

Simply standing before him, sword in hand, demands immense courage.

And then—

The first to step forward, dark hair billowing, was his former son-in-law:

Isaac.

“Isaac!”

Silverna called out urgently, but Isaac’s gaze was already locked on Arandel.

“I knew you’d be the first to come.”

Having spoken unbidden, Arandel furrowed his brow.

He seemed annoyed to realize he had spoken without meaning to.

“It’s proof of the vassalization curse. The words that pop into your head… they’ll just keep spilling out.”

“I see.”

Arandel remained calm.

If not for the darkness that veiled his eyes, one would never guess he had fallen under its spell.

“How is your body holding up?”

“I won’t live much longer.”

“Is it from the aftermath of the battle?”

“No.”

Arandel was resolute.

“It’s an old illness.”

“……”

Because of the vassalization, no lie can be spoken.

Moreover, the conversation itself flows unnaturally easily.

Though Arandel clearly found it unpleasant.

“This is highly irritating.”

He might say that, but in truth, Isaac was amazed. He remembered Pollu becoming reckless both in word and deed after falling victim to the same curse.

Yet Arandel was holding himself in check through sheer force of will.

Normally, the moment they set foot in the mansion, they would have been greeted by his greatsword.

“They said that once you’re caught by it, you become nothing but a dog obeying their every command.”

“…Yes. That’s correct.”

In a past life, Alois had suffered exactly that fate.

“And from what I know, there’s no way to break the enthrallment.”

Though Isaac had only limited knowledge of rituals, he was certain there was no known method to lift such a curse.

Besides, it wasn’t even clear if they could keep Arandel restrained until a solution was found.

All of a sudden, a question arose.

“Where is the Transcendent who cast the spell on you?”

“He’s dead.”

“Pardon?”

“I killed him. Myself.”

Though the so-called Apostle—one of the Transcendents—had landed a curse on him, Arandel overcame it by force of will and swung his sword.

Truly, Arandel.

Just as Isaac was thinking that—

“Arandel-nim!”

“Your Highness!”

Clarice came hurrying after Isaac. Heyrad’s anxious voice pursued her from behind.

“A-Arandel-nim! Are you all right? H-How is your body?!”

“It’s not good.”

At Arandel’s blunt reply, Clarice visibly wilted. His manner of speech was a minor detail compared to her worries.

“Then let’s— we must try healing you! We can call in mages from the Tower—!”

“You’re missing your chance.”

“Wh-what…?”

Startled by Clarice’s reaction, Arandel let out a sigh.

“Ha. Oh wise princess, you let your youthful ardor cloud your judgment.”

“What do you mean—”

“We had the same thought, did we not?”

Thud!

“Surely you see that this is the perfect opportunity?”

Arandel drove his greatsword into the ground. A faint crimson light flickered within his dark eyes.

“Sir Heyrad! Get Her Highness back!”

At Isaac’s urgent shout, Heyrad swept Princess Clarice off her feet and hastily retreated.

Moving past them, Rihanna and Silverna rushed forward.

Along with them were the knights who had come as reinforcements.

They held a clear advantage in numbers, and Arandel had already fought a grueling battle, making his blood force—

that crimson aura known for its destructive power—hard to wield.

And yet… why did it feel this way?

‘I can’t shake the sense that we’re at a disadvantage.’

The more Isaac realized they would have to cross swords with this man, the more he sensed the odds were not in their favor.

“…This won’t be easy.”

Silverna muttered under her breath.

“Father.”

Rihanna drew Ragnabel.

At nearly the same moment, Isaac readied himself to strike in a single swift motion.

Then, Helmut unleashed his blood force in every direction, and Arandel spoke:

“You who would succeed me— Arandel.”

“Guh!”

The raging aura was like a storm, forcing most to retreat.

Only Isaac and Silverna remained protected by Rihanna’s greatsword.

“Can you bear it?”

Arandel paid no more attention to those who’d been driven back.

His eyes rested on the few who had withstood the onslaught.

“The weight I have carried—!”

They had been called to a trial of sorts.

“The legacy of the one who achieved peace with only a single sword—!”

Bwoooong!

Arandel’s greatsword swung in a wide arc.

One slash, meant to cleave all in its path.

However—

Claaang!

Rihanna, his eldest daughter, blocked it just before that catastrophic blow could land.

“Ugh!?”

Even so, the impact forced Rihanna back with a pained groan. Blood vessels bulged along Arandel’s forearm as he prepared to finish it.

“Stop your whining!”

He shoved Rihanna back with sheer force, sending her flying.

Claaang!

Rihanna crashed into the mansion’s debris and was buried beneath it. With a single strike, Arandel Helmut had knocked his eldest daughter to the ground.

A fierce gust scattered rose petals across the floor. Hidden among them, Silverna lunged her spear at Arandel.

She had anticipated that Rihanna might fall in the first exchange, allowing Silverna to strike half a beat faster than usual. You could say their timing was accidentally in sync.

Thud!

Arandel seized the spear shaft in his hand.

He looked straight down at Silverna, his gaze ferocious.

“Daughter of Caldias, your desperation makes your spear tremble.”

“……!”

Thud!

He lifted spear and wielder together, then hurled Silverna away. She hit the ground and rolled, skidding to a stop some distance away.

Arandel’s gaze shifted beyond her—to Isaac.

“Your sword—can it truly take the head of Arandel!?”

Isaac drew both blades at his waist simultaneously. Crackling energy flickered, boosting his speed. The rose petals in the path of his sword were sliced cleanly in two, and the moment it cut through—

Claaang!

Arandel’s greatsword easily blocked it.

“Pathetic!”

He swung his sword in a counterattack, sending Isaac flying back.

“So light!”

“Guh!”

Isaac’s feet lost contact with the ground and he skidded backward. Had Heyrad not caught him, he would’ve been pushed all the way to the mansion’s entrance.

“Are you all right?!”

“Yes…”

They had exchanged only one blow.

Yet Isaac’s arms trembled—from resisting such overwhelming power.

“He’s like a monster.”

The knights who charged in next couldn’t hold out long against Arandel either. None lasted more than a single exchange; all were toppled or flung aside.

Isaac steadied himself and rushed in again—only to see Rihanna already leaping back into the fray, slashing at Arandel.

Claaang! Claaang!

Father and daughter swung their greatswords at each other without hesitation. Among them all, only Rihanna could stand toe-to-toe with Arandel.

But her face grew darker as the strain mounted.

“Mother—!”

Even in the midst of the onslaught,

Rihanna found a moment to speak.

This was her only chance.

The only time to hear Arandel’s true feelings was now.

The question she had harbored all her life, kept secret from everyone, found voice:

“Did you love her?”

Claaang!

In that instant, Rihanna felt Arandel’s sword falter—if only slightly.

And between the slashes—

“As naturally as breathing.”

Words concealed like a secret, quietly revealed.

Rihanna’s eyes widened. But she couldn’t withstand Arandel’s next blow and went down hard.

“What are you doing?!”

Arandel swung his greatsword once more.

Silverna dashed in, thrusting her spear between them just in time to shield Rihanna.

Unable to match his raw strength, she jammed the spear shaft against the ground for leverage. Still, Silverna’s posture buckled bit by bit under the force.

“Don’t you dare drop that sword!”

“Silverna…”

Rihanna nodded, steadying herself. Then the two noblewomen once again charged at Arandel with sword and spear.

Their coordination was impressive, yet they still failed to penetrate Arandel’s defenses.

But in that moment, the combined assault of the two women opened a path.

As their sword and spear shifted to either side—

A single blade followed that opening with fluid grace.

It extended, and extended further still—

reaching for something beyond its very limit.

They called this Dagger combination—the grand iaido technique.

That fleeting slash which once felled Bricalla now targeted Arandel.

“Hmm.”

For the first time, the corners of Arandel’s mouth curled into a faint smile.

“Beautiful.”

With just those words, Arandel channeled the blood force he had refrained from using since the opening clash into his left arm and thrust it forward.

Thuddddddd!

The lightning-infused blade of Isaac met Arandel’s crimson aura in a fierce collision, making the sword scream.

The result was swift—

Daeguhap, driven by a giant’s hand, was stopped before it could even connect.

“…!”

Smoke rose from Isaac’s blade. The impact had been so intense, it felt as if a horse had stomped his palm.

“Isaac!”

“Get back!”

The instant the two women grabbed Isaac and pulled him away, Arandel’s greatsword obliterated the spot where he had just been standing.

“Do not be humble.”

Amid the swirling dust and rose petals—

“Be arrogant.”

The crimson light in Arandel’s darkened eyes fixed on Isaac.

“And prideful.”

Thus—

“Be great.”

Claaang!

Arandel, who had stood his ground until now, took a step forward.

“That is the respect you owe those who cross swords with you.”

Isaac had heard those words before—or rather, he had read them. In Arandel’s final testament.

“Do not dishonor the dead.”

It was also a statement of Arandel’s own creed.

As a master swordsman, he had slain countless foes.

Yet he refused to belittle the deaths of those who had fallen to him.

With arrogance and pride, he declared: Your lives were claimed by one worthy of it.

And thus, his greatness was defined.

Now, as the enthrallment took deeper hold, Arandel began to speak the raw truth within his heart.

“Let the world know—”

As if venting his rising emotions and frustration—

“Of Arandel’s death.”

He admonished those standing before him.

At last, Princess Clarice realized the meaning behind his words.

They both shared the same thought: that the sword protecting the kingdom needed a new generation.

“Because you are here—”

Thus, this was—

A somewhat premature and sudden—

“Peace shall stand firm.”

—change of generation.

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

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