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Riftan’S POV - Under The Oak Tree - Chapter 21
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For a moment, a deep reverent voice was heard from the silence of the audience.
“Keep your head up.” Riftan slowly raised his head in accordance with the orders.
The Pope, seen from the front, was unexpectedly tall and majestic in appearance.
His white face, which was difficult to read, was covered with flowing white hair of pale golden colour, and the dark green eyes beneath his many eyebrows exuded an intense pressure.
As he beckoned to the paladin at his side, two young knights approached him with the long sword.
“I will give you ‘the Knight’s Sword’ as promised in reward after defeating my competitors with amazing skill.” The Pope made a solemn statement in a ruthless voice. “This sword belonged to one of the first knights, the sword was used by Sir Michael, and the sword is made of Wyvern leather, and it is said to have been made by a craftsman of the Umli tribe and was forged with Adamant.”
Riftan slowly reached out with both hands and stroked it. When he pulled it slightly out of the undecorated sheath, a sharp blade emerged that did not appear to have been forged in antiquity.
As he gazed at it in admiration, a stern warning fell on his head.
“Sheathe the sword now!”
The paladin pointed the blade of a sword at him and gave him a cold stare. Riftan gently pushed the sword back into the scabbard. Only then did the monotonous voice of the pope continue.
“This fencing contest was a significant event to determine the owner of this sword. It is also God’s will that it belongs to you. Please, I hope you will use it for honourable work so that the name ‘Knight’s Sword’ will not be lost.”
Riftan raised his head, doubting he was saying that in a sarcastic sense. The Pope’s eyes were infinitely calm and quiet. It felt like facing an old tree in the shape of a human. He rose from his seat or prayed reverently, clutching the amber-encrusted staff in both hands.
“May fate be with you.”
A shout erupted from the stands. Riftan looked down at the sword again, feeling his words emanating a strange reverberation in his head. He understood the feelings of the people who were fighting over this, saying it was not something he deserved. It was an object that was too heavy to fall into the hands of a mercenary who was born in the south.
Riftan rose from his seat with an uncomfortable feeling. The nobles seated at the top gave him an excited look, as if they were watching even a rare animal.
He ignored the curious stares and descended the stairs following the paladin’s instructions.
Those who gathered on the left and right side scattered petals on the path he passed. Riftan left the noisy arena behind him and stepped out into the hallway shrouded in dark shadows.
That day, the winner had the honour of participating in the nobles’ banquet, but Riftan refused in a forceful manner. He didn’t even have clothes to wear for the occasion, nor did he want to be a spectacle any longer. At first glance, the thought that the girl might appear in the banquet hall crossed his mind, but he no longer wanted to make a fool of himself.
Riftan returned to the inn, rested for the night and left the room with a bag of luggage. Then Ruth, who had been squatting in front of the stairs, jumped up and ran in front of him, as if he had been waiting for him.
“Hey! Good morning, Sir Calypse. This is the best weather for a journey!”
Riftan looked out the corridor window. The sky was grey and there was fog on the road. He laughed lightly and went down the stairs. The wizard followed him spontaneously and chattered merrily.
“Did you know that I almost won all the bets yesterday? Ah, don’t worry. As promised, I’ll give Calypse a share as well.”
Today, nothing seemed to be able to spoil the wizard’s emotions. Riftan sighed and left the inn. A cold morning mist enveloped his body. He stared into the misty fog and brushed his fringe out of his eyes.
Where should he go from here? As he looked around with a vague gaze, he suddenly felt someone running violently towards him. Riftan quickly drew his sword. Almost at the same time, he defended himself from a heavy blow.
“Of course, you have excellent sense.”
Riftan narrowed his eyes. It was the knight he had faced in the semi-finals. He seemed to be retreating, but his next could be a surprise attack…. Riftan was cynical and pointed his sword at the knight.
“Isn’t surprise attack an act that is against the rules of knights?”
“Really?” The knight stretched his mouth. “I’m young, so I don’t pay much attention to the theory, most likely I forgot.”
“…I’m sorry.” Riftan kept some distance from him, gripping the handle of the sword with both hands.
“You were the only opponent in the tournament I liked.”
Saying that terrifyingly, Riftan spurred off the ground and ran. The knight narrowly blocked the sword that was coming at him like the wind. The ground sank and his body was pushed back a couple of steps. Immediately, the man’s leisurely face was brutally distorted.
“What a nerve… Telling me you liked me while attacking me?”
“…I just didn’t want to kill him.”
There was a loud sound, Riftan corrected his stance. His sword skill was to stab a vital point and kill the opponent on the spot. The most annoying thing for him was to consciously suppress the urge to cut the enemy’s hindquarters at once and swing his sword.
Riftan fended off the large sword that was coming at a terrifying speed and swung the sword at his neck without hesitation.
At that moment, a chain flew up and paralysed his arm. Another knight, who avoided having his companion’s neck severely cut, quickly opened his distance to him.
Riftan swiftly moved his sword to the other hand and turned his gaze towards the place where the chains flew.
A slender-bodied young man and the middle-aged man who had spoken to him in the waiting room emerged from the mist.
“Well, why are you fighting after you said you were just going to talk to him?”
“I was trying to have a little fun for a moment. I didn’t get enough yesterday.”
The knight who had launched the surprise attack growled and touched his neck, which was about to be cut. It looked like it was a group.
Riftan watched the situation carefully and then pulled the chain of his slender arm, lost his balance, ran and swung his sword. However, the middle-aged man dodged and avoided the attack.
Riftan gritted his teeth. This man was also quite capable.
“He’s starting to get annoying.” He clicked his tongue, he was looking for an opportunity to attack again, but the man spoke urgently.
“Hey! I didn’t come here to fight. Calm down.”
“That’s funny. People who just want to talk, come and attack me by surprise?”
A deep sense of frustration emerged across the man’s face. Slowly taking a step back he said politely.
“I apologise for the rudeness of my subordinates. He is a mad battle fanatic and is anxious to see if there is a stronger person than him.”
Riftan watched his kind face with narrowed eyes and then turned to the one beside him. Not only the young man who threw chains at him, but also the knight who had made a surprise attack so seemed to have more intentions of attacking. Still, it was impossible to stop being alert. Riftan kept his distance and spat earnestly.
“What do you want to talk to me?”
“I came to invite you to join the Knights Templar.” The man said calmly.
Riftan laughed cynically. “…This is the worst way to solicit him.”
“Because of him, the situation became tense before he even began to speak.” He looked at the knight, sighing and said. “First, I will formally introduce myself. My name is Evan Triden, a knight sworn allegiance to the royal family of Weddon and the knight commander leading the Remdragon Knights. Hebaron Nirta is the one who attacked you by surprise, and Gabel Laxion is the one standing beside me. Both are knights of Remdragon.”
“…Remdragon?”
It was the first time he heard it. As he raised an eyebrow, the man smiled and confessed innocently.
“It’s not that the Knights are not known by name. We have been active mainly in the southern part of Weddon. Though we swear allegiance to the royal family, we are closer to being ‘Free Knights’. We didn’t have much of a chance to make a name for ourselves because we have so many independent activities.”
“Or because they don’t have much to do.” Riftan muttered cynically.
The knight called Gabel raised his head as if in anger. However, the man laughed without any offence.
“I’m sorry if you think so. I don’t think it’s easy to believe.”
Riftan closed his mouth tightly. Certainly, not only the knight named Hebaron, but also the knight commander, who blocked his attack nimbly, were also very talented people.
These did not compare to the knights he met when he wandered as a mercenary. Riftan was alert and said forcefully.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in taking orders from nobles. Find someone else to recruit.”
“We don’t follow orders from the nobles, but from His Majesty the King.”
“I don’t know what the difference is.”
“It’s the difference between heaven and earth. Remdragon only obeys the orders of Reuben III. The only one who can give us orders is the lord of Weddon. We are not serving other nobles.”
Riftan laughed. “To me, there is no difference between nobles and royalty. Above all, it is doubtful that a person who is close to the King of Weddon would recruit a lowly mercenary.”
“You need not worry about that. His Majesty seems to like you. He also ordered you to invite him to join.”
At the unexpected words, Riftan’s eyes widened. During that time, many noble lords had encouraged him to join their army several times, but it was the first time that the royal family had invited him. When he looked at him suspiciously, the man who had been silent for a while continued calmly.
“And 30% of the Remdragon Knights are mercenaries. Look, Hebaron Nirta, who almost had his head cut off twice, was also a mercenary in the past. Of course, there are quite a few knights of the nobility, including myself. But there is no discrimination based on status. It is Remdragon’s absolute rule to determine your rank depending on ability alone.”
“Doesn’t sound like the real thing.” Riftan replied coolly. “It says that if you prove your skills, someone, common can be above nobility? If he thought I’d be attracted to such bullshit, he’s talking to the wrong person.”
“Do I have any reason to lie to you?” The man tilted his head as if sincerely puzzled.
Riftan bridged the crooked smile on his mouth. As he said, the nobleman had no reason to deceive him. He might not want to accept someone’s words because they were in a reality where lies and betrayal were commonplace. Isn’t it ridiculous that he was still standing there weighing his words?
He picked up the luggage bag as he cursed, but the man approached him and said in a friendly tone.
“I hear you’re out of the mercenary group, do you have somewhere else to go?”
“That…”
Seeing that his attitude had softened, the knight leader smiled and pointed to the phrase engraved on the armour.
“It is not a bad thing to depend on a new group or to prefer to wander alone. There is no fundamental difference between joining the mercenaries and joining the knights.”
“The pay is different.”
The man did not lose his smile despite Riftan’s alternating response .
“If you are one of the best monster hunters like you, it might be better to remain a mercenary. But when you become a knight, honour follows. It is also possible to have your own lands and build your own castle.”