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263. Engagement – Visit

Days passed by as I remained locked away, unable to do anything.

It feels like about two months since I was imprisoned. However, the bald priest had only visited me twice since then, so in reality, not even a full week had elapsed.

Leo looked haggard.

At first, he used to exercise, but now he did not. He only watched the sluggish movements of the guards as they slowly encroached upon his territory.

In his heart, he had imagined breaking down the wooden door and escaping dozens of times. He envisioned beating the arrogant guards to death and utilizing skills like {Leadership}, {Dignity}, {Noble Society}, {Tactics}, and {Royal Blood} to take control of the city.

The Austin Kingdom Army was caught off guard and retreated in a hurry. But they faced the furious Swordmaster they had imprisoned. Ultimately, they were wiped out, largely due to the supplies stacked in this city, Langzra.

Langzra became the capital of the kingdom he established. Lena Ainar became the queen, and Leo became the king. Leo, like King Maunin and Queen Letty, sought to raise an army to overthrow the nation, but…

Malpas.

His imagination faltered each time in front of Malpas, the half of Marhas and the Red Crow. This ancient being, who loved chaos and war, was a symbol of victory, unlike Halpas, who represented defeat. Leo couldn’t continue this train of thought due to the {History of Ashin} information.

Being unable to leave and feeling anxious just sitting idle was tormenting. I wonder if Lena is doing well. She must be worried a lot; hopefully, she’s not doing anything reckless.

Can I survive this? Should I beg the prince instead? Whatever the outcome, I can’t die like this; I should escape with Lena. But what about my father in Abrival Castle? What would he think if he finds out I was imprisoned? If I were sentenced to death and he heard that news, it would likely break his heart.

Minseo… what would he think of me?

In the less than two-pyeong cell, Leo gnawed at himself. The guard who roughly delivered his meals no longer disgusted him, and just as he began to look forward to the bald priest’s idle chatter, someone came to visit.

It was Jensen Bailei.

On the Knight Commander’s visit, Leo faced him not in the cell, but in the guard’s room. Jensen scanned Leo from top to bottom and asked pointedly.

“You haven’t washed at all. Hey, isn’t this a bit harsh for a prisoner?”

“I-I apologize. However, he is someone who insulted the prince…”

“Guard.”

“Y-Yes?”

“Do you dare to execute me? To say such a thing in front of me is quite the nerve.”

“Ah, no! I’m sorry!”

The guard knelt on the floor, putting his hands together in a plea, resembling a fly. Jensen Bailei continued to glare coldly at him before speaking.

“Go wash this prisoner and change his clothes. I have something to discuss with him, so bring tea and snacks.”

There was no way there could be a break room in prison. There wouldn’t be tea or pastries, and the guard would have to spend out of his own pocket to prepare such things, but he replied, “Yes, sir,” bowing his head repeatedly and leading Leo outside.

A short while later, for the first time since entering prison, Leo washed himself clean with warm water and changed into new clothes. When he returned to the guardroom, tea and assorted pastries of unknown origin were placed on the table.

Jensen did not touch the tea or snacks. Instead, he was in the process of lighting a cigarette.

“Do you smoke?”

“…No, I wasn’t aware you smoked, Captain.”

“I don’t do it often. I only smoke once in a blue moon; I used to be quite a heavy smoker back in the day.”

“…”

“It’s something from before I met your father. I was a squire then. Here, take this. I don’t like sweet things.”

– Sizzle.

Jensen Bailei dropped the cigarette into his teacup.

It’s hard to believe someone usually so tidy would make such a move. Leo felt that this was Jensen’s true nature; he transformed completely when wielding a sword.

Crunch.

While Leo grabbed a few pastries, Jensen lit a thick cigarette. As he inhaled deeply and looked at Leo, he spoke.

“Your father is my senior and a benefactor. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have become a knight in this kingdom.”

Jensen Bailei took another deep drag of the cigarette. It didn’t seem he had come just to share such stories, but amidst the smoky haze, he reflected on the past.

“When I was a squire, I had a terribly cruel superior. Back then, they didn’t treat commoners like people… it was hard times. It must be much better now. My peers and I didn’t let bullies have their way with commoners.”

“…”

“Anyway, while I was wondering what I was doing here lamenting and whether I should head back to my family, I met your father. He’s a remarkable gentleman. He’s not from a noble family; he’s about the same age as me, yet somehow became a knight in no time. The youngest knight in history, if I recall. I doubt his record has been broken yet.”

Puff— thick smoke rose.

Jensen sighed towards the ceiling of the guardroom and continued.

“Fortunately, my superior became your father. He never made me do any menial tasks and honed my swordsmanship. I almost quit smoking back then… those were the good days. We were young, and he was young too. I urged him to go out and meet women, and he got mad at me. Haha. But then, that gentleman, he started dating a lady who participated in the Maunin-Letii Tournament, and before I knew it, they were married. That lady was Ibera Ainar, your mother.”

…What was he trying to say?

Watching Jensen, the hope I had held onto for a moment began to dampen and fade away.

It felt like he was just rambling without being able to say that my death sentence had been decided. Leo’s heart hardened more and more.

“What an interesting person your mother was. She was cheerful and confident… but she has passed away. It’s a shame.”

“…How do you know? I thought you didn’t know.”

“I read the letter your father sent to Baron Albasete. Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t want to read it either. It was during the investigation of your treason allegations.”

Leo clenched his teeth in anger. Though he wouldn’t say he was innocent, he couldn’t suppress his frustration.

“Do you also think I plotted treason, Captain? I only did my best to guard the prince. I can’t deny I have committed crimes. But I only acted out of excitement trying to stop the Oblivion Blade. If I had died along with my sword, none of this would have happened! If I died, the prince would have died too…”

“Don’t get cocky!”

Jensen shouted angrily.

“You act like you’re something special. Yes, I’ll acknowledge that you have exceptional skill for your age and possess a mysterious sword. But so what? If it weren’t for you, would the prince have died? A sorcerer would have stopped that. Even if not, wouldn’t he have been captured by Count Forte? You don’t even know what’s happening outside. The Commander-in-Chief of the Belita Kingdom has declared a total war. There’s no more peace. It’s no longer a mere land grab; it has become a war that determines the fate of two kingdoms. You made it this way!”

His shout reverberated through the guardroom. Jensen, who had stood up abruptly, settled back into his seat saying, “Sorry, I got a bit worked up.” After breathing for a moment, he continued in a lower voice.

“I don’t think you plotted treason or made mistakes. It’s more ridiculous to neglect the enemy boldly entering our territory. Also, when the count was charging at us, we couldn’t just let him live. By that logic, I have to take some blame too; after all, I was the one who killed the count.”

“…”

“However, the prince did not wish for this war. You may not know this, but the prince was humiliated in the Belita Kingdom. Utterly absurdly, I tell you. We had just cause for this war. The king ordered us to prepare for war, and I was on reconnaissance at the border with the Commander-in-Chief. My family, the Bailei House, is near the border. I was surveying the terrain and planning supplies with help from my brother when the prince returned from the Belita Kingdom.”

Jensen picked up the teacup, probably out of thirst, but he noticed a cigarette butt inside and set it back down.

“I thought the prince would be furious. But he wasn’t. He asked the Commander-in-Chief and me to return to the capital and persuade the king, but since a royal decree had been issued, we had no other option. The prince left for the capital… and ultimately, the war broke out.”

Hoo. Jensen took a breath to steady himself.

“I heard everything. Count Hermann Forte proposed peace at that time, right? Saying the price was just a lock of the prince’s hair. Is that correct?”

“…Yes. That’s right.”

“You understand the trouble you’ve caused?”

…Crunch.

Leo popped another pastry into his mouth. Words escaped him. As silence lingered, Jensen Bailei spoke again.

“As I mentioned earlier, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to your father. And to your mother too. During the Nine-Day War, I was alongside Senior Noel Dexter. He was the only person I could trust.”

Jensen took another cigarette out from a small case. He fidgeted with it, deciding whether or not to light it, and continued.

“It was a horrific war. There was no division between friend and foe, and distrust was rife. The Knight Order officially declared neutrality and ordered the knights to be patient, but behind the scenes, there was infighting. Even the commanders of the knight orders were swept up in civil war. From that point on, even knights who’d been confined to their homes began to act on their own. My father and I were no exception, but fortunately, Senior Noel seemed to think the same way. Though he never expressed it.”

Leo silently chose to listen.

The Nine-Day War, which started with the suspicious death of a young king, divided the Asran Kingdom into the Austin and Aster Kingdoms. Hundreds of thousands died, which left both northern kingdoms impoverished and with centralization, along with two Swordmasters.

Chaos and war.

Many, including Jensen, might believe they contributed to that war, but it was truly Marhas’s stage alone. They had sacrificed countless lives during the three years of civil strife.

Perhaps this was a truth only Leo knew, a truth with no way to prove it. Not unless one could hold a sword to the king’s neck.

As the king’s loyal knight, Jensen Bailei continued speaking.

“I assassinated nobles deemed enemies alongside Senior Noel in Barnau. The Klaus royal family, split into two, was scheming to seize the capital, so there were plenty of nobles to assassinate. But during that time, I made a huge mistake. The ‘Pamphilly House,’ now gone but once managing a crystal mine, was supporting the arms for the territorial wars happening all over the kingdom. I urged Noel to storm their mansion immediately.”

Jensen furrowed his brow. As he stroked the scars that filled his arms, hands, and face, they seemed to ache as he spoke.

“But Noel was cautious. He always was. Little did I know that his caution was what kept us alive; I foolishly found him frustrating. In the end, I had a huge argument with him and stormed the mansion solo. The outcome… well, you can guess. I was almost killed.”

Leo nodded slightly. Just by looking at Jensen’s face, especially the deep scar starting from his right cheek to the bridge of his nose, it was easy to infer he had suffered life-threatening injuries.

“But I managed to escape somehow. Weirdly, they didn’t pursue me. But with my identity revealed, I couldn’t just go home and pretend to remain neutral… I headed toward my senior’s hiding place. But there was no sign of him. Only you and your mother were there. You were so young, you probably don’t remember. Anyway, thanks to your mother’s treatment, I survived, but… how could I face my senior again? I was embarrassed and fled before Noel arrived.”

Jensen finally lit the cigarette he had been fiddling with. The smoke meandered sadly through the air.

“Looking back, I shouldn’t have run away. I should have asked for forgiveness… After the war ended, I learned that Senior Noel had wiped out the Pamphilly House. What a remarkable person. There were over twenty knights, yet… he never said a word to me. He settled his office duties and quietly retired.”

Puh. With a sigh, Jensen looked at Leo, his face still hinting at lingering regret, he got to the main point.

“You’ve committed a grave sin. But I can’t allow you to die. If you agree, I could show the prince the letter from Senior Noel. It may not mention you, but perhaps for the sake of Noel Dexter’s merits, you might be forgiven. No, I will persuade him for sure. Your fiancée was also quite supportive.”

With those final words, Jensen left the guardroom.

Returning to his cell, Leo was engulfed in silence. He sat down, not on the table but on the floor, fiddling with the blanket that covered the almost entire cell.

There was nothing in this world to fear.

A strong body, peak swordsmanship, distinct true ending conditions, and a future so obvious it was cliché, the shackled Count Hermann Forte…

I thought I knew everything and that no one could stop me. I merely thought that if I taught Lena swordsmanship and moved towards the true ending, that would be the end, without ever looking around.

But I still had things I didn’t know. I thought I didn’t need anyone’s help, but I was in a position where I needed assistance from my father, Jensen, and Lena. Leo let out a hollow laugh.

How foolish I was.

I didn’t get this far because I was special on my own.

Whether visible or not, I had always relied on others’ help, and even the abilities I had assumed were mine were originally derived from Minseo.

Leo spent two days engulfed in silence. The next day, the guard kindly informed him of his release, and Leo stepped out into the glaring sunlight, squinting. Lena was waiting for him.

“…Your face looks terrible. Eat this.”

“How… did you come?”

“How do you think? Because of you, I became a soldier again. Hurry and take this.”

What she handed him was white bread. Something utterly unattainable on the battlefield. Leo swallowed a sigh and asked.

“Did the prince give this to you?”

“Yep. He said we should perform a deed to alleviate our sins. We’ll be deployed to the front lines.”

“……I’m sorry.”

“Sorry, my foot.”

Lena cheered as she patted Leo on the shoulder energetically.

“Just do well again! It’s no big deal; it’s something I’ve already accomplished once, so why can’t I do it again? Just believe in me. I’m not kidding these days! Those soldiers, I can easily whack them away like this! Wham wham wham!!”

Lena mimicked punching the air. Thump, thump, thump—Leo bit into the white bread as he took the hits of her playful punches.

The bread was nutty and delicious.